AKUT – Turkey’s Search And Rescue Team
AKUT, runs for help in all circumstances within its capabilities to everyone demanding help and needing help.
AKUT is at the same time, a disciplined and well trained civil society organization based on volunteering.
This organization is educating and increasing the consciousness of the society. It uses equipments with high standards and does not deal with politics.
AKUT’s PRINCIPLES
Voluntary
Honesty
Reliability
Helpfulness
Respect for and giving value to human life
ETHICS and OUR ETHICAL VALUES
At the beginning, AKUT was an organization of civilian society founded by a small number of mountaineers to help victims of mountain and nature accidents. These people were in harmony, knew each other well. They had accepted a mission and ethical principles according to themselves by speaking, consolidating with each other. Although not written, these ethical principles and this mission were defined and were the same for everyone. On the other hand, in the process that started with the Adana-Ceyhan earthquake and that continued with the August 1 7 earthquake, its member profile broadened and changed along with AKUT’s mission.
As the number of people increased and the spectrum of opinions widened, due to the risk of concepts confusion and the risk of ethics, principles, objectives loss or transformation, the values had to be defined and written so that they could be correctly described to the new members and the public. It is a natural outcome of the changing world order that there will be changes in the objectives and the ethical values. The important thing is that all members unite in the basic principles stated above and that there will be no deviation from the volunteer basis, honesty, reliability, helpfulness and respect for human life.
Respecting Human Life: It is the number one ethical value of AKUT to save the human life and it is what keeps AKUT alive. When looking in the past, we can see the endeavors of mountaineers trying to help their friends in mountain accidents. This is the founding mission of AKUT. Later this mission expanded toencompass natural disasters and brought AKUT up to an international level. Acting voluntarily and being helpful without expecting anything in return: While AKUT is aiming to help people in mountain accidents, in natural disasters or in any accident, AKUT works completely voluntarily without expecting any monetary or any other benefits.
Honesty and Reliability: The AKUT members who have targeted saving lives voluntarily without seeking any personal benefits, have to be honest to victims at the time of the disaster. They also have to be honest, consistent and reliable to each other and to the public. This is our third ethical value. Independence: AKUT should be independent in all ways. In order for AKUT to exist and to finance its operation, training, manoeuvre, equipment and product costs, it needs donations and sponsorship agreements. On the other hand, AKUT cannot limit itself or put itself to dependent, side taking positions while signing these agreements. AKUT is dependent only on Atatürk principles and reforms, Republic of Turkey laws, the Turkish people and their rich culture. Only the benefits of this country and the basic humanitarian values can limit AKUT. This means that independence is an important ethical value.
Correct Relations with the Media: While AKUT is operating, it will be in relation with the media sometimes for promotion, sometimes to give information, and sometimes to educate the public. These relations should be maintained by defined and assigned members. These members should never put themselves up front instead of AKUT in order to obtain benefits for themselves. The AKUT name and the AKUT ID should not be damaged. When giving information to the media, honest publishing principles should be maintained and expected from the other side. Relationships with the media should always be moderate, staying away from unnecessary destructive arguments. Only assigned members should produce the films, photographs, and shows to be handed to the media or to be archived. These documents should be handled by one authority. Therefore, one other ethical value of AKUT is to be in correct relations and side by side with the media.
Openness: AKUT and AKUT members should always be open and accountable. Nothing should be hidden from the public or other members. Since we exist through the help of our state and our nation, we should be accountable for every deed we make. The members should be honest, open and accountable to each other. The hidden groupings that cannot be defined will harm the integrity of AKUT.
Making profit not being the end target: As you know, AKUT exists through the donations and the assistance of the state and the sponsors, but these donations are never enough for AKUT to exist. In the future, when legal rights are obtained, trade corporations will be founded within AKUT not only to make profit, but to use that income to keep AKUT alive, to run operations, to give training to the public, to realize the founding objectives and the objectives that lie in the ethical values.
If you would like further information regarding the Akut weekly meetings in Kusadasi or how you could help contact: Dr Tunç Tunçer on 05323377966.
