“We Moved Forward Together, We Succeeded Together”

For entrepreneur Zahide Durmaz Akar from Adıyaman, however, these words are not a metaphor but the summary of a lived reality. In the devastating earthquakes of 6 February, the workshop she had built over more than thirty years, together with her machinery and all her savings, was buried beneath the rubble. Inspired by her grandmother's traditional clothing, Zahide created the Besi Dolls, named after her grandmother, to preserve Anatolia's cultural heritage. With SEECO's support, she was able to resume production. Today, she provides employment for 50 women, trains 100 apprentice students, and has transformed Adıyaman's cultural heritage into a story that reaches from Europe to the United States and the Far East.

European Union, 2026

^{Two different cities, two different stories... Rukiye Cihan and Zahide Durmaz Akar came together at the same stand, showcasing their production journeys strengthened through SEECO's support.}

In Mardin, Rukiye Cihan, a master of the traditional art of filigree, now produces in her own workshop the materials she once had to source externally. The machinery provided through SEECO has accelerated her production process, shortened delivery times, and made this traditional handicraft more sustainable.

European Union, 2026

^{What began with the first sleeping bag Şeyma Aydıner sewed for her children has grown into a brand reaching international markets.}

In Adana, entrepreneur Şeyma Aydıner began her journey with a single sewing machine. Today, she owns a workshop where she produces together with women from her village. Thanks to the new machinery acquired through SEECO support, she has multiplied her production capacity and now sells her products not only across Türkiye but also in the United States and Canada. The first sleeping bag she designed for her own children has since evolved into her own brand. "Reaching this point in just five years in a field where I had no previous experience is a great achievement for me," says Şeyma Aydıner. Today, she is not only realizing her own dream but also creating new sources of income for the women who work alongside her.

At Ali Topçuoğlu Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Gaziantep, the Chocolate Production Facility established within the school and strengthened with the equipment provided through SEECO has done far more than increasing their production capacity. It has become a learning centre that equips young people and women with vocational skills, preparing them for employment.

European Union, 2026

^{The Halkkent Social Entrepreneurship Centre showcased its work in empowering women and young people, supporting their journey from vocational training to entrepreneurship.}

The Halkkent Social Entrepreneurship Centre of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality is another example of how social entrepreneurship extends beyond individual success to foster community solidarity. Through the training workshops offered at the centre, more than 1,200 women have acquired professional skills. Participants have not only gained vocational qualifications but have also established partnerships among themselves, launching new business initiatives ranging from wedding organisation services to large-scale catering. Children's clothing produced at the centre has also been distributed to more than 2,000 children in need. 

European Union, 2026

^{A dream that first took root in a greenhouse has grown into a cooperative bringing producers together. Cooperative President Tuncay Tuluk introduced the innovative value-added products developed from dragon fruit.}

Tuncay Tuluk, President of the Adana Tropical Fruit Cultivation, Marketing and Social Development Cooperative, expanded his vision of transforming dragon fruit into value-added products with SEECO's support. Starting with dragon fruit cultivation in a small greenhouse, he later joined forces with other producers in the region to establish a cooperative. He provided free consultancy services to fellow producers, distributed seedlings, and shared his knowledge and experience.

Thanks to production equipment acquired through SEECO, the cooperative now produces not only fresh fruit but also a wide range of innovative, value-added products, from Turkish delight to ice cream made from dragon fruit, creating a new income model for local producers. Tuncay Tuluk's words perfectly capture SEECO's approach to entrepreneurship: "The support did not just provide us with machinery. It gave us self-confidence." 

European Union, 2026

^{What began as Berivan Kızılcık's search for a solution to her daughter's skin condition has grown into a thriving natural cosmetics enterprise.}

In Gaziantep, Berivan Kızılcık, founder of the natural cosmetics brand Bhava, received SEECO support while rebuilding her business after the earthquake, enabling her to acquire the production equipment she needed. While raising her three children, she also expanded her business and is now among the successful women entrepreneurs producing natural cosmetics.

European Union, 2026

^{A story of migration became a story of entrepreneurship and new beginnings. Fadıl Azzavi presented products that bring together the shared cultural heritage of Mardin and Syria.}

Meanwhile, Fadıl Azzavi, a Syrian entrepreneur living in Mardin, says SEECO transformed not only his business but also his perspective:

"Before the project, I was Fadıl the baker. After the project, I became Fadıl the entrepreneur."

Thanks to branding, marketing, and business development training, Azzavi now markets his products through multiple sales channels, turning the traditional Syriac pastry into a shared story of Syrian and Mardin cultures.

A journey where stories came together

The people behind these stories, together with the stakeholders who made them possible, came together at the SEECO Journey Gathering in Ankara.

Funded under the European Union's Facility for Refugees in Türkiye (FRIT II) and implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye - the Directorate General of Development Agencies, under the coordination of  the World Bank, the SEECO Project concluded its journey of empowering women, young people, and social entrepreneurs with a comprehensive Journey Gathering that brought together project partners, beneficiaries and various stakeholders.

European Union, 2026

^{The SEECO Journey Gathering brought together institutions, stakeholders, and entrepreneurs united by a shared vision.}

Speaking at the opening session, Jean Barbe, Head of the Civil Society, Fundamental Rights, Judiciary and Home Affairs, Human and Social Development Section at the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, described SEECO as one of the successful examples of the long-standing partnership between the European Union and Türkiye. He emphasized that the project had brought together host communities and Syrians under temporary protection around shared benefits and had made a significant contribution to empowering women, young people, and social entrepreneurs despite major crises such as the pandemic, earthquakes, and migration. Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology Oruç Baba İnan stated that SEECO had written a development story that went far beyond numbers, noting that the entrepreneurs' potential had been transformed into sustainable enterprises through the strong partnership established by the European Union, the World Bank, and the project's stakeholders. In their remarks, Ahmet Şimşek, Director General of Development Agencies at the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and Korhan Yazgan, World Bank Operations Officer, also highlighted the lasting impact and sustainability of the achievements generated over the past six years through social entrepreneurship centres, livelihood facilities, and local partnerships.

European Union, 2026

^{The achievements, experiences, and lasting legacy of six years of collaboration were shared during the panel sessions.}

Following the opening remarks, the sessions explored the transformation generated by SEECO from different perspectives. The session entitled "We Succeeded Together, We Grew Stronger Together" highlighted the achievements accomplished throughout the project, while separate panel discussions examined social entrepreneurship, the lasting impact of Social Entrepreneurship Centres and Livelihood Facilities at the local level, and the partnerships established among public institutions, the private sector, and civil society.

Throughout the event, the "One Product, One Story" exhibition, held in the foyer area, showcased one of SEECO's most visible outcomes. Products created by SEECO-supported businesses and social enterprises were displayed to visitors, with each stand presenting not only a product but also a personal story of transformation—overcoming hardship, rebuilding lives, empowering women and young people, preserving cultural heritage, and turning entrepreneurial dreams into reality.

European Union, 2026

^{Behind every smile is a challenge overcome, a dream realised, and a life rebuilt.}

Places where ideas meet and production thrives

For entrepreneurs from the different provinces where the project was implemented, as well as representatives of public institutions, development agencies, municipalities, and project partners, the gathering represented far more than a closing event. SEECO is not simply a successfully completed project; it is the story of people who continue to produce, communities that have grown stronger, and partnerships that continue to thrive.

Over six years, SEECO supported the economic participation of women, young people, and vulnerable groups across 11 provinces in Türkiye while promoting social cohesion between host communities and Syrians under temporary protection. Looking back today, SEECO stands out not merely as a project measured by numbers, but as a shared journey in which ideas evolved into businesses, hope was transformed into production, and solidarity generated lasting impact.

Implemented through five Regional Development Agencies across Adana, Mersin, Osmaniye, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Kilis, Adıyaman, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, and Mardin, the project operated across a vast region covering approximately 14 per cent of Türkiye's territory and home to 15 million people. Through comprehensive support ranging from entrepreneurship training and shared production spaces to mentoring and branding, SEECO fostered a sustainable local social entrepreneurship ecosystem.

The SEECO Project was far more than a grant programme for individual entrepreneurs. It established a comprehensive development model that strengthened the economic participation of women, young people, and vulnerable groups, promoted a culture of social entrepreneurship, and encouraged cooperation between host communities and Syrians under temporary protection.

The 46 Social Entrepreneurship Centres established under the project contributed to the development of social entrepreneurship by providing entrepreneurs with training, mentoring, co-working spaces, business development support, and opportunities for local collaboration.

Meanwhile, 53 Livelihood Facilities strengthened local production infrastructure by offering shared production areas, processing and packaging facilities, vocational training, and income-generating opportunities, opening new economic pathways particularly for women and young people.

Through these investments, SEECO supported not only individual entrepreneurs but also created permanent structures that contribute to sustainable local development.

European Union, 2026

^{These stands showcased more than products, hey told the stories of lives rebuilt and dreams brought to life.}

Much more than numbers

The figures achieved by SEECO clearly demonstrate the scale of the project.

Implemented across 11 provinces covering approximately 14 percent of Türkiye, the project received more than 20,000 applications. More than 4,000 people benefited from training programmes, while 1,672 entrepreneurs received grant support. Women accounted for 74 per cent of all supported entrepreneurs. Nearly EUR 16 million in grants was provided, while a broad partnership network was established, bringing together public institutions, municipalities, development agencies, the private sector, and civil society organisations.

A journey accomplished together

As repeatedly emphasised throughout the SEECO Journey Gathering, the project's true impact cannot be measured through statistics alone, it can be seen in people's lives.

"We realised we were not alone."

"Determination and courage."

"The story of women's empowerment."

"Self-confidence and economic development."

"There is a life before and after the earthquake, but there is also a life before and after SEECO."

These responses, given to the question "How would you describe SEECO in a single sentence?" during the Journey Gathering, beautifully capture the project's greatest legacy.

SEECO did not simply help establish new businesses. It strengthened the self-confidence of women, young people, and entrepreneurs, created lasting local partnerships, and built a shared future across different communities.

Thanks to the people who learned together, produced together, and grew stronger together throughout this journey, SEECO's impact will continue to live on long after the project itself has come to an end.

SEECO Project Promotional Video