Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has provided equipment to the Palestinian Civil Defense, responsible for disaster management, aiming to improve its institutional capacity.
In order to enhance the institutional capacity of the Palestinian Civil Defense, aiming to improve response times and minimize loss of life, motor-operated and battery-operated hydraulic cutting tools, along with compressed air breathing apparatuses required for responding to fires, were provided by TİKA and delivered to the Palestinian authorities.
The Republic of Türkiye’s Consul General to Jerusalem, Ahmet Rıza Demirer; TİKA’s Coordinator in Palestine, Orhan Aydın; the President of Yunus Emre Institute in Palestine, Cengiz Eroğlu; the General Director of Palestinian Civil Defense, Major General Al-Abd Ibrahim Khalil and officials from other institutions attended the delivery ceremony.
During his speech at the ceremony, Major General Khalil expressed his gratitude to the Republic of Türkiye and TİKA for their support, appreciating that they did not leave them alone in the current challenging conditions.
The Palestinian Civil Defense immediately mobilized and sent search and rescue teams to our country after the earthquake disaster occurred last year.
Established in 1996 within the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, the Palestinian Civil Defense serves 3 million Palestinians through 49 fire stations, search and rescue centers in 11 governorates in the West Bank. The organization, responsible for disaster management in the country, responds to fires, traffic accidents, landslides and earthquakes every year, despite its limited resources. Civil Defense teams also organize training sessions in these fields for the civilians.
A delegation comprising officials from the Directorate of State Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, the Manuscript Institution of Türkiye and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) conducted a preliminary working visit to Pakistan within the scope of collaborative projects to be carried out in the field of preservation of manuscripts in Pakistan.
As part of the 9-day visit coordinated by TİKA, a delegation comprising the Head of the Department of Manuscript Conservation and Archives at the Manuscript Institution of Türkiye, Dr. Nil Baydar; Mesut Demir, a researcher working at the Directorate of State Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, and officials from TİKA visited the National Library of Pakistan and the library of Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, Punjab University Library and the Lahore Museum in Lahore, along with the Sindh Archives and the National Museum of Pakistan in Karachi.
The delegation, who examined the manuscript collections during their visits, engaged in consultations with officials from these institutions regarding potential cooperation projects to preserve these invaluable works, which constitute humanity’s common cultural heritage, under improved conditions.
Within the scope of the Program for the Preservation of Manuscripts in Pakistan, which is to be launched this year by TİKA, it is planned initially to organize the “Technical Training in the Field of Preventive Preservation Measures” program in Istanbul. Subsequently, the necessary materials and equipment for preventive preservation measures will be provided by TİKA and delivered to the relevant Pakistani organizations, and on-site implementation studies will be carried out. In later stages, it is planned to rearrange the storage areas where the manuscripts will be preserved at Punjab University Library and to implement the “Active Conservation of Manuscripts Application Training Project” in Türkiye.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency prioritizes people, supports development projects in different parts of the world, says Serkan Kayalar
Marking the 32nd anniversary of its foundation, Türkiye’s state-run aid agency will continue to extend Ankara’s helping hand to the world in 2024, the head of the state aid agency said.
“The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) is an organization that prioritizes people and supports development projects in different parts of the world,” Serkan Kayalar, TIKA’s president, told Anadolu.
Kayalar said that the agency will continue to diversify activities in 2024, adding that TIKA is an organization that reflects “Türkiye’s global humanitarian stance with tangible development projects. We prioritize income-generating projects, especially in Africa and other regions. In the coming period, we will continue our activities in these areas.”
“We will continue to share the expertise of our country’s institutions, especially in developing human resource capacities, with our brotherly and friendly countries,” he said
Kayalar also noted the ongoing efforts to open offices in different regions in the coming years.
He said that since 2023 is the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, they are carrying out projects and activities that carry this joy abroad, and in this regard, they have carried out 35 projects and activities in 18 countries.
“The world’s mobilization in the wake of the Feb. 6 earthquakes is a testament to the work we did and to Türkiye’s presence at their side in their difficult times. The fact that search and rescue teams from different countries came to Türkiye after the earthquakes is also a sign of this,” Kayalar said.
He stressed that the agency’s work is spread across a wide geography. The agency began extensive renovation work on The Potocari Old Battery Factory in Bosnia and Herzegovina in early 2023 to transform it into the Srebrenica Potocari Memorial Museum for the Victims of Genocide. The museum is of great importance as a way to ensure that the atrocities that took place are not forgotten.
He also highlighted the establishment of the Türkiye Hall within the National Museum of World Cultures in Mexico City, the first of its kind in Central and Latin America.
About the work TIKA is doing in North Africa, he said the agency this year will begin restoration work on the complex that houses the tomb of the famous Turkish sailor Turgut Reis in Tripoli, the capital of Libya.
TIKA’s work in the Turkic world is continuing, he said, adding that the agency is continuing work on the Bilge Tonyukuk Museum in Mongolia, which was founded in 2022, and that the museum will open to the public this year.
Tonyukuk, an essential figure in Turkic history, was a supreme commander and adviser of four successive Gokturk khagans, while the Tonyukuk inscriptions from the eighth century are considered as the oldest written attestations of the Turkic language family.
Touching upon TIKA’s work in Gaza and Palestine, he said: “The suffering in Palestine deeply affects us all. Through TIKA, over 1,100 projects have been implemented in Palestine to date. “
“We are striving to deliver essential materials such as food packages, blankets, sleep sets, winter clothing, and medical supplies through various humanitarian aid projects. We will continue our efforts for the people of Palestine,” he said.
Founded in 1992, TIKA has implemented over 30,000 projects and activities to date, with 93% of them being carried out since 2002.
In 2002, TIKA had 12 program coordination offices worldwide. By 2023, this number increased to 63, and the number of countries where it operates has grown from 28 to over 170.
It plans to increase the number of its coordination offices worldwide in 2024.
In 2023, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) extended Türkiye’s hand of friendship all across the globe with 1326 projects and activities.
Established in 1992, TİKA has carried out over 30,000 projects and activities to this day, 93 percent of which took place after 2002.
Thanks to these activities, TİKA extended Türkiye’s hand of friendship across a wide area, from Palestine to Arakan, from Bosnia and Herzegovina to South Africa, from Mongolia to Latin America, contributing to Türkiye’s efforts in the field of international cooperation.
TİKA had 12 Program Coordination Offices across the globe back in 2002, and by 2023, this amount reached 63 and TİKA increased the number of countries it operates in from 28 to over 170.
In 2023, more than 3000 foreign experts benefited from the training sessions offered by TİKA.
Cooperating with public institutions and organizations for the development of the capacity of human resources, TİKA is holding vocational training sessions in various fields such as healthcare, agriculture, animal husbandry, judiciary, media, and IT. In 2023, approximately 3200 foreign experts benefited from these programs and the number of foreigners who benefited from the vocational training sessions since 2002 is now close to 50,000.
As TİKA carried out humanitarian aid projects to ease the effects of humanitarian crises in various regions, it extended Türkiye’s hand of aid to those in need after the earthquakes in Afghanistan and Pakistan and the floods in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Libya, in 2023.
TİKA extended Türkiye’s hand of friendship all across the globe with 1326 projects and activities in 2023.
“We will increase the number of our projects in line with the vision of ‘Century of Türkiye’.”
Speaking about the institution’s projects to the journalist of Anadolu Agency, the President of TİKA, Serkan Kayalar stated that 2023 marked the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, and they carried out projects and activities that bear this happiness abroad within this scope, 35 projects and activities in 18 countries in total.
Kayalar stated, “TİKA will continue to support the sincere coordination efforts of Türkiye for the global implementation of United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in the future. We believe 2024 will be much more efficient and fruitful. We will increase the number of our projects in line with the vision of ‘Century of Türkiye’.” Kayalar also highlighted that they completed almost 200 projects to contribute to the cultural life in 2023.
Stating that the number of monuments TİKA restored in the last 20 years was 140 in 40 different countries, Kayalar explained that they continued to carry out projects to protect our common cultural heritage in 2023 and completed the restorations of important monuments, and also 6 restoration projects were currently ongoing.
The Bilge Tonyukuk Museum Opens to Visit in 2024 with TİKA’s Support
Stating “We continue to help strengthen Turkic world’s bonds in the field of development cooperation.”, Kayalar noted that they signed the “Memorandum of Understanding” in December 2023 with the Organization of Turkic States to cooperate in various fields, they continued to support the archaeological excavations within the scope of the Orkhon Inscriptions project, which sheds light on Turkish history and is so important for the Turkic world, and they continued their work on the Bilge Tonyukuk Museum, foundations of which they had laid in 2022, and they would open the museum for visit this year.
Noting their efforts in Northern Africa, Kayalar stated that the restoration of the complex in Tripoli, the capital city of Libya, which hosts the tomb of Dragut, known as “Conqueror of Tripoli”, would start this year.
Stating that they constructed the Hall of Türkiye in the National Museum of Cultures in Mexico, Kayalar noted that this hall was quite important as it was a first in Middle and Latin America in this sense, and he continued:
“TİKA’s inclusive restoration of the Potocari Old Battery Factory, which was among the epicenters of the genocide happened in Bosnia and Herzegovina was started in 2023 as Srebrenica Potočari Genocide Victims Memorial Museum. We believe this museum is critically important to keep the memory of the sufferings alive.
The sufferings in Palestine are affecting us all. Through TİKA, approximately 1100 projects have been carried out in Palestine so far. As you all know, Türkiye is supporting the people of the sister-country Palestine with all its might, which has been under Israel’s attack, and condemning the massacre towards Gaza since October 7. At TİKA, we strive to transport the necessary supplies such as food parcels, blankets, sleep sets, winter clothes, and medical supply sets with various humanitarian aid projects.”
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has built a multi-purpose sports field in Dschang, a city in the Western region of Cameroon, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.
Within the scope of the project, the multi-purpose sports field, which is located on the campus of the Dschang branch of the National Youth and Sports Center (CENAJES) operating under the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education of Cameroon, was built by TİKA. The field was inaugurated and is in service under the name “100th Year Türkiye-Cameroon Multi-Purpose Sports Field” on the occasion of 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.
The Director of CENAJES Dschang, Nana Kouakam; TİKA’s Coordinator in Yaoundé, Burak Özden as well as athletes, coaches and guests attended the ceremony.
The Director of CENAJES Dschang, Kouakam expressed gratitude to TİKA at the ceremony, and stated that the aforementioned field not only contributes to the students’ physical education but also allows the diversification of educational opportunities in this context, and also provides the local community with a safe and free facility for various sports.
In response, TİKA’s Coordinator in Yaoundé, Özden stated that, inspired by the unifying spirit of sports, they aimed to foster friendship between the two countries through the project implemented on the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye.
The campus of CENAJES in Dschang, which was founded in 1950 to train physical education teachers and coaches, hosts a variety of sports such as basketball, football, tennis, volleyball, handball, and korfball.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided medical equipment to be used in the intensive care unit of Mittaphab Hospital in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
Laos Vice Minister of Health, Dr. Phayvanh Keopaseuth; Türkiye’s Ambassador to Vientiane, Orhan Işık; the Chief Physician of Mittaphab Hospital, Dr. Sonexay Rajvong; the officials of the Ministry of Health and TİKA personnel attended the delivery ceremony.
Speaking at the ceremony, Laos Vice Minister of Health, Dr. Keopaseuth expressed his content with the health project carried out by TİKA. He also stated that health is one of the fields in need of support in their country, making the support crucial.
Ambassador Işık declared that Türkiye supported many countries in the healthcare field during the COVID-19 period. He also noted that Türkiye has advanced greatly in the healthcare field in the last 20 years and that they would be pleased to share our country’s knowledge and experience.
The Chief Physician of Mittaphab Hospital, Dr. Rajvong underlined that the provided support is irreplaceable, and the equipment will play a very functional role in people’s treatment processes.
He stated that TİKA had previously provided equipment and training support to their hospital within the scope of the United Nations Sustainable Development “Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being”. The Chief Physician, Dr. Rajvong, extended his sincere gratitude to TİKA and the Turkish people.
Established in 1988, Mittaphab Hospital stands out as one of the most important service units affiliated with the Ministry of Health in Vientiane.
In 2013, equipment and training support were also provided to the Cardiology department of the aforementioned hospital.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation have signed a memorandum of understanding, aiming to enhance the effectiveness, impact, efficiency and sustainability of international cooperation in the fields of culture, heritage, education, science, arts, crafts and development assistance by integrating their knowledge, experience, expertise and networks in their respective fields of work.
TİKA’s President Serkan Kayalar and Aktoty Rakhmatullayevna Raimkulova, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, attended the signing ceremony held at TİKA’s service building in Ankara.
During his speech, Kayalar expressed that the story of TİKA closely aligns with the narrative of the Turkic world and stated, “We are an organization that was established immediately after the independence of Turkic states. We opened our first offices in independent Turkic states, and the Turkic world holds a special place for us in this regard. We have been engaged in valuable cooperation in the field for the Turkic world for about 30 years.”
Reminding that TİKA’s initial restoration project was the restoration of the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Kayalar expressed that their collaboration with the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation will be highly valuable.
Kayalar stated that his organization will continue to strongly engage in the field with other international organizations in the Turkic world and serve the Turkic community in the coming period.
Raimkulova also expressed her belief that the signed agreement will make a productive contribution towards achieving the significant goals they aspire to in the future, and she anticipates good collaboration ahead.
With the signed memorandum of understanding, the two organizations, TİKA and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, have agreed to cooperate to enhance the effectiveness, impact, efficiency and sustainability of international cooperation in the fields of culture, heritage, education, science, arts, crafts and development assistance by integrating their knowledge, experience, expertise and networks in their respective fields of work.
The memorandum of understanding envisions conducting scientific research and training experts in the protection, restoration and development of Turkic culture and heritage. It also involves organizing seminars, workshops, conferences, congresses, field studies and exhibitions in alignment with the stated objectives, as well as arranging events and preparing scientific journals and publications.
Additionally, joint activities are planned to protect, preserve and support the traditional arts and crafts of Turkic peoples.
Headquartered in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation is dedicated to preserving Turkic heritage in member countries and implementing projects through partnerships and cooperation with third countries.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has established a cancer screening and diagnosis laboratory in The Gambia to support the improvement of women’s health services.
Within the scope of the project carried out in cooperation with TİKA, the C3G Organization (Cancer Confrontation Care and Consolation The Gambia) and the Ministry of Health of The Gambia, medical equipment essential for early detection of cervical cancer has been provided to Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital in the Kanifing region of The Gambia.
The opening ceremony of the laboratory established within the Bundung Maternal and Child Health Hospital was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Banjul, Tolga Bermek; the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health of The Gambia, Dr. Omar Jah, TİKA’s Coordinator in Banjul, Şule Bayar; hospital staff and many guests.
During his statement at the ceremony, Ambassador Bermek expressed that TİKA has been operating in numerous sectors in The Gambia for five years, and that this project serves as an example of the people-oriented and life-saving projects.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health of The Gambia, Dr. Jah, noted that the incidence rate of cervical cancer among cancer cases in The Gambia is 32 percent.
He also emphasized that access to early detection will be faciliated thanks to the medical equipment provided by TİKA.
TİKA’s Coordinator in Banjul, Bayar, stated that they broke new ground within Bundung Hospital thanks to the laboratory established by TİKA, thus enabling the early screening and detection of cervical cancer types.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) extended support to farmers in Angola by providing seeds, fertilizers and pesticides.
Within the scope of the project implemented in cooperation with TİKA, the AVIDA Foundation and the Governorship of Bengo, vegetable seeds, fertilizers and pesticides were provided to farmers whose source of income is agriculture in Caxito, the capital of the Bengo province.
Türkiye’s Ambassador to Luanda, Ufuk Ekici; the Governor of Bengo, Maria Antónia Nelumba and the President of the local non-governmental organization AVIDA Foundation, Mustafa Capuepue attended the delivery ceremony held in Caxito.
As part of the project, vegetable seeds, fertilizers and pesticides were distributed to local farmers for use within an 8-hectare area, benefiting approximately 400 families.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) continues its humanitarian aid activities in Gaza, Palestine, where Israeli attacks never cease.
As a result of the ongoing attacks in Gaza since October 7, 25 thousand Palestinians have lost their lives, 62 thousand people have been injured, 1.7 million Gazans have been displaced from their homes, and tens of thousands of houses have been destroyed.
Following the escalating attacks in the northern and central regions of Gaza and the urgent need to evacuate residents from these areas, the city of Rafah, home to more than a million people, has become the main shelter for displaced people.
Relief supplies are limited and insufficient
Due to restrictions, the activities of humanitarian aid organizations, as well as the delivery of aid materials such as food, water and medicine are severely limited and inadequate.
Food supplies were delivered by TİKA to families sheltering in tent camps in Rafah, Deir al-Balah and Az-Zawayda regions, where access to humanitarian aid is most challenging.
Due to supply shortages, packages consisting of various vegetables that could be obtained within Gaza were distributed to a thousand Gazan families.
Basic ready-to-eat food packages, along with medical supplies, mattresses, blankets and winter clothes, had been previously provided to Gazans.
Provided Clean Water to 300 Families in Afghanistan”
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) renovated the inactive water well in the Aqcha district of Jowzjan province, Afghanistan, and met the clean water needs of 300 families in the region.
The renovated water well was put into service during a ceremony held with the participation of the Former Vice-Rector of Parwan University, Sayid Mubin Hashimi; TİKA’s Coordinator in Mazar-i-Sharif, Mikail Taşdemir and the local dignitaries.
The activities carried out within the scope of the project include installing a 24,000-liter water tank, renewing solar panels, repairing the waterworks system, renovating the water pump room and installing a reinforced concrete floor in the water tank.
300 families in the region now have access to healthy and clean water, thanks to the project.
A Herbarium and Biodiversity Protection Laboratory was established by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) within the Climate Change Research Center at Mirpur University of Science and Technology in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Region of Pakistan.
A Herbarium and Biodiversity Conservation laboratory was opened within the University in order to update, record and protect the wild vegetation inventory in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir region, with the goal of making the inventory accessible to students and researchers by transferring it to digital media and detect the effects of climate change and propagate wild plants.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister, Nisar Ansar Abdali; Chancellor of Mirpur University of Science and Technology, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Younus Javed; Head of the Botany Department and students attended the opening ceremony.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Ansar stated that Türkiye and Pakistan have very deep relations and thanked TİKA for its support in developing these relations. Stating that the projects in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Region constitute concrete examples for the development of the region, Ansar underlined that the herbarium and laboratory established by TİKA, which conducts projects in various fields, is the first modern laboratory established in this field in the Kashmir Region.
The Chancellor of Mirpur University of Science and Technology, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Younus Javed also stated that the University, established in 2008, is the most important state university in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Region, and added that the university continues its activities at campuses in 3 different cities with more than 2000 students in 6 faculties and 37 departments. Thanking TİKA for the laboratory and herbarium established in the Botany Department of the University, the Chancellor stated that the University will also support awareness raising among the local people, and the laboratory will also provide the infrastructure for the botanical garden project.
The laboratory, which is established within the scope of the project implemented by TİKA, has been extremely important for the detection and protection of wild raw material resources. The laboratory, which will contribute to both herbarium studies and reducing the problems caused by climate change, will also add commercial value to plant production by supporting the detection of extinct plants and the propagation of medicinal herbs.
