TEXTILES.ORG
The 6th European Conference on Geosynthetics (EuroGeo6) is relocating from Istanbul, Turkey.
In the wake of ongoing terrorism in Turkey, most notably the June 28 suicide bombings at the Istanbul Atatürk Airport, the conference chairman announced that the quadrennial event will relocate to another site. The dates for the conference remain the same: September 25–28, 2016.
Conference chairman, Erol Güler, stated in his open letter (see below) that he, and his organizing committee, are currently consulting with leaders of the International Geosynthetics Society (IGS) and other IGS chapters in Europe regarding a new location.
Güler, chairman of the Turkish Chapter of the IGS and EuroGeo 6, announced in his letter and via email that EuroGeo6 would relocate to a new country but keep the same dates.
Conference chairman issues open letter
Dear Geosynthetics Family,
You undoubtedly are aware and concerned about the recent tragic event in Istanbul and we thank you for all the messages of sympathy. We, as the local organizing committee of EuroGeo6, are also dismayed by these troubling developments. We would like to express that our hearts, minds and prayers are with the victims and their families.
Even though we trust that the Turkish authorities, our organizing company, Dekon, and all venue representatives will take all possible measures to keep our participants sound and safe, we also fully understand that those incidents are making you and your loved ones uncertain about coming to Turkey. In this situation we want to let you rest assured that your and our industry partners’ safety/peace of mind is an absolute priority for us. Having said this, we see it as our duty to act now in a responsible and proactive manner.
Therefore, we have decided to relocate the EuroGeo6 Congress to a destination in another country without changing the congress dates. This new destination will be announced shortly after a consultation with the IGS. Of course, the Turkish Chapter of IGS and the existing organizing committee will continue to resume full responsibility. We will do our best so that you may experience the valuable technical program we have prepared for you, another magnificent city, and the essence of warm Turkish hospitality.
The decision to relocate an organization that we have been involved with for over five years has not been an easy one to make. However, we trust that your continued support and participation will make it all worthwhile.
Prof. Dr. Erol Güler
Chairman of Turkish IGS Chapter and EuroGeo6