Experts and academics who have conducted an array of research in the mineral water sector in Türkiye came together at the 2nd International Mineral Water Congress organized by Türk Kızılay Beverage in Istanbul.
The opening speeches of the congress were made by Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) President Kerem Kınık, Kızılay Beverage General Manager Metin Kul, Sami Sarıyıldız from the Energy Ministry's Directorate General of Mining and Petroleum Affairs, Director General of the Energy Ministry's Meteorological Service Volkan Mutlu Coşkun and the chairperson of the Scientific Committee of Congress, Dr. Y. Birol Saygı. The event will last for two days, with important experts in the mineral water field delivering presentations on the topic.
Held under the slogan "One Life Mineral Water," the congress is being held at a hotel in Üsküdar, Istanbul.
Speaking at the commencement ceremony, Kınık shared that mineral water has not been valued enough in Türkiye. Referring to mineral water as a blessing, he said that mineral water should be highly valued by humanity. "When a human is studied biochemically, all the components found in nature are present in our bodies in specific amounts, and their absence throws off the balance and has a detrimental effect on human life," he stressed.
"These minerals are necessary for us. The human body cannot manufacture these minerals by itself. Today, 100-150 liters of mineral water is consumed by each person in Europe. However, only 10-15 liters is consumed per person in Türkiye," he highlighted.
Meanwhile, Sarıyıldız maintained that Türkiye has "great potential in mineral water." However, around 10% of this potential is economically offered to our people, he added.
On the other hand, Coşkun claimed that life is created in water, and in terms of mineral water, Türkiye is fortunate to have an ideal topography in the world. "Since its inception, humanity has always looked for clean water sources. They used water to build their cities and civilizations. In terms of mineral wealth and water resources, our country has one of the most fortunate geopolitical regions in the entire world," he noted.
According to Kul, rapid climate change is not a natural phenomenon; rather, it has human origins. "Since Kızılay Beverage is a part of "Green Development," we have worked towards net zero carbon emissions. The Red Crescent beverage's top priority is to explain the value of these resources to our own people before moving on to the rest of the world," he said.
Coşkun further explained that mineral water has been used for healing and charity throughout history and became more common during the reign of Abdulhamid II. The founder of modern Türkiye, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, got sick in Afyonkarahisar during the national struggle and regained his health by drinking mineral water brought from Gazlıgöl. He later ensured the establishment of a factory there and donated this factory to the Turkish Red Crescent.
Kınık also noted that the Red Crescent included establishing a livable environment in its 2030 strategy, in which the global sustainable development goals were determined as the holistic protection of the oceans, lands and ecosystem.
The congress, where panels will be held on various topics, will continue until tomorrow evening.