Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Speaking at the opening of launch attended by figures such as Facebook Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa Region Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook Country Director for Turkey Derya Matraş, TOBB Entrepreneurs Council President Evrim Aras, President Kopuz, said that a new project had been started in order to open the door of digital economy for women and within that scope for 1 year trainings for 5000 women within 1 provinces in Turkey shall be organised with Facebook – the largest social media platform in world.

Kopuz said “We will teach those women who shall participate the trainings, the means of engaging in sales and marketing through Facebook and Instagram. Yesterday we have completed the trainings of those tutors who shall be working with us within the project. Today we are here for the press launch of the project. Right after that we shall start the trainings in the provinces.”

Underlining that women contribution for creating the future and have value of greater than everything Kopuz stated “There is an immense treasure available on the ground rather than under it. We must put this treasure to good use. We must present more women entrepreneurs who have the knowledge of digital technologies.”

Stating that in 2007 the women employers in Turkey was only 6 percent and only 10 percent in 2016, Kopuz said “TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Councils have a great deal of contribution and effort in achievement of 4 point increase. TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Council which we have established in 2007 has today become the largest women entrepreneurs’ network in the world. Thank Allah that we got water from flint. If entrepreneurship remains on the agenda of Turkey this was enabled by our entrepreneur councils through the vision of our TOBB President Esteemed Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu.”

Pointing out that women entrepreneurs have started to take part within Chamber-Commodity Exchange councils and managements President Ali Kopuz stated “In 2010 there was no women chamber presidents at all. Whereas today we have 3 chamber and commodity exchange presidents as well as 3 chamber-commodity exchange council president. Our Women Entrepreneur Councils operating under the coordination of our Chambers and Commodity Exchanges within 81 provinces carry out hundreds of activities each year. May Allah be pleased with all them.”

Kopuz said “We, as TOBB carry on providing support to our women entrepreneurs in every field. We give priority to our women entrepreneurs for KGF surety. We give them space in the exhibitions free of charge. While we carry out such works we team up with our Women Entrepreneurs Council President Evrim Aras. This project which today brings us together is the work of Ms Evrim.”

Telling that the period of expecting everything from the state is yet over and private sector as well as non-governmental organisations do their full share of work in many areas from education to health Kopuz also told “This project that we carry out together with Facebook is a very good example for that. Our chamber and commodity exchange Presidents within the provinces which involved with the projects shall be embracing our project. They will be informing all the women within those provinces in relation with the project. They will be hosting the trainings. I am certain that we would be able create a difference through this project with the support of chambers and under the leadership of our women entrepreneur council presidents.”

Talking on by telling about the importance of the project Ali Kopuz said “This project is very important due to 3 causes. Firstly, we will make a great contribution to enabling equality of women and men within technology world. Low women representation rate at the Silicon Valley is great problem. In USD, 11 percent of the engineers are women and only 26 percent of the coding employees are women. The case is not so different with us either. Within the university exams only 200 of the first 1000 female students go for engineering, positive sciences or mathematics departments. In another words gender inequality within the technology world starts back in university. The main reason successful female students not going for engineering departments is prejudice. Technology is being perceived as a male-specific field. The success of this project shall prove such perception wrong. It shall prove that women are too capable of success just as much as men. Secondly, we need to increase the number of such projects in order to turn our young population advantage into an opportunity. The rapid transformation period that we are within it is not possible to estimate what kind of world there would be in future. But it is possible to build the future. For that we need qualified human resources for New Industrial Revolution technologies. Acknowledge that if you move your business to digital stage you shall able to expand your country. Thirdly, universities are not the only places where new generations would be able to become skilful in terms of 21^st century. Therefore such protects grow in importance.”