MINEX - 10th Mining, Natural Resources and Technologies Expo organized by İZFAŞ and hosted by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and IMMAT 9th International Mining Machinery and Technologies Congress organized by TMMOB Chamber of Mining Engineers Izmir Branch started. Academician, Geologist and Scientist Prof. Dr. Celal Şengör was the guest of the opening session of the congress on "Mining and Civilization".
Speaking at the session moderated by Aykut Akdemir and Tülay Suiçmez, Prof. Dr. Celal Şengör stated that mining is the basis of civilization and said, "The basis of mining is geology and munakal. The basis of geology is quality geological maps at all scales. Unless the basic geological maps of a country are made and completed in a quality manner, there can be no quality mining there. The basis of mineral exchange is a good and dense railroad and maritime network. Where there is no quality mining, there is no civilization.”
"Even today, quality geological maps cannot be produced systematically in our country," said Celal Şengör, adding, "There is not a single geology department in Türkiye, except for the ITU İhsan Ketin school, that has made an impact in the world. As long as mindless, ignorant and uninformed interventions continue, it is not possible. Fellow miners, please wake up. This is a matter of life and death for our country."
Prof. Dr. Şengör also signed his book "Your Ignorance Affects My Life". The long queue formed at the table where Prof. Dr. Şengör signed his book, which attracted great interest from the visitors of the expo.
The topic of the second session was "Earthquakes and Miners". Moderated by Kemal Barış, the session was attended by Theater Artist Orhan Aydın, Mining Engineer Cüneyd Yamudi, Mining Engineer İlhan Çolak, Mining Engineer Mustafa Tanrıverdi, Mining Engineer Murat Er. The speakers gave speeches with examples about the earthquakes that took place in our country in the last 20 years and caused great loss of life and property. The speakers emphasized the importance of the role played by miners in saving lives in earthquakes and explained the methods and occupational health and safety measures used by miners to enter cave-ins and save lives. The speakers also talked about the trainings given by the miners to municipal employees and volunteer groups on how to intervene in a shorter time with the rescue methods of people trapped under the cave-in after the earthquake.
On February 6, artist Orhan Aydın, who lost his daughter Eylem Şafak Aydın in Hatay in the earthquake, talked about his experiences and inadequacies. Stating that forests of 40 thousand trees will be created in different cities in memory of his daughter, Aydın said, "I am building a library and art center for children and young people in Hatay in the name of my daughter. I want to create forests, I have a goal of a forest of 40 thousand trees to give hope to humanity. The commemorative forests will bear my daughter's name, but I will give each tree a name and those names will be the names of the children who lost their lives in the earthquake regions." He also said that the helping hand should continue to be extended to the earthquake regions.