Built by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) on the Agrarian University campus, which is the only university to carry on a study on agriculture in Tajikistan, the “Education and Production Greenhouse” was opened.
To increase the professional knowledge and experience of students, support the practical training and enable them to gain experience in the field, a 450-square-meter modern education and search greenhouse was built in Tajikistan Agrarian University, one of the deep-rooted institutions in Tajikistan.
In the first one of the two steps, while the greenhouse was built, experts from Türkiye provided training to the lecturers at the university about greenhouse cultivation for two weeks.
During the training, seedlings from Türkiye were also planted.
Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Tajikistan, Kurbon Hakimzoda; President of the Tajik Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nurali Asozoda; Rector of Agrarian University, Usmon Mahmadyorzoda; Turkish Embassy in Dushanbe Second Secretary, Ozan Kublay and TİKA’s Coordinator, İbrahim Erbir attended the opening ceremony of the education greenhouse.
Stating that this project is a strategic step for agricultural education in Tajikistan, Tajikistan Minister of Agriculture Hakimzoda, in his speech, thanked TİKA for the project. Hakimzoda mentioned that the positive outcomes of the project and its contribution to the country’s agriculture would be seen clearly in the future.
With the project, Tajikistan Agrarian University will greatly contribute to the qualified workforce in the agriculture field.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) built a playground in the İşbiliye Kindergarten in the capital of Libya, Tripoli.
Türkiye’s Ambassador to Tripoli, Kenan Yılmaz and TİKA’s Coordinator in Libya, Ali Süha Bacanakgil, along with Deputy Mayor of Hai Al-Andalus, Semir Şigvara and Libya Ministry of Education Administration of Kindergartens Management General Directorate, Abdulhakim Zirati and other authorities attended the opening ceremony of the playground built with the support of TİKA.
Ambassador Yılmaz, in his speech at the ceremony, said: “Our people showed an act shoulder to shoulder through thick and thin. Lastly, the generous support from our Libyan brothers from every region of the country during the earthquake disaster that occurred in our country showed how strong our bonds are.”
TİKA’s Coordinator in Libya, Bacanakgil, mentioned:
“Culture of solidarity is an inseparable part of our thousands of years history and morale. Today, with this fundamental, our foreign policy is built on this humane diplomacy principle. And TİKA fulfils this principle in friendly and brotherly abroad countries.”
Reminding the audience that TİKA has been active in Libya since 2011, Bacanakgil stated that more than 115 projects in different fields, including education, health, agriculture, livestock, science and culture in Libya, were performed.
İşbiliye Kindergarten is one of the achievements of TİKA in Libya
By mentioning that İşbiliye Kindergarten is one of the achievements of TİKA in Libya, the Director of Administration of Kindergarten in Andalusia Neighbourhood, Muhammed Ali İbrahim, thanked TİKA.
Stating that the kindergarten was built in 2017, İbrahim said that TİKA supported them in establishing the kindergarten and now built a 200-square meter playground in the kindergarten.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) established a Jam Production Line by expanding the Fruit and Vegetable Juice Production Line they founded last year within the Agritourism Union of Lepoglava operating in Croatia.
A “Jam Production Line” was set up by TİKA at the building which is assigned to the Agritourism Union on the main route where the city of Lepoglava intersects with settlements in the Varazdin region.
The opening ceremony of the project was held with the participation of Türkiye’s Ambassador to Zagreb, Yavuz Selim Kıran; the Mayor of Lepoglava and the representative of the Governor of Varazdin, Marijan Skvaric,; and the President of the Agritourism Union Natasa Veic,
Over 40 tons of fruit were processed in one year
Over 40 tons of fruit were processed in a year in the Fruit and Vegetable Juice Production Line, established last year by TİKA, and 20 thousand liters of fruit juice with an estimated market value of 200 thousand euros were produced. Not only the members of the union, but all producers in the region benefited from the provided line free and without a lower weight limit.
The union, supported by the Governorship of Varazdin owing to the Fruit and Vegetable Juice Production Line Configuration Project, completed its process of becoming a cooperative. Thanks to the Jam Production Line, the producers are expected to produce 20 tons of jam with an estimated market value of 100 thousand euros. Dregs that are left from the fruit/vegetable juice production and suitable for jam production will be used in jams to be produced.
The Agritourism Union of Lepoglava, which was established collectively by the women farmers engaged in agricultural activities for many years in the Varazdin region in Northern Croatia, aims to support agricultural and economic development by obtaining products with high-added value from various fruits and vegetables grown in the region.
"The E-Commerce Facilitation Center", established in the Narayangonj region in cooperation with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) and the government of Bangladesh, was brought into service.
The opening of the E-Commerce Facilitation Center, established by the government of Bangladesh and TİKA in the Narayangonj region, was held with the participation of Türkiye's Ambassador to Dhaka Ramis Şen, the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communication of Bangladesh Saiful İslam, TİKA's Coordinator in Bangladesh Şevki Mert Barış, and authorities from Small and Domestic Producers Institution of Bangladesh.
TİKA provided the required information and storage equipment for the center established in the Narayangonj region where jamdani, which is on UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and one of Bangladesh's important traditional arts, production is commonly made.
In addition, a delivery car was also provided for the jamdani weavers to deliver their products safely to the customers.
The center aims to enable the producers, who find the opportunity to have access to online market places, to deliver their products to bigger markets by participating in promotion and marketing trainings.
The growing e-commerce sector in Bangladesh is expected to exceed the market size of $3 billion in 2023, which was $2.07 billion in 2020. On the other hand, the presence of SMEs, which correspond to 20% of GNP and 80% of employment, in the sector appears to be inconsistent with the numbers provided. Only 30% of the approximately 30 million SMEs have access to the internet and can use official financial channels. Setting up an e-commerce platform called ekShop (https://www.ekshop.gov.bd/) to overcome this problem, the government of Bangladesh aims to facilitate access to markets and logistical opportunities by rural entrepreneurs in particular through the platform, as well as to improve capacity. Entrepreneurs, vendors, buyers, payment channels, and logistics companies, which become a part of the shopping process owing to the platform, are able to meet safely and take action.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided 50 traditional-looking boats with hunting equipment to the women of Sorko, a local community making a living from fishing in Niger.
The Niger River is one of the most important resources sustaining the economies of the Western Sub-Saharan countries that it passes. Giving life to agriculture and livestock activities, the river is the source of food and income for thousands of people with the fish population it houses.
The river, which is one of the longest streams in the continent with a length of over 4.000 km and plays a decisive role in the demographic formation of the Sub-Saharan countries, is home to a significant culture in Mali, Niger, and Nigeria.
The Fulani, Zarma, and Haussa communities living in villages along the river are known as "Sorko (River People)" or "Bozo" and are also important in the oral culture of these countries.
Sorko's culture, which is often cited in historical sources, maintains its existence today with an integrated approach to the modern world.
Living in settled villages along the Niger river and making a living from fishing, Sorkos continue their social and commercial existence within the National Fishing Association of Niger.
Using traditional hunting methods, The Sorko community has difficulties in hunting down full capacity and preserving the products they hunt for a long time due to the lack of equipment and infrastructure.
Women come into prominence in river fishing, as is the case in almost all areas of agriculture and livestock. Sorko women, who work in fields during the day, get fish by pulling out the traps they set in the evenings early in the mornings.
Boat and market support was provided to the fisherwomen of Sorko community
In the city of Niamey alone, there are more than 100 fishers organized under a total of 25 regional branches within 5 districts. A significant part of these members is comprised of women.
TİKA provided a total of 50 boats, 2 for each region, manufactured in traditional style and equipped with hunting equipment (nets, fishing lines, baits, etc.) to the fisherwomen of the Sorko community in 25 regions operating under Niamey.
3 fisherwomen are expected to take advantage of each boat at a time, while scores of families are expected to benefit from it in a broad perspective. In line with this, the number of people who make use of the boats is anticipated to reach thousands.
TİKA also built a boutique fish market where fishers across Niamey could gather their hunted products at a central location, preserve them for a long time, and wholesale market them to retailers and the public.
Freezers and display counters were provided
A total of 6 big freezers and display counters, that can be used by fishers based in 5 districts and the federation, were provided to the 60-square-meter fish market built in the 2nd fishing port of Niamey by sticking to the traditional architecture.
More than 1000 fishermen who work in the region and their families as well as the fisherwomen will be able to benefit from the Market which is a first in Niamey.
In the country where fishers display the products they hunt on riversides and counters set up disorganizedly in inner cities, it serves as the first market in which fishers are allowed to market their products at one spot where they can preserve them with cold storage technologies.
The built marketplace and boats were delivered with a ceremony
The marketplace built for fishers and the traditional boats were delivered to the Fishing Federation of Niger with an official ceremony attended by a large number of participants.
The ceremony was held with the participation of the Minister of Environment and Fight Against Desertification, Garama Saratou Rabiou Inoussa; Türkiye’s Ambassador to Niamey, Özgür Çınar; TİKA’s Coordinator in Niamey, Tanju Polat; the President of the City Modernization Agency of Niger Moctar Mamoudou; the President of the Rural Platform of Niger, Djibo Bagna; the President of the Fishing Federation, Ousmane Zakari; General Directors of the Ministry of Environment and Fight Against Desertification, and members of the press as well as hundreds of fishers in the region.
Speaking at the ceremony, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Niamey, Çınar stated that the opportunities TİKA provided are for the improvement of the working conditions of fishers, and that it will increase the production and sales capacities of the fishers in Niamey. Ambassador Çınar, in his speech, emphasized the nature of relations between the two countries and reported that Türkiye’s support will increasingly continue.
The President of the Fishing Federation, Zakari, thanked TİKA for supporting the fishers of Niger through the market and equipment opportunities and leaving a meaningful legacy for the next fishers.
The project aims to provide a sales center where Sorkos, particularly women, can directly contact consumers and retailers, support the animal trading capacity of the country, increase savings opportunities by preventing yield loss, and support the increase in fish supply.
The market built as a part of the project is also planned to serve as a boutique open-air fish restaurant where people can consume fresh fish.
In cooperation with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) and the Provincial Directorate for Agriculture and Forestry of Kilis, farmers in the Al-Rai region of Syria were provided with milking machines.
TİKA carries out various agriculture and animal husbandry activities in the Al-Rai Region, which was secured following the operations in northern Syria. The projects seek to increase production and livestock while ensuring that animal products can reach the market under more hygienic conditions.
In this regard, 30 farmers received milking machine units as part of the project conducted in collaboration with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the Provincial Directorate for Agriculture and Forestry of Kilis, and the Local Council of Al-Rai. The support aims to increase milking capacity and significantly decrease health problems connected to hygiene.
Speaking at the inauguration of the project, President of the Local Council of Al-Rai, İsmet Abbas said, “The development of our region in animal husbandry will be beneficial for the whole Syria. We thank Türkiye for their support and wish to see more of these projects.”
The revenue-generating agricultural projects that place a premium on rural development held by TİKA in the region are aimed to continue in the upcoming periods.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided the folklore ensemble of the Neretva Cantonwith costumes.
The Neretva Folklore Ensemble is based in the Hersek-Neretva Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina and performs under the Jablanica Municipality. This all-student Ensemble promotes the cultural heritage of the people living in Bosnia and Herzegovina across multiple countries with a team of about 200 members.
TİKA provided folklore costume to the Ensemble that has been performing for about 30 years and has experienced issues on rehearsals due to costumes wearing out over time.
The support given intends to aid the Ensemble's participation in numerous national and international festivals in addition to promoting and contributing to preservation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's cultural heritage, which is at risk of being lost to time.
The newborn intensive care unit at Francisco de Icaza Bustamante Children’s Hospital in Ecuador, for which the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided medical devices, was inaugurated.
The hospital is one of the two children's hospitals in Ecuador and the only child-specialized hospital in Guayaquil. With a capacity of 25 newborn babies, the Hospital aims to lower the rate of infant deaths with the necessary equipment provided.
The opening ceremony of the unit was attended by Jose Ruales, Minister of Public Health of Ecuador; Francesco Tabacchi, Governor of Guayas; Makbule Başak Yalçın, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Quito and local officials.
In his speech, Minister Ruales thanked the government of Türkiye for TİKA's efforts in restoring the Children's Hospital's newborn care unit.and offering equipment aid. The Minister emphasised the significance of the support, which guarantees that the unit in question would provide services at total capacity and with substantially superior technology.
Ambassador Yalçın stressed the vital importance of the newborn intensive care unit and the selflessness of healthcare professionals working in this field. Yalçın stated that since it was founded, TİKA has carried out more than 30.000 projects in 170 countries, earning it a legitimate place among the finest agencies for cooperation and development worldwide. Noting that TİKA has carried out 19 projects in Ecuador since its activities began, Yalçın thanked TİKA for ensuring that the unit would provide services at total capacity by completing this project.
The Natural Disaster Journalism Workshop was organized with the attendance of journalists from 16 countries, including Türkiye, by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) and Anadolu Agency (AA).
Aimed to share Türkiye’s experience in disaster journalism, the Disaster Journalism Training was organized in AAtölye and AFAD for the participants lasting for a week.
The news ethic, publishing under difficult conditions and journalism in disaster area subjects were addressed in the scope of the training.
Participants also had the chance to do corporate visits and cultural tours.
“Lots of experiences was gained through the earthquake and the tragic incidents”
Head of the Department of Foreign Relations and Partnerships at TİKA, Uğur Tanyeli, stated that this workshop is essential to understand what happened in the earthquakes centred in Kahramanmaraş on February 6.
Mentioning that lots of experiences were gained through the earthquake where tragic incidents happened, Tanyeli said, “We considered sharing these experiences with journalists coming from abroad as our mission.”
Indicating that media professionals have great responsibility during disasters, Tanyeli emphasized that the social media usage of journalists is crucial in this sense.
“Journalism under difficult conditions have dimensions related to pre-disaster.”
AA News Academy Director Cihangir İşbilir said, “Alongside just being remembered after the disaster, the disaster journalism, especially the journalism under difficult conditions have dimensions related to pre-disaster.”
Emphasizing that media has roles at every stage, including pre-disaster, during a disaster and after the disaster, İşbilir stated that the media does not only observe and monitor but also defend the citizens, civilians and values.
The journalists who completed the Disaster Journalism Training successfully were presented with a certificate at the end of the workshop.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) continues to support Arakanese Muslims in Bhasan Char island in Bangladesh.
Nearly 750 thousand Arakanese left Myanmar and took refuge in Bangladesh in 2017 due to their houses and shops being set on fire and the violence and assault they had to endure becoming unbearable.
Taking action because of the number of Arakanese Muslims who were relocated to the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar, exceeding 1 million, the Bangladesh government made the Bhasan Char island in Bengal Gulf, one of the islands formed in the last 60 years, into a development area and created a new living area that 100 thousand refugees can live in.
30 thousand Arakanese Muslims have been relocated to the island within the cope of the transport works since 2021. It is aimed that this number will reach 100 thousand in a few years.
International organizations started to carry out aid activities on the island
After the agreement between United Nations (UN) and Bangladesh, signed on 9 October 2021 and aimed at the humanitarian activities in Bhasan Char island, the international organizations took action and started to carry out aid activities on the island.
Being one of the first aid organizations to take action within this scope, TİKA developed a project in the agriculture and livestock field on the island by cooperating with Alliance for Cooperation and Legal Aid Bangladesh (ACLAB).
TİKA develops agriculture and livestock projects on the island by cooperating with Alliance for Cooperation and Legal Aid Bangladesh (ACLAB). Vegetable gardens were created in a 1-hectare area to include the surplus labour in production. 1500 kg vegetable production is expected from the firstling of the garden which has 11 different vegetable types planted.
Zucchini, okra, aubergine and bean are preferred as the climatic conditions of the island allow some vegetable types to bear 3 times a year.
Also carrying out projects on livestock, TİKA built the first cattle barn on the island and provided 16 cattle. Fresh milk will be provided to the people living on the island by getting 30 litres of milk daily at the first stage.
Arakanese Muslims having better living conditions and living on their hump were aimed by TİKA’s activities on agriculture and livestock.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided equipment support to two workshops in Afghanistan where sewing and embroidery training were provided and textile manufactured.
TİKA provided equipment to two workshops, which enables nearly 400 women to get training on sewing and embroidery annually, by cooperating with the Herat Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The equipment provided includes various materials such as a pearl punching machine, leather cropper, sewing machine, electrical scissors, embroidery machine, steam iron and fabric.
The textile industry in Afghanistan operates mainly by the tailors, and this makes an impact on the recruitment of women in this industry. For that, while women gaining professional skills is aimed, thanks to the equipment TİKA provided, at the same time, women improving themselves and taking active participation in social life is expected as well.
Photography exhibition of the poet Nurullah Genç, “Söğüt Gölgesi”, was opened in the capital city with the support of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA).
TİKA President Serkan Kayalar, poet Genç, TİKA employees and many guests attended the opening of the exhibition “Söğüt Gölgesi” held in TİKA Headquarters, which includes a documentary series and photography exhibition.
Common historical and cultural artifacts’ photographs from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Kosovo, Serbia, Hungary, North Macedonia and Albania are displayed in the exhibition.
In his speech, TİKA President Kayalar mentioned that this exhibition is the beginning of the programs after Covid-19.
Kayalar said "We will listen to witnesses of our geography of heart.” regarding the exhibition.
Thanking the contributors of the project, Kayalar stated that the works of Genç will be published and be made into a book by TİKA.
Poet Genç mentioned his journey to photography and said “Poetry is the photograph of the unseen, photograph on the other hand is the poetry of the seen.”
Telling what he experienced in the countries he went under the project, Genç stated that each of the photographs will be published with custom texts.
The exhibition was toured after the speeches.
