Prak Sokhonn, the Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation of Cambodia, presented the "Grand Cross of The Royal Order of Cambodia" to Dr. Ümit Naci Yorulmaz, the Vice President of TİKA, for Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA)’s works for the country.
TİKA maintained its development cooperation activities, which started with the Türkiye-Cambodia Friendship Road Project in 2009, under various topics such as the improvement of public administrative infrastructures, education, food security, agriculture, and shelter.
With the project carried out in the Prasat settlement of Kandal Province of Cambodia, the families whose houses get damaged in the rainy season every year were provided climate-resistant houses. 20 families in need in 2022, and 26 families in the second-phase works held in 2023 were provided support so that they could be protected from the negative effects of the climate conditions.
Sokhonn, Ülkü Kocaefe; Türkiye’s Ambassador to Phnom Penh, Yorulmaz; the Vice President of TİKA, and high-level officials from various ministries of Cambodia participated in the delivery ceremony held after the completion of project works carried out jointly with the Foreign Affairs and International Development Cooperation of Cambodia as a part of the project, in which approximately 300 people directly benefited.
Sokhonn specified that this project is of critical importance for their country and thanked TİKA for its cooperation. Expressing that it was very meaningful for Türkiye to complete the project it had started in Cambodia despite difficult times, Sokhonn stated that those who contributed to this project deserve appreciation.
Yorulmaz also expressed their hope that this significant project, which has been carried out successfully, will contribute to bilateral relations.
Wishing the beneficiaries of the project to live happy lives in their new homes, Yorulmaz indicated that TİKA operates through 62 offices in 120 countries besides Cambodia and creates added value on a global scale by acting with a human-centered development approach.
At the ceremony, following the symbolic ribbon cutting, Yorulmaz was awarded the “Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Cambodia” on behalf of TİKA by Sokhonn.
The order presented is given by the King of Cambodia to foreigners who contribute to the Kingdom of Cambodia and its people, and the development of the country.
Visit to DC-CAM center (Documentation Center of Cambodia)
TİKA’s delegation then visited the DC-CAM center which was cooperated with as a part of the Cham Silk project carried out in 2022.
The delegation was informed about the ongoing projects of the center. Youk Chhang, the Director of DC-CAM, expressed their pleasure to host TİKA and talked about the history and archive works conducted by DC-CAM for Cambodia.
TİKA’s Vice President Yorulmaz also visited Angkor University in Siem Reap as part of their program in the country.
In their speech, Yorulmaz stated that there are good examples of cooperation between universities in various countries and TİKA and that they think successful practices can be carried out in Cambodia as well.
Doctor Gnel Rattha, the Rector of Angkor University, said that they would be happy to contribute to the transfer of Türkiye’s experience in development to the field, and that they think that triple cooperation could be made in income-generating areas such as bamboo shoemaking and putting agricultural products on the market.
Royal Order Certificate to TİKA
Yorulmaz and the accompanying delegation also met with Ouch Borith, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia and the Permanent Secretary of State.
During the meeting, Borith thanked TİKA for its contribution to the development of Cambodia and stated that they attach importance to the development experience of Türkiye and follow it closely.
Later, Borith presented Yorulmaz with the royal order certificate, which was handed over with the approval of the King and the Prime Minister.
“Cambodia attaches importance to the development experience of Türkiye”
The delegation was later hosted by the Othsman Hassan, a Senior Minister, at the Prime Ministry building.
Thanking TİKA for their contribution to the development of Cambodia, Hassan stated that they hope that the projects held in the fields of education, communication, agriculture, and animal husbandry would continue.
Hassan expressed their satisfaction with the delegation’s visit and emphasized that they attach importance to the development experience of Türkiye and follow it closely.
Yorulmaz also said that as TİKA, they would continue to contribute to the activation of the high economic potential of Cambodia.
Visit to Yunus Emre Institute
Yorulmaz also visited Yunus Emre Institute (YEE), which started its activities in the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
Stating that YEE’s initiation of Turkish lessons is a pleasing development, Yorulmaz noted that it is exciting to include Cambodia among the countries where Turkish is taught.
Macit Koç, Regional Advisor of YEE in Cambodia, provided information about YEE’s activities in the country.
Yorulmaz indicated that they believe that their visit to Cambodia and the high-level meetings they held would open the door for new cooperation opportunities between Türkiye and Cambodia and that the program was quite productive, and thanked Ambassador Kocaefe and the Embassy’s personnel, who provided all kinds of support for the implementation of TİKA projects and never left them alone throughout the program.
The “Cezeri-Lab”, in which the teachers and the students can perform 3D design and production along with R&D studies, is established by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) in the Tamale Technical University (TaTU) in Ghana.
Türkiye’s Ambassador to Accra, Hüseyin Güngör; the wife of the Vice President of Ghana, Hajia Samira Bawumia; Northern Regional Minister, Shani Alhassan Saibu and the Vice-Chancellor of Tamale Technical University, Prof. Abass Braimah attended the Cezeri-Lab’s opening ceremony.
The wife of the Vice President Bawumia started her speech by thanking TİKA for the lab and continued by advising teachers and students to use the innovation opportunities wisely that the lab enabled.
Türkiye’s Ambassador to Accra, Hüseyin Güngör, also stated that the lab is an essential step for Ghana’s development goals.
About Cezeri-Lab
Established with the inspiration of İsmail Al-Jazari, who lived in the 13th century, and is referred to as “The Father of Robotics” by the authorities around the world and the creator of the “Do It Yourself” trend, the lab is given the name “The Cezeri Studio”. Being the junction of the university and the industry, the Cezeri-Lab enables teachers and students to 3D design, produce and perform robotic and mechatronic practices.
After the setup of the lab, which has equipment such as a 3D printer, 3D scanner, CNC router, digital microscope, and robotic training sets along with various mechanic-electronic instruments, training for the usage of the equipment and coding for robotics was given to the teachers from the related departments of the university by the experts appointed by TİKA for 2 weeks.
As a part of the “Program for Supporting Rural Development Investments in Kosovo”, inaugurations of the Project for Supporting the Goji Berry and Berry Fruit Producers Association in the village of Dobratin and the Project for Drying and Packaging of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and Berry Fruits in the village of Donje Ljubinje were held by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA).
Emilija Rexhepi, the Deputy Prime Minister for the Issue of Minorities and Human Rights; Sabri Tunç Angılı, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Prishtina; Mahmut Çevik, the Vice President of TİKA; Cihan Dinçer, TİKA’s Coordinator in Prishtina; Fikrim Damka, the Minister of Regional Development in Kosovo and the President of the Turkish Democratic Party of Kosovo (KDTP), and representatives of Turkish institutions serving in the country participated in the opening ceremony of the projects.
Vice President Rexhepi, in their speech at the opening ceremony, expressed their gratitude towards the Republic of Türkiye for its support for Kosovo and said, “I am glad to be a part of this favourable project carried out for the welfare of all the citizens of Kosovo, especially of the Bosnian community.”
Stating that such projects will strengthen the friendship between Türkiye and Kosovo, Ambassador Angılı said, “TİKA carries out projects that touch every community in the fellow country, Kosovo, and try to improve their lives. We hope that this project of the agricultural cooperative will contribute to the development of the people of this village and Kosovo as a whole.”
TİKA’s Vice President Çevik indicated that their purpose of implementing such projects is to contribute to the economy of the families making a living from agriculture in the region and to ensure that they do not abandon their lands.
Expressing that they carry out such projects in order to overcome the problems of the farmers regarding sowing their own seeds and growing their products, Çevik said, “With the projects we carry out in every country in the region, all ethnic elements have integrity under the project. Serbian, Bosnian, Turkish, and Albanian societies are starting production together with agricultural projects. These projects are important in terms of intercultural dialogue and cultural activity as well as providing income for the family businesses.”
Within the scope of the project, the farmers of Kosovo were provided with various machinery supports such as a cold storage warehouse, a fruit crusher, a fruit dryer, and a plant processing building.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided equipment support to the Niamey State Hospital in Niger.
The training courses on “Disaster and Emergency Response” were organized for the Nigerien healthcare providers in the scope of the Emergency Medicine Capacity Building Program (ATKAP) started by TİKA and the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health.
The healthcare providers who completed the training and got the “trainer” titles are teaching their Nigerien colleagues with the training programs supported by TİKA. Within this framework, 30 emergency healthcare providers working in the emergency department of the Niamey State Hospital, the most visited hospital in Niamey, were taught by healthcare providers titled “trainers”.
TİKA provided equipment support consisting of medical supplies such as a defibrillator, bed-side patient monitor, wheelchair, ECG device, oxygen tube, a sickbed, emergency kit, stretcher, examination kits, tonometers, oximeters etc., to be used in the emergency department of the Niamey State Hospital. In order to improve the hospital’s human capacity, TİKA also provided training support.
Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Türkiye in Niamey, Mahir Saruhan; TİKA’s Coordinator in Niamey, Tanju Polat; Chief Physician of the Niger-Türkiye Friendship Hospital, Rezzan Sümeli and hospital staff members attended the delivery ceremony.
The institution representatives, speaking in the ceremony, emphasized TİKA’s significant health activities and addressed their wish for the cooperation between the two countries to continue.
Urban search and rescue, introduction to emergency management and medical search and rescue training were jointly organized by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alliance of International Doctors and IHH Ankara Search and Rescue Emergency Aid (ANSAR) in Sarajevo on 7-13 May 2023.
65 people participated in the training organized in the scope of the Emergency Medicine Capacity Building Program (ATKAP) and the Emergency and Disaster Intervention Training Program (ADAMEP), Bosnia and Herzegovina-wide.
After the theoretical and practical training, a joint drill was held in Sarajevo on 12 May 2023.
Belma Mahmiç from the Federal Administration of Civil Protection of, said, "I went to the earthquake zone in Türkiye and took part in search and rescue operations. We experienced moments that I will not be able to forget for the rest of my life. I had participated in training in previous years organized with the support of Türkiye. Even though this drill is fiction, it is crucial for us as we apply whatever we learn in these drills in real emergencies.”
A member of ANSAR and head trainer of urban search and rescue, Ömer Ünal stated that they have been giving search and rescue in Bosnia and Herzegovina mountains, urban search and rescue and water search and rescue training since 2017. Ünal also mentioned the teams, who went to the region for the earthquake that occurred on February 6th in Türkiye, made a significant effort in search and rescue operations.
Medical and urban search and rescue training certification ceremony organized by TİKA was held in the Parliament of the Federation of the Bosnia and Herzegovina with the attendance of Türkiye’s Ambassador to Sarajevo, Sadık Babür Girgin.
In cooperation with the Cambodian Islamic Women Development Association (CIWODA), the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) distributed 300 bicycles to solve the transportation problem of the children who are in the educational stage.
The project, the first stage of which was completed in 2022, continued in 2023 and bicycles were distributed to the impoverished students in Kampong Chnang and Takeo provinces.
In Cambodia, there are certain issues that will have social consequences, such as low school attendance rate of the daughters of low-income families, children starting to school later than they should to help support their families financially, and child marriages. One of the reasons that cause these issues is known to be the “problem of transportation”. In Cambodia, which is in the “Least Developed Countries” category, young girls who do not have access to public transport, especially in rural areas are not sent to school by their families and forced to work as cheap labor at an early age instead.
Thanks to the project that was carried out by TİKA, access to education, a basic human right, is now possible for many students.
“I don’t have to walk to school anymore.”
Cambodian orphan Jin Tola, who is among the children who were given a bicycle, said that she is 15 years old and currently in 7th grade. Jin, who lives in Kampong Chhnang, noted that her school is an hour away from her house and that she wakes up way too early every day to walk to school. Expressing how happy she is to be given a bicycle, Jin said: “I don’t have to walk to school anymore and it saves my time.”
7th-grade student Seng Phearom, who lives in Phnom Kraing and studies at Krong Kompong Chhnang High School, also noted that she usually walks to school. Seng stated that sometimes her friends give her a ride on their bicycles and said: “I am so happy that I am given a bicycle. It enables me to come to school on time and arrive home earlier. So that I can help my family to sell quail eggs.”
Pih Davan, who lost her mother and father at a young age, stated that she is 16 years old and currently in 8th grade. Stressing that she needs to wake up way early to go to school every day, Pih said: “I thank the people who donated us bicycles. It helps us to arrive at school on time and return to home earlier, and therefore saves our time. So that we can help our families with housework.”
