I decided to take a break from teaching biology -which I love so much- when I learned that I was pregnant with my third child. I was going to raise him by myself.

Thanks to my husband, who had quit his job to establish his own mineral oil company, I could do what I had decided. When our son was two years old, I wanted to return to my job that I missed, but my husband asked for my help at his company, and so, I started to work there.

First of all, I improved the working environment, then I started to learn finance. In time, our company had grown up; so we had our own gas stations. Then, we moved to İstanbul from Mersin; at that time, our gas stations' number reached 17. In 1992, we founded the fuel dispensing company OPET. Safe working conditions and employee satisfaction was our priority. 

I have been an OPET executive board member who is responsible for social responsibility projects, such as the cleanliness of the stations and their toilets, environmental pollution control, and ensuring that the facilities are handicap-friendly and satisfactory to customers.

All of our Clean Toilet, Green Road, Model Village, Traffic Detectives, Çanakkale and Troya Respect to History projects are continuous, because they touch people's hearts and change their behaviors. 

We have had golden medal projects which are studied as a case at Harvard University.

I am 68 years old and still in love with my husband, just like in the university years, when we had first met. We have two sons, one daughter, and four grandchildren. I write poems, travel writings and articles for some magazines. I am also interested in photography.

Some people say "Why are you in such a rush?", "It's time for rest" to me. My answer to them is "Why are you waiting when there is so much that you can do?" Why are we living if we can't change something positively with our presence?

Nurten Öztürk, Founding board member of OPET Oil Company
İstanbul, 2 October 2018

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