To enable them to continue their education activities in better conditions, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) renewed the classrooms and installed a gym in İmadettin Zengi High School and Oğuzhan Secondary School, in which Turkmen students that live in Iraq’s city of Erbil are receiving education. The opening of the Turkmeneli Youth Resource Center in the city of Kirkuk, which was installed and equipped by TİKA to make young people pick up sports, was held.
The necessary renovations were held in the school, and new desks, tables, and stationaries were provided for the students of İmadettin Zengi High School and Oğuzhan Secondary School in Erbil to receive education in better conditions.
The opening of the project was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Baghdad, Ali Rıza Güney; Kurdistan Regional Government (IKBY) Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Aydın Maruf; TİKA’s Coordinator in Baghdad, Oğuzhan Dinler, and the invitees.
In his speech, Ambassador Güney stated that it is pleasing that the Turkmen students are receiving education in their language, and the support provided here by TİKA is a source of pride.
Within the project, a meeting was held with the participation of the principals of 15 Turkmen schools in Erbil. Problems faced by Turkmen schools and recommendations for solutions were discussed in the meeting. After the meeting, the computers, which were provided by TİKA to increase the quality of education and make it easier for young people to have access to information, were delivered to the school administrations. The occasion was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Baghdad, Ali Rıza Güney; Kurdistan Regional Government (IKBY) Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Aydın Maruf; and TİKA’s Coordinator in Baghdad, Oğuzhan Dinler.
A Gym was Installed in Kirkuk for Young Turkmens
To enable young Turkmen who live in Kirkuk to pick up sports and make good use of their spare time, TİKA installed the Turkmeneli Youth Resource Center and provided the necessary materials. Its opening was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Baghdad, Ali Rıza Güney; TİKA’s Coordinator in Baghdad, Oğuzhan Dinler; Head of Iraqi Turkmen Front, Hasan Turan; Iraqi Turkmen Student and Youth Association President, Murat İmadettin Türkmen; and the invitees.
The gym, in which young people from Kirkuk can study and improve themselves in various branches of sport such as table tennis and fitness, was opened and put into service.
In his speech during the opening, Ambassador Güney emphasized the importance of sports to keep young people away from harmful habits, and he expressed how pleased he is to see that the project is now completed. He emphasized the importance of the role of TİKA in developing friendly relationships.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) installed a soilless agricultural greenhouse and biofloc fish farm in the village of Purwasari, which is in the Bogor region of Indonesia.
2,226 families in the village of Purwasari are earning a livelihood from animal husbandry, rice cultivation, and fishing. 47% of the population in the village is struggling to make ends meet.
In cooperation with the "Human Initiative" Organization active in Indonesia and the local state authorities, TİKA started a food security program in this region. TİKA put the Soilless Agricultural Greenhouse and Biofloc Fish Farm into service, providing income to many families in the region and being the first of its kind there.
In the soilless agricultural greenhouse, the bok choy plant, which is quite popular among the people in the region, is being produced. The bok choy plant can be harvested monthly. In the greenhouse installed by TİKA, 720 kilograms of the plant will be produced yearly. In the biofloc fish farm, production of which can be harvested every two months, Nila fish, the most consumed type of fish in the region, will be produced. The eggs of the broodfish will be sent to the other regions in tanks, thus providing income to other families as well.
In his speech during the delivery ceremony, the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations and Partnerships at TİKA, Uğur Tanyeli, stated that they brought the salute of Turkish people and expressed how happy he is to see the cooperation between the two countries getting more developed.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided a vehicle and food items to Bolivia Food Bank to be used for distribution activities.
TİKA continues to create solutions to malnourishment and lack of access to food in Latin America as well, two problems turning into an ever-growing crisis for individuals. Within the Preventing and Managing Food Loss and Waste Project in cooperation with the non-profit organization named Bolivia Food Bank (Banco de Alimentos de Bolivia), food distribution activities that happen in the city of Cochabamba can take place in the capital city, La Paz, and the city of El Alto as well.
Bolivia Food Bank is a non-profit organization that gathers the surplus production of food and cleaning items from the factories, marketplaces and big companies in the country. These items will go to waste unless gathered. They transfer these items to their storehouses and distribute them to those in need.
The vehicle which was provided to enable the new food item storehouses to be opened in the capital city, La Paz, and the city of El Alto, Bolivia’s fastest growing and most crowded city, was delivered to the authorities with a ceremony that was attended by TİKA’s authorities and Türkiye’s Ambassador to La Paz, Ertan Yalçın.
In his speech during the delivery ceremony, Ambassador Yalçın emphasized the contribution and support of valuable projects like this to the relationship between the two countries. Also, mentioning the Zero Waste project in his speech, which is being carried out under the patronage of Emine Erdoğan, wife of resident Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and is turning into an international initiative, Yalçın stated that this project supported by TİKA is also an important step towards preventing waste.
Founder of the Food Bank, Nicole Guerrero, expressed the importance of the received support with her statement: “We believe that the development of a country is based on education, but we need nourished brains and bodies before everything. One of our biggest dreams turned into a reality today; therefore, in the name of the Food Bank and the Republic of Bolivia, I thank the Republic of Türkiye’s Embassy in Bolivia and TİKA.”
Representing Univalle University, which is among the co-founders of Banco de Alimentos, the National Director of the Graduate Faculty at Univalle University, Dr. Sandro Augusto Guerrero Morales made a speech in which he stated that TİKA’s support is a tangible example of international solidarity against hunger and inequality. In his speech, Morales stated: “TİKA has shown a tangible affection, sympathy, and solidarity. This renunciant gesture is hopeful not just for food security but for the future as well.” and emphasized the importance of this project.
In 2017, Bolivia Food Bank, which started as a student initiative, could only transfer 100 kilograms of food to 15 children fighting hunger in Cochabamba. Now, Bolivia Food Bank is distributing 60 tons of food every month to more than 28,500 people across the country.
With support from TİKA, Bolivia Food Bank will be able to reach 20,000 people in El Alto and 18,000 people in the capital city, La Paz, in three years.
Within the scope of the project, Bolivia Food Bank will store, classify, and transfer the food gathered from various supporting companies to the meal centers, foster homes, shelters, and social welfare centers, using the vehicle provided by TİKA that has the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye logo on.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) installed a solar energy system at Islamia College Peshawar.
TİKA installed solar panels at Islamia College Peshawar, in which academic activities were getting interrupted because of the power cuts in Peshawar.
With the system that produces 50 KW of electricity, the academic block with 8 different majors, offices, and laboratories, and in which 3000 students are receiving education, will continue its activities without being affected by the power cuts.
Power cuts are frequently happening in Pakistan and causing interruptions, especially in educational institutions. On the other hand, the government of Pakistan is encouraging solar energy usage across the country. The support provided by TİKA contributed to the development of the infrastructure of higher education institutions in Pakistan.
Before the solar energy system was installed by TİKA, the classes used to take breaks for 2 to 4 hours because of the power cuts happening in classrooms. Also, education used to be interrupted due to the tree branches that fell into the transmission lines during rainy and windy weather.
The academic staff of 104 people and the 3,000 students, 800 of whom are women, used to face difficulties as the power cuts caused the security cameras across the university campus and the air conditioning in the classrooms to stop working. Now, they can continue their education under secure and suitable physical conditions.
About Islamia College Peshawar
Islamia College Peshawar stands out as a university that symbolizes the educational and cultural heritage of the province of Khyber in Pakistan. The school was founded during the British Raj period in 1913 and started its activities due to the modern education requests of the Muslims who lived in the region.
Due to its contributions during Pakistan’s independence movement, the university was supported by the founding father of the country, Muhammed Ali Cinnah, as well. The university had an important role in the country’s war of independence.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) opened the Teymeni Park, which it renewed in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
The opening ceremony of the park in Teymeni Neighborhood, which is in central Kabul, was attended by the Deputy Head of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Türkiye in Kabul, Cenk Ünal; TİKA’s Coordinator in Kabul, Fazıl Akın Erdoğan; Head of Afghanistan National Environmental Protection Agency, Mevlevi Hafız Azizurrahman; Vice Mayor of Kabul, Mevlevi Abdul Halık Sacidi; and representatives from Turkish establishments in Afghanistan.
Within the scope of the renovation started by TİKA 3 months ago, paving stones were installed on the pedestrian way, the floors were covered with grass, and sprinklers that work with a solar system were installed for night lighting in the park built on an area of 6 thousand 200 sq meters.
It is planned to have an afforestation activity in the park in March.
In his speech, Deputy Head of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Türkiye in Kabul, Ünal, stated about the opening of the Teymeni Park:
“We keep on helping Afghanistan. Our help is not limited to humanitarian aid. TİKA also carries on significant activities to give Kabul a face-lift. Not just in Kabul. We were in Herat a short while ago. TİKA has valuable activities in Herat as well. TİKA works quite hard in Afghanistan, and it is greatly appreciated not only by us but also by Afghan people and authorities.”
TİKA’s Coordinator in Kabul, Erdoğan, stated that as the agency, they have carried out many projects in Afghanistan and will continue their work in the future.
Erdoğan continued:
“There used to be a park here, but it was in an idle situation. We have carried out some renovations here and repaired everything that was repairable. We formed a field to be covered with grass. We covered an area of 2 thousand 700 sq meters with grass. In the upcoming days, the landscape will look a lot greener with the grass getting more grown. This place is kept busy by the people of Teymeni. It is also located at a crossroad that binds two big neighborhoods together. On this wise, we completed the walking trails. We also installed a solar system here, enabling the place to be illuminated in the dark."
Head of Afghanistan National Environmental Protection Agency, Mevlevi Hafız Azizurrahman and Vice Mayor of Kabul, Mevlevi Abdul Halık Sacidi, thanked TİKA and the people of Türkiye for the renovation.
Halık Sacidi stated that they see TİKA’s help as a sign of friendship.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) equipped the training hall of the State Social Insurance General Office with modern equipment to increase the efficiency of public services in Mongolia.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) equipped the training hall of the State Social Insurance General Office with modern equipment to help increase the efficiency and effectiveness of public services in Mongolia.
In the training hall, public personnel will receive on-the-job training, and employers will receive training as well.
General Director of Mongolia Social Insurance, Munkhzul Lkhagvasuren, stated: “We thank TİKA and the people of Türkiye for meeting our request quickly and equipping our training hall. This training hall will contribute to our personnel and our citizens on our services.”
Mongolia State Social Insurance General Office is a public institute with approximately 1,500 employees. It is under the Mongolia Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and is responsible for activities such as increasing the register to the social security system across the country, inspecting reports on social security payments, accounting the payments, entitling people to the state pension, and indemnity payments.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) installed a drying and fermentation plant within the cooperative that is growing cocoa in the Centre Region of Cameroon.
Within the scope of the project, the opening ceremony of the drying and fermentation plant installed in Ngomedzap, a town in the Centre Region, was held. The goal of the plant is to enable the cocoa that is produced by Mvem Cooperative of Cocoa Producers (SOCOPROCAM) to be dried and fermented under efficient conditions that will protect its aroma after the harvest.
The ceremony was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Yaounde, Volkan Işıkcı; Türkiye’s Coordinator in Yaounde, Burak Özden; Commercial Counsellor in Yaounde Embassy, Tuna Özel; local authorities, and cooperative officials.
In his speech during the ceremony, Özden stated that within the scope of the 2035 vision and the sustainable development goals, they aim to continue pursuing projects that are towards cocoa production, one of the most important export items of the country.
Noting that the opening ceremony took place on the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye, Özden stated that he hopes this project contributes to the friendly relationship between the two countries.
Within the scope of the project, the goal is to increase the after-harvest quality of the cocoa produced on a field of 16 hectares. A 25% increase in the income of the cooperative, which has approximately 600 members, is also expected.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) installed a solar energy training laboratory in the vocational training center in Sfax, a city in Tunisia.
The opening ceremony of the laboratory installed in the headquarters within the Tunisian Agency for Vocational Training was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Tunisia, Çağlar Fahri Çakıralp; President of Tunisian Agency for Vocational Training, Mervan Bin Süleyman; Director of Sfax Vocational Training Center, Hamdi Guidara; TİKA’s Coordinator in Tunisia, Ali Fuat Cebeci; and the attendees who receive training in the center.
In his speech, TİKA’s Coordinator in Tunisia, Cebeci, stated that they prioritize supporting the projects on training young people, thus enabling them to acquire a profession. Cebeci said: “Within the mutual understanding between us and the Tunisian Agency for Vocational Training, which is active under Tunisia’s Ministry of Employment, we had decided to modernize and equip some of the vocational training centers across the country with new systems. Within this scope, we installed this photovoltaic (solar energy) training laboratory within the Sfax Vocational Training Center.” Noting that they also helped prepare the academic staff that will provide training in the laboratory, Cebeci stated: “In the installed classroom, we enabled the academic staff that will provide training to receive a certified education given by the experts for a month. We predict that each year, approximately 100 students will benefit from the laboratory in which the academic staff of 12 persons will be providing education and thus join the employment market. As TİKA, our goal is to support similar projects which create a difference and add value and to develop the infrastructure of the training centers.”
“TİKA Has Implemented More Than 200 Projects in Tunisia”
Ambassador Çakıralp noted that the solar energy laboratory TİKA installed is an important investment. Çakıralp stated: “We believe that this project is important and valuable for Tunisia’s development as well. With the financial support of TİKA, the trainers who will give training here were also given the necessary education. TİKA, which has been active in Tunisia since 2012, has successfully carried out over 200 projects, the physical value of which is more than 50 million dollars.” Çakıralp noted that the goal of the Turkish Embassy and TİKA is to carry out projects that will touch the lives of the people of Tunisia, the young people, and the people from different parts of the society, thus directly leaving a positive impact.
President of the Tunisian Agency for Vocational Training, Süleyman, stated that the training laboratory, installed in Sfax as an example of the cooperation between Tunisia-Türkiye, will fill an important gap in the field of solar energy training. Expressing how happy he is to see that TİKA is investing in the Sfax Vocational Training Center, Süleyman said: “The goal of the project is to bring educated staff to the market of solar energy in Tunisia. We want to support the solar energy market, which we believe will greatly contribute to Tunisia’s economy. Sustainability is important in vocational training; therefore, there is a great need for training laboratories.”
Celebrations for “15th Bosnia and Herzegovina Culture Days”, which is supported by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), are held in Croatia and attended by TİKA’s Vice President, Dr. Mahmut Çevik.
The activity was held for the 80th anniversary of “National Statehood Day”, celebrated each year since the first session of the State Anti-fascist Council for the National Liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on November 25, 1943, and the 20th anniversary of the Council of the Bosniak National Minority of the City of Zagreb (VBNMGZ).
The activity, held by VBNMGZ with TİKA’s support, was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Zagreb, Yavuz Selim Kıran; Vice President of TİKA, Dr. Mahmut Çevik; Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ambassador to Zagreb, Elma Kovacevic Bajtal; President of the Aliya İzetbegoviç Foundation, Faris Nanic; President of VBNMGZ, Armin Hodzic; and the citizens.
In his speech, Ambassador Kıran stated that Türkiye and TİKA are carrying out important projects in Croatia, one of which is the support provided to “Bosnia and Herzegovina Culture Days”.
Stating that Bosnia-Herzogevinans are rooting for tranquility and peace in Croatia, Kıran wished the best for the program.
“TİKA and Türkiye are contributing to global peace and stability”
Vice President of TİKA, Çevik, stated: “TİKA and Türkiye are not only sending urgent humanitarian aid to the regions in crisis but also contributing to the global peace and stability with the projects they carry out.”
Stating that they carried out 116 projects in Croatia, Çevik noted that Bosnia-Herzegovinians are contributing greatly to the world piece with their values.
Thanking Croatia for its contribution to the culture of having people from different ethnic backgrounds living together, Çevik celebrated the 20th anniversary of VBNMGZ and National Statehood Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided machinery and equipment support to Cartagena de Indias Vocational School in Colombia.
The school was founded to support vocational development and to increase the technical workforce and has been actively providing training for 30 years. Students who attend this school from Cartagena and neighboring regions are receiving training to develop the production and to protect their cultural heritage.
TİKA provided machinery and equipment support to strengthen the workshop school’s national and international culinary program. Within the scope of the support, more than 1,200 products, including industrial electrical machinery, kitchenware, ovens, range hoods, deep freezers, and large-capacity refrigerators, were delivered to the school administration.
The delivery ceremony that was held in the school was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Colombia, Beste Pehlivan Sun; Türkiye’s Honorary Consul General to Cartagena, Jorge Enrique Villamizar de Lavalle; and the Principal, Rafael Cuesta.
In his speech during the delivery ceremony, Rafael Cuesta expressed his gratitude to the Turkish government and TİKA for the vocational support TİKA provided to Colombia. He stated: “It is a great source of happiness for us to receive the equipment for our traditional culinary workshop, one of the most important workshops of our school. This support, which makes it possible for our students to receive training on traditional and international gastronomy and culinary art, also enabled us to give food to all our students daily. We have approximately 390 students in our school this year, the highest number of students in our history for whom we provide vocational training.
Within the scope of the Supporting Vocational Training in the Region of South America Program, TİKA also provided equipment to the carpentry and welding workshop of the same school in 2022.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) installed the Cezeri Lab Digital Design and Production Laboratory within Kyrgyz State Technical University (KSTU).
Digital design and production lab, named after Ismail al-Jazari, who is considered the “Father of Robotics”, creates the opportunity to work on 3D design, modeling, production, robotics, and mechatronics.
Various types of 3D printers and scanners, laser cutting machines, CNC routers, desktop lathes, bench drills, digital microscopes, robotic training sets, computers, and various mechanical-electronic equipment that were made in Türkiye are available in the laboratory.
Trainers and students who learned how to use the devices and equipment in the digital design and production laboratory received their certificates.
During the certificate ceremony at the end of the training program, the attendees were given information about the laboratory, which creates the opportunity to work on 3D design, modeling and production, and robotics.
TİKA’s 18th Cezeri Lab Project Put Into Practice in Kyrgyzstan
During his speech, TİKA’s Coordinator in Bishkek, Mehmet Bodur, stated that TİKA has carried out 17 “Cezeri Lab” projects so far and said: “The project in Kyrgyzstan is the 18th one.”
Stating how glad he is to see the project being carried out, Bodur noted that he hopes the project becomes as successful as in other countries.
TİKA equipped the laboratory with modern technology
Vice Rector of Kyrgyz State Technical University, Cırgalbek Sıdıkov, stated that TİKA equipped the laboratory within the university with modern technology.
Sıdıkov also stated that TİKA trainers held a two-week training seminar for the technical trainers and students of the university on how to use the devices and equipment in the laboratory.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) distributed 25 tons of certified barley seed to support the agricultural development in the zone of Operation Euphrates Shield.
According to the Syria Report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2020, conflict, displacement, retail, and destruction of agricultural infrastructure have a serious effect on the livelihood and food safety of the Syrians.
In the zone of Operation Euphrates Shield, the main source of livelihood is agriculture, and there are large barley cultivation areas; thus, the lack of access to quality seed is one of the most important problems of the sector in the region. Due to the decrease of the barley cultivation areas and their efficiency in the region, sustaining the present seeds and encouraging more people to use certified seeds is quite important. By sustaining certified seeds, one of the most important materials for animal feed production, the aim is to decrease the input cost of stock farming.
Within the scope of the project carried out in cooperation with the Kilis Directorate of Provincial Agriculture and Forestry, the aim is to contribute to the agricultural development of the region by distributing 25 tons of certified barley seeds.
President of the Local Council of Al-Rai, İsmet Abbas, expressed his gratitude for the project, stating that local animal husbandry will develop swiftly with the increased animal feed production.
