Turkey Launched New Program for Entrepreneurs

Istanbul, Turkey | January 05, 2009 by D-8 Secretariat

Turkey's Industry and Trade Minister Zafer Çağlayan

Turkey’s Industry and Trade Minister Zafer Çağlayan launched an entrepreneurship program last month  aimed at training a qualified labor force equipped with the latest technological information.

“I believe the program will be a role model and fill an apparent gap in Turkey,” Çağlayan said at the inauguration ceremony. He defined the core problem in the Turkish economy as a lack of a qualified labor force. The entrepreneurship institute, which will also provide online courses and seminars, is supported by the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges, or TOBB, and world-renowned informatics company, CISCO.

“Our country is a paradise for entrepreneurs, we can maximize opportunities,” said Çağlayan. The TOBB-CISCO entrepreneurship program has already been applied in several countries and has been adapted to the Turkish language and conditions in Turkey. It will also be available for participants from nearby countries soon.

“Those who can comprehend the information revolution and who prepare themselves for globalization will achieve success, while those who cannot will be left out of the competition,” said Halim Mete, vice-chairman of the TOBB board.

The program includes courses on efficient Internet use and IT, global tendencies, opportunities and threats offered or caused by new tendencies and e-vision.

D-8 Organization Director, Amb. Kia Tabatabaee commenting on the program expressed his keen interest to see similar programs or training to be held in other D-8 memberstates as one of means to support foreign direct investment. “We expect that our member states can learn from Turkey and other countries, where investment is the driving force toward economic development and providing jobs,” he said in his office on Wednesday.

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