GENERAL INFORMATION

TMMOB (the U#### of the Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects) the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, which is established in 1954 and operates under ‘the U#### of the Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects, displays professional activities in accordance with the provisions of TMMOB Law; Agricultural Engineering Law no. 7472, Chamber Regulatory Statute and Statute regarding Duties and Authorizations of Agricultural Engineers.

The Chamber of Agricultural Engineers (ZMO), whose headquarters is located in Ankara, now has 26 branches and 54 provincial agencies within the entire country.

ZMO considers that it is necessary to undertake responsibility in order to democratize the community within the framework of respecting human rights and freedom, rule of law and rules of democracy, and to establish economical and social structure by taking into consideration national benefits as well as carrying out professional works and works for field of interest.

Within the framework of these principles, there are two primary elements that are accepted as necessary to be taken into consideration in works of our CHAMBER, which are respectively the responsibility to be an incorporated body as a public body and the liability to be a democratic organization; thus, we serve to Turkish agriculture and professional society on the basis of this perception.

Headquarters of the CHAMBER publishes "Newsletter" once in 2 months, and "Agriculture and Engineer Journal" once of 3 months. Since all works of the CHAMBER are published, there are significant numbers of publications each of which are addressed as a reference book.

Each year on January, Agriculture Week activities are organized as professional works for a week, and there are symposiums, panels and similar works within these activities.

Besides "Agriculture Week" which contains anniversary of inception of agricultural training, various scientific activities are generally organized on important days and at important weeks in terms of agriculture, especially on "World Environment Day, World Food Day, World Day to Combat Desertification", and Managements of Branches and Provincial Agencies are organizing similar activities in their localities.

Every year, our CHAMBER is awarding our member colleagues, who have important contributions to Turkish Agriculture and Agricultural Engineering, with suitable Science, Service and Incentive Prizes at Agriculture Week.

CONSTITUTIONAL - LEGAL BASIS

The U#### of the Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers (ZMO) is a professional institution as a public body in constitutional terms. Its constitutional basis arises from Article 135 of Turkish Constitution of 1982.

H. Professional Institutions as Public Bodies

Article 135.- Professional institutions and higher institutions as public bodies are public incorporated bodies which are established by law in order to cover joint needs of professionals in a certain field, to facilitate their professional activities, to provide development in the profession according to general benefits, to dominate honesty and trust in connection with the relations between members of profession and public with the purpose of protecting professional discipline and ethics, and of which organs are elected by its members with silent vote under surveillance of justice according to the provisions of law.

It is not mandatory to be a member of a professional institution for professionals who actually and continuously work in public institutions and establishments and public economical enterprises.

(Amended: dd. 23/7/1995 - no. 4121/13) These professional institutions cannot display activities other than their purpose of establishment.

(Amended: dd. 23/7/1995 - no. 4121/13) In election of the organs of these professional institutions and higher institutions, political parties cannot be nominated as candidates.

(Amended: dd. 23/7/1995 - no. 4121/13) Rules regarding administrative and financial audit of the government over these professional institutions are regulated by law.

(Amended: dd. 23/7/1995 - no. 4121/13) The organs under professional institutions, which display activities that fall outside of its purposes, are dismissed by court order upon request of authority determined by law or Public Prosecutor and new organs are selected.

(Amended: dd. 23/7/1995 - no. 4121/13) However, if delay is disadvantageous in the cases where it is necessary and related to national security, public order, preventing or avoiding criminal activities or arresting criminals, an authority determined by law may be authorized to inhibit professional institutions or higher institutions. The decision of the authority is submitted to a Judge who is assigned within 24 hours. The judge announces the decision within 48 hours; otherwise, this administrative decision is ceased to be effective per se.

Legal bases of ZMO are listed as in the followings;

• Law on Engineering and Architecture no. 3458;
• Law regarding the U#### of the Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architectures no. 6235;
• Law on Higher Agricultural Engineering no. 7472;

Statutes, which are regulated in order to indicate the implementation of above mentioned laws, are listed as in the followings;

• Statute (Regulation) of the U#### of the Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architectures
• Statute of TMMOB Chamber of Agricultural Engineers
• Statute regarding Duties and Authorizations of Agricultural Engineers

The Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, an incorporated body, regulates and implements various regulations as to feature implementation of the statutes.

GOALS AND DUTIES

The goals and duties of ZMO, determined in the "Statute of TMMOB Chamber of Agricultural Engineers", are listed as in the followings:

•1.       To attempt and carry out any kind of activities for the purpose of protecting, developing, operating, agricultural assets of our country and increasing efficiency of these assets in order to ensure social and economic development of rural population;

•2.       To prepare and examine every kind of legal regulations, norms and technical specifications regarding the profession, and to inform official and private establishments about conceptions and suggestions;

•3.       To protect right and authorizations of its members and to attempt in official and private establishments in order to ensure members to use these authorizations;

•4.       To carry out technical and scientific researches, to organize meetings and exhibitions, to participate in the activities of other establishments in order to develop and promote the profession;

•5.       To collaborate with institutions and establishments which provide agricultural inputs, to make suggestions on input and product prices and service fees, to encourage establishment of facilities which will produce agricultural inputs;

•6.       To provide and certify necessary documents in connection with projects and undertaking works regarding the profession for members, to ensure that legal regulations are completed and to perform necessary official attempts for this purpose;

•7.       To ensure occupational safety and social security of members, to attempt to protect their democratic rights and freedom, to provide solidarity between members, to take necessary measures for protecting professional dignity and prestige of members, to perform necessary discipline implementations by following up improper actions;

•8.       To publish every kinds of scientific and professional publications;

•9.       To collect and keep records and information about professional and membership profiles of members;

•10.   To determine members who will peer-review and inform relevant official and private establishments about experts;

•11.   To determine the rules with which members are obliged to comply in their professional works, to issue regulations for professional supervision, if necessary;

•12.   To take decisions and work in cooperation with the Chambers of Engineers and Architects and other establishments on professional and national problems, to perform joint professional works;

•13.   To follow up and disseminate developments and innovations in the profession, to contact with and perform joint works with professional institutions within the country and abroad for this purpose, and to represent the profession within the country and abroad;

•14.   To help and suggest opinions on trainings of professionals by cooperating with establishments which teach agricultural engineering;

•15.   To follow up, supervise and certify the determination basis of identification, registry and services of bureaus and firms which are displaying agricultural activities;

•16.   To perform legislative works in order to implement the provisions of Authorization Statute of Agricultural Engineering that is issued in accordance with Law no. 7472, to make necessary attempts in official and private establishments.

As is seen, goals and duties of ZMO are appertaining to socio-economical and political integrity of the agricultural sector. The primary priority is developing agriculture as an economic sector as well as improving living and working conditions of villagers and agricultural engineers, the human factor of the sector.

Management of Headquarters of the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers is composed of 7 people.

Board of Directors

Dr. Turhan Tuncer, President,

 2^nd President  Prof. Dr. Melahat Avcý Birsin ,

Script member Caner Aksakal,

Accountant member Hamdi Arpa,

Member Özden Güngör

Member Murat Aslan

Member Prof. Dr. Bülent Gülçubuk