Mersin, a rising star of world tourism, is set on a long coastline in the eastern part of the Turkish Riviera and boasts the cleanest seawater along this coast.

Mersin is a city of long beaches and enchanting inlets with the Taurus Mountains rising immediately behind them. Mersin is one of the important ports of the Mediterranean and a centre of maritime commerce, just as it was during ancient times. The plains of this sun-kissed city are resplendent with some of the best lemon and orange groves in Turkey and its countless vineyards curl up into the low foothills of the mountains.

A long history of human habitation

The story of mankind began a long, long time ago in Mersin. The Çukurova plain, one of the best naturally irrigated and fertile spots in the Mediterranean basin, was the site of one of the first settlements where people learned to work the land. What is more, there were also forests just behind this great plain so suitable for agriculture. The first settlements in this area, known in ancient times as Cilicia, date back to the Prehistoric age. The city of Mersin (ancient Zephyrium) occupies the site of an extremely ancient city known as Kizuwatna of the Hittites. At the Yumuktepe Tumulus, 3km west of the city, excavations have unearthed several successive settlements dating back to 6000 BC and the Neolithic age. There are remains of various civilizations throughout Mersin, but the majority are from the Roman, Byzantine and Turkish eras.

Mersin is a centre of maritime commerce, just as it was during ancient times.

Eleven kilometres west of Mersin can be found a row of Corinthian columns that once lined the main street of Viranşehir (ancient Pompeiopolis and Soloi), founded in 700 BC by the Rhodians. At Kanlıdivane are the ruins of ancient Kanytelis, with tombs resembling small temples, and churches and sarcophagi dating from Roman and Byzantine times. The city and its ruins can be found on the sides of a deep chasm.

Kızkalesi, 50km southwest of Mersin, is a lovely county with fine sandy beaches, motels and camp sites. It is also home to the ancient city of Korykos. The 12th century castle of Korykos on the shore faces another castle, Kızkalesi (Maiden’s Castle), standing on a tiny island 200m offshore. Just beyond Kızkalesi, on a bay lined with fish restaurants at the little fishing village of Narlıkuyu, a Roman mosaic known as the Three Graces can be found. Further on at the bottom of a valley is a naturally formed cave, 275m by 125m in size, known as Cennet (Heaven) and there is also a deep chasm (50-75m wide and 80-120m deep) called Cehennem (Hell). In the so-called Vale of Heaven are the ruins of a temple converted into a Christian chapel in the fifth century. Nearby is the deep Narlıkuyu Cave full of stalagmites, stalactites and calcium carbonate, with stairs carved by the Romans. The humid air of the cave reportedly helps those who suffer from respiratory diseases. East of Mersin, on the edge of the fertile Çukurova Plain, is Tarsus, the birthplace of St Paul and once a capital. Of the many ancient cities in Mersin, Cilician Seleucia, Demircili (Imbriogon), Uzuncaburç (Diocaesarea), Ura (Olba) and Anamur (Anamorium) are the most important ones. In each of these ancient settlements visitors have the opportunity to see such historical structures as temples, bridges and ancient theatres dating back thousands of years.

Excellent beaches

Besides its historical and cultural wealth, Mersin charms visitors with its natural beauty and excellent beaches. Ovacık, 44km west of Taşucu, is a quiet spot well-known for its fisherman's wharf and beach. The Peninsula (ancient Cavaliere) of Ovacık is one of the natural highlights of Turkey, an ideal area for diving. The surrounding sailing waters to the west of Ovacık are clearly marked, ensuring yacht safety along this breathtaking stretch of coast. The shore road that clings to the pine-clad mountain slopes steeply down to the sea, offering spectacular views of cliffs, coves and crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean. 36km to the west of Aydıncık district is Bozyazı, a holiday centre with clean and roomy camping sites along its wide beaches. The county of Anamur is nestled in between the mountains, with banana plantations surrounding it. Situated on terraces above the sea, it is perfect for a climb to the top which overlooks one of the cleanest and most pristine coasts in Turkey.

Information Text on the Use of Your Personal Data

This Consent and Information Document (“Information Document”) regulates terms and conditions for use of the data notified by Users of services (“Patients”) and/or gained from Patients during delivery of Oba Tourism Organization Adversiment  and Publishing Limited Company (“Medithrace”) with headquarter at Ertuğrul Mah. Orduevi Cad. No 2 Süleymanpaşa -  Tekirdağ pursuant to Personal Data Protection Law (Nr. 6698)  activities performed to deliver services, including “Free-of-charge Second Opinion and Health Counseling” (“Services”) at contract partner hospitals (“Hospitals”) with details written below.
 
How is your medical history and health information obtained?

Your personal health details are derived from “your medical reports, details about medications you take, epicrisis, imaging studies, imaging reports and pathology reports” that you submit us and they are shared with or disclosed to partner hospitals in Turkey and their relevant personnel in order to create your treatment plan.

Which data is processed?
 
This article lists the data that is regarded as personal data in Personal Data Protection Law (Nr. 6698) and processed by Medithrace for the services delivered to patients. Unless otherwise is stated, “Personal Data” and “Data with Specific Quality (Sensitive”) shall have following meanings pursuant to terms and conditions of this Information Document. 

Hospital collects following data that are notified by Patients. 
 
●    Identity - Address Details: Name surname, identity number, gender, date of birth, business or personal e-mail, phone number, home address or business address that are written on relevant forms,
●    Health Evaluation Details: Your medical history, medical reports, details of medications you take, epicrisis, imaging studies, imaging reports and pathology reports.
●    Extra data: Other health and/or personal information that is required for service delivery and not covered in above written data classes. 

Pursuant to Articles 3 and 7 of Personal Data Protection Law (Nr. 6698) and regulations to be issued by the Committee, personal data or sensitive data shall not cover the data that is anonymized by deleting your identity details in an irreversible manner and terms and conditions of this Information Document, hereby, shall not apply to such data. 

Why do we use your data?

Your data is shared with or disclosed to physicians, healthcare staff and other relevant hospital personnel to help our firm provide you with “free-of-charge second opinion” service that is rendered in relation with your probable treatment. Thus, they are used to have contract hospitals create a complete treatment plan and submit estimated cost.

Hospitals may process the personal data notified by the Patient and the new data derived by the Hospital from the personal data in order to help the Patient use the Services, deliver the Services, fulfill the intended use of the personal data specified in this Information Document, fulfill the liabilities arising out of the content of Services and meet any and all legal obligations.

In addition, the Hospital may process the personal data and disclose them to third parties without any need to consent of the Patient pursuant to Articles 5, 6 and 8 of Personal Data Protection Law (Nr. 6698) and/or in the presence of exemptions in the relevant legislation.

Allowed Disclosures
 
Medithrace shall be entitled to disclose the personal data notified by the Patient and the new data derived by the hospital from the personal data in order to render the Services, improve the patient experience, improve Services and achieve any one of the goals specified under the section “Why do we use your data?” of this Information Policy.

Your personal, clinical and genetic data collected pursuant to this Information Document, hereby, shall be processed in line with the provisions written in this document and the provisions and security measures dictated by relevant legislation of the country, where the data is stored and/or processed.

Your Right to Access Your Data and Your Correction Requests

 The patient shall have the following rights by applying to Medithrace;

●    Learning if the personal data is processed or how it is processed,
●    Requesting relevant information, if personal data is processed,
●    Learning the intent of processing personal data and whether they are used in line with the intention, 
●    Learning local and international third parties who are shared the personal data,
●    Requesting correction, if personal data is processes incompletely or incorrectly,
●    Requesting correction, deletion or disposal of the personal data in line with the provisions set by relevant legislation; requesting notification of the correction, deletion or disposal to third parties that are transferred the personal data,
●    Raising an objection to a negative outcome arising out of analyzing the data exclusively with automated systems,
●    Requesting compensation of loss and damage that arises out of illegal processing of personal data. 

The patient may post the request in writing to Ertuğrul Mah. Orduevi Cad. No: 2 Süleymanpaşa -  Tekirdağ or e-mail the request letter to info@medithrace.com. Medithrace shall issue and transfer the positive or negative response in writing or electronically pursuant to the above mentioned requests, provided the grounds of negative response are notified. The Patient undertakes that the details subject to this Information Policy are complete, correct and up-to-date and that they will be immediately updated in case of any change Medithrace shall assume no responsibility, if up-to-date information is not notified by the Patient.

Duration of Storage for Personal Data


Medithrace shall store the personal data notified by the Patient for the interval that the Services are actually delivered in order to fulfill liabilities set in this Information Policy, hereby, and arise out of the content of Services to help the Patient use the Services.

Our Measures and Commitments for Data Security

Pursuant to provisions set by relevant legislation or mentioned in this Information Policy, Medithrace commits to take necessary technical and administrative measures to ensure appropriate level of security in order to prevent illegal access to the personal data and/or illegal data processing.
Possible Changes in Information Policy
Medithrace shall be entitled to amend provisions of this Information Policy at any time, provided the amended policy is accessible at the Web Site, www.medithrace.com. The amendments made in the Information Policy by Medithrace shall be put into force immediately after the amended provisions are publicized.

By signing the declaration and consent document, I agree and state that I received the information and consent document, I read and understood the content and my personal data is processed, used and disclosed to third parties if necessary for my potential treatment.

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