Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, which has prepared our city for health tourism with its breakthroughs in the field of health, will host the Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine Congress, which will be held within the scope of the Traditional and Complementary Medicine (GETAT) Project, one of the most important health projects. Prior to the congress that will be held at KAEU on 17-19 November 2022, the Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya made an invitation to the congress.

Rector of KAEU Karakaya, who gave information about the GETAT Project, said that KAEU has been carrying out important studies in the fields of geothermal and agriculture since the day it became a pilot university within the framework of the regional development and specialization project carried out by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE). Emphasizing that one of the projects of our university, which carries out three pilot projects in the field of health, was the Traditional and Complementary Medicine (GETAT) project, Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya continued his speech as follows: “Within the framework of this project, the GETAT Application and Research Center (AHİGETAM) was opened and the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Center with 150-beds was opened. The GETAT units such as cupping, ozone, acupuncture, hirudotherapy, and phytotherapy have been opened in KAEU Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Center and health services have started to be provided.”

Rector Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya, who also stated that the GETAT project has some goals, said, “In order to promote it at the national international level by improving the local GETAT health service delivery and to specialize in GETAT scientific study fields by increasing national and international cooperation, we will hold the "Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine congress" in our city on 17-19 November 2022. Noting that the motto of the congress was determined as "From Ibn-i Sina to Ahi Evran - Healing from Nature", Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya added that in addition to traditional medicine, the understanding of medicine from Ibn Sînâ to the present day and the relationship between Ahi Evran, Ahilik, and Medicine would be addressed thematically by speakers who were competent in their field.

Rector Karakaya“We must introduce the philosophers raised in our civilization and left their mark on the new generations.” and added that “Ibn-i Sînâ is one of the prominent names among these philosophers, continued his speech as follows: “As every year, the third week of last August was celebrated as “Ibn-i Sina Week”. Ibn-i Sina, known in the western world as Avicenna, won the praise of leading scientists by influencing the western scientific world with his works. The books he wrote in the field of medicine were taught in medical education in Europe for years. Moreover, he made a name for himself as an exceptional physician who overshadowed Hippocrates and Galen, who had an important place in the European medical world. In an engraving drawn in Europe in the 15th century, Avicenna, wearing a crown on his head is in the middle while Galen is on the left and Hippocrates is on the right. That engraving went down in history as a work of art showing the influence of Avicenna in the medical world.”

Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya explained that Ahi Evran-ı Veli, who had a polymath personality and an important value, and the founder of the Ahi organization, which was based on brotherhood, generosity, bravery, self-sacrifice, accuracy, honesty, quality, production, morality, art, and science, had lived in these lands. Rector Karakaya stated that Ahi Evran-ı Veli was not only the founder of the Ahi organization but also a versatile personality with knowledge in the fields of Philosophy, Medicine, and Chemistry. In addition to this, Rector Karakaya noted that physicians were also members of the Ahi organization during the Ottoman period and that they were inspired by the Ahi organization in terms of its educational model and professional ethics, and he added, “In our age when human values have fallen into the background, the motto of our congress, which will bring the ancient knowledge that is about to disappear and the broken ties to the light thanks to science, art, and morality, is inspired by Ibn Sina and Ahi Evran, and therefore it is determined as "From Ibn-i Sina to Ahi Evran-Healing from Nature". ”

Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya said that Anatolia had hosted many civilizations since the oldest periods of history and that Anatolian Medicine, inherited centuries ago and accepted in the world, was an ancient knowledge of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine applications. Rector Karakaya stated that our civilization, which had thousands of years of culture and state tradition, revealed a unique understanding of medicine with its powerful institutions established for the healing of patients and preventive medicine, and put it at the service of humanity. He added; “Today, what we need to do as universities is to bring that ancient knowledge together with scientific knowledge and present it again to the service of humanity.”.

Rector Karakaya said, “At Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, our biggest goal is to develop evidence-based, effective, and reliable traditional and complementary medicine practices and to integrate scientific research with contemporary medicine.” He noted that the congress to be held would include the speakers invited from the international and national science world, scientific presentations, and courses on important studies in their field, based on GETAT applications, and that 30 scientific sessions, 12 courses, and many oral and written papers would be presented at the congress, which would start on 17 November 2022.

At the end of his speech, the Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya stated that he was very happy to announce that the international GETAT congress would be held in Kırşehir with the motto "From Ibn Sina to Ahi Evran-Healing from Nature" during the Ahi-Order week celebrated throughout our country and added that he believed that the congress would contribute to the promotion of cultural and developing scientific aspects of our city.