Article 1:

a) The “Association” has been established, in accordance with the paragraph “m” of the Article 7  of the Council of Higher Education Law number 2547, which has been amended by the law number 2880, in order to contribute to forming an adequate and secure road network in well harmony with the other transportation systems, and in order to collaborate with the concerned national and international bodies for carrying joint research and work in this area, by the members of universities, public organisations and the private sector, who share the aim of betterment and development of the conditions of the road network and the road transport system in Turkey and who also believe that joining their efforts together towards achieving this aim would be more functional and beneficial  than their individual efforts per se.

b) The title of the National Committee is the Turkish Road Association (TRA).

c) The Headquarters of the Turkish Road Association is located in Ankara; the Board of Directors is authorised to open branch offices when and where necessary.

AIMS

Article 2:

The aims of the TRA are as follows:

a) To support the activities relating to the construction, maintenance, operation and development of the road network and the highway structures needed for providing a sound road transport system in accordance with the present and future economic and social needs of the country;

b) To improve the cooperation among the organisations which are active  in educational, research, implementation, manufacturing  and operational areas related to the road network and road transport of the country;

c) To participate in international bodies, programs and projects as members or partners in order to execute the relations between Turkey and the related bodies of the international organisations operating in the fields of road network and road transportation such as the United Nations, the European Union and the OECD, as well as the non-governmental organisations such as IRF, PIARC, ITA, ITE and the like;

d) To support the education and training programs relating to the road network and road transport in various fields of science and technology; to establish contacts with foreign organisations, universities, scholars and technology experts and secure  communication, exchange and  visiting programmes with those; and organise national, regional and international congresses, conferences, symposia, seminars, training courses and the like with participation and contribution of them; to participate in such meetings to be organised by similar bodies and thus to promote the establishment and maintenance of knowledge, experience and service exchange among the related institutions;

e) To contribute to the promotion and publicity  of Turkey and to the expansion and development of the country’s foreign-economic relations as well as the promotion of commodities and services;

f) To promote the diversification of its structure and the enlargement of the trade volume as much as possible and on a multi-lateral basis by examining the international trade and tourism opportunities and the possibilities required by foreign trade capacity  of the country, 

g) To contribute to the work carried for the harmonisation of the standards, technical specifications and the practises and applications related to the road network and road transport, at the international level;

h) To evaluate and utilize  the accumulated knowledge existing in the country, in relation to the road network and road transport; to follow the scientific and technological developments; to provide the dissemination, exchange and shared use of such opportunities and facilities as the monographs, journals, publications, documents, statistics, computer program, research and experimental results, classrooms, laboratories and the museums; to prepare abstracts and make translations of the relevant publications and to publish periodicals;

i) To provide and distribute scholarships in the fields of research work, projects and education in the fields of transportation and traffic  engineering and to encourage exchange of student trainees .

MEMBERSHIP

ADMISSION OF MEMBERS 

Article 3:

a) Those who are currently working in educational, research, design, construction, manufacturing and operational areas relating to the fields of road network and road transport, and those who would be able to contribute to such activities as well as the public and private institutions involved in such activities can be admitted as members.  The institutions are represented in TRA by the person who is selected by the Institutions.

b) The written applications of individuals and institutions for membership are evaluated and approved by the Board of Directors.

TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP

c) The individuals or institutions wishing to withdraw from membership inform the Board of Directors in written form upon which their membership is withdrawn and their names are taken out  from the register .

d) The situation of the members, who have not paid their membership fees within the relevant year or within the additional time allowed for this purpose, is evaluated  by the Board of Directors.

e) In any case whereby any member acts/behaves in any manner which are not in harmony with the aims of TRA, or displays any behaviour that disgraces  the dignity of the Association, the case is handled by the Board of Directors; the membership of such a person is withdrawn by the decision of the General Assembly upon the proposal of the Board of Directors, provided that a written statement of self-defence of the concerned person is taken before.

MEMBERSHIP FEE

f) It is essential that the members pay membership fee.

g) The amount of membership fee is determined annually by the General Assembly. The General Assembly could transfer this authority to the Board of Directors.

ORGANISATION OF THE ASSOCIATION

Article 4:

a) The organs of the Association consist of the General Assembly, the Board of Directors, Executive Board, General Coordination Office and the Branch Coordination Offices. 

b) The functions and authority of the General Coordination Office and Branch Coordination Offices and their organisational structures are determined by the Board of Director.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Article 5:

a) The General Assembly is the highest authority within the Turkish Road Association. The Assembly convenes every year between 1st January – 1st April upon the call  of the President, regardless  of the condition of majority .  However, in cases when it is deemed necessary by the Board of Directors, the Assembly meetings could be held at any time following the same procedure. Invitations to the Assembly meetings are made at least one month before the meeting.

b) The General Assembly is opened by the President of the Association or the Secretary General. In order to administer the Assembly meeting, a Chairman and two Rapporteurs  are elected by open vote. The Rapporteurs prepare the minutes of the meeting and they sign it together with the Chairman.

Article 6:

The main tasks and the authorities of the General Assembly are the following:

a) To take decisions towards the realization of the aims of the Association;

b) To review the annual activity reports and the accounts of revenues and expense accounts of the Association.

c) To discharge  the annual income-expense accounts of the Association;

d) To review the budget proposal for the following  year; to approve the proposed budget either as it is or through making amendments; to authorise the Board of Directors to make transfers among the budgetary items.

e) To make amendments in the By-Laws of the Association.

f) To decide the termination of the Association.

g) To select the new members and the reserve members in place of those whose terms of membership have terminated in accordance with paragraph (d) of Article 7 of this By-Laws.

h) To take decision on the advice of the Board of Directors relating to the withdrawal of membership, according to the paragraph (e) of the Article 3 of this By-Laws.

i) To execute the other duties given in accordance with the articles of the By-Laws.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Article 7:

a) The actions  of the Association are executed by the Board of Directors.

b) The Board of  Directors consists of the following eleven members.

- President 
- Vice-President
- Secretary General
- Accountant
- Seven members

c) The President of the Association and the Board Of Directors is the General Director of the Highways who is currently on duty .

d) Other members of the Board Of Directors are the following, for a term of three years: three members assigned  by the General Directorate of Highways, one member assigned by the Middle East Technical University (METU), one member assigned by the İstanbul Technical University (ITU) and five members elected by the General Assembly. Vice-President, Secretary General, and Accountant will be elected by the Board within their members at the first meeting of the Board of Directors.

e) Those members assigned by the General Directorate of Highways, and the Rectorships of METU and İTU could be changed if deemed necessary by the concerned General Directorate and Rectorships.

f) For the 5 (five) members elected by the General Assembly, 3 (three) reserve members are also elected, according to the number of votes.

g) The new member, who is assigned for any vacancy in the Board of Directors due to various reasons, completes the term of the member whose place he has taken .

h) The members of the Board of Directors whose terms of task have terminated can be re-elected.

i) The Board of Directors can establish temporary or permanent Working Groups when necessary; the Board can employ professional staff to work in these Working Groups as well as to work in other activities  of the Board. Such professionals need not to be members of the Association.

j) The Board of Directors presents an annual activity report to the General Assembly.

Article 8:

The main task and authorities of the Board of Directors  are the following:

a) To execute the decisions taken by the General Assembly.

b) To take necessary decisions in relation to the functions of the Association; to carry out the relations and operations with the public and private organisations,

c) To determine the issues related to the functions and activities of the Executive Board and determine the tasks and authorities  in relation to these issues,

d) To open branch offices when/where necessary,

e) To prepare the annual activity report and the budget proposal of the Association,

f) To determine the tasks and authority of the General Coordinator’s office and the Branch Coordinators’ offices and their organisational charts,

g) To assign representatives for the international organisations,

h) To execute other tasks assigned by the articles of the By-Laws.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Article 9: 

The Executive Board of the Association has the responsibility and authority to execute  the tasks assigned by the Board of Directors and is composed of the President of the Association, the Secretary General, the Accountant and the General Coordinator.

REPRESENTATIVES

Article 10:

a) Representatives - as “members” or “correspondent members” - to various Committees of the International Organisations are determined by the Board of Directors from among the members of the Association.

b) In order that these members could be able to attend the related meetings, the Board Of Directors is authorised  to decide that the Association would contribute financial aid for this purpose.

FINANCIAL ISSUES 

Article 11:

a) Financial resources to be required for the operations of the Association are provided by the membership fees and donations as well as through such activities as the research work, scientific meetings, publications etc.

b) The membership fees to be paid to the international organisations by the Association are provided by the Association’s budget .

c) The expenses relating to the activities of the Association are carried out  by the Secretary General within the limits to be decided by the Board of Directors.

d) The term of operations as regard to the financial matters is the fiscal year.

e) The transactions of the accounts of the previous period are submitted to the General Assembly for approval.

f) The budgetary proposal prepared by the Board of Directors for each term is submitted to the approval of the General Assembly. The General Assembly can authorise the Board of Directors to make any transfers among the budgetary items.

g) Travel allowances  can be paid to those individuals assigned for attending a national or an international meeting by the Association, through the decision of the Board of Directors and in accordance with the terms of travel allowances determined by the Board of Directors.

MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES

Article 12:

a) The By-Laws of the Turkish Road Association can be amended  through the decision of the General Assembly taken by the number of votes which is more than half of the total number of registered members. The proposals for the amendment of the By-Laws, together with the relevant justifications, are sent to the members, attached to the agenda, at least one month prior to the date of meeting of  the General Assembly.

b) The By-Laws takes its final form at the General Assembly and then sent to the Rectorship of Middle East Technical University to be submitted for the approval of the Council of Higher Education.

c) The activities of the Association are carried at the office provided by the General Directorate of Highways.

Article 13:

a) In order to secure the coordination between the General Directorate of Highways and the Association an employee of the General Directorate of Highways is assigned by the General Directorate of Highways.

b) This person can participate to the meetings of the Board of Directors and the Executive Board.

DURATION AND TERMINATION 

Article 14:

a) The Association has been established for an unspecified period of time .

b) The Association can terminate  itself by a decision taken by the votes of two thirds of the total number of members. But, in order that this decision to be valid, it is a must that the proposal of termination, together with its justification, is indicated in the agenda and that this agenda should have been sent to the members, at least two months before the meeting.

c) In case of termination, the issues relating to the transfer of the movable and immovable properties of the Association and its cash money  are decided  by the General Assembly, in accordance with the existing laws and regulations.