It wasn’t my first time in Turkey, but it was the first time I fell in love with turkey and its people. Maybe my predisposition was different this time, maybe what I saw touched me in a different way, or maybe it was just because I was welcomed so friendly.
I landed felling that even small things can give us pleasant surprises.
At the Miniaturk (the biggest miniature park of the World)
The organization of the 18th International Dental Congress of the Turkish Dental Association was super and they really did a very good job. The organization was exceptional, both of the scientific program and of the exhibition area.
At the opening ceremony I addressed some words to our colleagues, on behalf of FDI World Dental Federation. I’m leaving here the link for my speech (PDF, 53 KB). Bellow is Dr. Taner Yucel, who has given so much to TDA.
FDI has an important role on supporting its members. I was honored to take a closer look at TDA’s development and work, especially at the growth of its congress and at the dynamic role of dentistry in here. There are almost 25.000 dentists in Turkey and 23.144 of them are actively practicing their profession. The TDA was founded in 1986 and since then has been organizing the profession. Turks have an inspiring ability to keep things in perspective, and moving towards doing better. As a dentist with a voice within dentistry worldwide, I will always share what motivates each one of us for doing better in the field of oral health. Having in mind that even if we are a shadow or so different from the others that surround us, we will never quit, but instead we will try to fit at the space we have to act.
I took the opportunity to speak to several colleagues and establish contacts for FDI. I would like to involve more and more each one of those who aim to have better oral health for their populations.
Dr. Tarek Abbas Hassan (president of Egyptian Dental Association) and Dr. Ghassan Yared (president Liban Dental Association)
Prof. Dr. Taner Yücel, Prof. Nermin Yamalik, Dr. Duyger Ilhan and Dr. Philippe Rusca
The land of Alexander the Great, the land where Achilles battled the Trojans in Homer’s Iliad, the land of the Ottoman Empire, the land of the fought battles is now the land of a cosmopolitan future, where dentistry has a place of great importance and will shape the world, accordingly. Where tradition could reach modern times!
Thinking about Julius Caesar’s words regarding Turkey “Veni. Vidi, Vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered), I could say that this great civilization has that effect on people: I arrived, I saw and I was conquered.
Only the cat remains as nothing had changed, glancing towards the future where dentistry has already conquered its place!
TDA Istanbul Congress Newspaper
Posted by Orlando Monteiro da Silva 
Orlando Monteiro da Silva 