INTERNATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMME ON METROLOGY

FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

(13-19 July 2008)

COUNTRY REPORT

TUBITAK UME

(SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF TURKEY)

(NATIONAL METROLOGY INSTITUTE OF TURKEY)

 Introduction. Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey,
is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and
Thrace (Rumelia) in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Turkey's area occupies
783,562 square kilometres (300,948 sq mi). The population of Turkey is 70,586,256 (the
17th in the world) according to 2007 census [1].
Due to its strategic location astride two continents, Turkey's economy plays a very
important role since Turkey is the 15th country in the world with a total GDP-PPP (Gross
Domestic Product, Purchasing Power Parity) of $941.6 billion, according to 2008 IMF
estimate [2]. The average GDP growth rate from 2002 to 2007 is 7.4%, which made
Turkey one of the fastest growing economies in the world during that period [1].
Having such a huge economical structure, Turkey mainly needs primary level
measurement and metrological systems to possess advanced metrological infrastructure.
The structure of the Turkish National Metrology System composes of Ulusal
Metroloji Enstitüsü (UME), the Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK), the General
Directorate of Standards and Measures under the Ministry of Industrial and Trade (MIT),
accredited laboratories, and industrial quality control laboratories represented by the
Turkish Association of Calibration and Testing Laboratories, TÜRKLAB.
Scientific Metrology. The National Metrology Institute, which is the pinnacle of the
national measurement system, is responsible for conducting scientific metrology activities.
National Metrology Institute operates under authority of Turkish Scientific and
Technological Research Council (TUBITAK). TUBITAK UME has more 40 laboratories
covering a wide range of metrological fields. Most of the calibration and testing services
provided by TUBITAK UME are accredited. UME is founding member of European
Association of National Metrology Institutes (EURAMET) and represents Turkey in
International Measurement Confederation (IMEKO). UME is a signatory of the BIPM
Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) since 1999.
The institute employs it infrastructure to perform more than 4000 calibrations,
publish more than 25 scientific articles in respected international journals, and participate
in over 25 international measurement inter-laboratory comparisons every year. TUBITAK
UME maintains an active customer base of over 500 establishments, memberships in 71
national and international technical committees, and 105 primary level measurement
standards. TUBITAK UME has 350 CMC entries published on the BIPM data base.
TUBITAK UME has adopted an important role since its establishment both on the
national and international scenes, and successfully fulfills the duties that necessarily
follow from this role; (i) To establish and maintain national measurement reference
standards in accordance with the internationally accepted definitions of basic and
derivative SI Units (ii) To engage in R&D activities in the areas of measurement
technologies and metrology in line with scientific developments and national needs for the
purposes of supporting our industry and making a contribution to the world of metrology
(iii) To ensure the integration of the national measurement system with the international
system and to promote its recognition (iv) To support the development of Turkey’s quality
and metrology infrastructure to increase the competitive strength of domestic products on
the international market (v) To promote societal awareness of metrology with the aim of
improving quality of life (vi) To represent Turkey internationally in the area of metrology.
TUBITAK UME actively participates in metrology research projects (ERANET plus,
EMRP), sponsored by the European Union and with its young and dynamic workforce,
has become an indispensable part of the effort to achieve uniformity in measurements
among European Union and South Asian institutes of metrology.
Taking advantage of its relatively recent foundation and its use of new technologies
in providing its services, TUBITAK UME has positioned itself as an irreplaceable partner
for countries that support the development of metrology services in neighboring countries.
In this context, TUBITAK UME provides training for the personnel of institutes of
metrology in the Southeastern European region [3].
Legal Metrology. The General Directorate of Standards and Measures (GDSM),
under Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT), is responsible for legal metrology and
represents Turkey in the Meter Convention and OIML. GDSM/MIT has currently
metrology centers equipped to handle legal metrology related measurements such as
mass, volume, length, gas, water and oil flow, and electrical quantities. These centers are
traceable to TUBITAK UME and serve 70 regional verification offices. In each
municipality, there is a verification bureau to inspect the equipment used for trade. On a
contractual basis, TUBITAK UME provides support to GDSM in the project for the
reconstruction and reorganization of the central legal metrology laboratory. The main goal
of the project is to prepare the laboratory to carry out activities in conformity with the MID
2004/22/EC EU directive.
For a type approval, GDSM is the highest authority in the country. Actual
measurements are performed by various laboratories (including TUBITAK UME)
authorized by GDSM/MIT. GDSM/MIT uses the test and measurement reports produced
by the approved laboratories and issues the type approval certificates.
 Industrial and Applied Metrology. Another important player in the national quality
infrastructure is the National Accreditation Agency. All accreditation services in Turkey are
coordinated by the Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK), which was established in
1999. TÜRKAK signed the ILAC Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) on May 10,
2006. As of 2008, there were 123 testing and 42 calibration laboratories accredited by
TÜRKAK. These laboratories perform calibration and testing for a wide scope of
customers. TUBITAK UME is working in close cooperation with TÜRKAK and provides
technical assistance and assessors during accreditation assessments based on a bilateral
protocol of cooperation.
Turkish Standardization Institute (TSE) was established in 1960 for the purpose of
preparing standards for all types of products together and providing product certifications.
TSE is in charge of standardization and reports to the Prime Ministry. TSE also operates
a network of testing and calibration laboratories. It carries out this responsibility through
calibrations of the monitoring and measurement devices used for production in industry
utilizing secondary standards that are traceable to the primary standards established and
maintained at TUBITAK UME. The Institute operates under the oversight of the General
Directorate for Standards and Measures (GDSM), which is linked to the Prime Ministry
through the Ministry of Industry and Trade. TSE’s labs have been accredited by DKD
(Germany), and later by TÜRKAK.
General Strategy In Turkey. In the previous years, each organization/body
(TUBITAK UME, TURKAK, TSE, etc.) carried out the activities in order to meet Turkey’s
urgent requirements without having any coordinated National Metrology Program
throughout the country. Today, in accordance with the Law No. 5018 on Public Fiscal
Management and Control, each organization/body in Turkey performs their own strategic
plans and applications. Additionally, as the major institutions within standardization,
testing and certification, accreditation, and metrology have found their role in the new
quality infrastructure, they now start to collaborate, so that the contour of a cohesive
quality infrastructure in Turkey begins to emerge.
In the scope of a project named as “Support to the Quality Infrastructure in Turkey”
funded by European Commission, a five years programme has been performed. Within
the scope of the programme, an analysis of Turkey’s progress in the field of technical
harmonization and alignment of the quality infrastructure is done by senior experts from
the appropriate EU quality infrastructure organizations. This analysis covers six areas: (i)
accreditation, (ii) certification, (iii) testing, (iv) inspection, (v) metrology, (vi)
standardization.
The findings are combined in a Country Report. This report presents a clear picture
to both Turkey and the Commission of the current state of the quality infrastructure and
the extent to which it meets or falls short of the requirements [4]. Some examples of the
situation about quality infrastructure in Turkey can be given below;
For two years period between 2004 and 2006, TSE has been accelerating the
reform of its internal and external practices in order to be organised in the same manner
as the large European standards institutes. In 2006, a new organisation was implemented
with a clear separation between standardisation activities and other activities (certification,
testing, inspection and calibration). The standardisation activities (standards drafting,
dissemination of information, sales of standards) are regrouped within one unit, being well
defined and having its own budget. The standardisation process has been completely
restructured.
The low participation of economic partners in standardization work remains a
weakness of the Turkish standardization. According to the companies, most professional
associations and chambers of commerce have no technical role. An interface is missing
between enterprises and TSE because the current institutional representatives (chambers
of commerce and professional associations) are not efficient enough.
The lack of PT (Proficiency Testing) programmes in some fields of accreditation is
a known fact that all accreditation bodies are trying to live with. In most other countries
there are a number of organizations with knowledge on how to arrange PT programmes.
Turkey needs to disseminate knowledge to possible PT-providers in order to increase
awareness and increase the number of actors.
Strategical Planning and Implementing in TUBITAK UME. TUBITAK UME
continues its activities with the vision to become a centre of excellence in the metrology
world. In order to achieve steady progress towards this vision, the institute has been
developing strategic plans since 2005. The planning activities have been carried out by a
group of 17 trained staff members that represent the different laboratories and units of
TUBITAK UME. Roadmaps that detail steps to be taken from the present onwards in
order to achieve the vision are drafted using analyses of shareholders, customers and
services, in addition to modern evaluation tools, such as PESTS and SWOT analysis.
Roadmaps are created to conform to TUBITAK UME’s strategic aims that take into
account the levels that TUBITAK UME must reach both nationally and internationally.
 The strategic aims of the institute have been identified as those listed below: (i)
Realization and development of national measurement standards in accordance with
international definitions with the purpose of attaining national self-sufficiency in the field of
measurements (ii) Increasing R&D activities with the aim of contributing to the world of
metrology (iii) To support development of the national economy and reduce foreign
dependence through extensive R&D activity that corresponds to domestic demands and
current scientific developments (iv) To ensure the integration of the national measurement
system into the international system and to promote its international recognition (v) To
support the further development of the metrological infrastructure for the purpose of
contributing to the competitiveness of national products on the international market (vi) To
promote and conduct activities for the purpose of contributing to the nation's quality of life
through raising awareness of metrology and metrological culture in society.
TUBITAK UME has decided on nine different actions to be applied in order to reach
its strategic aims. Seventeen performance criteria have been selected and are monitored
for the purpose of evaluating the institute's performance. Among the criteria are the
numbers of improved new measurement techniques and standards/systems, scientific
events (conferences, symposia, etc.) that were organized or attended, technical
committee memberships, and published articles.
Conclusion. Today's metrology focuses on global harmonization of quantitative
measurements in support of trade, health and environment. In particular traceability to
internationally recognized measurement standards, properly stated uncertainties, and
participation in inter laboratory comparisons are key issues for the insurance of proper
quantitative measurements.
TUBITAK UME is now in a very strong position in national and international area.
Today, TUBITAK UME is planned to focus and to realize an investment in new
emergency areas such as bio-metrology and nano-metrology. The necessary activities
will be carried out in cooperation with concern organization/bodies.

References.
[1] http://www.turkstat.gov.tr
[2] http://www.imf.org
[3] http://www.ume.tubitak.gov.tr
[4] http://www.quality-turkey.org/exc/index.htm