• Why do men lose their hair?
• The two main hair transplant techniques
• Hair transplantation, the most effective and radical solution
• How does the operation work? What are the steps?
• Hair transplantation
• After implantation
• Shock loss
• The results of hair transplantation
• Turkey, one of the main countries in terms of hair transplantation
• Hair transplantation: a decision to think about
• The price of hair implantation in Turkey

Hair transplantation is one of the most radical and practical solutions, but it remains relatively expensive, so the operation is often done in Turkey.

Why do men lose their hair?

Age or genetics are not necessarily the only reasons for hair loss. Physical and environmental factors can also have an influence, and hair loss can be temporary.

Hair transplantation, the most effective and radical solution

The loss of hair can really become a complex, and therefore a handicap expressed by a drop in self-esteem. One of the most radical solutions is hair transplantation.

It consists of recovering a band of hair, or rather points of hair from a donor area of your skull, to implant the tufts of hair in the recipient area. The area where the specialist will extract the hair is often located at the back of the skull.

Therefore, the advantage is that there is no risk of rejection, unlike conventional transplants, since your body will recognize your genetic identity.

The two main hair transplant techniques

The FUE technique

FUE is an acronym for Follicular Unit Extraction in English.

It consists of the micro-prelevation of the hair in a donor area to implant it in the recipient area using a surgical drill of 0.08 to 0.95 mm.

This method is quite complex since the specialist extracts follicular units one by one and then implants them with tiny incisions.

This method is the cheapest.

The DHI technique

DHI (Direct Hair Implantation) is the latest hair transplantation technique on the market. The difference with the FUE method is that the specialist implants hair grafts without incision but using the CHOI Implant pen.

Healing is faster, but this method is also more expensive.

How does the operation work? What are the steps?

Before the surgery

There will be a protocol to respect beforehand (no alcohol one week before, preoperative instructions…) as it is a surgery.

Also, depending on the area of surgery and the implantation method chosen, you may have to shave your head before the transplant.

Hair transplantation

When you arrive, the doctor will delineate the areas of baldness and determine with you the site of implantation. He may carry out other complementary examinations (blood test, a blood plasma sample,…).

Then he will give you 6-8 pretty painful anaesthetic injections.

After implantation

After the operation, you will need to sleep in a semi-sitting position not to press the donor or recipient area for one week.

You will also carry out cleanings the day after the transplantation.

You should wear a compression band around the skull to limit oedema and avoid over-swelling.

The postoperative period is usually pain-free.

It is advisable to take a few days off after the transplant to rest and to regain a more presentable appearence.

Shock loss

Following the operation, you may have a loss of transplanted hair called “shock loss”.

The capillary tissues, having suffered trauma and having been outside for a few hours, it is possible that they fall off after the operation.

However, this does not mean that the operation did not work because the roots are indeed implanted, and your transplanted hair will grow back.

Shock loss can occur both in the donor area and in the recipient area. Another effect to anticipate in addition to the shock loss is the possibility of having a change in pigmentation at the level of the grafted hair.

The results of hair transplantation

That’s a long time! To see the lasting effects of the operation, it is necessary to wait several months, even one year. You should know that the transplanted hair will not fall out anymore, but the natural hair can, of course, continue to fall out. This is the reason why you need to make sure your hair loss is stable.

Turkey, one of the main countries in terms of hair transplantation

Turkey is particularly well known for hair transplantations, as the first hair operations of this type took place here. This branch of surgery has therefore developed mainly in this country.

Do not make plan to go sightseeing after your surgery, as physical activity can alter the surgery results.

Hair transplantation: a decision to think about

It’s still a surgical operation, so it’s not a trivial thing. Take the time to think about which technique best suits your needs.

The baldness must also be stabilized (naturally or not) to not end up with many transplanted hair on the front but hair that continues to fall out on the back.

In addition, you cannot have an unlimited number of transplants (3 to 4 times maximum in your life). And you shouldn’t expect to find the same density as when you were 20.

The price of hair implantation in Turkey

The costs are high, especially in Europe, since it is necessary to count between€ 5,000 and€ 10,000 depending on the intervention. This is an argument in favour of hair transplantation Turkey! To give you an idea, the price of an operation is around 1500€ to 2000€ in Turkey for low prices, with some fees included.

Indeed, if you decide to do that in Istanbul, for example, inquire about what they include in the price. If the airline ticket is often your responsibility, the hotel can be included in the transplantation costs for the time of stay.

The service is usually quite complete, with, for example, a car picking you up at the airport. Finally, the price will also depend on the number of grafts (2000, 2800, 3000, etc.).

If you want to see more useful information about different categories, please visit our website.

For more information about health sector in Turkey, please visit check out our health & medical industry Listings for companies in the sector.

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Oxygen concentrators also powered by plugging them into an electrical outlet or battery. If an electric battery powers the concentrator, this battery must be charged by plugging it into an outlet. A few parts make up a compressor, screen bed filter and circuit boards condenser.

An oxygen concentrator has a compression apparatus. However, it is not the same as compressed oxygen or an oxygen tank. It has a certain amount of oxygen dissipated by a tank. A condenser, on the other hand, takes the oxygen filtered through the air. Then it compresses and releases air continuously. The air supply never ends. Instead of refilling the compressed air, the oxygen concentrator just needs to have power.

How Does the Oxygen Concentrator Work?

An oxygen concentrator works like a window air conditioning unit. Firstly, it takes the outside air. Then it changes it. Next, it filters the oxygen. And finally, it presents as oxygen in a new form. An oxygen concentrator takes air. Due to the low oxygen level in the blood allows it to -used by people who require medical oxygen.

How to Use Medical Oxygen Safely?

What is an Oxygen Tank?

Oxygen tanks are a type of storage system that holds oxygen or liquid oxygen in a pressurized vessel. Also, the size and appearance of an oxygen tank vary depending on where it used and mobility requirements.

Using Oxygen Concentrator in Medical Therapy

Oxygen therapy used to describe the oxygen that doctors prescribe. A medical oxygen concentrator and a suitable breathing apparatus are required. Doctors use it for oxygen therapy in emergency rooms. Moreover, they use it long-term during surgical procedures and for patients who require oxygen for a medical condition.

Long-term oxygen therapy may be necessary for the following medical conditions:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Pulmonary Hypertension
• Congestive Heart Failure
• Cystic fibrosis
• Lung cancer
• Alpha 1

Oxygen Delivery

Receiving oxygen from the oxygen tube usually requires a mask or nasal cannula. The mask and nasal cannula are generally connected to the tank via a hose. Then, a mask placed on a person’s face over the mouth and nose. The nasal cannula goes directly into the nostrils.

Oxygen cylinders are containers that contain pressurized oxygen. Doctors use it in a variety of different settings and situations. The correct use and dimensions of the medical oxygen cylinder also vary according to the tube size that the doctor decides is the most suitable.

Safety of Medical Oxygen Cylinder

Many patients using home and portable oxygen tanks wonder about the safety of storing tanks. Fire and other hazards are minimal when care is taken in the handling and storage of tanks.

History of Oxygen Concentrator

While the use of oxygen for medical purposes has been going on since the 1800s, modern oxygen concentrator technology is relatively new. Today’s oxygen tanks physically store oxygen. It draws oxygen from the air with oxygen concentrators and gives it to the patients.

Oxygen was first discovered in 1772 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele, a Swedish chemist. But Joseph Priestley, a British researcher, independently discovered oxygen in 1774. The first use of oxygen recorded on March 6, 1885, in York, PA, by Dr George Holtzapple, who used oxygen to treat pneumonia. Then, in the early part of 1887, a woman used oxygen from a device that stored enough oxygen.

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Here is a comparison of 4 Covid-19 Vaccines

Europe is administering four vaccines to prevent severe forms of Covid-19. Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria) and Johnson&Johnson (Janssen). Therefore, we have compared them.

• What are the names of Covid-19 vaccines?
• What is the mode of action of vaccines?
• There are two types of vaccines:
• Which technologies?
• How effective are they?
• Effective on what exactly?
• What delay between doses?
• What are the side effects?

To clarify, the European Medicines Agency has authorized four vaccines for people in European countries. These are Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria) and Johnson&Johnson (Janssen). Nevertheless, evaluation on others is going on: Sputnik V vaccine (Russia), CureVac vaccine (Germany), Sanofi-GSK vaccine, Novavax vaccine and CoronaVac (by Sinovac).

What are the names of Covid-19 vaccines?

Europe has authorized four vaccines :

• The vaccine of Pfizer-BioNTech : COMIRNATY®.
• The Vaccine of Moderna : Moderna COVID-19 mRNA ou COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna.
• The Vaccine of AstraZeneca : Vaxzevria (ex-COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca) (for the manufacturer: AZD1222 ou ChAdOx1 nCoV-19).
• The vaccine of Johnson&Johnson : Vaccine COVID-19 Janssen.

What is the mode of action of vaccines?

To sum up, the vaccines use different modalities of action. But all target the Spike protein of the Sars-CoV-2 virus, which allows the cellular penetration of the virus. Of course, vaccination enables the activation of the immune system. The germ that enters a vaccinated person’s body will come up against his immune system prepared to receive it.

There are two types of vaccines:

• Firstly, “Sterilizing” vaccine that can interrupt the transmission of the virus.
• Secondly, Protective vaccine against the disease but does not prevent the transmission of infection: vaccination could then be targeted on specific populations.

Which technologies?

Vaccines developed against COVID-19 use different technologies:

Covid-19 Vaccine from attenuated or inactivated viruses: vaccine containing infectious agents killed but capable of responding to the immune system. But, this type of vaccine requires large amounts of viruses.

Covid-19 Vaccine from viral proteins: The coronavirus has on its surface spikes “spicules”. “Spicules” allow it to come into contact with the cells it will infect. But, These spikes are viral proteins that have been isolated in the laboratory. Thus, they can be manufactured and injected to make the immune system react to these foreign molecules.

Covid-19 Vaccine from DNA or Viral mRNA (Pfizer / Moderna): A genetic sequence of the virus (DNA or mRNA) is injected and enters inside the human cell. Consequently, this will use it to produce the associated viral protein that will react the immune system.

Covid-19 Vaccine from viral vectors (AstraZeneca / Johnson & Johnson): a specialized attenuated virus (= vector) is used to convey the elements necessary for the future protection (the protein (s) of interest and/or its sequence ( s) Genetic (s)) to our cells and thus expose them to our immune system.

How effective are Covid-19 Vaccines?

Still, only the long term can demonstrate the effectiveness of a Covid-19 Vaccine. It is necessary to expose both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals to the virus in a risk area. So, this to demonstrate that the virus affects vaccinated population less than the unvaccinated population. However, this necessarily requires a long time. Today, specialists agree that it takes at least six months to analyze the antibody level of vaccinated people. Of course, this analyze is a guarantee of their protection.

Covid-19 Vaccine: Effective on what exactly?

The results of clinical studies of Covid-19 Vaccine candidates seem to converge to demonstrate the main fact. vaccination massively reduces mortality from the virus and its severe forms. Therefore, the effectiveness of the vaccine sought today is the protection of the risk of severe forms. However, we do not know whether it can protect against the transmission of the virus.

What delay between doses?

Specifically, Covid-19 vaccines are administered in two doses:

• 42 days for Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
• 42 days for Moderna vaccine.
• 9 to 12 weeks for AstraZeneca vaccine
• no delay for Janssen vaccine as it is administered in a single dose.

Specifically, One dose of Covid-19 Vaccine for those who got the Covid:
This is for people who the Covid-19 has already contaminated of course. The specialists recommend waiting a minimum of 3 months before being vaccinated. Or even “getting closer to 6 months and using only one dose of vaccine in this case.

3rd dose of Covid-19 Vaccine

Severely immunocompromised individuals may require the third dose of mRNA vaccine. Indeed, this third injection should be given at least four weeks after the second dose or as soon as possible for people who have already exceeded this time.

Briefly, what are the side effects?

Very common side effects of Covid-19 Vaccine: may occur in more than 1 in 10 people.

• injection site: pain, swelling
• fatigue
• headaches
• muscle aches
• joint pains
• chills, fever

Common side effects of Covid-19 Vaccin: may occur in 1 to 10 in 100 people.

• redness at the injection site
• nausea

Uncommon side effects of Covid-19 Vaccine: may occur in 1 to 10 people in 1,000.

• swollen lymph nodes
• uncomfortable feeling
• pain in the limbs
• insomnia

Rare side effects of Covid-19 Vaccine: may occur in 1 to 10 people in 10,000.

• sudden and temporary paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face leading to sagging

Adverse reactions of unknown frequency effects of Covid-19 Vaccine (Currently, no estimation based on available data)

• severe allergic reaction

Finally, like any medication, a vaccine can have side effects.

If you want to buy from Turkey products to prevent Covid-19 , please visit our Turkish Health&Medical Industry category.

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The diet of a diabetic person

Living with diabetes: Sport and diabetes

Teamwork, camaraderie and physical activity are essential to a fulfilling life. Diabetes does not have to change anything, but it requires special monitoring. Physical activity can affect your blood sugar levels. Its variations thus require exceptional tracking, especially when it comes to insulin re-balancing or re-sugaring.

The coach must be aware of and vigilant about the needs of the person with diabetes. It can also be beneficial to educate teammates about diabetes and what to do if they need to.

When you exercise, your body uses two sources of energy to function: sugars and fats. Present in the blood, liver and muscles also stored sugars in the form of glycogen.

Driving

One of the first essential steps in life is getting a driver’s license.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can affect driving but should not prevent you from getting your license if your diabetes is under control. A medical certificate may be requested, but the main determining factor for obtaining a license is the same for any teenager: the ability to pass the exam!

Drivers should test their blood sugar before driving, especially before a long trip, and carry a supply of snacks and glucose tablets in the vehicle. If you experience the characteristic symptoms of hypoglycemia, stop immediately.

Diabetes and work

Reconciling diabetes and work is not impossible. First and foremost, at work, it’s your choice whether or not to talk about it. However, here are some key points to consider:

Is the position flexible enough for you to monitor your blood sugar, eat snacks, take insulin, etc.?

Do you do any activities that could be dangerous if you have low blood sugar?

Although each case of diabetes is of course, different, it is important to be able to get information from approved people and also about the adult diabetes allowance. This can help you make adjustments and find a balance between diabetes and work.

Living with diabetes: Diabetes and sexuality

Normal sex life is perfectly possible for men and women with diabetes. However, some consequences of diabetes are common. The reported incidences are slightly higher for people with diabetes than for the non-diabetic population. Among these consequences, vascular and nerve problems can cause erectile dysfunction, and there is an apparent link to male infertility. Women with diabetes sometimes report low libido or insufficient lubrication. For both sexes, the burden of the disease on daily life – which generates fatigue, stress, etc. – is a significant concern. – can reduce desire and satisfaction.

However, nothing is inevitable, and few things are irreversible. If you have any of these problems, talk to your doctor.

Diabetes and travel

Diabetes management is most effortless when you have your routine and access to your usual suppliers and supplies. People with diabetes can travel with a few preparations.

Here are some points to keep in mind for well living with diabetes:

Changing time zones will make your day longer or shorter. This will also affect your diet and insulin administration. Therefore, it is important to carry more insulin and medical supplies and necessary medications and snacks.

Plan for possible delays and setbacks so that you are not caught short. To help you get organized, ask your doctor for a letter stating your specific care needs and a prescription for insulin or any other medication that may be needed in an emergency.

Learn about the effects of air travel on insulin. The pressure inside the booth, for example, can affect the needle pull and thus the dosage.

Wear comfortable shoes, make time in your itinerary to take care of yourself and your diabetes

Enjoy your trip!

If you have diabetes and want to buy any product relative to diabetes from Turkey, please visit our Turkish Agriculture&Food Industry category here. Here is another link for a Turkish leading diabetic food products manufacturer.

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This attitude is not very surprising since Turkey is the country that provides the most foreign aid concerning its GDP.

What has changed in recent weeks, however, is that even the most developed countries are appealing to Ankara’s generosity.

Screening kits, medicines, masks, respirators, protective suits – all of which have become indispensable tools in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

No country was prepared for this. Most countries thought they were getting a good deal by continuing to source these strategic materials from China. But the situation has changed with the needs of each country, and there have been close to diplomatic incidents, notably the seizure of the masks intended for Italy and Spain by France.

On the other hand, Turkey, which has managed to keep its production industry in the medical field, did not need to resort to third countries apart from rapid screening tests.

Despite the growing needs on its soil, Turkey has responded favorably to requests from other countries for medical assistance. Furthermore, Turkey had decided to distribute free masks to its population by a presidential decree on 9 April.

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told the press that the army would produce 10 million masks a week.

In addition to its population, Turkey will, therefore, be able to help other countries in times of need.

More than 100 countries have approached Turkey

In an interview on a social platform on 14 April, Yavuz Selim Kiran, Turkey’s deputy foreign minister, said a total of 104 countries had requested Ankara’s assistance.

So far, “President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has given the green light for 34 countries and continues to do so as far as possible,” he said.

Thus, in February, Turkey sent 200 thousand masks, protective glasses, overalls, disinfectants, and gangs to China, which was severely hit at this time.

Subsequently, its neighbor, Iran, which has seen an increase in favorable cases, called on Turkey to receive test kits, coveralls, glasses, and masks. On March 24, a cargo plane delivered all of the required equipment.

At a press conference on March 21, Turkish Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca said that Turkey had supplied the United States with 500,000 coronavirus test kits.

Since the beginning of April, Turkey has been providing medical aid. For example, on 1 April, the Turkish Forces A-400M cargo aircraft carrying medical aid landed at Torrejon Air Base in Spain and then at Pratica di Mare Air Base in Italy.

The cargo included protective masks, protective suits, disinfection solutions, and thousands of other products made and made in Turkey.

Messages of hope on packages

In addition to the packages, Turkey also wanted to bring some hope to those affected. In this sense, on the packets sent we could read a quote from the famous Turkish mystic thinker and poet, Mevlana, translated into Italian and Spanish:

“Behind the despair hides many hopes. Behind the darkness hide many suns.” Mevlana

Finally, the quote ended with a message to the Spanish and Italian peoples, “with love from the Turkish people”.

A week later, a new shipment left for countries close to Turkey. On 8 April, the country sent medical equipment and supplies to five Balkan countries: Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Northern Macedonia.

Two days later, two new countries received medical aid: Libya and the United Kingdom. Again, an A400M military cargo aircraft from the Turkish Armed Forces delivered the equipment to London. As with Spain and Italy, the same message of solidarity was on the packages.

“We thank our friend and our ally Turkey very much for this generous offer. This protective equipment is of vital importance to British health workers who are at the forefront of the fight against the Covid-19, “said British Ambassador to Ankara Dominick Chilcott.

Israel and Armenia also request Turkey

Furthermore, despite tense relations, Ankara has approved the sale of medical equipment to Israel on humanitarian grounds and that Tel Aviv would do the same by allowing similar Turkish aid to the Palestinians.

According to Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, Armenia had also asked for help. Armenia has denied this claim. But according to the Straturka news site, which analyzed the flight data, an Armenian cargo plane landed in Turkey without further details.

Also, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Colombia, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Northern Cyprus, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Tunisia, Yemen, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Kuwait, and Ireland have also received various medical aids from Turkey.

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In Mesopotamia, first traces of soap recipe

The history of soap goes very back along. The first traces of soap recipes can be found in Mesopotamia on clay tablets that are more than 4000 years old. The Sumerians made their soap by mixing vegetable oil with clay and ashes.

In ancient Egypt, people took perfumed baths…

In Ancient Egypt, it was customary to wear perfume and make-up. The first beauty treatment is the perfumed bath. It was rubbed with natron, a kind of soda bicarbonate found naturally in Egyptian lakes and a paste of ash and clay.

According to Pliny the Elder, the word “Sapo” is of gallic origin

Pliny the Elder attributes the invention of soap to the Gauls in his encyclopedia “Natural History”, which was then made from alkaline or potassium ashes, tallow, boar lard or surplus inedible oils. Soap was then used to whiten or redden hair.

In the middle ages, soap is first a cure

It was also used as an ointment and cosmetic.

Importation of Aleppo soap to Europe

It is from the eighth century that Aleppo soap, the origin of all hard soaps in the world, is developed. It was imported into the West thanks to the Crusades. It is in Italy and Spain that the first soap factories were created in Europe.

When was soap first used in England?

The lands of Medieval Spain were a leading soapmaker by 800, and soapmaking began in the Kingdom of England about 1200.

The first soap factory in France

It was created in Marseille in the 15th century.

Toilet in the middle ages

Contrary to popular belief, the Middle Ages is a period when people liked to wash and washed often. Houses did not have a particular room for the toilet. They then bathed in the bedroom in a wooden tub. They also washed hands and feet before sitting down to eat. Here is a recipe from the XIVth century written by a husband for his young wife ” Either you put chamomile or marjoram on it (on warm water), or you put rosemary to cook with orange peel. And also laurel leaves are good there “.

In the country, the river

The toilet, in summer, is done at the river where men and women bathe together.

In the city, the public baths

People often went to public baths. There were twenty-six of them in Paris, under Philippe Auguste, and Parisians were asked to warn passers-by before emptying their bucket through the window… It was customary to shout three times: “Beware of the water! “so that no one gets it on their head.

The renaissance, decrease in hygiene

People prefered to perfume themselves than to wash.

In the XVIIIth century, the fashioned perfumed soap.

People got back into the habit of washing. Scented soaps are in fashion. Under the English influence, a room dedicated to the toilet began to appear in the construction of houses.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, soap became an essential part of our daily lives.

The arrival of running water and the improvement of the standard of living coupled with the development of science and industry largely contributed to the rise of soap to make it an indispensable part of our daily lives.

The Turkish bath: a purifying ritual for the body and the mind

A legacy of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, the Turkish bath, also known as a hammam, embodies the oriental tradition of caring for body and mind. Foreshadowing a real moment of well-being, between relaxation and hygiene, this bath which follows a whole ritual, is inspired by the Roman baths. It uses the benefits of heat and water vapour.

Hygiene, care, meditation … generally associated with a purification ritual, the Turkish bath is a must before going to the mosque, the day before the wedding, after childbirth. Men and women are received there separately, in different spaces or at dedicated times. After stopping in a cabin in the vestibule or cloakroom to undress, customers drape themselves in a peştemal, a sort of loincloth in cotton or silk decorated with checkered patterns, given at the entrance.

The Turkish bath ritual begins with a sweating session of about 10 minutes.  The body is then coated with black soap and then rinsed with clear water, taken from a basin or a marble-bowl topped with taps using a heap (hammam bowl in copper or enamel). Hot water is used for the upper part of the body. Coldwater is reserved for the feet. Then it is the turn of the exfoliation: dynamic friction with the exfoliating glove allows you to get a new look by removing dead cells. A final rinse and you can go for a massage…

If you wish to buy Turkish Soaps from Turkey, please do not hesitate to contact us by mail at  [email protected] or to call us at +90 532 361 5149. We can help you to get in direct contact with producers or provide you with everything that you need.

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• Does Turkey have the productive capacity to meet these demands?   
• The production capacity of 1 million masks per day
• The internal market as a priority
• Despite this, Turkey is helping other countries
• Turkey also helps European countries

Since the spread of the virus, the supply of protective masks and disinfectant gel has become a significant issue for nations. Missing medical supplies for which Turkey is known as one of the most important producers. One of the market leaders that many countries are now turning to for emergency stock replenishment.

But does Turkey have the productive capacity to meet these demands?

Before the arrival of the virus, Turkey produced between 150 and 200 million masks per year. According to official figures, the Chinese make 90% of the world’s masks. This figure is explained by the fact that the Chinese population is the largest user of masks, about 200 million per day.

Since January, this figure has doubled as a result of the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Such an increase that the Chinese factories were no longer able to cope with the demand. Moreover, with the drastic containment measures decided by the government, it had become impossible to obtain these medical products.

China then turned to Turkey to replenish its stock of protective masks. This is why, at the beginning of January, companies in Turkey, a country which had not registered any cases of Coronavirus on its soil, started to mass-produce masks for the Chinese market.

In a Turkish Euronews article published on January 31st, a mask producer explained that they had started producing 24 hours a day and that they were going to send 250,000 masks to China.

Several companies in the same case have thus tried to meet China’s demand. But in the meantime, on March 11th, Turkey registered its first case of a person infected with COVID-19. As a result, demand in the domestic market immediately exploded. In response, President Erdogan asked the Minister of Industry, Mustafa Varank, to provide an inventory of the country’s reserves and production capacity.

The production capacity of 1 million masks per day

In a tweet published on March 14th, Minister Varank explained that Turkey has a production capacity of 1 million masks per day and that it could also export.

Moreover, at the same time Europe, and more particularly Italy and France, has been confronted with an exponential increase in the number of cases infected by the Coronavirus. As a result, some companies have increased their prices for exports abroad.

Like France, which had taken measures to halt the increase in prices, Turkey decided on March 4th to subject the export of disinfectant products and protective masks to prior authorisation.

The internal market as a priority

Since March 11th, in Turkey, 670 cases of Coronavirus have been recorded, and 9 people have died from the disease. Besides, the country has 83 million inhabitants. As a result, the production of 1 million masks per day remains insufficient. A shortage with repercussions since fragile people, such as those with cancer, find it challenging to obtain masks in this context.

It is legitimate for all countries to give priority to providing their own citizens. In fact, France, one of the primary sources of the virus in Europe, requisitioned all stocks and the production of protective masks by decree in early March. Likewise, in Turkey, if the situation worsens, it would be incomprehensible that the masks are sold abroad even if there is a shortage of them on the domestic market.

This is why, even though some French media are offended by the blocking of masks on Turkish territory, accusing Turkey of depriving countries affected by the new Coronavirus of medical equipment, voices are being raised to explain that the country, like many others, is requisitioning them to face an epidemic from which no territory is spared.

Despite this, Turkey is helping other countries

In this context of the international health crisis, it should be noted that despite everything Turkey helps the 4 million refugees who live on its territory. Besides, more than a million new Syrian refugees are living near the Turkish border. These are areas where many Turkish NGOs are working on the front line, helping people affected by the ongoing war in Syria.

Turkey also helps European countries

Even in this context, Turkey is showing solidarity. Thus, the Bulgarian Defence Minister, Krasimir Karakaçanov, criticised the attitude of the European Union and thanked Turkey for its help. Indeed, in a statement to the international press, the minister said that Turkey had delivered 50 thousand masks, 100 thousand protective suits and protective glasses to Bulgaria.

Already in February, Turkey had sent 300 tons of medical equipment to China to help it in its fight against the virus. Furthermore, on March 17th, Turkey also helped Iran by sending medical equipment, including coronavirus test kits.

Finally, on March 20th, Bosnia and Herzegovina officially requested medical assistance from Turkey.

Bakir Izetbegovic, Vice-Chairman of the Party for Democratic Action and former member of the Collegial Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, had met with President Erdogan to formulate this request.

In addition to this, a manager of an export company, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Anadolu’s correspondent that his company had received dozens of requests from 30 different countries for medical products, but had been unable to obtain the necessary authorisations to respond to these requests. These refusals indicate Turkey’s willingness to give priority to meeting the demands of its population and caregivers, as the country prepares for an increase in cases in the coming days.

If you wish to buy protective masks and medical equipment from Turkey, please do not hesitate to contact us by mail at  [email protected] or to call us at +90 532 361 5149. We can help you to get in direct contact with producers or provide you with everything that you need.

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