Tülin Akın, Co-Founder of TABİT and Vodafone Smart Village, spoke on the program “Good Morning with AGRO TV”, stating:
“During the pandemic, we realized how important it is to produce and consume healthy food. That’s why we must strengthen agriculture together.”
Akın appeared as an online guest on the live broadcast of AGRO TV on Monday, September 14, at 10:00 a.m., hosted by AGRO TV News Director Merve Ekinci. She explained that the agricultural technologies implemented in the pilot Vodafone Smart Village serve as examples for application across Turkey and worldwide.
“Our Goal Is Not to Build Villages, but to Teach Agricultural Technologies”
Regarding a similar village established in Batman Gercüş, Akın responded to Ekinci’s question about building other villages:
“The purpose of the Smart Village is not to create similar villages everywhere. We aim to teach farmers how to use agricultural technologies in farming and livestock, and how to increase their yields practically. Through these implementations, farmers learn and apply the methods, deciding whether to follow the approach or try something different. Each region in Turkey has different soil and weather conditions. We established this village here because almost all crops can grow in this region, allowing farmers to see and follow the practices in action.”
She added that the Vodafone Smart Village project is now used as a model both domestically and internationally:
“Currently, we have a project in Hatay. A similar village has been established in Batman Gercüş. Each region requires separate evaluation and its own concept. We provide voluntary support or consultancy wherever needed.”
“We Provide Knowledge and Training to Anyone Interested”
Akın noted that work at the Vodafone Smart Village continued even during the pandemic:
“We went through a rapid adaptation period during the pandemic. For families with a long history in farming, integrating technology into agriculture encouraged young people to pursue farming and livestock. Over the last six months, we have observed adaptation to agriculture. For the future of our world, we must adapt to agriculture. Producing and consuming healthy food is crucial—not only for farmers but for everyone. That’s why we must strengthen agriculture together. Farmer families should receive guidance and technology support, while farmers themselves must research which crops to grow and how to increase yields, learning to use technologies that simplify work and reduce costs. This is the path to farmer development.”
She emphasized the accessibility of the Smart Village:
“This place is open to anyone who wants to learn or observe. We provide training to all visitors. We have held large-scale trainings outdoors and in conference halls, but due to the pandemic, we limit groups to a maximum of 10 people. Trainings are conducted outdoors and on-site, with strict adherence to mask-wearing, social distancing, and hygiene rules.”