Our Purpose

The encouragement and development of the ideal of service as the basis of all worthy enterprise,

The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service and its evaluation, the promotion of high ethical standards in business and professional life, the recognition and appreciation of the value of all useful occupations, and the elevation of each Rotarian's own occupation and profession as an opportunity for service to society,

It is defined as the application by each Rotarian of the 'Ideal of Service' in their personal, business, and community life, and the development of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through worldwide friendly relations among business and professional people united in the Ideal of Service.

According to these principles, Rotary;

• It is a way of understanding and living.
• It is social and has no secret aspects.
• It develops international acquaintance.
• It allows the development of friendship and camaraderie.
• It provides opportunities for knowledge exchange among business and professional people.
• It provides opportunities for business and professional people to support each other.
• It creates a more humane society within an environment of friendship and camaraderie.
• It enables members to be beneficial to society through constructive work by developing their leadership abilities.
• It serves as a means for developing relations between world states and achieving universal peace.

Rotary's ideal of service is defined as SERVICE ABOVE SELF.

This perspective indicates an attitude that includes all Rotarians worldwide, and this principle of service brings together all people on Earth under a common purpose.

As of June 2015, 1,214,710 people united in the ideal of service are members of 34,216 Rotary Clubs. Rotary Club membership is formed only by invitation, with the selection of up to 5 people from professional groups in the region or up to 10% of the club's membership in clubs with more than 50 members. The purpose of classification in Rotary Clubs is to ensure that each club has a complete cross-section of all businesses and professions in the region.

Rotarians strive to create order where there is chaos, beauty where there is ugliness, and happiness and health where there is loneliness and misunderstanding.

According to this principle, Rotary is an organization that tries to bring together people with different religious, racial, and political views in an atmosphere of friendship and neutral environment. Accordingly, even if thoughts and views are different, it helps develop cooperation and understanding for united benefits by avoiding partisan activities that often cause divisions among people. Rotarians serve everywhere and in every direction where possible. A Rotarian is someone who does not think of their work only as a means of livelihood. For a Rotarian, their work and profession is a tool that enables them to sustain their life and serve others. In addition, every Rotarian is expected to be loyal to their country and beliefs. For political and religious views are matters that concern only the individual.

In Rotary, which initially appeared as an organization aimed at solidarity, it was understood over time that solidarity alone would not be sufficient to continuously attract business and professional people, so the purpose gradually turned towards the view of service above self, and this view gradually spread and was adopted. Rotary principles prohibit the use of rights given by membership for commercial benefits. Indeed, in the last paragraph of the 'Statement of Business and Professional Rotarians' that every Rotarian must follow, it says: 'As a business and professional Rotarian, I accept and declare that I will not give priority and advantages to Rotarians that I normally do not give to others in business and professional relations, and similarly, I will not expect similar priority and advantages from my Rotarian friends.' Rotary's basic approach is to create common value judgments among people and internationally, bring people closer together, and contribute to universal peace. In every country, individuals support those who serve by taking responsibility for country problems without waiting for everything from the state. This often happens not in a personal style of action but through Civil Society Organizations where people come together. Rotary is not a charity or just a friendship community, unlike other civil society organizations. The assistance envisaged by Rotary is not given in the form of alms or donations. Rotary is an organization that served as an example to organizations such as Kwanis established in 1915, Lions established in 1917, and Optimist and Zonta established in 1919, and paved the way for the establishment of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO.

Every work that Rotary Clubs and Rotarians accomplish and plan in the way of achieving Rotary's purpose finds its place within the Programs proposed by Rotary. If clubs and members can implement their programs well, Rotary will continue to grow as a service organization and maintain the respect it sees worldwide. The purpose of Rotary, which was gathered under six principles until the 1935 Mexico Convention, was reduced to a single article consisting of four sections at the 1951 Atlantic City Convention. A Rotarian is asked to develop and encourage the following four topics. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service and the establishment of high ethical standards in the profession, the acceptance that all useful work is respectable, and each Rotarian elevating their own work and profession as an opportunity for service to society, each Rotarian applying the ideal of service to their personal business and community life, and developing mutual understanding, goodwill, and peace by establishing worldwide friendly relations among business and professional people united in the Ideal of Service.