UN Praises Turkcell Technology for Van Earthquake

Turkey’s leading communications and technology company Turkcell announced Friday that it has been named as UNDP’s (United Nations Development Programme) technology partner due to its network and applications at the “Innovation and Resilience in Corporate Response to Disaster” event held at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Turkcell, due to its network initiatives, differentiation through its technology applications, and its employees’ efforts during the critical hours following the 2011 earthquake in Van, a city in Eastern Turkey, has been presented globally as a model project, says the company.

Additionally, the transparent “Turkey’s Money-Box” SMS campaign initiated by Turkcell with the support of the Ministry of Education (MEB), and in partnership with the Turkish Education Foundation (TEV), has been evaluated as an “exemplary case” during the Panel.

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The “Innovation and Resilience in Corporate Response to Disaster” event was organized with the idea that the impact of natural disasters could be lessened through the opportunities presented by mobile technologies.

It was attended by Ms. Rebecca Grynspan, UN Under-Secretary General and UNDP Associate Administrator; Ms. Cihan Sultanoglu, Assistant Secretary General UNDP; Mr. Jordan Ryan, Assistant Administrator and Director, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, UNDP; Prof. Dr. Omer Dincer, former Ministry of Education; Mr. Yildiz Gunay, General Manager of the Turkish Education Foundation, and Mr. Sureyya Ciliv, Turkcell CEO.

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Emphasizing the importance of readiness, decisiveness and speed during the crisis, as well as technological flexibility, Ciliv explained how Turkcell used technology to save lives in the critical 72 hours after the first Van earthquake.

Appraising Turkcell’s initiatives after the Van earthquake, UNDP Associate Administrator Ms. Rebecca Grynspan commented that “In countries prone to disaster or conflict, rapid information sharing on preventative measures can save lives and property. Mobile technology enables citizens to connect to each other and the authorities, spreading critical information in times of crisis.”

In the picture above: (From left to right) Sureyya Ciliv; Turkcell CEO, Rebecca Grynspan, UN Under-Secretary General and UNDP Associate Administrator