The İzmir Commodity Exchange coordinated an awareness talk titled “YOU Come First! Strong Women, a Healthy Future” in cooperation with the İzmir Chamber of Commerce, the Aegean Region Chamber of Industry, the Aegean Exporters’ Associations, the İAOSB Foundation Women’s Club, and the TOBB İzmir Women Entrepreneurs Board. The event aimed to raise public awareness of breast cancer, highlight the importance of early diagnosis, and encourage women to prioritise their own health.

 

Deniz Celep, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the İzmir Commodity Exchange and Chair of the Executive Committee of the TOBB İzmir Women Entrepreneurs Board, and Begüm Karace, President of the İzmir Atatürk Organised Industrial Zone (İAOSB) Foundation Women’s Club, delivered the opening remarks. Attendees included İzmir Commodity Exchange Board Chair Ömer Gökhan Tuncer, Assembly Chair Bülent Uçak, and Board Member Ezgi Ulusoy Yılmaz, as well as Foça Mayor Saniye Bora Fıçı, Aegean Region Chamber of Industry Board Member Şeyma Başterzi, İzmir Chamber of Commerce Board Member Jülide Tutan, Turkish Education Foundation (TEV) Board Chair Şule Karabağlı, members of the Women Entrepreneurs Board, representatives of chambers and commodity exchanges, and many other guests.

 

In her opening remarks, Deniz Celep noted that breast cancer unfortunately remains the most common cancer among women worldwide. She said, “According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s GLOBOCAN 2024 estimates, 25,080 new cases of breast cancer were identified in Türkiye in a single year. That means an average of one new diagnosis every 21 minutes in our country. The projections for the years ahead are also striking. The figure is expected to reach [number missing from the source] million. This projection suggests that the current burden will grow considerably. These figures remind us once again that recognising changes in their bodies promptly and making early detection a priority are essential steps women can take in the fight against this relentless disease.”

 

Celep: “Awareness begins with us, and change begins with the value we place on ourselves.”

Deniz Celep pointed out that women often juggle many responsibilities at once in all areas of life. She said, “At work, in our families, and in our social lives, we look after everyone’s needs and do our best to keep our loved ones healthy and happy. Amid all these responsibilities, we sometimes neglect our own health. One of the most important things we should all remember today is that taking care of ourselves is a necessity. Making our health a priority, listening to our bodies, and keeping up with our health check-ups are essential if we are to meet all our other responsibilities.”

Celep recalled that in August 2012 they made a mobile cancer screening truck available to the Ministry of Health. The truck was acquired at the initiative of Işınsu Kestelli, former Board Chair of the İzmir Commodity Exchange and Türkiye’s first woman to chair a commodity exchange, with support from TOBB. “We then delivered a second mobile screening vehicle to the Ministry of Health with contributions from the İzmir Commodity Exchange, the İzmir Chamber of Commerce, the Aegean Region Chamber of Industry, and the Aegean Exporters’ Associations. The mobile clinic screened women for breast and uterine cancer and identified many suspected cases. Since 2019, our mobile screening vehicle has reached a total of 25,964 women.”

 

Begüm Karace, President of the İAOSB Foundation Women’s Club, said the club was founded to improve women’s lives and make a meaningful contribution towards that goal. “Our foundation’s main mission is to ensure that all women have equal access to healthcare and education and enjoy equal working conditions, to raise public awareness of these issues, and to improve women’s lives in every respect. We are hosting today’s event with the valuable support of our partner institutions, and it serves an important purpose in raising public awareness,” she said.

 

Following the opening remarks, the discussion took place under the theme “Awareness begins with us, and change begins with the value we place on ourselves.” To raise awareness of women’s health, medical specialists gave presentations on topics including prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.  Dr Feray Saraçoğlu, a radiologist at LaMED Imaging Centre, presented “Breast Cancer and Early Diagnosis.” Associate Professor Dr Didem Dereli Akdeniz, an endocrinology and metabolism specialist at İzmir University of Economics Faculty of Medicine, presented “Lasting Balance, the Formula for Staying Young: Can We Stop the Ageing Clock?” At the end of the talk, the doctors answered questions from attendees.