Largest City In Turkey Research Articles

Assessment of health-care waste treatment alternatives using fuzzy multi-criteria decision making approaches

Health-care waste (HCW) management is a high priority environmental, public and health concern in developing countries. The management and treatment of HCW are gaining more attention with the rising awareness. The objective of this research is to propose multi-criteria decision making techniques for conducting an analysis based on multi-level hierarchical structure and fuzzy logic for the evaluation of HCW treatment alternatives. The ideal and anti-ideal solutions are taken into consideration simultaneously in the developed approaches to account for the individuals’ desire to be both as close as possible to the ideal and as distant as possible from the anti-ideal. The proposed decision approaches enable the decision-makers to use linguistic terms, and thus, reduce their cognitive burden in the evaluation process. Furthermore, a hierarchy of evaluation criteria and their related sub-criteria is employed in the presented approaches in order to conduct a more effective analysis. The computational procedures of the proposed frameworks are illustrated through a case study in Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey that is also listed among the world's most crowded cities. The HCW treatment alternatives considered in this study include “incineration”, “steam sterilization”, “microwave” and “landfill”. The results obtained using the proposed decision approaches are analyzed in a comparative way.

Affordable Housing in Turkey: User Satisfaction in Tokİ Houses

Affordable housing policies in Turkey have reached a new stage over the last decade in the context of the TOKİ model advocated by the government. Housing developed by TOKİ (the Public Housing Administration), the top official agency responsible for affordable housing policies in Turkey, has become so widespread in all cities of Turkey that it involves not only the construction sector but also trade associations and the public in general. In this article, following a general discussion of the demand and supply of housing in Turkey, we evaluate user satisfaction and the quality of TOKİ implementations since 2000 for low- and middle-income groups in Bursa, the fourth largest city in Turkey. Bursa sets an interesting example for the study because of the city's long-term prominence in commerce and its current status as an important industrial city. Massive migrations and unplanned urbanization have resulted in a need for housing for every income group in Bursa, especially for low- and middle-income groups. The emphasis in this study is that, in addition to quantity, quality should be considered in housing production. Furthermore, the implementation of TOKİ should be aimed at developing more habitable and higher-quality environments by considering all socio-cultural and physical factors. It is expected that these evaluations will lead to the development of a more comprehensive affordable housing policy in Turkey..

Cyberbullying in Turkish middle schools: An exploratory study

This study explored Turkish students' experience of cyberbullying and their use of social networking tools. A total of 756 7th-grade students participated from eight different middle schools in Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. A 15-item questionnaire was used in a classroom environment to collect data. Results revealed that male students were more involved in cyberbullying than female students. Students used instant messaging programs in cyberbullying, and bullying victims did not communicate with adults when they were exposed to harassment. The majority of students did not know effective safety strategies for use in cyberspace. Those who were themselves cyberbullied tended to engage in cyberbullying. The prevalence of cyberbullying in Turkish middle schools suggests that schools should adopt appropriate prevention strategies.

Transformation of Public Spaces in Istanbul

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and is the most important socio-economic, cultural and touristic centre of the country. As the historical capital of three empires, its very rich cultural and social legacy is reflected in its public spaces. Despite its rapid growth and the transformation of its physical and social structures during the second half of the twentieth century, its public spaces still preserve much of their traditional social interactions, a quality which is difficult to find in many industrial cities. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the changes that have occurred through time in the social and physical characteristics of public spaces of the city. In the analysis, some distinguished streets, squares and waterfronts were chosen from different parts of the city and compared and contrasted with their previous and current physical and social characteristics. The results of this study illustrate that location, social and historical backgrounds, accessibility and investments for their redesign have played important roles in the successful transformation of these public spaces.

Laboratory and Field Observations for Golden Horn Marine Clay

Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and one of the major metropolitan areas in the world, cleaned one of its environmentally polluted areas—Golden Horn—by dredging 5 million m3 of the bottom sediments and pumping the resulting sludge to a storage area behind a dam built at an abandoned rock quarry site in Alibey district. The reclamation of the land that formed over the storage area of Golden Horn dredged material is socially and economically very desirable. In this paper, results from experimental studies that are focused on determining the shear strength behavior of the dredge material and undisturbed soil are presented. Slurry consolidometer test, large model tests and small model tests are used to consolidate the dredged soil samples from Halic to simulate the natural consolidation behavior of these soils. Shear strength parameters are determined by laboratory vane tests; unconfined compression tests; undrained-unconsolidated (UU) and consolidated-undrained (CU) triaxial tests on samples that are obtained through in situ undisturbed samples and laboratory model tank and slurry consolidation. Moreover, the effects of fly ash and lime additives on the undrained shear strength were determined by mixing the materials with the dredged clay from Golden Horn during the model experiments conducted in the laboratory. Based on these findings, equations are proposed that govern the relationships between undrained shear strength and water content value.

Potential Application of Land Readjustment Method in Urban Renewal: Analysis for Turkey

It is important to find a tool to be found that is capable of fulfilling specific functions (such as land assembly, self-finance, the protection of social capital, with results obtainable within a certain time) in approaches related to the renewal of urban built-up areas. This paper discusses whether land readjustment (LR) can be such a tool by analyzing whether it performs better than traditional urban renewal processes in Turkey, and whether LR may be an instrument in different contexts of renewal. This paper focuses on three built-up housing areas with different characteristics, and is based on the results of two different questionnaire surveys. The first survey was conducted in municipalities in both metropolitan areas and large cities in Turkey and covered specific urban renewal projects. The second survey was distributed to residents from some renewal project areas including three built-up housing areas with different characteristics in Istanbul. All discussions contribute to an improved understanding of the potential of the LR method as a tool for urban renewal projects.

Validity and reliability of Turkish version of "Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture" and perception of patient safety in public hospitals in Turkey

BackgroundThe Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS) is used to assess safety culture in many countries. Accordingly, the questionnaire has been translated into Turkish for the study of patient safety culture in Turkish hospitals. The aim of this study is threefold: to determine the validity and reliability of the translated form of HSOPS, to evaluate physicians' and nurses' perceptions of patient safety in Turkish public hospitals, and to compare finding with U.S. hospital settings.MethodsPhysicians and nurses working in all public hospitals in Konya, a large city in Turkey, were asked to complete a self-administrated patient safety culture survey (n = 309). Data collection was carried out using the Turkish version of HSOPS, developed by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Data were summarized as percentages, means, and SD values. Factor analysis, correlation coefficient, Cronbach's alpha, ANOVA, and t tests were employed in statistical analyses. Items on patient safety were categorized into 10 factors. Factor loadings and internal consistencies of dimension items were high.ResultsMost of the scores related to dimensions, and the overall patient safety score (44%) were lower than the benchmark score. "Teamwork within hospital units" received the highest score (70%), and the lowest score belonged to the "frequency of events reported" (15%). The study revealed that more than three quarters of the physicians and nurses were not reporting errors.ConclusionThe Turkish version of HSOPS was found to be valid and reliable in determining patient safety culture. This tool will be helpful in tracking improvements and in heightening awareness on patient safety culture in Turkey.

IzmirNet: A strong-motion Network in Metropolitan Izmir, Western Anatolia, Turkey

A 16-station strong-motion seismic monitoring network covering metropolitan Izmir and the surrounding region was established in July 2008. The seismic network was installed as a cooperative effort involving the Earthquake Research and Implementation Center (ERIC-DAUM) of Dokuz Eylul University (DEU, Izmir), the Earthquake Research Department (ERD) of the General Directorate of Disaster Affairs (GDDA, Ankara), the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, and the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement. The project was funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) to collect strong-motion data for earthquake hazard assessment studies and to develop a real-time monitoring system in Turkey (Inan et al. 2007) to address public safety issues. The network is critically important to addressing earthquake hazard issues in western Turkey, an area known to have historically damaging earthquakes. Izmir is the third largest city in Turkey in terms of population, industrial density, economic capacity, and contribution to the national economy, and the economic and human consequences of a damaging earthquake in the Izmir area would be significant. A primary goal of this project is to acquire strong ground-motion data in order to understand propagation and site response characteristics of the Quaternary and Neogene sediments that underlie the Izmir metropolitan area and are thought to produce large site amplification and seismic hazard (Aydinoglu 2000; Masure et al. 2000). These data will complement laboratory data to characterize the properties of the soft soils underlying the Izmir metropolitan residential area so that engineers and architects can design appropriate earthquake-resistant structures for the region. This project is also a first step toward developing a “Rapid Response and Damage Prediction System” for metropolitan Izmir where near real-time strong ground-motion records can be used to compute ground-shaking maps showing the areas most strongly affected by earthquakes. The tectonic framework of western Anatolia is dominated …

Biotech in Turkey

AbstractCover illustration: Biotech in Turkey. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of the most famous monuments of Turkish and Islamic art. Also known as the “Blue Mosque”, it dominates the skyline of Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire. This special issue of BTJ, edited by Hikmet Geçkil and Pınar Çalık, is devoted to the history, research and developments in biotechnology in Turkey. The Forum magazine and Review articles focus on some of Turkey's 150 research institutions and biotech companies. Articles by Turkish authors cover fermentation processes, microarray technology, biosensors and apoptosis. Image © ImageState.

Nanoplankton population dynamics and dissolved oxygen change across the bay of Izmir by neural networks

The bay of Izmir, which is the biggest harbor on the Aegean Sea, is of upmost economical importance for Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey. Most of the studies carried out focused on the effects of intensive industrial activity and agricultural production on the bay pollution within the region. These studies, most of the time, are limited to monitoring the level of pollution. However, it is believed that these studies should be supported with models and statistical analysis techniques, as the models, especially the prediction ones, provide an important approach to assessing risk and assessment. In this study, neural network analysis was used to construct prediction models for nanoplankton population change with nutrients and other environmentally important parameters. The results indicated that, using data over a 52 week period, it is possible to predict nanoplankton population dynamics and dissolved oxygen change for the future.

Istanbul: mega-city straddling two continents

Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and a major commercial, industrial, cultural and logistics centre, has undergone major transformations, particularly during the past half century. Benefiting from an influx of major resources from both within and outside of Turkey, it has established itself as a noteworthy player in the international marketplace. The city, however, faces challenges that could jeopardise its ambition to become a major regional centre for finance, tourism, culture, logistics and selected high-technology industries. Constraints on human capital development, the extent of the informal sector, and deficiencies in local governance are hindering productivity levels and overall efficiency and effectiveness. Istanbul urgently needs a much-improved, integrated strategic planning system, as well as a national strategy to reduce regional disparities; limit further urban sprawl due to migration; and establish carrying-capacity levels concerning all metropolitan parameters.

Geodetic Network Design and Optimization on the Active Tuzla Fault (Izmir, Turkey) for Disaster Management.

Both seismological and geodynamic research emphasize that the Aegean Region, which comprises the Hellenic Arc, the Greek mainland and Western Turkey is the most seismically active region in Western Eurasia. The convergence of the Eurasian and African lithospheric plates forces a westward motion on the Anatolian plate relative to the Eurasian one. Western Anatolia is a valuable laboratory for Earth Science research because of its complex geological structure. Izmir is a large city in Turkey with a population of about 2.5 million that is at great risk from big earthquakes. Unfortunately, previous geodynamics studies performed in this region are insufficient or cover large areas instead of specific faults. The Tuzla Fault, which is aligned trending NE–SW between the town of Menderes and Cape Doganbey, is an important fault in terms of seismic activity and its proximity to the city of Izmir. This study aims to perform a large scale investigation focusing on the Tuzla Fault and its vicinity for better understanding of the region's tectonics. In order to investigate the crustal deformation along the Tuzla Fault and Izmir Bay, a geodetic network has been designed and optimizations were performed. This paper suggests a schedule for a crustal deformation monitoring study which includes research on the tectonics of the region, network design and optimization strategies, theory and practice of processing. The study is also open for extension in terms of monitoring different types of fault characteristics. A one-dimensional fault model with two parameters – standard strike-slip model of dislocation theory in an elastic half-space – is formulated in order to determine which sites are suitable for the campaign based geodetic GPS measurements. Geodetic results can be used as a background data for disaster management systems.

Medical waste management in Turkey: A case study of Istanbul

The objective of this study was to analyze the present status of medical waste management in the light of the Medical Waste Control Regulation (MWCR) in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey. About 17% of the hospitals, 20% of bed capacity, and 54% of private hospitals in Turkey are located in Istanbul. The first regulation about medical waste management in Turkey was published in 1993, and as a candidate state, it was changed in 2005 in accordance with EU Environmental Directives. In this work, a survey of 14 questions about the amount, collection, and temporary storage of medical wastes was applied to 192 hospitals in Istanbul through face-to-face interviews. It was found that the estimated quantity of medical waste from the hospitals is about 22tons/day and the average generation rate is 0.63kg/bed-day. Recyclable materials are collected separately at a rate of 83%. Separate collection of different types of wastes is consistently practiced, but 25% of the hospitals still use inappropriate containers for medical waste collection. Almost 77% of the hospitals use appropriate equipment for the medical waste collection personnel. The percentage of the hospitals that have temporary storage depots is 63%. Medical waste management in Istanbul is carried out by applying the MWCR.

Development and application of GIS-based analysis/synthesis modeling techniques for urban planning of Istanbul Metropolitan Area

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey with an area of around 5750 km 2 and population of around 10.58 M (2000). The population is increasing because of mass immigration. Planned and unplanned housing are increasing while green areas are decreasing in area. Rapid, uncontrolled and illegal urbanization accompanied by insufficient infrastructure has caused degradation of forest, water basin and barren lands in the metropolitan area, especially within the past two decades. The study includes taking administrative planning decisions about the development of urban sustainability in the metropolitan area of Istanbul, producing rationalist solutions to the problems in environmental and natural resources, and conservation of small-scale (historical, tourist, residential, industrial, etc.) specific urban areas. By the help of this study, settlement suitability analyses have been achieved according to the natural thresholds of the area. Additionally, some kinds of formations, which may limit the development of the metropolitan area of Istanbul, such as natural structures, natural structure, ecological corridors and natural hazard areas, have been defined and developed model on the ArcGIS 9.1 platform. In the light of the policies of the European Union about sustainable cities, environmental impact assessments and sustainability policies have been determined for both the existing settlements and sustainable development areas.

Microstructural, geochemical and geomechanical properties of caliche deposits from the Adana Basin, Turkey

The 1998 Ceyhan (Adana, Turkey) earthquake caused major damage to construction on caliche formations. Caliche (a heterogenous secondary calcium carbonate deposit formed in arid and semi-arid regions) is widespread in the Adana area. The paper distinguishes three types of caliche: massive, containing vegetation remains and containing gravel. The porosity, water absorption and unconfined compressive strength of these three groups of caliche were determined. The compressive strengths are low compared to caliches in other areas—an important consideration as Adana is the fourth largest city in Turkey.

Midwives and nurses awareness of patients’ rights

Aim to determine the level of awareness of patients’ rights among midwives and nurses working in the third and fourth largest cities in Turkey. Methods cross-sectional descriptive survey conducted among participants working in university hospitals, state hospitals and village clinics. Questionnaires were distributed to 150 midwives and 350 nurses working in university hospitals ( n=200), state hospitals ( n=100) and village clinics ( n=100); 60% ( n=298) of the forms were returned. Findings fifty-one per cent ( n=152) of midwives and nurses stated that they had not read any legislation related to patients’ rights. Seventy-five per cent ( n=222) of respondents were aware of the legal arrangements. Only 34% ( n=74) of participants who knew of any legal basis for patients’ rights said that legislation was in the form of a directive. No significant differences were observed in midwives’ answers compared with nurses’ answers. Conclusion violation of patients’ rights and health professionals’ ignorance of appropriate practice means that there is an urgent need to reconsider how to approach this issue. It should be included in continuing education programmes at both graduate and postgraduate midwifery and nursing schools, and also demands more research.

Preservation Plan Applications for the Historical City Centre, Kemeralti (Izmir, Turkey)

The necessity of preserving traditional environments, as a part of cultural heritage, is recognized and accepted in Turkey. Nevertheless, due to the abundance of archaeological sites and areas that are deemed historical, several problems exist regarding the preservation of these areas. The improvements made world-wide, specifically in Europe, regarding urban preservation have also had an impact on Turkey. Yet, as the “awareness of preservation” notion indirectly showed its impact affecting only a small group, the integration process was inherently impeded. Consequently, both regulations and successful plan studies on preservation were delayed. Conversely, the issue of preservation has always been considered a secondary priority for Turkey. Whenever a conflict of interest occurs between development and preservation, development is usually preferred. Due to the fact that preservation does not rank high among our priorities suggests that social awareness regarding preservation is not at a desired level. In this article, the applications of the preservation plan studies of the historical city centre of Izmir (the third largest city in Turkey) will be evaluated. Kemeralti, due to its history, size, archaeological, historical and natural values, and being in Izmir, which is an exceptional city in terms of the emphasis on preservation compared to other cities, is considered to be privileged and, therefore, presents a significant example for study. Besides maintaining the identity of the city as well as national identity, preserving areas which may be considered a part of world heritage depends, above all, on raising social awareness. Furthermore, in addition to the concerns regarding the preservation of historical environments in urban areas in Turkey, this article also discusses the promising developments produced by the gradual increase of positive efforts made concerning this matter. These efforts along with the initiatives and experience that played a successful role in overcoming these concerns may also set an example for other similar fields.

Interpreting the spatial preferences of retail firms in the post-1980 period: case of Izmir, Turkey

The year 1980, which is accepted as a significant breaking point in Turkey in terms of the accumulation process of capital, is also an important milestone in the development of retail trade sector in the country. In parallel to the decisions taken in January 24, 1980, model of import substitution for industrialisation has been quitted and a new economic policy has been adopted, priorities and policies of which are directed towards enabling the operability of free market forces. This new structuring in economy has caused radical transformations and changes in trade sector and also in the organisation and spatial distribution of wholesale and retail trade in urban areas. The changes in shopping patterns in parallel to technological improvements, income per capita, car ownership, consumer spending and the increase in the use of credit cards have caused not only the structural change of retail sector but also the diversification of its spatial distribution. The emerging retail types in the form of hypermarkets and large-scaled shopping centres that evolved in accordance with the growth strategies of global and local capital have been accepted as a key indicator of urban identity and become a significant component of urban morphology. The most affected group by this continuing transformation process in retail structure has undoubtedly been the small-scaled, independent, single location, low-capital, mostly family run firms that dominated the retail trade sector since the proclamation of the Republic. This paper seeks to interpret the spatial preferences of retail firms in the post-1980 period in Izmir, as being the third largest city of Turkey, with reference to research findings and economic-political context in global as well as in national scales. Beginning from the 1990s, investments made in the city have tended towards retail and service sectors and inevitably caused a significant effect on the growth dynamics of the city. New consumption spaces, which were established in several axes of the city with the initiatives of the global and local capital, have created new, alternative shopping districts that compete with the traditional town centre.

Social Exclusion in the Slum Areas of Large Cities in Turkey

AbstractThe aim of this article is to analyze the results of a survey conducted in the slum areas of six metropolitan cities in Turkey— Adana, Ankara, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, İstanbul and İzmir—in order to unveil the multifaceted aspects of social exclusion processes as experienced by their inhabitants. The evidence documented in this study suggests that a significant number of people living in these areas are distanced from jobs, income, education, and training opportunities, with little access to power and decision-making bodies; this inevitably pushes them to the edge of society. Individuals with a relatively better socio-economic standing tend to be excluded to a lesser extent, while they themselves have intolerant attitudes towards others.

Climatic effects of urbanization in istanbul: a statistical and modeling analysis

AbstractStatistical and numerical modeling tools were used to investigate the climatic effects of urbanization in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey. Mann–Kendall trend test was applied to minimum temperature data from stations located in urban, suburban and rural areas in Istanbul to determine the existence and significance of trends, and the approximate years in which changes in the trends started. In addition, using a mesoscale atmospheric model, a sensitivity experiment was carried out to explore the atmospheric effects of urbanization in the city. Both statistical and modeling analyses indicated significant warming in the atmosphere over the urbanized areas. Mann–Kendall tests indicated statistically significant positive trends in the time series of the differences in minimum temperatures between urban and rural stations. Seasonal analyses showed that the urbanization effect on climate was most pronounced in summer. In most cases, the changes in the trends occurred in the 1970s and 1980s when the population growth rate in Istanbul increased dramatically. The model results exhibited a significant expansion of the urban heat island in Istanbul from 1951 to 2004, fairly consistent with the expansion of the city in this period. A two‐cell structure for the urban heat island emerged at the reference level from the difference of the July simulations with current and past landscapes: one on the European side and the other on the Asian side of the city. The maximum reference‐level temperature difference between the past and present simulations was found to be around 1 °C. The modeling experiment also indicated that the velocity of the prevailing northeasterly wind and the water vapor mixing ratio were both reduced over the city. The heating effect due to urbanization was found to penetrate about 600–800 m height in the atmosphere over the city, and the two surface heat island cells were found to combine aloft. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society