Category: Business

1st Turkish Total Artificial Heart Patient Discharged Using Free

45-Year-Old Father of 3 Discharged from Florence Nightingale Hospital in Istanbul to Wait for Matching Donor Heart at Home with Family

Tucson AZ – SynCardia Systems, Inc. manufacturer of the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart, announced today that Florence Nightingale Hospital in Istanbul has discharged Turkey’s first Total Artificial Heart patient to wait for a matching donor heart at home using the Freedom portable driver. Weighing 13.5 pounds, the Freedom driver is the world’s first wearable portable driver designed to power SynCardia’s Total Artificial Heart both inside and outside the hospital.

“Initially, we had concerns about switching our patient to the Freedom driver because he is really a big guy,” said surgeon Prof. Dr. Deniz Suha Kucukaksu. “However, our patient experienced no differences with this wearable driver. We are excited to be able to discharge him with his Total Artificial Heart. The Freedom driver is so powerful that he can live a near normal life outside of the hospital while waiting for transplantation under safe conditions.”

Omer Bayrak, 45, had been suffering from congestive heart failure since 2001. Four years ago, he underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy and received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). Last year, he was hospitalized 11 times for inotropic support.

For 15 days prior to receiving SynCardia’s Total Artificial Heart, Mr. Bayrak had been in the cardiac intensive care unit. He was on the urgent list for heart transplantation but his cardiac function continued to worsen. As a result, he became the hospital’s first patient to receive SynCardia’s Total Artificial Heart.

“I can do almost everything with my Freedom driver,” said Mr. Bayrak, who was discharged from the hospital on May 20. “Although I have no biological heart, I still have emotions. Before this illness period, I was against organ donation, but now I understand the importance of it.”

The Freedom portable driver is CE approved for use in Europe and undergoing an FDA-approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) clinical study in the U.S. SynCardia recognizes and thanks Ufuk Yaranli and Natura Medikal Urunler Ltd., the Turkish distributor for the Total Artificial Heart, for their commitment and on-going support of Florence Nightingale Hospital.

SOURCE: SynCardia Systems, Inc.

via 1st Turkish Total Artificial Heart Patient Discharged Using Free.

June 28, 2011
Erdogan vows to turn Turkey into powerful country

“By the end of 2011, we will exceed $132 billion. Our target is to reach $500 billion on the 100th anniversary of the Republic in 2023,” Erdogan said.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to turn Turkey into the most powerful, modern and stable country in the region.

“When the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923, Turkey’s exports were $51 million. After 79 years, Turkey’s exports reached $36 billion. In 2008, exports reached a record level with $132 billion. Exports decreased to $102 billion in 2009 and $114 billion in 2010 as an impact of the global financial crisis.

But we succeeded in recovering from the crisis in a short period of time and increased our exports up to $54 billion only in the first five months of 2011,” he said at the 18th General Assembly of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly in Istanbul.

“By the end of 2011, we will exceed $132 billion. Our target is to reach $500 billion on the 100th anniversary of the Republic in 2023,” he said.

“Turkey’s economic growth is a result of our democratic reforms in an atmosphere of confidence and stability. Now, a new process has begun after the June 12 ballot. Our target is to turn Turkey he most powerful, modern and stable country in its region,” he added.

AA

June 27, 2011
Caglayan: Turkey’s exports reached $65 bln since beginning of year

Caglayan said that our exports were $114 billion in 2010, exports have reached $65 billion since the beginning of the year and exports in the first 24 days of June have increased to $9.5 bln.

Turkish State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafer Caglayan said that Turkey’s exports had reached $65 billion since the beginning of the year.

“Our exports were $114 billion in 2010. Exports have reached $65 billion since the beginning of the year and exports in the first 24 days of June have increased to $9.5 billion.

We are going to exceed our middle-term target of $127 billion and break our record in exports by reaching $135 billion,” he said at the 18th General Assembly of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly in Istanbul.

Caglayan said that Turkey was the world’s 15th biggest economy according to the purchasing power parity.

“It is our biggest target to make Turkey one of the ten biggest economies of the world,” he said.

AA

via Caglayan: Turkey’s exports reached $65 bln since beginning of year | Economy | World Bulletin.

June 27, 2011
Air Arabia Egypt launches Istanbul flights

Air Arabia Egypt, a leading low-cost carrier in the region, said it has started direct services to the Turkish city of Istanbul from its main hub in Alexandria.

The airline’s inaugural flight to Istanbul took off from Burj Al Arab International Airport on Friday.

Roundtrip flights will operate twice per week between Alexandria and Istanbul Sabiha International Airport. The flights depart Alexandria on Fridays and Sundays at 5pm and arrive in Istanbul at 7.55pm.

The return flights depart Istanbul at 9.05pm (local time) and arrive in Alexandria at 10.05pm (local time).

Commenting on the launch, AK Nizar, head of Commercial said, ‘We are delighted to announce the start of our flights to the city of Istanbul. Turkey has become a central destination and we are proud to start our services twice a week from Egypt, offering travellers between the two countries a new option for air travel.’

‘We are confident the new services between Alexandria and Istanbul will offer customers great value for money to travel between the two cities as well as encourage mutual growth in travel and tourism,’ he observed.

According to him, Air Arabia Egypt only flies new aircraft of the type Airbus A320. ‘On its entire network, Air Arabia Egypt offers full economy class with an average seat pitch of 32 inches and a free baggage allowance. Food and beverages can be bought during the flight,’ he added.-TradeArabia News Service

via Air Arabia Egypt launches Istanbul flights.

June 27, 2011
Turkish Airlines And Mauritius Make Announcements New flights to Africa destinations

By Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN | Jun 26, 2011

(eTN) – News was received from Turkish Airlines and Mauritius regarding the addition of new flights to Africa destinations.

TURKISH AIRLINES SET FOR KIGALI

Image via asia.com

Information was received from Kigali that Turkish Airlines appears set to commence direct flights between Istanbul and Kigali, Rwanda, although the exact routing could not be confirmed immediately. The new connection will add yet more seats to the country, which has been busy promoting its tourism and investment opportunities around the world, and with Turkish, a member of the world’s leading airline alliance, “Star,” an emerging global player is coming to Kigali, offering a growing network of connections to many key global cities in Europe, Eastern Europe, the Americas, the Gulf, Asia, and beyond.

Turkish already connects 14 cities in Africa with Istanbul, and the choice of Rwanda’s capital Kigali also speaks for the country itself, now considered as a rising star on the continent and a choice destination for tourists and business visitors alike.

MAURITIUS TO LOOSEN STRINGS FOR NEW FLIGHTS

Clearly stung by the success of the Seychelles, where conscientious policy decisions have in recent years led to global success in making the holiday destination “visible” through reorganizing its tourist board, rebranding the entire destination into “Brand Seychelles” and working hand in hand with global airline giants, has Mauritius finally shown signs of waking up to the new market realities. Their previous “big brother status” among the Indian Ocean islands, aka Vanilla Islands, has in the recent past come under siege, and the fall out of the global financial and economic crisis of 2007/8 seems to have been lingering longer on Mauritius than would have ordinarily been expected.

Seemingly driven to a large degree by the country’s hospitality industry, which is grappling with continued less-than-expected occupancy levels, the government in Port Louis has finally agreed to look into their hitherto restrictive aviation policies with the aim of permitting more flights during periods when demand reaches peak levels so that seats on aircraft finally start to match the grown bed capacity from new resorts, which have sprung up across the island’s beaches.

However, airlines will consider this only as a starting point, aiming at year round greater access to the island and as it suits them even fifth freedom rights to fly via Mauritius on to key destinations on the African continent. The government in Mauritius, a majority shareholder in Air Mauritius, has always been fiercely protective of “their own,” but as the airline is only now starting to re-enter the profit zone after major losses in past financial years, aviation strategists are keenly watching how “the owners,” i.e., government, will react to the emerging demands by the hospitality private sector for greater access by other airlines vis-a-vis their otherwise “protective mode” towards their national airline.

via Turkish Airlines And Mauritius Make Announcements New flights to Africa destinations – eTurboNews.com.

June 27, 2011
Siemens to supply Turkish tunnel project

A view of Istanbul, Turkey's largest city. Turkey is launching major road and tunnelling infrastructure projects.

Siemens is to equip the Dorukhan Tunnel between Mengen and Devrek in Turkey with the latest power, lighting and ventilation equipment, along with the associated safety and communications systems.

The order was placed by KGM (Karayollari Genel Müdürlügü), Turkey’s General Directorate of Highways, and has a value in a single-digit million euro figure.

The turnkey handover of the new system is scheduled for January 2012. A project to equip the DAK (Düzce-Akcakoca-Eregli) tunnel system in the province of Zonguldak, placed with Siemens by KGM at the end of 2011, is already nearing completion.

The Turkish Transportation Ministry is currently mounting a great effort to develop the country’s highway network. In September 2009, together with Turkey’s General Directorate of Highways, KGM, the ministry presented plans for 12 new highway routes, which are due to be realised by 2023.

In the provinces of Kastamonu, Zonguldak and Düzce on the Black Sea, extensive construction projects are either already being realised or currently being triggered.

One such construction project is the 1,050m-long Dorukhan Tunnel on the Kastamonu Highway. Siemens is responsible for power supply and distribution for the tunnel, and will supply the entire communications and automation equipment.

The safety systems will include camera and video surveillance based on CCTV (closed circuit television). The Automatic Incident Detection System not only helps recognise traffic jams and accidents, but can also detect any smoke build-up.

With the help of sensors, modern lighting and ventilation systems monitor visibility and air quality. All of the ventilation, lighting, traffic control and safety systems are connected to the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) control system, which also monitors them.

via Siemens to supply Turkish tunnel project | ConstructionWeekOnline.com.

June 27, 2011