2nd International NGO Fair

Organized by The Union of NGOs of The Islamic World (UNIW), Turkey Voluntary Foundation (TGTV) and with the support of the Greater Istanbul Municipality, the International NGO Fair was held at the Istanbul Yenikapi Eurasia Fair and Arts Center from 9-10 December 2017, in which various international NGOs participated.

During the exhibition 163 institutions from 35 countries participated in the fair by opening a stand.

Different civil and governmental foundations from different fields have participated the NGO Fair such as The Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Family and Social Policy and the Prime Ministry AFAD, Red Crescent, Religious Foundation, YTB, Yunus Emre Institute, Maarif Foundation, the Anatolian Agency (AA) as well as many relevant NGOs from different parts of the world, especially the organizations working in the field of humanitarian assistance from the Gulf, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and America.

Throughout the Fair duration, which took place on Saturday and Sunday, the participating NGOs participated in the fair, which was carried out through various media, whether through brochures or through audio and visual media in Turkish, Arabic and English languages.

The opening ceremony of the fair was attended by UNIW Secretary General Attorney Ali Kurt, President of TGTV Management and Chief Executive Attorney Hamza Akbulut, former Minister of Environment and Urbanism Idris Güllüce, AK Party Istanbul deputy Fatma Benli, representatives of international NGOs and a large invited mass.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the two-day exhibition at the Istanbul Yenikapi Eurasia Fair and Arts Center, Secretary-General of The Unity of NGOs in Islamic World, Ali Kurt, said that the spirit of unity, solidarity and brotherhood has converged in one place.

Kurt noted that we have many difficulties in the future but that the Islamic world has a potential to overcome these obstacles in unity and togetherness and that we have to reestablish the basic dynamics of ancient civilization as the members of the unity of religion with many common points and to take on the values.

Noting that both the UNIW and the TGTV are service movements in this direction, Kurt continued like that: “We are aiming to create a meeting, synergy and interaction among the more than three hundred members from 65 different countries and cooperate. Our organizations will be able to promote their activities throughout the fair and to share their knowledge, experience with sister NGOs in other countries and to have first-hand knowledge of other NGO activities. We must develop each other, ustainable projects and mechanisms among us in solidarity, sharing, cooperation and business cooperation. I am both in need and in need of my own garden. At this point, we see the 2nd International NGO Fair as an important opportunity to bring together NGOs in various fields of the world that have valuable activities in one another on an advisory basis. Through this activity, we aim to establish a qualified business association among more than 160 non-governmental organizations from almost every region of the Islamic world.

Ali Kurt stated that the Islamic world will be able to evaluate developments in various regions such as Jerusalem, Syria, Iraq, Arakan, Kashmir, East Turkestan, Yemen, Egypt, Africa and Balkans. “In this critical period when our future is shaped, we can not resist the games and resist the threats, it depends on the same aim to bring them together in the same target direction.”

Kurt pointed out that there is no way to overcome the difficulties facing the Islamic world except through unity and solidarity among Muslims. This is done by working to revive the values of Islamic civilization again, taking into consideration many common points that unite and gather Muslims.

Chairman of TGTV Management and Chief Executive Attorney Hamza Akbulut also gave information about the importance of the foundations by referring to the works they have done.

Akbulut said that there are incentives for establishing foundations in the Holy Qur’an and the Hadith-i Sharifs by expressing that there are foundations in every area that may come to mind in the Ottoman period. “Our civilization is a foundation civilization,” said Akbulut, civilization; a belief that the thought was institutionalized and that society was experiencing it. Akbulut said that the sense of eternity is also the reason for the foundation of people, Akbulut said that the feeling of helping and sharing is effective at this point.

Akbulut, “I hope that after the Republican period, as well as our history, we leave beautiful foundations, artifacts. It depends on us. We are very desirous of this nation. The number of foundations today is not yet sufficient. We have about 5 thousand foundations when we compare with the Ottomans, this number is very low. Today’s foundations have different problems. It has to be established with sufficient assets. Unfortunately, our foundations established in this way are not much. If foundations with adequate assets are not established, it is difficult to cover expenses such as operating costs, rent, and personnel expenses and so on, so it is not possible to provide suitable services for the purpose.”

Following the opening speeches, the fair area was opened and the stands were visited.