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YEŞiLAY
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TheTurkishGreenCrescent Societyhas scaledup its activities and
moved into the international arena. It has started to establish na-
tional Green Crescents. Each country is troubledwith different ad-
diction types in varying dimensions. Howwill Turkish Green Cres-
cent lead thesecountries?
With this initiative, the Turkish Green Crescent Society showed
these countries how the struggle against addictions should
be fought with a holistic approach. Alcoholism and smoking, or
smoking and drug abuse, or drug abuse and gambling... These
are closely intertwined habits. Even, it may seem different from
and more innocent than other addictions, but technology addic-
tion,too,maybeaccompaniedwithsmokingandeventually,drug
abuse. For instance, technology addicts may be more prone to
virtual gambling. This, in turn, may trigger conventional gambling.
Therefore, anti-addiction struggle is, first of all, global. Then, it is
holistic. It entails total crackdown on all types of addictions. This
was what we told other countries. "There may be anti-smoking
associations or foundations to combat alcoholism. Let thembe,"
we told their officials. "But you should establish your own Green
CrescentbytakingtheTurkishGreenCrescentSocietyasamod-
el and benefiting from its anti-addiction struggle and strategies
and its institutional structure." Then, we provided assistance
The century-old TurkishGreenCrescent Society establishes national GreenCrescents
and forms international partnerships in its fight against addictions.With a vision to
promote itself as an exemplaryNGO for theworld, the TurkishGreenCrescent Society has
crowned its international effortswith the establishment of the International Federation of
GreenCrescents. Professor İhsanKaraman, who chairs both the International Federation
of GreenCrescents and theBoard of Trustees of theGreenCrescent Foundation, andwho
is also the rector of Istanbul Medeniyet University, gave us an interviewon the Turkish
GreenCrescent Society's foray into the international scene.
PROFESSOR İHSAN KARAMAN:
THE STRUGGLE AGAINST ADDICTIONS
IS GLOBAL AND HOLISTIC
With the establishment
of Green Crescents in different
countries, the Turkish Green
Crescent Society showed these
countries how the struggle against
addictions should be fought with a
holistic approach.
INTERVIEW
Interviewby Sümeyya OLCAY
Photos by Canan YETİŞTİ SATKIN