Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The opening ceremony of the project “1071 Women are Joining Business Life” was held at TOBB University of Economics and Technology.   The ceremony was honored by M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, President of TOBB, Emine Erdoğan, Nihat Ergün, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology, Fatma Şahin, Minister of Family and Social Policies, Mustafa Ak, Mayor of Keçiören, Mustafa Kaplan, President of KOSGEB, and candidate entrepreneurs.

M.Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, President of TOBB reminded that they founded TOBB-ETU in order to provide Turkey with new entrepreneurs.

Pointing out that the university become one of the most successful universities in a short period of time, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “TOBB-ETU has become an entrepreneur factory.  Today, we receive 1071 woman entrepreneurs in our enterprise factory.”

Stating that they will deliver training to 1071 women until August, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Today we have gathered here for a very benevolent business.   At the end of this project one thousand 71 woman entrepreneurs will enter the business life.  The fertile hands of one thousand 71 women will touch the economy.”

Saying that he was pleased with the great support lent to the project until then, Hisarcıklıoğlu also thanked Emine Erdoğan. 

- The target is to enter the first 10 economies in 2023

Hisarcıklıoğlu said, ''We know how much importance she attaches to these issues. Today she did not leave us alone.  She backed every project on this matter.   She always backed our women and young girls.  I would like to extend our gratitude to her in the name of the Turkish private sector''.
Reminding the importance of entrepreneurship, Hisarcıklıoğlu said:  

“As a country we have a target.  Our Prime Minister turned it into a state policy, which is to enter the first 10 economies of the world in 2023.  We do not have any natural gas or petroleum, but we have the great entrepreneurship spirit.   Today, the most useful thing to do for people is to employ a person.   The most benevolent person is the one who is useful to other people.  Every year, 750 thousand people join the employed population in Turkey.  We need to find jobs for them.  But it is not possible to assign them all to state offices.  We can only achieve this with the help of new entrepreneurs.  For that reason, we need to increase the number of entrepreneurs.  The number of women among total entrepreneurs is 6 percent. We must raise our daughters as entrepreneurs, and our role model will be our Prophet.  If we want to contribute to the enrichment of our country, we need to raise our daughters as entrepreneurs like our sons.”

Pointing out that the number of woman entrepreneurs increased by 6 thousand in 2012 compared with the previous year, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, "The hand of a woman brings together her fertility.   The future of Turkey is bright. No one can prevent us.  In 2023, we will be among the first 10 countries of the world, and then Turkey will be a leading country of the world.  Our women who grow our children will now grow our economy.” 

- Emine Erdoğan, Spouse of Prime Minister Erdoğan 

Emine Erdoğan, spouse of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, “It is essential that women set up their own business, work themselves and earn themselves without needing financial care of their husbands or the state.  We need to spread this mentality as much as we can.”

The opening ceremony of the Project “1071 Women are Joining Business Life” carried out under the aegis of Emine Erdoğan in cooperation with TOBB, TEPAV, TOBB ETÜ, KOSGEB and Keçiören Municipality Social Development Center  was held at TOBB Economy and Technology University.

During her speech at the ceremony, Erdoğan stated that she was pleased with being with women in a meaningful and exciting program.   Emine Erdoğan thanked all people who contributed to the project, and wished success to the women who would undergo training.

Expressing her belief that the women who will attend an intensive program for 6 months in 6 counties of Ankara will start a new life after their training, Erdoğan said KOSGEB’s support including 30 thousand liras of donation and 70 thousand liras of non-interest-bearing loan was important. 

Emine Erdoğan said she hoped that all 1071 trainees who attend the trainings get their certificates and benefit from the subsidies, and stated that the project was valuable and meaningful in all its dimensions. 

Drawing the attention to the number ''1071'' in the project title, Erdoğan said, ''The year 1071 has very deep meanings for our nation'.

Reminding that the army ruled by Alparslan, the Seljuk Sultan, opened the gates to Anadolu at that date, Erdoğan said:  “In 1071, the army of Alparslan was not only an army that won a triumph, but an army that planted the seeds of our brotherhood in these soils.   Since that date, for about 950 years, we all lived on this land together as one, and defended and improved our land together.  

We had hard times, various problems and times of stagnation during 9.5-century period.  However, we managed to overcome those hard times with solidarity and cooperation, and most notably, by maintaining the law of brotherhood.  The 9.5-century history of Anatolia and Trachea, in other words, the history of Turkey cannot be written without women.  At those times when women had no name, were not included in any process, and were subject to discrimination and humiliation in the world, we always had the women at the forefront in our history. 

Emine Erdoğan also reminded of historical woman figures such as Terken Hatun, Hayme Ana, Nilüfer Hatun, Nene Hatun, Halime Çavuş, Kara Fatma.

-2023 and 2071 targets

Reminding that the government set big and pretentious targets for 2023, and showed the year 2071 as a target for the youth, Emine Erdoğan stated that 2023 was the hundredth anniversary of the foundation of the Republic, and 2071 was the thousandth anniversary of the winning of Anatolia as a homeland. 

Stating that concrete steps were taken and projects prepared towards 2023 targets, Erdoğan said they resolutely followed up those projects.   Drawing the attention to the necessity of working hard as a nation to reach the said targets, Erdoğan added: “Every member of the nation, whether woman, man, child, elderly, or handicapped, must contribute to the process to the extent his/her capacity, power and ability permit.   Just as women have undertaken important duties in the development, improvement and defense of Turkey since 1071 until the present, women today have an important role in attaining both 2023 and 2071 targets.

Women will assume the duty of raising a different generation by bringing up their children in the best manner as a mother, in the first place.  Secondly, women will show themselves much strongly in every area of economic life, social life, political and governmental life. 

If we can form this equation which well-suits our civilization and tradition, believe me, we can start a unique growth and development process."

- Ergün, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology

Nihat Ergün, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology, said "In the last 3 years, the number of those who benefited from entrepreneurship trainings reached 125 thousand. Half of them are women.”

During his speech at the ceremony organized at TOBB-ETU University, Ergün said he hoped the program would be useful for all participants.  

Stating that the government targeted much active participation of women in economy, politics, academy, social and cultural life and non-governmental activities, Ergün said, “Today the labor force participation rate of women in Turkey approximates 30 percent.  As the government, we have put into practice many important arrangements to improve the working conditions.” 

“We do not need our women in economy only as workers, but also as employers and entrepreneurs” said Ergün and added: “We believe that our women should participate in economy much more with their hand skills, mental skills and hearts.   Entrepreneurship is one of the concepts that will play a crucial role in attaining 2023 targets of Turkey.  Entrepreneurs are our greatest opportunity who will utilize all other capabilities we possess.   In the last 10 years, Turkey solved several chronic problems, and notably, reached confidence and stability in economy, and as the self-confidence of the country improved, the self-confidence of the country started to increase, too.  In line with Turkey's development, we see that our people are more enthusiastic about entrepreneurship.” 

Drawing the attention to the fact that there were two basic problems about entrepreneurship, Ergün said, “Our people cannot know how they can start a business and maintain the business, or even when they know it, they cannot obtain the initial capital.  We launched a comprehensive support program under KOSGEB in order to overcome these problems.”

-''A father does not give it to his daughter or son'

Pointing out that the first stage of the support program was to make use of the entrepreneurship trainings, Minister Ergün added: “The content of these training programs are determined by KOSGEB and as is the case with the present example, municipalities or non-governmental organizations execute the training programs.  In the last 3 years, the number of people who utilized entrepreneurship trainings reached 125 thousand.  Half of them are women. We do not suffice with it, and we provide support to our brothers who attend entrepreneurship trainings and get certificates in starting their own businesses.   We offer a donation support up to 30 thousand liras and a repayable loan support up to 70 thousand liras provided that they prepare a business plan.   70 thousand liras of loan is a zero-interest loan repayable in 4 years, the first 2 years being a grace period.  Believe me, a father will not give such loan to his daughter or son.'

Underlying the fact that they applied positive discrimination to woman and handicapped entrepreneurs and provided 10 percent more support on a proportional basis, Ergün said, "From 2010 to the present, 6 thousand 500 citizens started their own business, benefiting from these supports.  More importantly, 3 thousand of them were woman entrepreneurs.”

Stating that fabulous stories of success were seen with the help of these entrepreneurship subsidies, Ergün gave examples of such stories. 

“We aim that every year 5 thousand people benefit from KOSGEB’s entrepreneurship subsidies and become the boss of their own business, and half of them are comprised of woman entrepreneurs” said Minister Ergün and added, “Today I would like to tell these 1071 brothers who started their entrepreneurship training today that should not suffice with only taking certificates.   I recommend them to prepare a business plan immediately, apply to KOSGEB and solve their capital problems, and start their own business, and provide employment opportunities for others.  Thank God, our government has money now, and we will continue to use this money for the benefit of our nation.”

-Other speakers

Mustafa Kaplan, President of KOSGEB emphasized that countries could advance with their entrepreneurs. 

“Entrepreneurs are indispensable for economies” said Kaplan, and stated that the figures in the area of entrepreneurship were promising, but they should be improved further. 

Stating that the KOSGEB aimed to increase the number of woman entrepreneurs, Kaplan said they delivered applied entrepreneurship training, and the project “1071 Women are Joining Business Life” was one of these supports.

Mustafa Ak, Mayor of Keçiören said that women were unsung heroes. 

Pointing out that the most important value of a society was the family, and women were the foundation stones of the family, Ak said, “We are here to ensure that they become the managers of their own businesses, and a society that trusts women will advance and develop.  Turkey is working heartily towards 2023 targets. This project will provide important contribution to these targets.”