In The Scope Of The ENHANCER Project Turkish and Syrian Entrepreneurs Met With Big Investors
Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey
Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut:
“Business community meetings are important for the objective of creating innovationist and competent entrepreneurs”
The second session of the Business Community Meetings organized within the scope of the "Enhancement of Entrepreneurship Capacities for Sustainable Socio-Economic Integration" Project (ENHANCER), financed by the European Union and implemented by International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) under the coordination of the Directorate General of Development Agencies of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, has been held in Istanbul on 30 March 2022. The event, where the ENHANCER Project was presented, started with opening speeches. During the event, Turkish and Syrian entrepreneurs in the textile and apparel, footwear, food and supporting innovative sectors met with major buyers, investors and representatives of financing channels.
Landrut: “Business community meetings are important for the objective of creating innovationist and competent entrepreneurs”
In his remarks, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut pointed out that following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russian-Ukrainian war has created challenges for the business community, and stated that joint efforts were being exerted to tackle these problems.
Having noted that the business community meetings organized in the scope of the ENHANCER project was a part of the joint efforts to develop and discover new solutions to help the recovery of the business world in Turkey, Landrut said: “With this kind of meetings, Enhancer Project will attain its objective of creating inclusive and competent entrepreneurs that are innovationist, competitive and that create employment.”
Dönmez: “We will increase and diversify the incentives for entrepreneurship”
Having expressed that their plan was to diversify the incentives extended by the ministry and its attached institutions to those actors in the entrepreneurship sector, Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Çetin Ali Dönmez spoke as follows: “We believe that our country has a great potential in technology-based entrepreneurship. As the Ministry, we are developing systems to boost private sector participation in order to render entrepreneurship supports that we offer more sustainable and sound. We increase public sector support for venture capital practices; we strengthen coordination; and we will ensure financial diversity with funds and supports to investors.”
Pluim: “Let’s act together and create value”
ICMPD’s Migration and Cooperation Director Martijn Pluim stated that in their efforts in Turkey they attached importance to strengthening the livelihoods of not only the Syrians under Temporary Protection but also the host communities, and spoke as follows: "Socio-economic integration has become one of the key components of migration management in Turkey." Emphasizing that they focused on creating more jobs for both Turkish citizens and Syrians under Temporary Protection, Pluim called on private sector representatives to actively strengthen innovative thinking and cooperation.
Kılıç: ENHANCER Project will contribute to economic growth and development objectives
ICMPD’s Western Balkans and Turkey Regional Coordinator Tamer Kılıç stated that within the scope of the ENHANCER Project, efforts were undertaken to increase the employment of Turkish citizens and Syrians under Temporary Protection, and commented: “At the same time, we also support the entrepreneurship efforts of these groups so that we can support both their livelihoods and increase production in Turkey. We think that all these efforts will contribute to Turkey's attainment of its exports, economic growth and development goals.”
Local, national and international companies together
While during the event, which aimed at bringing together national and international companies with Turkish and Syrian entrepreneurs to facilitate business relations and specifically to discover new marketing opportunities, local, national and international companies were matched for cooperation, inspiring speeches were delivered and panels were organized for entrepreneurs. Within the scope of the event, Turkish and Syrian companies exhibited their products at the foyer. During the event, panels on "Alternative Finance Mechanisms for Start-ups in Turkey" and "Quality Process Compliance Session/ Positive Contributions to Compliance and Sustainability" were held while start-ups made presentations. In the last part of the event, one-to-one company interviews were held.
ENHANCER PROJECT
The ENHANCER Project aims at increasing the entrepreneurial activities of Syrians under Temporary Protection and host communities by providing a conducive environment and support for the creation of new products and markets, and thus employment opportunities thereof.
For press inquiries:
Miray Akdağ, Press Counsellor for the EU Delegation to Turkey
