Businessman (B. 1921, Kayseri, D. 22nd March 2007, Istanbul). Born to
Nuri and Zekiye Has in Kayseri,
Kadir Has was a businessman and also one of the founders of Akbank. When he
graduated from the Boğaziçi University (1942), he got married to Rezan Hanım,
daughter of Mehmet and Şehime Germirli, one of the recognized families in Kayseri.
His father Nuri Has was
among the richest of Turkey with many factories and enterprises that Nuri Has
founded, starting from the scratch labouringly in Adana, and was one of the
founders of Akbank.
After he got married,
Kadir Has took up a career immediately. As well as the qualities and assets inherited from his family, Kadir Has
was shortly ranked among the richest businesspersons of Adana, thanks to his
entrepreneurial mindset, hard work and perseverance, and business life focusing
on the automotive trading, especially on marketing trucks and tractors. Settling in
Istanbul in 1960, Kadir Has was also among the
richest businesspersons of Istanbul
thanks to his integrity, ambition, and reliable personality, especially
focusing on automotive industry business. He established the Mercedes Bus and
Truck Factory and was the Chairman and Member of the Board of Directors to this
enterprise for many years. He first founded the Coca-Cola Factory in our
country. He was one of the partners of Peugeot-branded passenger van factory in
the name of “Karsan” along with the Koç family. He became the official Turkey distributor
of the famous French company Michelin. In addition, he realized similar
business enterprises.
Having the highest founder’s share of Akbank following the Sabancı
family, Kadir Has made a great success in all of the enterprises that he
founded and developed, and gave a good account of himself in each business that
he attempted. In 1998, he was granted a Title of Honorary PhD by Çanakkale Onsekiz
Mart University
and Marmara University because of his great
contributions to the education. Kadir Has and Rezan Has donated
their entire fortune to the foundation named “Kadir Has Foundation Specific to
Turkish Education (HASVAK)”, which they founded in 1991 upon their will. In
other words, they granted what they had gained from their company, to their
country again. His biggest passion was to see that Kadir Has University, named
after him, commenced to provide education and could develop and grow. Experiencing
such happiness in 1997, Kadir Has passed away in Istanbul on March 23rd,
2007.
ABOUT: Kadir Has
passed away, having a heart attack (Zaman, 22nd March 2007).