Photo: © Turuhan Alkır

Izmir, Turkey – Representatives of 13 cooperatives from 10 provinces met in Izmir to sign the “E-Commerce Cooperation Protocol”, an initiative prepared under the guidance of FAO experts and legal advisors under the slogan “Strong Livelihood, Resilient Society”. The ccoperatives were established under an EU-financed project implemented by FAO entitled “Building the Resilience of Syrians under Temporary Protection and Host Communities in Turkey through Supporting Socio-Economic Integration and Creating Livelihood Opportunities”.

The 10 provinces (Adana, Bursa, Izmir, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Manisa, Kahramanmaraş, Şanlıurfa and Van) operate under the brand name “Hep Yerinden” and work together to establish a permanent market in the digital world, developing common strategies in all areas from production to branding, marketing and sales.

Ayşegül Selışık, FAO Assistant Representative for Turkey, emphasized the importance of women’s employment in sustainable agricultural development and cited the importance of cooperation in this regard and its potential contribution to the integration of Syrians under Temporary Protection into social and economic life. She explained further: “We are guiding the creation of an E-Commerce Platform that cooperatives will manage and coordinate together under the brand “Hep Yerinden”. We have encouraged the cooperatives to come together and establish formal cooperation with a focus on concrete needs and jobs.”

The project is carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security within the scope of the Syrian Refugee Resilience Plan.