The Turkish standardisation and testing institute TSE has therefore sought out the support of the international institute ift Rosenheim to assist in this area. On 17 October, TSE Secretary General Üzeyir Karagöz and ift Rosenheim Director Professor Ulrich Sieberath signed a cooperation agreement, marking the start of the collaboration between the two institutes.
The Turkish construction market continues to grow, even if that growth has recently eased off somewhat. A GTAI study reveals that, due to demographic change and urbanisation, some 60 percent of investment in the Turkish construction industry is in the area of residential construction. Consequently, demand for luxury city flats, "green buildings", and passive houses is on the rise. Turkish window, door and facade manufacturers have successfully established themselves across the Middle East, and even as far as India. Manufacturers will need an in-depth knowledge of the relevant standards, design requirements and quality assurance systems if they are to successfully produce high-quality components suitable for use in sustainable residential and commercial buildings.
The cooperation agreement between the ift Rosenheim and TSE marks the start of a process of knowledge-sharing between specialists in the two countries, aimed at achieving concrete improvements in product quality. The agreement entitles ift Rosenheim to use the TSE's test facilities, and stipulates that both ift and TSE should promote the ift's certification schemes in Turkey in order to support quality-conscious Turkish manufacturers. The cooperation agreement will also benefit internationally-active Turkish manufacturers in the following ways:
- Simplified logistics and no need to pay customs duties on test specimens, because testing takes place within Turkey
- Better access to the expertise of the ift Rosenheim
- High level of acceptance of ift test certificates and approvals within the EU and international markets
Established in 1954, the standardisation institute TSE is headquartered in Ankara, Turkey. TSE has some 1,600 employees who draft standards, and conduct tests, certifications, surveillance visits, inspections and training courses. It is the TSE's policy to strive towards the harmonisation of Turkish standards with European EN standards, and is already 95 percent of the way to achieving that goal.