Economic development in Anatolia

In collaboration with Turkish decision-makers, the structurally weak province of Kahramanmara (with about 1.3 million inhabitants, of whom two-thirds are employed in agriculture) and the industrial zone of Ankara/Ostim (with some 3,500 local businesses and about 40,000 employees) have been designated as project areas.

With the aid of external expertise, businesses in the textile, foodstuffs and metal-working industries are supported primarily in regard to meeting international quality standards, seizing export opportunities, and commercial management, but also with product design and techniques for production-related working procedures. In cooperation with chambers of industry and employers’ and trade associations, corporate service packages are developed and introduced. Technical and managerial experts in the regional branches of the lead executing agency are trained on the job.

One of the measures’ priority areas is to strengthen trade associations and export unions, with particular emphasis on location marketing, building an attractive image and exchanging professional expertise with similarly structured European business-support institutions.