Mehmet Nazif Günal Explained

Mehmet Nazif Günal
Nationality:Turkish
Education:Middle East Technical University
Occupation:Businessman
Known For:Chairman and 100% owner of MNG Holding
Spouse:Married
Children:3

Mehmet Nazif Günal (born 1948) is a Turkish billionaire property developer who is the founder and sole owner of conglomerate Mapa Group, which he controls through a wholly owned holding company.[1] [2]

Biography

Günal was born in 1948.[3] He worked as a construction worker from 1962 to 1965, and as a subcontractor in construction until 1971.[4] [5] In 1971 he graduated from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, with a master's degree in civil engineering.[3] [5] [1]

Günal founded the Mapa Group in 1976 (originally Gunal Construction Trade and Industry Co. Inc.),[6] and has been managing it ever since.[5] [3] The group is active in construction, tourism and transport,[7] [6] and includes MNG Airlines and had its own TV station, TV8.[6] In the 1980s, the company grew from a medium-sized construction company focused on housing, by Günal quickly diversifying the company.[2] The MNG Group is now active in Southeast Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East, North Africa, the Ivory Coast and Cameroon. With his group he is active in Algeria, the Ivory Coast, in Georgia, Cameroon, Libya, Romania, Saudi Arabia and in the United Arab Emirates.[4] [8] [9] Günal owns ten 5-star hotels, the WoW (World of Wonders) Kremlin Palace and the WoW Topkapi Palace, in Antalya, are "architecturally exact replicas" of the Kremlin and Topkapi palaces.[1] He is a member of the Atlantic Council's board of directors.[10]

Günal is a former executive of the Fenerbahçe S.K. football club.[11] In July 2015, he bought the majority shares in Swiss football club FC Wil.[4] On 8 February 2017, it was announced that Turkish investors had suddenly pulled out of financing FC Wil.[12] In November it was announced at the club's general meeting that Günal and the investors had invested over 20 million Swiss francs in the club in the one and a half years since buying the majority shares, with a loss of CHF 11 million.[13]

Controversies

Günal is a controversial figure due to his perceived closeness with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who he once describes as a "second Ataturk".[4] The newspaper Taraf reported inconsistencies in Günal's income in 2015, as he did not appear on the government's list of largest taxpayers.[4]

Personal life

Günal is married, with three children, and lives in Istanbul, Turkey.[1] His son Murathan Doruk Günal is also an engineer and is Vice President of the MNG Group, and served as president of FC Wils.[14] [15] [16] [17] Günal's daughter Merve is an engineer who also works for the MNG group.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Forbes profile: Mehmet Nazif Gunal . Forbes.com . 11 February 2020.
  2. Web site: Ein knallharter Geschäftsmann . Jürgen . Gottschlich. Tagblatt . 17 July 2015 . 22 July 2020.
  3. Web site: Mng Şirketler Topluluğu . Turkish . Mng.com.tr . 26 April 2017 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20180129222603/http://www.mng.com.tr/eng/corporate.php?sf=corporate_&k=43&u=130. 29 January 2018.
  4. Web site: Türkischer Investor mischt Schweizer Clubfussball auf . German . HandelsZeitung.ch . 22 July 2020.
  5. Web site: Company Overview of MNG Holding Co. Inc. . Bloomberg . 22 July 2020 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160424180331/http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=26490190&privcapId=32626474. 24 April 2016.
  6. Web site: Overview . MNG . 22 July 2020 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160424180340/http://www.mng.com.tr/eng/corporate.php?sf=corporate_&k=43&u=13223. 24 April 2016.
  7. Web site: Mit alles und scharf! Wie ein türkischer Milliardär beim FC Wil zum Grossangriff auf den Schweizer Fussball bläst . Alex . Dutler. Watson . 15 July 2015 . 22 July 2020.
  8. Web site: Cameroon: Turkish billionaire Mehmet Nazif Gunal wants to invest in infrastructure and energy . Business Cameroon . 27 March 2014 . 22 July 2020.
  9. Web site: Ellen Assures Investors of Government Commitment to Create Enabling Environment . 2016 . Front Page Africa Online . 22 July 2020 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160424180352/http://frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/business/398-ellen-assures-investors-of-government-commitment-to-create-enabling-environment. 24 April 2016.
  10. Web site: Board of Directors. Atlantic Council. 11 February 2020.
  11. Web site: Hesap sormaya geliyorum! . Turkish . Haberturk . 15 May 2009 . 22 July 2020.
  12. Web site: FC Wil: Die türkischen Investoren sind wohl weg . Tagblatt . 22 July 2020 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20171213083544/http://www.tagblatt.ch/sport/fcwil/FC-Wil-Sind-die-tuerkischen-Investoren-weg;art162142,4898907 . 13 December 2017.
  13. Web site: FC WIL: Türkische Investoren verprassten 20 Millionen Franken und hinterlassen Altlasten . Simon . Dudle. Tagblatt . 22 July 2020.
  14. http://www.blick.ch/sport/fussball/challengeleague/murathan-doruk-guenal-28-so-heisst-der-neue-wil-praesident-id4045027.html Murathan Doruk Günal (28): So heisst der neue Wil-Präsident
  15. http://www.sport-fan.ch/news/eintrag/fc-wil-wird-neu-von-einem-tuerken-gefuehrt FC Wil wird neu von einem Türken geführt
  16. , auf infowilplus.ch, retrieved 3 September 2015.
  17. http://www.toponline.ch/sport/detail/art/murathan-doruk-guenal-ist-neuer-wil-praesident-001690341/ Murathan Doruk Günal ist neuer Wil-Präsident

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