First Lady Emine Erdoğan visited Marmara Research Center (MAM) and the institutes in the Gebze Campus of TÜBİTAK. She inaugurated the Herbal Medicine and Food Supplement Infrastructures Unit under TÜBİTAK MAM. In accompaniment with the Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank and TÜBİTAK President Prof. Hasan Mandal, First Lady Erdoğan got information about the projects carried out in the Center on environment, climate change, clean energy, waste water treatment, sustainable food, traditional and complementary medicine, national vaccine, COVID-19 tests and drug development.
"It is admirable that Turkey develops medicines from medicinal plants"
After getting a briefing on medicinal plants from researchers, First Lady Erdoğan said it is admirable that Turkey develops medicines from medicinal plants. Afterwards, Emine Erdoğan had a talk with the scientists working at the institutes for a while and posed for a souvenir photo with them.
Emine Erdoğan visited Sekapark Super Critical Fluid Extraction Facility, which was established in cooperation with Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and TÜBİTAK MAM, and got information about aromatic plant processing.
During the visit, First Lady was accompanied by Kocaeli Governor Seddar Yavuz and his wife Selda Yavuz, Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Assoc. Prof. Tahir Büyükakın, Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, President of TÜBİTAK Prof. Hasan Mandal and TÜBİTAK MAM President Prof. Ahmet Yozgatlıgil.
Praise to UME's alternative PCR test
First Lady Emine Erdoğan stated that the national tests developed by TÜBİTAK National Metrology Institute (UME) as an alternative to PCR tests used in COVID-19 are faster and more practical, and added “It is pleasing that the national COVID-19 tests applied from mouth instead of nose are faster, more comfortable and practical. I hope it will be extended especially to our children in COVID-19 contact group who need testing.”
First Lady Erdoğan also visited the Biosafety Level-3 laboratory of the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Institute, where national vaccine and drug development studies are carried out under the umbrella of TÜBİTAK-led “Turkish COVID-19 Platform”, had a talk with researchers over the intercom and wished them success in their studies.
