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Ever since its inception, the Akkök Group has regarded social responsibility as an indispensable component of its corporate culture. The Group’s commitment to social responsibility is based on the awareness that it owes its success to the strength it derives from society.
Akkök Group has been implementing social responsibility projects all across Turkey, predominantly in the regions where the Group operates. However, the focus is on global benefits for environmental projects. Akkök conducts all of these projects in collaboration with scientists, non-governmental organizations of which it is a member and other relevant organizations in the project areas.
Aware of the fact that in addition to innovative products, it is essential to have healthy, well-educated generation living in a clean environment to achieve sustainable development, the Group is particularly involved in major educational, environmental and cultural social responsibility projects.
In the selection of social responsibility projects it is going to support, Akkök Group pays attention to ensuring that the particular investment will serve the high-priority needs of society. Akkök also attaches importance to facilitating projects which are compatible with the values constituting its corporate culture.
Another factor considered in social responsibility projects is their impact and accessibility to the widest possible audience and securing their support. It is at this point that relations with non-governmental organizations gain further prominence. Akkök Group sponsors projects of various foundations from this perspective.
CULTURE AND ARTS
Souvenir of Istanbul
In 2007, Akkök Group made a fresh contribution to social responsibility projects in arts and culture. “Yıldız Palace Albums Souvenir of Istanbul” was published with the support of Akkök under the direction of Prof. Dr. Nurhan Atasoy.
The photographs in the book were selected by Prof. Dr. Nurhan Atasoy as the result of a painstaking process that started in the 70s, by referring to albums which originate in Abdülhamid era that have eventually turned into a massive collection consisting of 36,535 works by 430 photographers. Compiling the photographs mainly from the period of Abdülhamid II as well as the reigns of Abdülaziz and Reşad, the book not only reflects Istanbul of the time, but also displays the Palace’s perception of the city.
One other significance of Souvenir of Istanbul is involving clues about the emergence and spread of photography in the Ottoman Empire. The book also provides brand-new information about introduction of photography into Ottoman life, establishment of the photography houses, encouragement and rewarding of photography, issue of journals teaching photography, photographic documentation of various provinces in the country, photography in the police force, the use of photographs in identity certificates and passports, photographic documentation of criminals, granting foreigners permission to take photos and participation in photographic exhibition.
A remarkable piece for the history of world photography, Souvenir of Istanbul was presented to art-lovers with an exhibition held at Yıldız Palace Silahhane (Armory) Building, featuring a selection of photographs from this invaluable work. This exhibition, also sponsored by Akkök, has enabled Souvenir of Istanbul to be publicized beyond its cultural and historical aspects and be viewed by wider audiences. Proceeds from the sales of the book have been donated to Turkish Education Foundation (TEV) to support its education projects.
Having previously provided financial support to the “Turks” exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts and “Study of Turkey” jointly organized by Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and Republic of Turkey, Akkök Group has included yet another one among its social responsibility projects.
Other Cultural and Artistic Projects
In 2005, Akkök backed a significant project promoting Turkish culture. By joining the board of sponsors for the “Turks” exhibition, reflecting the millennial heritage of the Turkish culture in all aspects, held between January 22 and April 12, 2005 in London, the Group played a part in conveying this valuable collection for the appreciation of wide audiences.
Akkök Group has supported promotion of Turkey’s history and national identity through its financial contribution for this study which aims to explore historical, cultural and contemporary relations between Turkey, Europe and the Islamic world, jointly conducted by the Republic of Turkey and the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies.
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EDUCATION
Education is the fundamental prerequisite for economic and cultural advancement of a society. The presence of well-educated individuals is also a pledge toward securing Turkey’s future. Therefore, involvement in projects that support education has always been among the top priorities of Akkök Group.
Gift of Akkök to the Kids of Yalova: ‘Firefly Mobile Learning Unit’
Akkök Group of Companies believes that an educated generation will ensure a bright future for Turkey and thus brought the Firefly Mobile Learning Unit Project which the Turkish Education Volunteers Association carried out all around Turkey to Yalova on October 2, 2009
Firefly unit will first visit the students in Taşköprü Elementary School and will carry out various educational activities including computer literacy activities. During the 2009-2010 academic year, more than 3000 students in Yalova are expected to benefit from the mobile learning unit.
The most significant educational projects involve schools built by Akkök Group, which are:
• Aksa Technical and Vocational High School
• Raif Dinçkök Primary School
• Güzin Dinçkök Primary School
• Istanbul Technical University, Maslak Dorm
• İSOV Career Training Center and Social Facilities Dinçkök Technical High School
Akkök also supports TEV İnanç Türkeş High School by donating its time and professional efforts. Established as a private high school, the institution aims to provide an appropriate educational environment for exceptionally gifted and talented students who have financial difficulties, helping them to progress and training them as future leaders of the society.
In addition to these projects in which it is actively involved, Akkök Group seizes every opportunity to respond to the improvement of national educational standards and assists in developing relevant solutions.
ENVIRONMENT
Akkök Group places huge emphasis on environmental standards for all activities of its companies, with a view to preserving environmental values for future generations. Toward the conservation of natural resources and sustainable development, Akkök develops and implements projects aiming to raise awareness of the issue in society, beginning with its own employees.
Global warming as well as threat of the exhaustion of natural resources, have led Akkök Group to draft an environmental project. The aim of the project which will start in 2008 to be conducted initially within Akkök Group Companies is to raise awareness among the employees about the steps that can be taken at work and in their daily lives against global warming.
Akkök attaches importance to awareness raising especially among the younger generation and plans to continue again in 2008, a remarkable project initiated last year in Yalova. As part of the Triple Responsibility Project implemented at the Aksa Vocational School, a system was created for waste separation enabling the school to generate revenue from the recycling of disposed waste in 2006. Within the scope of this project, Akkök has held various seminars at the school to raise youngsters’ awareness about waste management and recycling; these seminars continued in 2007. The Solid Waste and Recycling booklet prepared with primary school students in mind was also distributed in 2007.
At a ceremony held on Aksa premises, with representatives from Yalova, Aksa has dedicated the ISO Environment Award it received in 2005 to the province.
SOCIAL PROJECTS
Akkök is involved in projects to improve the social lives of children and young people in provinces where it operates. The annual April 23rd Children’s Festival in Yalova is one such project run with the participation of Group Companies and attended by schools in the city.
 Transparency toward all social stakeholders and accountability toward all sections of society about the Group’s activities constitute an important aspect of Akkök corporate culture. In this context, all citizens of Yalova are given access to all of the Company’s business processes with the biannual Open Door days held at the Aksa plant. On Open Door days, first members of press and then the residents of Yalova and other neighboring cities are hosted at the Aksa facilities where they are informed about business processes, environmental management systems and Aksa’s contribution to the province. Open Door Days will continue in 2008.
Akkök has cooperated with the government to help heal the wounds of the earthquake and tsunami in Pakistan and Southeast Asia that caused immense grief all across the world.
RAİF DİNÇKÖK CULTURAL CENTER
The protocol was signed with the local authorities in Yalova, where the Group has been operating since 1969, on November 30, 2006 for the construction of a cultural center which will host all forms of cultural activities.
Following the signing of the protocol by Akkök and the Municipality of Yalova, construction works for the Raif Dinçkök Cultural Center has been initiated on a site of 10,000 m2. Designed by Emre Arolat Architecture Workshop, the Center comprises 600 seat multi-purpose hall, 100 seat wedding hall, 60 seat theatre, 48 seat mini movie theatre, a library, exhibition areas, cafeteria, classrooms, spaces for promenade, recreation and services. With the completion of the Center, all social, cultural and arts activities as well as formal training programs will be gathered under the same roof.
The Center will consist of four separate blocks interconnected with footpaths and encircled with an outer shell. The buildings are expected to be completed in 2009.
At the “Social Consultation Panel” meetings held with the attendance of companies in Yalova and local representatives from primary school students to tradesmen, teachers and business partners, participants are informed about Akkök Group’s activities and share their criticisms, opinions and suggestions through the direct participation model.
In addition to these, a “Liaison Committee” comprising one representative from each and every Akkök Group company, examines requests submitted by communities in the vicinity and then organizes allocation of necessary resources to meet the necessary items.
Akkök Group of Companies plays an active role in all non-governmental and professional associations of which it is a member. Within its fields of operation, the Group also shares the know-how its companies have generated, for the benefit of the entire sector to ensure continuous sector-wide development. In this regard, the Group participates in congresses hosted by organizations such as the Istanbul Chamber of Industry and works to achieve consensus regarding issues on the agenda of Turkish industry.
With the understanding that the value created for the Turkish economy will make sense only insofar as it contributes to the society, Akkök Group of Companies will continue to support significant social responsibility projects in 2008.
Having been born out of Turkey’s resources and developed hand in hand with the Turkish people, Akkök Group of Companies shall continue to make every possible contribution toward the future of Turkish society through its social responsibility projects.
| Akkök Sanayi Yatırım ve Geliştirme A.Ş. |
| Main Office |
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Miralay Şefik Bey Sokak No: 15 Ak Han Gümüşsuyu 34437 İstanbul |
| Phone |
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+90 212 393 01 01 |
| Fax |
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+90 212 393 01 02 |
| Web |
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www.akkok.com.tr |
| E-Mail |
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akkok@akkok.com.tr |
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