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Established by Green Crescent, an association that conducts
global activities and projects to tackle addiction, the
International Green Crescent Federation fights against addiction
around the globe through National Green Crescents. Att. Osman
Baturhan Dursun, Secretary General of Green Crescent, spoke to
us about the International Green Crescent Federation (IGCF), and
the road travelled so far in the fight against addiction.
What can you tell us about the
foundation process and goals of the
IGCF?
The IGCF was established on November
7, 2016 under the leadership of the
Turkish Green Crescent with the goal
of assuming a more active role on
international platforms in the fight
against addiction, to be a pioneer in the
fight against tobacco, alcohol, drug,
technology and gambling addictions,
and to improve the capacities of and
coordination among National Green
Crescents. During his term as Prime
Minister, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,
the President of the Republic of Turkey,
designed the founding vision of IGCF.
The IGCF’s intellectual foundations are
based on the Turkish Green Crescent,
the oldest and best-established
organization in the world in the fight
against addiction. The aim is to share
Turkish Green Crescent’s century-
old experience in the fight against
addiction with other countries. Today,
more than 70 National Green Crescents
are actively working under the roof of
the IGCF.
The Turkish Green Crescent is the
only non-governmental organization
(NGO) in the world that has adopted
an integrated approach to the fight
against addiction. Established in
1920, Green Crescent has no match
around the world, which means that
even though there are miscellaneous
associations fighting against tobacco,
alcohol,
drug,
technology
and
gambling addictions, none other than
the Turkish Green Crescent carries out
the fight with an integrated approach.
The global fight against addiction has
shown us that fighting against tobacco
or alcohol alone is not enough in the
fight against addiction, as we need to
adopt an integrated approach and to
initiate a fight against all addictions
collectively.
Another
country’s
addiction problem puts your country
in danger and at risk too, which is
why we need to take global steps to
fight against all kinds of addiction.
We must make the whole world a
shareholder in this fight, and work
with a sense of brotherhood with all
people. This is the main idea behind
establishment of the IGCF and the
other National Green Crescents. The
IGCF aims to coordinate the National
Green Crescents in different countries
around the world, to share experience
and knowledge, and to fight addiction
around the world with an integrated
approach and on a scientific basis.
Photo: Semih Akbay
ATT. OSMAN BATURHAN DURSUN,
SECRETARY GENERAL OF GREEN CRESCENT:
“GREEN CRESCENT
TAKES ITS FIGHT AGAINST
ADDICTION TO
THE GLOBAL ARENA”
Since graduating from the Marmara University
Faculty of Law in 2001, Att. Osman Baturhan
Dursun has been working as a freelance lawyer,
and has been a founder and administrator of
miscellaneous non-governmental organizations.
He is the current Secretary General of the
Turkish Green Crescent and the International
Green Crescent Federation, with miscellaneous
duties in many other national and international
NGOs.
WHO IS ATT. OSMAN BATURHAN DURSUN?
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