ŞEREF KILIÇLI Türkiye’s entrepreneurial ecosystem moved onto another climate in 2021. Last year, startups drew US$ 1.6 billion worth of investment in 262 and broke yet another record. Exceeding the band of US$ 1 billion in investments in startups carried Türkiye to Europe’s Super League from Europe’s 1st League in this area. In other words, Türkiye’s entrepreneurial ecosystem now remains at the top rank that also hosts Germany, the United Kingdom and France. Initiatives in Türkiye achieved US$ 757 million worth of investment in 2010-2020. The success achieved in 2021 raised the bar for future expectations. The new target is becoming permanent in the European Super League regarding startup investments and making more remarkable achievements. GLOBALIZED ENTERPRISES Founder of Startupswatch Serkan Ünsal evaluated Türkiye’s new achievements in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and said: “The US$ 1.6 billion investment in startups in 2021 is the evidence of the level reached by the ecosystem. 2021 should be regarded as the year for reaping the fruits of globalization. 2021’s biggest difference from the other years is the globalized enterprises’ attraction of higher investments. The game sector’s dynamism gained massive momentum after Peak and Rollic’s exits. Türkiye and Istanbul may become Europe’s greatest game centres.” LEADING ISTANBUL Istanbul’s leadership in the entrepreneurial ecosystem draws attention. The enterprises in Istanbul received over 90% of the investments in 2021. Serkan Ünsal noted that Istanbul would continue to be the leader in startup investments and added, “Despite the growing telecommuting trend due to the pandemic, Istanbul is well ahead of Türkiye’s other cities, it is even ahead of European cities and that will not change. Istanbul will remain at the top ranks as globalized enterprises wishing to create solutions to world’s problems continue to emerge.” FIVE UNICORNS AT THIS STAGE Presently, there are five unicorns, five investments worth US$ 1 billion in Türkiye. The list of these enterprises: Peak, Getir, Trendyol, Hepsiburada, Dream Games. Moreover, ten more enterprises with an increasing value are stated to advance on the path of becoming unicorns. The enterprises expected to become unicorns in the upcoming period are as follows: Modanisa, Insider, Good Job Games, Fugo Games, Alictus, Vivense, Meditopia, Martı, Paycore, Ace Games. Experts’ projections suggest that Türkiye’s unicorns would reach 15 in the short run as these enterprises achieve the unicorn value. ICOC’S SUPPORTS VIA BTM Founded by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce to support new-generation entrepreneurship, the Commercialization Center of Istanbul (BTM) turned into a critical centre for Türkiye’s startup ecosystem. The total valuation amount of BTM enterprises reached TRY 996 million in the 4.5 years. The year 2021 was also a year of new record-breaking achievements for BTM. When 21 enterprises received TRY 204 million and 60 thousand investment in 2020, this figure reached TRY 625 million and 260 thousand in 2021. BTM’s performance by the year 2021 was 180 times higher than its success in 2017. BTM’s General Manager, İbrahim Elbaşı noted that 2021 went into history as an unforgettable year for Türkiye’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and added, “Because the investments in the ecosystem and Turkish enterprises achievements made their mark on 2021. The year 2021 was also a record-breaking year for BTM. I believe that 2022 will be an even better one.” TEKNOPARK ISTANBUL CUBE INCUBATION Founded by the Presidency of Defence Industries and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, technology development zone Teknopark Istanbul also contributes to startups’ progress. As Teknopark Istanbul’s incubation centre, Cube Incubation hosts an ecosystem that gathers entrepreneurs, investors and other stakeholders with innovative and deep technology-based business ideas. Cube Incubation moved to a new centre with a 10 thousand square meter area and continues to serve the entrepreneurs with the prototype workshops, post-incubation, cyber security incubation centre, medical/bio-engineering incubation centre and various recreational areas.

21 Şubat 2022 Pazartesi

Türkiye concluded the year 2021 by breaking a record in exports. The country broke another record in defence and aerospace exports. In 2021, the exports exceeded US$ 3 billion for the first time. Compared to previous years, the delivery of more unmanned air vehicles played an influential role in reaching this level. Türkiye is raising the bar in this area by exporting Hürkuş qualified as the first Turkish aircraft with a European certificate. MANUFACTURER COMPANY TAI Manufacturer company of Hürkuş, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) is Türkiye’s centre of technology regarding the design, development, modernization, production, and integration of integrated aerospace industry systems ranging from fixed and rotatingwing air platforms to unmanned air vehicles and space systems. EUROPEAN CERTIFICATION Though initially planned as a trainer jet, various designs of Hürkuş for different utilization types were developed, and the aircraft received the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) ‘TT32 Aircraft Type Certificate’ on 11 July 2016. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) validated SHGM’s certificate for all European countries on the same day. In this way, Hürkuş became the first Turkish aircraft to receive a type certificate from a European Civil Aviation Authority. Malaysia, Niger, Azerbaijan and Pakistan remain on Hürkuş’ export radar in the first stage. INFRASTRUCTURAL INVESTMENTS Remaining among the global players of aviation, space and defence industry, TAI achieved a more ambitious position in production and procurement with the facilities it launched in the first week of this year. The official opening of the facilities, including the National Combat Aircraft (TF-X) Engineering Center and Composite Production Building to enhance Türkiye’s position in the aerospace industry, has been executed with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. A ceremony has been conducted for a series of facilities at TAI in addition to the Engineering Center regarding the TF-X carried out under the coordination of the Presidency of Defence Industries of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye. Two thousand and three hundred people will be employed at the TF-X Engineering Center. SPACE SYSTEMS Officially opened Composite Production Building and auxiliary facilities will be Türkiye’s most prominent and the world’s 4th largest composite facility under a single roof. The factory with 150 engineers and 850 technicians will have the capacity of meeting 2% of the global composite aircraft structure market. Seven hundred eighteen people will be employed at the Space Systems Engineering (SSE) Center. The 16 facilities will introduce employment opportunities to 15 thousand people at the Aerospace and Aviation Specialized Organized Industrial Zone. HÜRJET TO LAUNCH SERIAL PRODUCTION The first phase serial production call was made for HÜRJET that is planned to conduct the maiden flight in 2023. T-38 jet trainers within Turkish Air Forces inventory is aimed to be replaced with HÜRJET. The aircraft is intended to share the closer air support and combat aircraft training roles of the F-16s with the light attack aircraft configuration with a payload capacity of 2 thousand 721kgs. HÜRJET is designed to perform at a service ceiling of 45 thousand feet with a maximum speed of Mach 1.4, and the aircraft will feature state-of-the-art technology and flight systems.

21 Şubat 2022 Pazartesi

Türkiye’s global mobility brand Togg is leaving behind another critical stage towards achieving its target of ‘journey towards innovation.’ Togg’s test production activities were commenced, and the brand is planning to launch the first serial production car from the production band by the end of 2022. Togg aims to become a global brand of which Türkiye owns all exclusive intellectual and property rights. TOGG carried out the preliminary demonstration of its vehicles on 27 December 2019 with the motto ‘journey towards innovation’, and the brand moves onto a new stage as of the end of 2022. Togg’s CEO Gürcan Karakaş talked about their 2022 goals at the facilities in Gemlik province of Bursa and stated that they have been reaching their targets step by step in line with the plans. Karakaş said, “There will be a total of 250 robots in our facility. We will launch the test production at the end of July 2022, and our first serial production vehicle will be off the production band at the end of 2022. Following the completion of the homologation tests, our first vehicle C-segment SUV will be launched to the market in the first quarter of 2023.” Declaring Togg as a ‘smart device’, Togg’s CEO Gürcan Karakaş stressed that as a technology company, they did not attend automotive fairs and reminded that they participated world’s largest Consumer Electronics Show CES 2022 on 5-8 January. RUNNING THE TESTS Telling that they started installing the equipment in the facility, Karakaş continued, “We launched the development of the smart device parts of the automobile and selected our suppliers. Presently, we are running the crash tests, endurance, and performance tests. We are gradually implementing all the engineering development processes professionally.” Karakaş underlined that they built Europe’s cleanest facilities in Gemlik. COLLABORATING WITH STARTUPS Gürcan Karakaş noted before launching the automobile’s sales, they may introduce a different product to the consumers with the startups they collaborate with, and they negotiated with 226 startups. Declaring that they shook hands with ten of these companies, Karakaş stressed that they also worked in detail with 25 startups. Karakaş stated that they focused on strategic areas such as mobility solutions, big data, cyber security, fintech, blockchain, gamification, smart grids, and mobility services. A COMPETITIVE PRICE Karakaş’ statements on Togg’s price are as follows: “Ever since we started our journey, we thought that when we entered the market in 2023, the C-segment SUV with the highest sales in our country would not be an electric vehicle. Therefore we planned alldetails knowing that we need to take a market share from the internal combustion vehicles. So, if you ask, ‘can you compete in the league of C-segment SUVs?’, our answer will be, ‘yes, we can.’” THE LOGO THAT GATHERS THE EAST AND THE WEST Togg decided about its logo after determining the brand’s name. Two arrows are uniting in the logo design to form a precious stone in the middle to symbolize the East and the West’s joining. At the same time, the logo emphasizes Togg as the technology company uniting the technology and the human beings in the intersection point of today and tomorrow on account of Togg’s mobility solutions making life easier. Logo’s registration process required by the European Union, USA, China, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkic States, and Türkiye commenced. The excitement of serial production in Togg’s factory in Bursa-Gemlik is defined as ‘Europe’s cleanest facilities.’ MANUFACTURES İTS BATTERY CEO Karakaş pointed out that they will have manufactured their batteries by the end of 2022 and continued: “We established Siro in partnership with Farasis Energy. We launched the preparations with Togg Smart and Rapid Charging Solutions Inc. to support a rapid and extensive infrastructure.” Karakaş mentioned that Siro, founded by Togg and Farasis Energy to develop power storage solutions, would become a leader in producing battery cells, modules, and packages. Karakaş also noted that Siro would becomea business partner with Türkiye in the neighbouring countries in the automotive and non-automotive sectors.

21 Şubat 2022 Pazartesi

ADEM ORHUN Istanbul offers countless opportunities for business and sectoral cooperation in addition to tourism and travel. Numerous fairs, exhibitions, and business negotiations are carried out in the city every year to realise such potential. One of these events, the ‘Gate of Business Textile’, has been held once again after a year-long pandemic break. Istanbul Chamber of Commerce organised an event where the companies active in the textile and fabrics sector could transform their performances into new business opportunities with international partners. 350 BUYERS FROM 8 COUNTRIES Foreign buyer companies and Turkish companies gathered at the event held at the halls of a modern hotel. Hundreds of Turkish companies displayed their fabrics and other textile goods, initial negotiations were conducted, and first signatures on the orders were put. This event started to be organised in 2019 and was held twice that year. However, it was suspended in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been executed this year due to the massive demand of the sector. Buyers and 350 buyers from 8 countries attended the event. In 2022 the event will have a broader scope and is expected to pave the way for business partnerships, orders and the fashion industry. FIRST IN THE SECTOR Regarding the event, the President of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Şekib Avdagiç , said, “Gate of Business Textile B2B Istanbul, is Türkiye’s greatest organisation in fabrics. It is the most aspiring event of the textile sub-industry.” Avdagiç underlined that as the meeting point of the East and the West, Istanbul had to turn into a centre where the global textile sector’s heartbeats and continued: “With its high-quality products as well as designs, the Turkish textile sectors deserves this position. We are ready to provide all the support to the initiatives in this regard. The Turkish fabrics, textile, and related sectors grew so much that we can now organise a global fair to match such size. We have exhibition halls with indoor areas of 100 thousand square meters, and I believe all halls will be full when we hold a fair.” TEXTILE SECTOR BREAKING THE EXPORT RECORD In 2021, Turkish companies exported textile and raw materials and achieved a record-breaking US$ 12.9 billion. Increasing its exports by 33.2 per cent, the Turkish textile sector took a 42.4 per cent share from USA’s woven fabrics market imports.

21 Şubat 2022 Pazartesi

The number of global direct investors across Türkiye is expected to reach 83 thousand this year. Forty-four thousand of these investors will be stationed in Istanbul. Within this context, this year’s direct investment projection of YASED has been declared as US$ 25 billion. Renewable energy sources, deep technology and the automotive industry are on top of the areas attracting global direct investors. BARIŞ CABACI The global economy’s rules are being reshaped as of 2022, and the supply chain adversely affected throughout the pandemic is integrating with the new chains to recover. Türkiye is one of the strongest links of the chain… Serkan Valandova, the Secretary-General of the International Investors Association (YASED) replied Istanbul Chamber of Commerce’s questions on international investors’ preferences in Türkiye in the new year. US$ 25 BILLION Stating that this year a share of 1.5 percent from the global direct investments (GDI) volume is aimed to be achieved, Valandova summarized projections for direct investments in Türkiye. Valandova said, “There is an investment capital volume of US$1.5 trillion in the world. Though the year 2022 is full of many uncertainties for our world, such as the pandemic and geopolitical risks, the global direct investments will maintain the 2021 levels. An investment amounting to US$ 25 billion­­ is expected to land in our country.” ONE HALF IS CAPITAL TRANSFER Valandova underlined that global direct investment inflow to Türkiye in 2021 was around US$ 10 billion. Valandova added that US$ 5.7 billion of this comprised of capital transfer while the rest was built of real estate and continued: “When we examine the origins of the capital transfer, we see that almost half of it originated from the United Kingdom, USA and Netherlands. These countries are followed by the UAE, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Germany with a total share of 30%.” ISTANBUL’S SPECIAL POSITION YASED’s Secretary-General Serkan Valandova stressed Istanbul’s unique characteristics that distinguished the city from other cities in Türkiye. Valandova pointed the robust manufacturing industry in the city as well as in the surrounding cities and continued: “In fact, Istanbul is a city where the service sector is more prevalent. It is the centre of information technologies, finance and insurance, creative industries, and entertainment. The city’s competitive power in the cinema industry, TV programming and broadcasting are also quite high. Therefore, Istanbul is heading towards becoming a city that specializes in a service sector with high added value and exports services.” Valandova noted that the number of companies with foreign capital in Türkiye amounted to 78 thousand by the end of 2021 and added that they expected this number to reach 83 thousand in Türkiye and 44 thousand in Istanbul in the new year. THE EU PLAYS A DETERMINING ROLE Underlining that the period contained remarkable opportunities regarding the goods and markets where Türkiye has competitive power, Valandova said: “Türkiye’s relations with the EU will play a determining role in the c­­ountry’s capacity to enhance its position in the supply chains as the EU member countries represent over 51% of the GDI stocks and Türkiye conducts more than 40% of its exports to these countries.” THE GREEN DEAL Valandova expressed that Türkiye is among the countries with the capacity to swiftly adopt the regulations regarding the European Green Deal and added, “If we perceive border carbon adjustment and compliance with other regulations that may create non-tariff limits as part of EU’s Green Deal that we need to assume as an opportunity instead of threats, we may further strengthen our position within the supply chains.” 87% OF HEADQUARTERS REMAIN IN ISTANBUL Serkan Valandova noted that 60% of the people employed in computer programming and consultancy sectors were registered in Istanbul. Valandova continued elaborating on Istanbul’s unique position: “Istanbul hosts to the headquarters of international investors in terms of our country and a wider region that covers the surrounding countries. 87% of YASED members’ headquarters in Türkiye are located in Istanbul. The general directorates of most of our members in Istanbul are at the same time the regional administrative centres of their investments in the surrounding countries. As YASED, we share our views with the governmental authorities on what needs to be achieved to position Istanbul similar to Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore etc., as the regional centre of companies and a common service centre and presently, we are preparing a project to elevate our past activities in this area to the top level.” THE TOP THREE SECTORS 1. Renewable energy “Last year, the investments in renewable energy in Türkiye exceeded the level of investments in coal, oil and natural gas while the wind energy capacity increased considerably. In solar energy, there is a massive investment potential to be realized. The most critical point here is to build a list of projects ready to be financed. Green transformation and green energy will be among the most significant investment areas of 2022.” 2. Great potential in the automotive industry “Another area with an ever-increasing investment potential as part of the green agenda is the automotive sector. Türkiye’s automotive sector, including the sub-industry, has remarkable potential, particularly in the battery technologies and software technologies that support autonomous and connected cars. This sector’s interaction with the other sectors will reach the ultimate level within the scope of the long-term strategies that aim at smart cities. At this point, Türkiye will become the base of the automotive industry and the sub-industry base of the sector in the long run.” 3. The year of deep technology “The global investors’ interest in Türkiye’s startup economy will increase further in the new year. Though we observe that international investment funds and global technology investors are rather interested in the e-commerce sector for the time being, as of 2022, we expect an increase in the inflow of investments in other sectors, particularly in the information technology startups.”

21 Şubat 2022 Pazartesi

DİLŞAH KEFLİOĞLU Surrounded by fortress walls, Istanbul’s historical peninsula has a seven-hill structure. Therefore, the historical peninsula is also known as the ‘City on the Seven Hills’. It is not possible to visit all these cities in a day. A single day is not at all sufficient to see and scrutinize everything in a town full of layers of historical patterns. For this reason, we wish to take you on a tour of books and culture towards Eminönü from the Beyazıt-Süleymaniye hill – the midpoint of Istanbul’s historical peninsula. Now, we are at the Beyazıt Square. On our left is the Central Campus of the Istanbul University and on our right remains the Beyazıt Mosque that named the square…We head towards the Sahaflar Çarşısı – the Secondhand Books Bazaar. Sahaf is a person who sells or switches the secondhand books or magazines that are not published anymore, and Secondhand Books Bazaar is the market where such stores remain. Then again, at this bazaar, it is possible to find contemporary published books in addition to old and rare works, too. Moreover, there are paintings and artworks as well… WORLD’S FIRST SHOPPING MALL After spending a fair amount of time with old and new books, we move towards the Grand Bazaar, the world’s first and largest shopping mall. Grand Bazaar immediately pops up before us once we leave the Secondhand Books Bazaar… Regarded as the predecessor of the world’s shopping malls, tens of streets and thousands of goods in hundreds of shops in various categories welcome us at the Grand Bazaar… It is better to tour with a guide or a map in this massive bazaar to avoid getting lost as there are different doors in every direction, and each entry can lead you to another path. We take a quick tour for our limited time and finally reach the Nuruosmaniye Door…On our left, we proceed with Nuruosmaniye Mosque and reach Nuruosmaniye Avenue, shadowed by the great plane trees…Precious and bedazzling goods of the Turkish jewellery industry lie on each side of the venue…But we wish to take a break and store some energy with the legendary Turkish coffee at a high-quality café on the avenue. DESTINATION EMİNÖNÜ We review our route and sip our coffees accompanied by the famous Turkish delights. We may end up at the Sultanahmet Square, see Hagia Sophia or the Topkapı Palace as well. Yet that route has a unique depth on its own. So, we take the old traditional way from the Grand Bazaar and go down its open-air version - the Mahmutpaşa hill. The groups in the forms of families look pretty interesting in the shops scattered on both sides of the hill, looking like an outdoor mall. This area is also Istanbul’s oldest wedding shopping destination… ART SHOPS We come across the New Mosque when we proceed in the plain area. Under the Sultan’s Summer Palace next to the mosque, we are attracted by the rows of art shops. A different branch of traditional Turkish arts is performed in each shop, and the artworks are sold. One can see artists working on a wide range of arts, from paper marbling to calligraphy, string art to tile art, chat with them, and buy an artwork.

21 Şubat 2022 Pazartesi

DİLŞAH KEFLİOĞLU ConstructIons of the Galataport and Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) located at the beginning and ending points of the Beyoğlu Cultural Route Project are finalised. Prominent arts and culture centres have been positioned on the route between these two massive structures. In this way, Beyoğlu Cultural Route built a brand new and treasured path for local and foreign tourists. CULTURE IN EVERY STEP Here comes the critical question: From which point shall we start walking on the cultural route? Because if we start the tour from the Galataport zone, we would need to go uphill to reach Taksim. If we wish to walk downhill instead, we can begin with Atatürk Cultural Center in Taksim. Rebuilt in such a short period as 2.5 years and retaken into service, AKM is a global structure with doors wide open to life, where people of all ages and different segments meet nearly all branches 365 days and 24 hours. You can follow the up-to-date events viahttps://akmistanbul.gov.tr. You can also display the events and venues nearby via the app specially designed for Beyoğlu Cultural Route and plan the events you wish to join. CONTEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS Following our AKM experience, we are at Taksim Square… We salute the statute of Veteran Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. We headtowards the right to the Taksim Mosque Culture and Art Center as activities of various themes of many different ages await us at the culture and art centre of the Taksim Mosque. The same applies to the French Cultural Center located just at the right of the İstiklal Avenue’s entrance. İSTİKLAL AVENUE We are moving forward on İstiklal Avenue. Our final point on Beyoğlu Cultural Route is the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Memorial House…With its historical fabric, Mısır Building over the Avenue stands tall as an old guard. Also mentioned in the literature with its long-standing past, the structure stands before us as the Memorial House of the lyricist of the Turkish National Anthem Mehmet Akif Ersoy. YEŞİLÇAM NOSTALGIA We are proceeding on İstiklal Avenue; our next stop is the Museum of Cinema… The digital memory pool used for the first time by a cinematography museum offers a massive collection of data, including eight thousand 406 movies and 31 thousand and 106 people comprising of actors, directors, scriptwriters, producers and movie workers. SUFI CULTURE Tarık Zafer Tunaya Culture Center is one of the prominent stops on our route… This structure has been introduced as a new-generation cultural centre to art lovers. It serves a theatre hall with 110 people, a movie room with an audience of 97 people, two small exhibition halls and a foyer area, and the 140m² main exhibition hall. Another outstanding example of Ottoman architecture, Galata Mevlevi House, remains at this route as a venue visited by local and foreign tourists. GALATA TOWER We enter the Galata area after the Galata Mevlevi House. Galata Tower stands before us like a massive monument… Istanbul is indeed looking quite different from Galata Tower…We head downhill to have a closer look at Karaköy of which Galata Tower offered a bird’s-eye view. GASTRONOMY IN KARAKÖY Naturally, we exerted a considerable amount of energy after walking this long. Now, we need to recover our losses, ready for food and beverages… We have a wide variety of opportunities in Karaköy with a light shining more than ever with the Galataport project. We can taste the best baklava and have either Turkish coffee or third-generation coffee at the cafes with a growing number… So, we go with the glow at the gastronomic zone in Karaköy where it is tough to choose… You can have another endorphin rush by taking a walk at the newly-organised coastline after the food and beverage break and enhance your happiness exponentially with the magnificent scene of the Bosphorus and fresh air.

21 Şubat 2022 Pazartesi

OSMAN KUVVET Turkey is among the thirty countries with a satellite in the space. The number of Turkey’s satellites operating in the space reaches seven with the launch of TÜRKSAT 5A. Turkey’s first communication satellite attempt TÜRKSAT 1A was launched to space on 24 January 1994. However, due to a malfunction in the launcher-rocket, the satellite did not reach the orbit and fell into the ocean 12 minutes and 12 seconds upon its launch. Pursuing its efforts on satellites, in August 1994, Turkey attained a place in the space with TÜRKSAT 1B. Finally, the countdown for the launch of Turkey’s 7th communication satellite, TÜRKSAT 5A, started. Airbus D&S completed the manufacturing process and test stages of the TÜRKSAT 5A and delivered the satellite to TÜRKSAT officials on October 2. The satellite’s manufacturing was launched at Airbus’ facilities in Toulouse, France, upon the agreement signed in 2017 and delivered to SpaceX company’s launch station at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, USA. After the preliminary works, the satellite was launched to space on January 8 with the Falcon 9 rocket. TÜRKSAT 5B IN THE LINE Featuring a full electronic propulsion system, the TÜRKSAT 5A satellite’s journey before settling into the orbital slot at 31 degrees East will take around four months. The satellite is expected to start service in the second quarter of 2021. The satellite will secure orbital and frequency rights of Turkey at 31 degrees East for 30 years with its maneuver life. With the investments in satellite technologies, Turkey plans to launch the TÜRKSAT 5B communication satellite in 2021. The TÜRKSAT 6A communication satellite to be manufactured at the Turkish Space Systems Integration and Test Center (USET), on the other hand, is aimed to be launched to space in 2022. DESIGNED IN TURKEY RASAT earth observation satellite was TÜBİTAK UZAY’s second remote sensing satellite after BİLSAT. The first earth observation satellite designed and manufactured in Turkey, RASAT, was launched to space from Russia on 17 August 2011. Although the original design life of the RASAT Satellite was three years, as of 17 August 2020, it completed its 9th anniversary in orbit. RASAT took 47 thousand 943 rounds in orbit around the Earth, observed an area of 16.8 million square kilometers and transmitted 3 thousand 202 strip images to the ground station. RASAT satellite is located at 700km altitude with a sun-synchronous circular orbit. RASAT features a pushbroom camera with a spatial resolution of 7.5 m panchromatic image, and a multispectral spatial resolution of 15m. OVER 100 EXPERTS RASAT satellite is 3-axis stabilized and its average re-visit time is four days. Each frame image of RASAT covers 30x30 km and the 960 km long strip images can be obtained via the satellite. Within the project’s scope, the satellite assembly, integrationand test laboratory was enhanced and over 100 experts in satellite design, manufacturing and testing were trained. CAPTURES SATELLITE IMAGES GÖKTÜRK-1 satellite was launched to space in 2016 to fulfill the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) demand for high-resolution satellite images towards target intelligence. Settled into the low earth orbit, the satellite can perform remote sensing missions regarding environmental control and identification of illegal construction, crop management, municipal implementations, border control and mapping and planning applications. The satellite with a 0.50 m resolution is planned for reconnaissanceover any location on Earth without geographical restrictions and is expected to have a lifespan of seven years. THE FIRST HIGH-RESOLUTION RECONNAISSANCE The first high-resolution reconnaissance and surveillance satellite developed indigenously in Turkey, GÖKTÜRK-2 was settled into its orbit with the launch operation in 2012. GÖKTÜRK-2 was manufactured within the scope of the agreement signed by the Ministry of National Defence, TÜBİTAK and TÜBİTAK UZAY-TUSAŞ (Turkish Aircraft Industries Corporation) business partnership. The satellite enables digital and geographic data generation and target intelligence required by the Turkish Armed Forces and the Air Forces Command. Besides, GÖKTÜRK-2 fulfills other public institutions /organizations and university and research institutes’ satellite image demands. Manufactured with a high rate of domestic participation, the observation satellite has a resolution of 2.5m. GÖKTÜRK-2 covers Turkey’s critical demands regarding defense, environment, urban development, and agriculture and forestry areas. With its high data transmission rate capable of downloading a 640 km long strip in a single round. Satellite can capture and transfer the images of the Earth and completes its one period around the Earth in nearly 98 minutes. As part of the GÖKTÜRK-2 Project, expert human resources to take part in the future satellite projects were trained within the bodies of TÜBİTAK UZAY AND TUSAŞ. Furthermore, infrastructure and capabilities regarding satellite equipment design, analysis, production, assembly, and integration and test activities were acquired. ACCESS TO 91 PERCENT OF THE WORLD POPULATION Delivered to the launch center in September 2020, TÜRKSAT 5A was launched to space in January 2021. Moreover, TÜRKSAT 5B satellite is planned to be launched to space in the second quarter of 2021. Turkey’s first satellite project conducted with indigenous engineering and design, TÜRKSAT 6A is scheduled to be launched in 2022. With its finance, design and software, the TÜRKSAT 6A communication satellite is a wholly indigenous project. Turkey will have a say in the world with its video, sound and data communication as soon as these activities are completed. In 2022, the satellite fleet will include South America, east of North America, Europe, Asia and Africa and west of Australia in our coverage area. In this way, Turkish satellites will enable access to 91 percent of the world population. TRY160 MILLION WORTH R&D FOR SPACE According to the Turkish Statistical Institute’s data, the public expenditures on research and development activities regarding discovering and utilizing the space reached TRY160 million 209 thousand and 989 in the five years in 2014-2018. The R&D expenses in this area in 2014 was TRY12 million 918 thousand 200 and these expenses amounted to TRY60 million 956 thousand 607 last year. Thus, public expenditure on R&D quintupled in the previous five years.

25 Mart 2021 Perşembe

DİLŞAH KEFLİOĞLU Along with its dense population, Istanbul is hosting hundreds of thousands of stray cats. One can spot a stray cat in almost all Istanbul neighborhoods which with its cultural riches, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Subject of numerous documents, foreign journals and magazines, the stray cats of Istanbul turn into regulars of their neighborhoods. A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION We may spot the stray cats roaming free on the streets; we sometimes see them standing before a store, sometimes lying on the bench of a bus stop, enjoying the sun at the parks, or following the amateur fishers for getting a tip. Cats have always inspired the poets and authors. They also drew the attention of literature lovers throughout history. Many poets, novels and stories are based on cats. VIEWERS OF KEDİ BUY A TICKET TO ISTANBUL Ceyda Torun, who took on Istanbul’s street cats in her documentary ‘Kedi’ (Cat), describes the city’s cats to foreigners: “It is a creature that comes and sits on your lap and meows for even an hour as if you have known each other for years. And it may follow you with a meow for a while even when you get off of that bank and start to walk away. Istanbul’s cats are always waiting to interact and build a connection. I have never experienced this in the rest of the world. The viewers of the film are sending me messages, telling me ‘We are getting our tickets!’” The documentary ‘Kedi’ tells the story of seven cats of the city with seven hills. Regarded as the most viewed Turkish movie in the USA, the documentary enables the viewers to see Istanbul through the cats’ perspective and listen to the stories of the Istanbul’s inhabitants’ relationships with them. SPECIFIC TO ISTANBUL FOR CENTURIES Ceyda Torun emphasized that the stray cats in Istanbul have been living with the city’s residents for many centuries, adding that such interaction did not exist in any other part of the world. According to Torun, the large number of Istanbul’s cats prevented the rats’ raids that took place in Europe and the USA. EXHIBITION OPENED Japanese traveler and cat-lover Mayu Koga introduced the photos of the cats she took during her two-week-long Istanbul vacation to the Japanese nations’ taste. The photo exhibition at the cultural center of Tokyo’s Bunkyou neighborhood also displays images of the Hagia Sophia Mosque, Galata Tower, Sultanahmet Mosque, Taksim Square and Eminönü capture by Mayu Koga. The Japanese traveler mostly stayed at Cihangir in Beyoğlu during her vacation. The photos of the traveler emphasize the interaction of Turks with the cats. CAT ROUTES Including Istanbul’s stray cats in his book Kediname, Mehmet Nuri Yardım gives hints to the cat-lovers on where to find them. Informing the readers that just like the other cat breeds such as the Siberian Cat, Persian Cat, Norwegian Cat and the Bukhara Cat, Istanbul has its cat breed, the Istanbul Cat. Yardım added: “The researches and ancient sources mention this breed, it is true. There used to be cats that lived in the old wooden houses, getting along with people and considered a ‘family member.’ We may find the traces of these cute cats in numerous works of literature, history books and memoirs written in the last few centuries.” Yardım describes the Istanbul Cat: “They are usually brownish tabby, striped cats with touches of white.” and on their locations: “In my opinion, the Istanbul Cat features the distinctive features of Istanbul which is a city of civilizations, culture and art. They frequently wander around the mosques, fountains, second-hand bookstores, madrassas, lodges and cemeteries. In a sense, they display an identity that is at peace with the history. We may regard them as the wisest of the animals. You will spot them all along the road as you head towards Eyüpsultan. Topkapı, Edirnekapı Martyr’s Cemetery and Merkezefendi Cemetery are also filled with cats. All the cemeteries at the Anatolian side are packed with cats.” CATS ARE NEVER UNGRATEFUL! Having written a book with the title Kediname (Cat Book) based on his cat Lokum, Mehmet Nuri Yardım says: “Cats are not ungrateful animals!” Telling that he regarded Lokum as one of his children, Yardım talked about his experiences with his cat: “She stands by you for their life even when she is fed with cheap food. She adores you, wanders around you and gives all family members joy, particularly to the children. She watches you, accompanies you and welcomes your guests. Yet, she has a personality of her own. She does not like fuss. She is proud. If you pet her too much, she responds with a rather light scratch. She shakes off her paw as if saying, ‘Dad! Enough! I am bored’ and runs away. I have never seen an ungrateful behavior from Lokum; on the contrary, she has always brought joy, happiness and peace to our home. I recommend all the readers, everyone, to adopt the cat they feed around their apartments. Then they will see how colorful and meaningful their lives will become.” TOMBİLİ HONORED WITH A STATUTE Becoming a phenomenal cat with the photograph showing her reclining on the pavement in Istanbul - Kadıkoy (Ziverbey), after her death, Tombili is honored with her statute located at the same point. HAGIA SOPHIA MOSQUE’S CAT GLİ Born in 2004 in Hagia Sophia and grabbing the attention of visiting tourists, Gli soon became one of Istanbul’s most famous cats. Welcoming the visitors and communicating with them in her way, Gli has died, aged 16.

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Launched on 17-19 November 2020 with a virtual B2B meeting, 135 publishers from 36 countries attended the turlameetings.com website in three days. The virtual platform developing with new publishers and works will be continuously active for the copyright buyers across the world. OSMAN KUVVET As part of the Turkish Literature Abroad (TURLA) Project conducted by the Press and Publishers Association to promote Turkish literature works abroad, a groundbreaking event was held on 17-19 November 2020. The opening of the TURLA Meetings virtual fair held within the scope of the project supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ICOC) took place with the participation of 135 local and foreign publishers from 36 countries. NEARLY 500 MEETINGS B2B meetings have been carried out via the online platform for three days. Turkish publishers conducting nearly 500 business negotiations took a major step towards promoting Turkish cultural products in the globally. Thine virtual fair aiming to increase copyright exports has been growing with new publishers and works. Esra Ceceli, Coordinator of the TURLA Project, mentioned that they would be keeping the virtual meeting platform launched on 17-19 November 2020 online for the copyright buyers worldwide. Ceceli underlined that they would maintain the platform’s dynamism and develop it with various events in the future. AN ALTERNATIVE Turla Meetings virtual fair and B2B event offered an innovative, effective and accessible alternative to the international fairs canceled due to the pandemic. Beig executed since 2017 by the Press and Publishers Association, TURLA Project pursues its efforts to transfer the meetings to a brand new ground thanks to the website and platform built. Every publisher has an individual profile at the website where the event is held. The publishers insert the books and works they wished to display and make copyright meetings over. The physical features of each book and descriptive notes on the books can be demonstrated over the book profiles. PANELS FOR THE READERS In addition to gathering the prominent publishers of Turkey and the world, the website entered by 42 thousand single-users since its launch appeals to the readers with various events. As part of such events, discussion panels titled ‘International Success of Turkish Publishing’, ‘Opportunities for Indian Publishers in Turkey’ and ‘Crime Fiction in Turkey and Opportunities’ were held for readers. THE GOAL IS TO PROMOTE 500 BOOKS Dr. İsrafil Kuralay, ICOC Vice President: Started in 2017, TURLA Project brought a brand new vision to our publishing realm. Copyright exports became a significant opportunity. We are encouraging this project actualized by the Press and Publishers Association as ICOC as we regard it as a significant service to our cultural domain. The goal is the promotion of 80 publishing houses and 500 books to the world. I still find this goal insufficient and believe it will be surpassed because we have a very active publishing life. TURKEY IS READING BOOKS! Münir Üstün, Member of ICOC’s Executive Board: Turkey is reading. There is an urban legend claiming that Turks do not read much, well this is false. I will inform you of the figures on books published since 2010. In 214 million books were published in 2010, 289 million in 2011, 293 million in 2012, 330 million in 2013, 344 million in 2014, 384 million in 2015, 405 million in 2016, 408 million in 2017, 411 million in 2018. Finally, in 2019 424 million books were published in Turkey. Taking the number of all these published books into consideration, we may easily claim that as of 2019, 850 million books were published, signaling five novels and five educational books per person. Turkey ranks 16th globally in terms of endorsement in this area and 6th in the world in generating new book titles. WE THANK THE ICOC Head of the Press and Publishers Association, Emrah Kısakürek: The pandemic process has altered all lives. We cannot conduct any activity that requires traveling. This year, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and ICOC support our project, which we launched in 2017 with the support of the Istanbul Development Agency. We decided to take it to an online platform due to the pandemic. We thank the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and ICOC for their support.

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DİLŞAH KEFLİOĞLU A special day has been assigned to celebrate coffee, a product with a history of nearly a thousand and three hundred years. October 1 International Coffee Day is an occasion to celebrate and promote coffee. In line with the International Coffee Organization’s (ICO) decree adopted in March 2014, International Coffee Day is defined as a celebration of coffee industry’s diversity, quality and passion for coffee. This occasion is an opportunity for coffee-lovers to share their passion for this drink and support millions of farmers that depend on the aromatic products to make their living. Millions of coffee workers involved in coffee production can get a 10 percent cut from the global value chain of the product. FIVE GLOBAL STAGES In our times, coffee is defined as the most consumed drink after water. Five countries and stages stand out in building the culture and extending the product across the globe: TURKISH STYLE OF COOKING COFFEE BECOMING POPULAR A global drink coffee is served with different preparation methods that vary in countries and regions. First and foremost is the Turkish coffee method. What makes the Turkish style distinctive is that it is based on cooking rather than brewing. Thanks to the Turkish coffee machines developed in recent years Turkish coffee style is becoming more global. 1. Discovered in Ethiopia Coffee is known to be discovered in Ethiopia (former Abyssinia) around 700-800 A.D. It is reported that coffee was named after Kaffa – a province in Ethiopia and moved onto the Arabic peninsula with the name Qahwah. The widely recognized story about coffee’s discovery is goatherd Kaldi’s story. Rumor has it that, Kaldi notices that some of the goats that stayed awake at night ate the tree’s red berries. He picks some and takes them home. The berries billow an enticing aroma when cooked and thus begin coffee’s global adventure. 2. Consumed as a drink in Yemen first Coffee discovered in Ethiopia was initially used as an ingredient in baking bread. Its present style of consumption took place for the first time in Yemen. Though there are many different stories, according to widely recognized one, this product’s journey as a drink starts with the Sufis. The dervishes of the Shazeli order consumed the drink for staying awake and praying during nighttime. As a reference to this story, the following saying is placed at the entry of the coffee shops in the Ottoman Empire: We recite Basmalah as we open our doors and his Holiness Sheikh Shazeli is our master! 3.Introduced to the world from Istanbul No doubt, Turks were the ones to globalize coffee, which was a local product and consumable. During the campaign in 1516-1517, Ottomans conquered Ethiopia, where the coffee was discovered and Yemen, where it was first consumed as a drink. In this way, coffee reaches to the capital of the Empire, Istanbul. A coffee shop craze surrounds Istanbul - thecity that dominated three continents and thus, coffee’s journey around the world moves onto a brand new stage. 4. Innovation of the Italians Coffee was introduced to the world by the Turks with the ‘Turkish Coffee’ cooking style. However, its current popular consumption method’s innovation belongs to the Italians. Italian’s innovation is based on the Espresso brewing method. Espresso is a coffee preparation method, just like the ‘Turkish Coffee’ method. The developments in Espresso machines and brewing techniques have been centered in Italy since 1884. 5. USA carries out the global trade The leading player of the global coffee trade is undoubtedly the US based retail coffee chain. This chain has 523 coffee shops in Turkey, which introduced the coffee to the world. According to this brand’s distribution map circulated in the digital environment, Turkey is the second country with the highest number of this brand’s shops, following the United Kingdom. Whereas in Italy, one can spot only nine coffee shops of the brand. Coffee is reported to be the second most traded commodity, following the oil.

25 Mart 2021 Perşembe