A vast, white, pristine building sits on a dusty main road, about 250km south of Istanbul. Deep inside its briskly air-conditioned interior, past several rounds of security gates, is a soundproof chamber where a lone toilet sits on a raised platform. On either side are a pair of ultra-sensitive microphones mounted on adjustable stands. The toilet looks like it is under interrogation. 

Suddenly, it erupts in a flush. Scientists study computer screens. One declares the noise level to be about a seventh of a standard flushing mechanism. We are witnessing “one of the quietest toilets in the world”. His colleagues nod sagely.

Welcome to the VitrA Innovation Campus in the town of Bozüyük, home to the Turkish sanitary-ware manufacturer’s laboratories, where experts strive to gain advantage in the fast-paced global high-tech loo market. The security, together with the centre’s no-photos-in-the-labs policy, are evidence of just what a competitive business this is.