Territory/city

Mutatlı is a Town in East Thrace of 20,000 inhabitants, district 26,000.

Coordination group

2 members attended Silivri SPIRAL training (October 2012) and 4 attended the Responding Together Training in Tekirdağ (February 2013). The 1st step was to establish the coordination group, done during the first quarter of 2013. Adem Turnaci, a retired German teacher, had formed the group by word of mouth, asking for recommendations to find representatives of all segments of the town and people that could be effectively involved. Although there are strong traditions of sharing everything with neighbours and trying to help out the poorer members of the community, these traditions are becoming weaker. There is also a Ministry of Education branch of Popular Education and a staff member in the coordination group.

Participation in Responding Together project (1st cycle)

Many proposals but all seeking funding; therefore, once it was understood that this was not the nature of Responding Together, the coordination group was willing to adopt the JP approach and make non-financially resourced proposals. There have been many different kinds of actions and activities already held in Muratlı. One task for the Coordination group is to draw up an inventory of these activities. Proposals for actions to be carried out include: 1. Collect unused clothes from the community and sell them at very cheap prices at a market to poorer members of the community. 2. Food waste from factories collected to distribute and contribute to chosen people. 3. Social dentistry – contact known local dentists to improve awareness of dental health and provide some voluntary consultations. Dentists can sponsor toothpastes, and help with doctors in state hospitals to consult disadvantaged group members 4. A training programme on how to brush teeth properly could be beneficial 5. Market productions – sharing traditional skills and income generation ideas and techniques – realising that they had no representative of chamber of commerce in the group, thought then that they should maybe invite someone. Consider the benefits also for private sector and companies to enhance their Corporate Social Responsibility objectives. 6. Activity to address environment and pollution – raising awareness