We are celebrating the World Accreditation Day with the theme of "Accreditation: Supporting the Future of Global Trade" this year, together with the member countries of the international umbrella associations IAF and ILAC, of which we are full members . We aim to show the importance of accreditation and conformity assessment activities in removing technical barriers to international trade, and how they contribute to the future of global trade as well as today, on this special day, which is celebrated every year on June 9 all over the world and will be held for the sixteenth time this year.
As the only national accreditation body authorized to provide services in the field of conformity assessment services in Turkey, we work for an expert, impartial, independent and competent structure in order to ensure trust, which is the basis of accreditation. In this context, we act with the responsibility of both removing technical barriers in trade and being a pioneer in sectoral developments. We are also proud that TÜRKAK's leading role has been confirmed in international rankings.
In the Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) report announced by the IAF, Turkey's positioning in the 10th place among 184 countries in the field of accreditation, rising 7 places compared to the previous year, increased our pride.
We have been among the first 2 accreditation bodies in Europe to include the ISO/IEC 17029 standard within the scope of the EA MLA by transitioning to ISO/IEC 17029:2019 and ISO 14065:2020 standards in the field of validation and verification.
As TÜRKAK, we accredit over 2000 conformity assessment bodies. We are full members of the international umbrella associations IAF and ILAC, and our regional umbrella association EA, in all areas where we operate. Thanks to the mutual recognition agreements we signed, the international validity of the accreditation service we offer allows products and services in Turkey to take place in the international trade scene in the fastest and easiest way.
As TÜRKAK in the near future and in the long term, we are also very determined to take the necessary steps to make economic growth sustainable by carefully analyzing current developments, potential threats and needs that must be met.
With the awareness of the importance of accreditation activities in building a better future and the pride that our work serves beneficial purposes for our planet and all humanity, as TÜRKAK family, our assessors, technical experts, employees of accredited conformity assessment bodies, and all our stakeholders within our international associations ILAC, IAF and EA and all my colleagues, I congratulate 9 June World Accreditation Day.
Banu MÜDERRİSOĞLU
Secretary General