About Project Sandstar

Note: This is a working translation. The Turkish PDF is the legally binding document filed with the local civil authority.

Name and Headquarters of the Association

Article 1

The name of the Association is: "Kum Yıldızı Derneği" (Sand Star Association). The headquarters of the Association is in Fethiye. No branches will be opened.

Aim of the Association

Article 2

Kum Yıldızı Association was established to develop and disseminate open-source, flexible, and sustainable solutions in the field of building automation and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, and to increase the benefits these technologies provide to society, the economy, and the environment.

In this context, the association aims to achieve the following targets:

1. Open Source Ecosystem Development — encourage development of open-source control systems (e.g., Kum Yıldızı Engine) and popularize these systems in IoT applications and building automation processes; support interoperability standards; integrate platforms like Project Haystack and Sedona Framework; provide hardware-independent solutions so systems from different manufacturers work together harmoniously.
2. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability — provide solutions that optimize energy consumption for smart buildings and infrastructures, reduce carbon footprints, and accelerate the transition to sustainable technologies. Contribute to environmental sustainability via energy-savings projects in the public and private sectors.
3. Education and Awareness — create awareness among governments, universities, companies, and individuals regarding open-source technologies, IoT applications, and energy management. Collaborate with universities for practical training and research. Organize training programs, seminars, and workshops on smart building systems, IoT, and data standardization.
4. Innovation and Research — create a platform for developing new algorithms, control mechanisms, and technologies in open source and IoT. Pioneer innovative projects through public–private–academic collaboration.
5. Social and Economic Benefit — ensure broad segments of society benefit from these technologies via systems based on transparency, security, and accessibility. Contribute to workforce training, employment, and cost-effective smart-city integration.
6. Interoperability and Standardization — contribute to the determination of IoT and building-automation standards and align them with global norms. Adopt data standardization frameworks such as Project Haystack.
7. CO₂ Reduction and Carbon-Neutral Targets — facilitate decarbonization by reducing energy consumption and supporting renewable energy systems. Provide infrastructure and technology support for green-building certifications.
8. Open Resource Partnerships and Collaborations — create a platform encouraging information sharing, innovative projects, and standardization among governments, universities, and the private sector. Develop collaborations that strengthen the open-source ecosystem at national and international levels.

Working Topics and Forms

a. Conducting research to activate and improve its activities.
b. Organizing educational activities such as courses, seminars, conferences, and panels.
c. Procuring information, documents, and publications; establishing a documentation center; publishing newspapers, magazines, books, and bulletins.
d. Providing a healthy working environment; supplying technical tools, R&D technologies, fixtures, and stationery.
e. Engaging in fundraising and accepting domestic and international donations (with required permissions).
f. Establishing and operating economic, commercial, and industrial enterprises to fund the association's aims.
g. Opening clubhouses (lokal) and establishing social and cultural facilities for members.
h. Organizing dinner meetings, concerts, balls, theater plays, exhibitions, excursions, and entertaining events.
i. Purchasing, selling, renting, or leasing movable and immovable properties; establishing real rights.
j. Establishing foundations domestically or abroad; joining federations; constructing permitted facilities.
k. International activities: membership in associations/organizations abroad, joint work, and cooperation.
l. Joint projects with public institutions, reserving Law No. 5072 provisions.
m. Establishing funds for members' essential and short-term credit needs.
n. Opening representative offices where deemed necessary.
o. Creating platforms with other associations, foundations, and unions for shared aims.

Field of Activity

Article 3

The association operates domestically and internationally in the fields of technology and social affairs to realize the aims specified above.

Membership Procedures

Article 4 — Right to Become a Member

Every real and legal person who possesses the legal capacity to act, adopts the aims and principles of the association, accepts to work in this direction, and meets the conditions stipulated by the legislation has the right to become a member. Foreign real persons must also have the right of settlement in Turkey (except honorary membership).

Membership applications are decided by the Board of Directors within thirty days, and the applicant is notified in writing.

Membership classes:

• Regular (Principal) Member — real and legal persons who adopt the association's aims and actively participate. Annual dues specified under "Income Sources".
• Honorary Member — individuals providing significant material or moral support. Exempt from dues by Board resolution.
• Corporate Member — legal entities supporting the aims. Annual dues specified under "Income Sources".

Article 5 — Resignation

Every member has the right to resign by written notice. Accumulated debts survive resignation and remain collectible.

Article 6 — Dismissal

A member may be dismissed by Board resolution for: (1) behavior contrary to the bylaws, (2) continuously avoiding assigned duties, (3) non-payment of dues within six months despite written warnings, (4) non-compliance with the organs' decisions, (5) loss of membership requirements. Those who resign or are dismissed forfeit any claim over the association's assets.

Organs of the Association

Article 7

The organs are: General Assembly (Genel Kurul), Board of Directors (Yönetim Kurulu), and Supervisory Board (Denetim Kurulu).

General Assembly

Article 8 — Meeting Time

The General Assembly is the most authoritative decision-making organ. It meets ordinarily once every three years in May on a date set by the Board, and extraordinarily within thirty days when called by the Board, the Supervisory Board, or one-fifth of the members.

Article 9 — Call Procedure

Members entitled to attend are called at least fifteen days in advance via newspaper, website, written notice, email, SMS, or local broadcast. The call specifies day, time, place, and agenda, and the second-meeting date (7–60 days later) in case the first lacks a quorum.

Article 10 — Meeting Procedure

Quorum is an absolute majority of members entitled to attend (two-thirds for bylaw amendments or dissolution). If postponed for lack of quorum, the second meeting needs no quorum but at least twice the total principal members of the Board + Supervisory Board combined.

Article 11 — Voting

Voting is open by default. Decisions require absolute majority of attending members; bylaw amendments and dissolution require a two-thirds majority of attending members.

Article 12 — Decisions Without a Meeting

Decisions taken with the written participation of all members, or by all members coming together without formal call, are valid but do not substitute for an ordinary meeting.

Article 13 — Duties and Powers

The General Assembly elects organs, amends the bylaws, acquits the Board, approves the budget, authorizes real-estate transactions, decides on federation/foundation membership, joins/leaves international bodies, dissolves the association, decides on dismissals from membership, and supervises all other organs.

Board of Directors

Article 14 — Formation

Five principal + five substitute members, elected by the General Assembly. The Board divides duties at its first post-election meeting: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member. Meetings require one more than half of the total members; decisions by absolute majority of attendees. Substitutes fill principal vacancies in vote order.

Article 15 — Duties and Powers

The Board represents the association, manages income/expense and the budget, drafts regulations, transacts real estate under Assembly authority, opens representative offices, implements Assembly resolutions, prepares the annual report and financial statements, decides on membership admissions/dismissals, and carries out all other duties under the legislation.

Supervisory Board

Article 16 — Formation

Three principal + three substitute members, elected by the General Assembly. Substitutes fill vacancies in vote order.

Article 17 — Duties and Powers

Audits the association at least once a year against the bylaws, legislation, and record-keeping rules. Reports to the Board and to the General Assembly. May request a Special General Assembly when necessary.

Income Sources of the Association

Article 18

1. Membership dues: 4,000 TL annually from real persons. Legal entities: 40,000 TL (≤ $1M turnover); 400,000 TL ($1M–10M); 2,000,000 TL ($10M–100M); 5,000,000 TL (> $100M). The Board may adjust these amounts.
2. Entry fee: 3,500 TL (real persons) / 35,000 TL (legal entities).
3. Voluntary donations from real and legal persons.
4. Revenue from meetings, excursions, representation, concerts, competitions, and conferences.
5. Revenue from the association's assets.
6. Donations and aid collected per fundraising legislation.
7. Profits from the association's commercial activities.
8. Dues are paid annually by end of January.
9. Other revenues.

Books

Article 19 — Bookkeeping

Books kept on the operating-account basis; switch to balance-sheet basis if gross income exceeds the Regulation's threshold. Separate books are maintained for any commercial enterprise.

Article 20 — Books to Be Kept

• Resolution Book — Board resolutions in order of date and number.
• Member Registry Book — members' identifying data and entry/exit dates.
• Document Registry Book — incoming/outgoing documents with date and sequence number.
• Operating Account Book — all revenues and expenses.
• (Balance-sheet basis only) Journal and General Ledger.

Article 21 — Recording Procedure

Books and records follow the Associations Regulation and the Communiqués 2006/1 and 2007/2.

Article 22 — Certification

Mandatory books (excluding the General Ledger) are certified by the Provincial Directorate of Civil Society Relations or a notary before use. The balance-sheet Journal is re-certified in the last month of each preceding year.

Income and Expense Transactions

Article 23 — Documents

Revenues collected with a Receipt Document (bank receipts substitute for bank collections). Expenses paid against invoices, retail sales receipts, self-employment receipts, or Expense Receipts / Bank Receipts where applicable.

Article 24 — Year-End Statements

Operating-account entities produce an Operating Account Statement at 31 December; balance-sheet entities produce the balance sheet and income statement per the Ministry of Finance communiqués. Gratuitous in/out deliveries use the In-Kind Aid Delivery and In-Kind Donation Receipt documents.

Article 25 — Receipt Documents

Receipt Documents are printed by the printing house upon a Board resolution and handled per the Associations Regulation.

Article 26 — Retention

Receipts and expenditure documents are retained for 5 years in sequence/date order, reserving longer periods required by special laws.

Article 27 — Certificate of Authorization

Revenue collectors other than regular Board members are designated by Board resolution. A Certificate of Authorization (with photo, ID, signature) is issued in duplicate and approved by the Chairman. Maximum duration one year; returned to the Board within one week of expiry/resignation/termination. The Board may revoke collection authority at any time.

Notification Obligations

Article 28 — Notifications to the Local Civil Authority

• General Assembly Result: within 30 days, including elected organs; bylaw amendments attached.
• Immovables: within 30 days of land-registry registration.
• Foreign Aid Received: filed before receipt; cash aid via banks only.
• Aid Sent Abroad: pre-notification + 90-day post-activity report; bank-only transfers.
• Settlement (Address) Change: within 45 days.
• Membership Changes: within 45 days of admission or end.
• Bylaw Amendments: within 30 days, attached to the General Assembly notification.

Article 29 — Annual Declaration

The Association Declaration (prior year's activities + year-end financials) is filed by the Chairman within the first four months of each calendar year.

Article 30 — Representative Offices

Opened by Board resolution. Address notified in writing to the local civil authority. Representative offices cannot be represented in the General Assembly.

Article 31 — Internal Audit

Internal audits may be conducted by the General Assembly, Board, Supervisory Board, or independent audit firms. The Supervisory Board audits at least once a year; external audits do not eliminate the Supervisory Board's liability.

Article 32 — Borrowing

The association may borrow (credit or cash) by Board resolution, provided the amount is covered by income sources and does not create financial distress.

Amendment of the Bylaws

Article 33

Amendments require a 2/3 majority of members entitled to attend the General Assembly. Voting is open. A second meeting (if the first lacks quorum) proceeds with at least twice the total Board + Supervisory Board members.

Dissolution and Liquidation

Article 34 — Dissolution

Same 2/3-majority rules as bylaw amendments. Open voting.

Article 35 — Liquidation

Unless the Assembly decides otherwise, the final Board serves as the Liquidation Board. Correspondence during liquidation uses "Kum Yıldızı Derneği in Liquidation". The Liquidation Board identifies assets/liabilities, pays creditors, collects receivables, and transfers any remaining property to the place designated by the Assembly (default: the largest-membership similar-purpose association in the same province). Completion within 3 months (extendible by the local civil authority). Post-liquidation, the local civil authority is notified in writing within 7 days, with the liquidation minute attached. Books and documents are retained for 5 years.

Lack of Provision

Article 36

For matters not specified here, the Law of Associations, the Turkish Civil Code, the Associations Regulation, and other relevant legislation apply.

Temporary Board of Directors

Article 37

The temporary Board members who represent the association and conduct affairs until the first General Assembly forms the permanent organs:

#	Name	Title
1	Alper Üzmezler	Temporary Chairman of the Board
2	Sefa Özler	Temporary Vice-Chairman
3	Tuğrul Alizade	Temporary Secretary
4	Mehmet Tunç	Temporary Treasurer
5	Ahmet Berçin	Member
6	İsa Alizada	Founding Member
7	Doğukan Güler	Founding Member