This album book enlivened with the photographs of Coşkun Aydın also reveals how hope in Africa revived, particularly after 2002. The PDF version of the book introducing slices from Turkey’s social responsibility activities in Africa can be viewed on ICOC’s website. ABDÜLKADİR YILDIZ Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ICOC) presented the album book titled ‘Africa Innocence’ to the cultural domain. The book is full of the images of Niger and Africa’s sunny faced inhabitants captured by Coşkun Aydın. Written in Turkish, English, and French, the book takes its readers on a journey in Africa accompanied by over 250 photographs. TO THE ONES MAKING EXPLOITATION PLANS Dr. İsrafil Kuralay, ICOC’s Vice President, commented on the book: “As you turn the pages of the book, Africa Innocence, you will once again witness the significant place Africa has in our lives. Your heart will expand as large as Africa and start to beat with this continent. You will feel an enormous heart inside the book. And even more, with body and soul, you will be flowing to Africa. Having read the book, with this, I want to ask the following question to people making plans over and over to exploit Africa further, to the ones wishing to increase their gross domestic product with what they obtain from this continent: How big is your gross domestic happiness? How big is your gross domestic innocence?” AFRICA’S SUCCESS Kuralay said, “It is about time we put our hearts in Africa” and continued: “Turkey acted as the powerful voice of Africa at every opportunity and under all circumstances, at the UN in particular. We wish the African nation to become one of the societies with the highest level of welfare. On that note, our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been seeking ways to improve our friendly and brotherly relations with Africa and claim ‘Africa’s success will be the success of humanity’. The recent revitalization in the continent we have been witnessing recently has been a source of hope for all. Africa should no longer be mentioned as a continent of conflicts, diseases and disasters. On the contrary, with its economic potential Africa should be regarded as a continent of peace where the brightest times of humanity. Africans should be able to look to their future with more confidence. They will be receiving the most outstanding support to their efforts towards achieving peace, democracy, development and welfare from us, from Turkey. Our relations in politics, economy and culture have to be rapidly improved further. As the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, we have been acting towards achieving such goals.” NEARLY 6 THOUSAND SURGICAL OPERATIONS ‘Africa Innocence’ is formed with the contribution of the Volunteers’ Association that has been drilling water wells for clean water, carrying medicine and food to the continent and treating patients with its doctors for 15 years in Africa. All the photographs - over 250 photos- have been taken in Niger. Chairman of the Volunteers’ Association İbrahim Ceylan said, “This work is quite precious for it reflects the African people’s dignity; such people who maintain their innocence and smiles on their faces despite the desperation and poor living conditions.” Ceylan added, “I express my gratitude to TIKA, Ministry of Health, and THY executives for their support. We have been in Africa with nearly 40 organizations. Over 150 thousand patients have been examined, practically 6 thousand surgical operations and 10 thousand cataract surgeries, roughly 25 thousand tooth extractions, around 15 thousand ultrasound shootings, 13 thousand E.N.T. aspirations and nearly 40 thousand circumcision operations have been performed. The African people are looking forward to seeing the Volunteers now.” I STRIVED TO REFLECT THE RICHES IN THEIR SOULS INSTEAD OF THEIR POVERTY Photography artist Coşkun Aydın mentioned the unforgettable words of an African friend “Do not depict us as if we are desperate, crying, suffering from poverty and expecting help. Avoid reflecting us falsely through sad images” warning him as he was taking photos. Aydın continued, “It is all but impossible to ignore Africa’s poverty reflected in each image. Then again, I have always endeavored to reveal their smiling faces and cheerful, loving and rich souls. Being a part of Africa’s reality and documenting it through a photographer’s perspective has been a great experience. I tried to introduce Africa to our people in Turkey with photos based on humanity.” AFRICANS WITH THE AMBASSADOR’S INTRODUCTION Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kavas, Turkey’s Ambassador to Dakar, has drawn a quite comprehensive introduction to the book. A fragment from one of Turkey’s first experts on Africa, Prof. Dr. Kavas’ introduction: “…We can never appreciate the Africans too much. Had what they have been through happened in the Middle Eastern and South Asian societies, they would perhaps lose all cultural traits, particularly their languages. What humanity witnessed in North and South America stands out as a striking example. The native inhabitants of the entire continent were converted to Christianity in nearly 400 years since the 1500s. There are barely any native societies left and their local languages ceased to exist…The Africans, on the other hand, resisted against all the cruelty. Although they suffered and lost millions of lives, they struggled for their existence and survived. One does not have to spend his whole life in Africa to understand the Africans; a little effort will do. The humanitarian aid efforts in Africa exerted by Turkey’s non-governmental organizations and the activities with development purposes by public institutions such as TIKA will be leaving their mark on almost the entire continent. These actors have been performing a wide variety of operations including drilling water wells, conducting cataract surgeries, distributing essential needs like food and medicine, delivering education and healthcare services across the whole continent, from countries’ capitals to remote villages.” ACCESS TO THE BOOK The book can be reached at ICOC’s bookstore Kitap Istanbul at Eminönü bookstore. Meanwhile, it can be viewed in PDF on the following link: http://kutuphane.ito.org.tr/itoyayin/0028846.pdf

24 Mart 2021 Çarşamba

SOYHAN ALPASLAN The center of incredible innovations and inventions, Teknopark Istanbul, is successfully carrying out its mission of being an incubation center for the groundbreaking companies with strategic productions. New products and technologies are being developed against the Covid-19 at Teknopark İstanbul. In this issue; Turkish companies making their mark on the Real-Time PCR diagnosis kits used in diagnosing Covid-19 and exported to 27 countries, treatment of coronavirus disease with amino acid food supplements, wearable Covid-19 sensor, R&D on Covid-19 medicine from goat’s milk, mask detection systems exported to 80 countries are standing out. With their unique products, Teknopark Istanbul companies started to appear in the global markets through online platforms, which began to decrease the distances with the outbreak of the Covid-19. Following are some of the innovations of Teknopark Istanbul ecosystem… PLATFORMS REDUCING THE DISTANCE Remote ship inspection Enabling the remote inspection of naval platforms, Marinspector can also be used for assistance and support purposes. Marinspector became a nautical product in great demand upon the Covid-19 outbreak. Completing the trial process at 150 vessels in six countries, Marinspector receiving numerous requests can be modified based on user specifications. Making Turkey’s mark on remote ship inspection, Marinspector allows remote intervention in addition to remote inspection. Insurance, logistics, finance, construction and automotive companies are among the platform’s global customers. Online training at three continents Founder of Bisatek Informatics Consultancy Education Advertising and Organisation, Prof. Dr. Ayşe Cilacı Tombuş, has been working on a remote training module that identifies bright and gifted children. Aiming to become the number one platform of Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, the company has been conducting studies on innovative education technologies and customization in education. Innovative e-signature Manufacturing digital transformation platforms and technologies, in 2021 CloudPeer is launching the global and innovative electronic signature platform ‘imza.io’ it developed. With the electronic signature-based, innovative process and digital channel management platform ‘imza.io’, CloudPeer intends to maintain its growth in the Middle East and Europe. First online meeting management Pirameet Technology developed the indigenous and national online video conference platform with three security (encryption) layers. The patented platform that prevents cyber data theft and maintaining confidential data security in Turkey is a groundbreaking innovation for the live stream, simultaneous translation and online direction facilities it provides. Matchless 3D meeting Developed by Scalar Vision, Holoporter enabling real-time 3D meetings is a revolutionary product based on the technologies it employs and its features. The most qualified among the similar projects across the world, this system has passed a very critical benchmark with the high-quality images it provides. Transforming the products into 3D images with its scanners supporting high visuality, the company blends the e-commerce websites with the third dimension. Detection of shady accounts influencerman.com has been identifying the actual number of followers and characteristics of the influencers and developing solutions. AEATechnic Informatics Consulting and Media Services developed this system unrivaled in the global market. A leading international video maker application chose AEATechnic to enter Turkey’s market. Virtual property tours with Sanaltur Scopes.ai developed the indigenous ‘Sanaltur’ (virtual tour) for the real estate sector. The product enables virtual reality interior tours. This indigenous software can be integrated into all the world’s property platforms and can be used via all smart devices. Secure business facilities TechSign introduces remote and secure business operations with its indigenous signature platform, ‘TechSignDoc.com.’ The platform contains all types of digital signatures, including biometric signature that enables the digital utilization of hand signature in the same environment and provides 24/7 technic support. Factories are open Having developed the first production management system ProManage in the world that can be fully integrated with IoT, machine learning, augmented reality and artificial intelligence technologies, Doruk introduced the free-of-charge social distancing monitoring system to the industry to keep the factories open. Monitors anything Bakelor manufactures wearable software and equipment capable of remote monitoring of all living things and objects. These systems enhance the security and efficiency of various sectors such as hospitals, education institutes, major businesses, underground mines, industrial production facilities and museums. First lead-free radiation protection shield Turing Chemical Industry-TCI manufactured the world’s first lead-free radiation protection shield through the boron mineral. The composite material named ‘Anti-rad’ is harmless as it absorbs radiation different from lead that reflects radiation. Eight times lighter and much affordable than the lead, the Turkish radiation shield is getting ready to replace the lead-based protection solutions. ‘Anti-rad’ appeals to a global market valued at $1.1 billion. HEALTHCARE Wearable Covid sensor Hayriya Informatics and Healthcare h developed a ‘Wearable Covid Sensor.’ Monitoring the patients over the digital environment, composed of a mobile application and a webportal, the device is a telemedicine system with artificial technology. Included in the body of global giant Vestel, under its iSina brand, Hayriya has been manufacturing and selling digital solutions and systems to diagnose and treat terminal and chronic diseases. The innovative, wearable technologies renovating the medical devices and healthcare services improve patients’ treatment, reduce the clinical costs and enable early diagnosis and long-term monitoring capabilities. Medicine against Covid-19 from goat’s milk Inodove R&D Co. Inc proved that a protein found in goat’s milk effectively protects against the coronavirus. Prof. Dr. Tuğba Akbay’s study was published in the European Pharmacology Magazine. Turkish inventor Prof. Akbay invented the ‘mother’s milk filter’ and the ‘test stick detecting the harmful elements in mother’s milk.’ These two unique high-technology products are under commercialization stage and could be easily prepared for the medicines and chemicals. Exporting PCR to 27 countries Rise-X Technology commercialized its first indigenous Real-Time PCR device used in diagnosing Covid-19. Achieving the indigenous production of the device that inserts protein to the membrane forming the Sars-Cov2 rapid diagnosis kits’ primary material, Rise-X maintained the fully indigenous production of its quick diagnosis kits. Rise-X exports the kits it manufactures in cooperation with a biotechnology company to 27 countries. ‘Mask detection system’ exported to 80 countries a2 Technology launched the hundred-percent indigenous ‘a2-VCA Mask Detection System’ to sale in 80 countries with its global partner Hanwha Techwin. The system capable of detecting the people without masks outdoors and indoors can also identify the people wearing the mask wrong. The a2-VCA Mask Detection System is being used in North America, Latin America, Asia and Europe. Collaborating with its global partners Hanwha Techwin, Pelco and Huawei, a2 Technology has been delivering services in over 90 countries on 5 continents. Medical food supplement against Covid-19 The founder of the first clinics to carry out amino acid analyses and treatment protocols in Turkey and the United Kingdom, Biotailor İlaç has been preparing a medical food supplement against Covid-19. The study titled ‘Investigation of Plasma Amino and Fatty Acid Profiles of Covid-19 Patients to Optimise Nutrient Therapies’ is being executed with the Queen Mary University in the United Kingdom. According to the WHO’s clinical working index, this project has been realized first time in the world by Biotailor. Gene test made in Turkey NPGenetics (NeuroPsycho Genetics) has been developing special gene test panels specific to Turkey’s demographic structure in many areas such as tendency, basis of behaviors, disease risks, and genealogical trees. Thanks to special panels, imported tests will not be required. Smart living services at home On account of the smart life assistance platform it developed, Folovmi Technology Limited Liability Company has been providing healthcare, security and emergency services at home to the patients with diseases (such as coronavirus disease) that need to be monitored and responded instantaneously. These services are delivered to elderly, people living alone, people in need of care and patients with chronic diseases. Real-time emergency warnings are transmitted to relevant people and bodies to minimize the risks. Access to Folovmi Digital Life Assistant Services is enabled from any point across the world with GSM operator and internet infrastructure.

23 Mart 2021 Salı

SÜMEYRA YARIŞ TOPAL Turkey’s most extensive library, the Presidential Library, also known as the Nation’s Library opened its doors to the visitors in last February. Hosting 4 million printed and over 120 million electronic books, the Library is 24/7 at the researchers’ service. Started to be constructed in 2016, this grand center covering an area of 125 thousand square meters also draws the attention with its capacity of 5 thousand visitors. ALL AGE GROUPS Nation’s Library has not been founded merely for serving the adults. Individual sections have been formed in the Library for every age group. The Nasreddin Hodja Children Library will be available for visitors aged between 5-10, and those between 10-15 will be able to use the Youth Library.The Children’s Library holds 15 thousand and Youth Library features 12 thousand works. Special sections are included in Nation’s Library for the visually impaired visitors and the hearing impaired. Ten thousand works are available in this section to the visitors. A UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE The Nation’s Library mesmerizes the visitors with its architecture as much as its content. Traces from the architecture of the Seljuks and Ottomans and modern architecture can be seen in the structure. The grand library composed of eight halls, each featuring ten thousand of books, also hosts various events. The Library also contains a ‘Book Recovery’ unit where the old books are restored. There is a 2.500-car capacity parking lot for those wishing to commute to the Library with their cars. 120 MILLION ARTICLES When placed next to each other, Library’s shelves are almost at the length of a road extending to Bulgaria from Istanbul. These 201-kilometer long shelves contain not only books but also 120 million articles available for the researchers. ENTRANCE ALLOWED WITH PASSPORTS Not only the Turkish citizens benefit from the Nation’s Library, which is Turkey’s most extensive library. The Library contains works in 134 languages. Foreign researchers and visitors with a command of the Ottoman language and wishing to study Ottoman history are allowed to enter the Library with the cards given in return of the passports. 78 RARE MANUSCRIPTS Treasured by Turkey, this house of culture features 78 rare manuscripts. The first Turkish dialects dictionary Divanu Lugati’t-Türk, an Assyrian prayer book, copies of the Torah, and the Bible in different languages are demonstrated in the Library. Nation’s Library receives a considerable amount of attention from the visitors, night and day. Turkey’s largest library offers a journey in history to the booklovers with millions of works and hosts bibliophiles of all ages.

11 Eylül 2020 Cuma

ADEM ORHUN Vocational and technical education facilities play a significant role in countries’ economic and social policies while also affecting investment decisions. Every year, 1.8 million students are being registered for secondary education in Turkey. Education policies are founded to strengthen vocational and technical education in line with industrialists’ requirements. In this way, nearly 34% of these students prefer educational institutions that offer vocational training. The industry prefers the graduates of these schools with a technician diploma. Building a technically trained human resources demanded by the labor market is among the Ministry of National Education’s priorities. To this end, global developments are more prioritized in identifying the demands of the real sector. SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS In line with this strategy, prestigious schools and centers of excellence have been established to increase the diversity in vocational and technical education. ASELSAN Vocational and Technical Anatolian High-School (MTAL) in Ankara and Istanbul Technical University’s Vocational and Technical Anatolian High-School are prominent examples of such prestigious schools. As a result of the high demand received by these prestigious MTALs, these schools allowed the students with the highest success rate this year. Therefore, the students with the highest academic level started to take place in vocational and technical education. MENTORSHIP The business world’s support to the vocational high schools became official through a special protocol. In January 2019, the Ministry of Industry and Technology, Ministry of National Education, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ICOC), and Istanbul Technical University signed a protocol on the cooperation between the academy and industry. As part of this protocol, ICOC has been providing ‘mentorship’ to 54 vocational high-schools in Istanbul. Within the scope of the national model built with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges in Turkey (UCCTE) in line with this cooperation, at least one vocational and technical secondary education institution will be restructured as a center of excellence in all 81 cities. Moreover, the relevant authorities have been conducting activities for improving society’s perception of the vocational and technical education. Along with the developments mentioned above, the education processes are being updated in line with the investor demands and the 21st century’s requirements. 34% OF THE YOUNG POPULATION AT VOCATIONAL HIGH-SCHOOLS In Turkey, a total of 18 million and 108 thousand students receive formal education in pre-school education, elementary education, and secondary education levels. There are 9 million and 394 thousand male students and 8 million and 714 thousand female students. 1 million and 800 thousand (34%) of the 5 million and 650 thousand secondary school students are getting ready for their professional careers at vocational and technical high-schools. 43% of these students are females. In Istanbul, 35% of the 755 thousand secondary school students receive education in vocational secondary schools. TRAINING IN ORGANIZED INDUSTRIAL SITES The Organized Industrial Sites (OSB), founded across Turkey, also feature vocational high-schools. As of today, the 72 (33 public and 39 private high-schools) professional and technical Anatolian high-schools in the OSBs are training technicians on the production site. Last year, a total of 56 thousand students received education in the OSBs. Forty-six thousand of these students studied in MTALs, and the remaining ten thousand students were educated in Vocational Training Centers. In Istanbul, with eight OSBs, there are two public and two private MTALs. These schools offer 4 thousand and 800 students the advantage of being trained in a profession inside the industry. Istanbul Chamber of Commerce provides ‘mentorship’ to vocational and technical Anatolian high-school students within Beylikdüzü OSB. HIGH SCHOOL FOR CYBERSECURITY TRAINING OPENED Vocational and Technical Anatolian high schools have been implementing education programs in 54 areas and 199 branches under these areas. Along with the vocational high schools, the Vocational Training Centers have been offering programs in 27 branches and 142 categories. Programs on contemporary areas in line with the present requirements brought by the developments are being launched in addition to the programs on electronics, machines, metal, and textiles. Renewable energy and cybersecurity are among the recently launched programs that stand out. The first cybersecurity high school founded within the body of Teknopark Istanbul will be accepting new students this year.

11 Eylül 2020 Cuma

Platform’s English version will be prepared in the second stage of the project for enabling the access of international buyers to Turkish produce. In this way, a direct connection between the buyers in foreign countries and the producers in Turkey will be established. ŞEREF KILIÇLI Turkey continues to implement projects on digital transformation in numerous areas. Within this scope, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry launched the Digital Agriculture Market (DITAP), which will carry the entire chain from food production to consumption to a digital environment. The number of DITAP’s members reached 28 thousand within a mere three months and a total turnover of over TRY100 million was achieved. CONTRACTUAL AGRICULTURE DITAP will enable agricultural supply and demand to meet with the ‘digital marketplace’ approach and contractual agriculture practice. The project will also help the producer earn more income and enable the agricultural industry to find the farm product in demanded quality. DITAP will facilitate the consumer’s access to more affordable agricultural products. Agricultural sector stakeholders using DITAP viawww.ditap.gov.trwill also be able to benefit from the banks’ supportive loan packages availed as part of the contractual agriculture model. TEN PERCENT IN THE FIRST STAGE In the initial stage, ten percent of Turkey’s fruit and vegetable production will be executed in line with the contracts signed via DITAP. Agricultural demand and supply will be connected through the platform while the agricultural production will become more planned on account of the contractual agriculture model. With the help of this system, which enables the control of the whole chain from the seed to fork and sustainability, small-scale farming businesses will reach the same prices and enjoy the same conditions of competition with the large-scale farmers. ONE OUT OF EVERY 3 PRODUCE GOES TO WASTE Thanks to this system, protecting both the producer and the consumer, zero waste in agricultural production will become possible. According to the researches, one of every three products in the world goes to waste. These losses are aimed to be eliminated through DITAP’s effective planning in the agricultural production chain. In the oncoming stages of the project, livestock farming and intermediate agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds will be included in the scope of DITAP. The platform focuses on the planning of agricultural production. For the execution of such a plan, demands will be formed in the agricultural product market beforehand for the sake of both the individual and industrial consumers BUYERS ABROAD For contributing to export activities, DITAP’s English version will be prepared in the second stage of the project. In this way, the producers can directly reach the buyers living in other countries. Buyers abroad will have access to farmers across Anatolia for the implementation of contractual production. BRANDING WILL GAIN IMPETUS The contractual agriculture portal DITAP will enable the marketplaces, fruit and veg shops and chain stores that direct the market for the individual and food factories that control the industrial product market to generate demands on agriculture stocks. Through an SMS notification, these demands will be transmitted to the farmers across the country. The processed food industry will also benefit from the portal. Branding and marketing of many products, products with geographical in particular, are aimed to be achieved with an increase in their added value. In this way, growth in the export-oriented market is targeted. AGRICULTURE GDP REACHES $48.5 BILLION Covid-19 pandemic proved the prominence of the security of the food supply chain to the whole world. Turkey is capable of reaching 40% of the global population by only a 4-hour flight and can access a geography with an agricultural trade volume valued at $1.9 trillion. Achieving a figure of $48.5 billion in agriculture GDP, Turkey is at the top of the list in Europe and among the global top ten. In terms of agricultural produce, in 2019, Turkey’s exports reached $18 billion, and imports added up to $12.7 billion. Turkey has a foreign trade surplus of $5.3 billion in agriculture. Last but not least, Turkey is a net exporter in agriculture as it exports one thousand and 827 types of agricultural products to 193 countries.

10 Eylül 2020 Perşembe