Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

During the Regional Meeting which was held for improving cooperation between councils and exchange of information regarding carried out activities TOBB Bartın Women Entrepreneurs Council President Nurten Şahiner stating that she would be laying down her office due to personal excuses and she also said “I have been carrying on this duty for year and as a tourism professional I am in the economy accordingly. My fellows who would be president after me shall duly fulfil this duty. My whole aim was woman. Now our women are and shall be in the economy as much as men.”

In the TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Black Sea Regional Meeting, Bartın Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Halil Balık was with the women entrepreneurs from Black Sea. During his speech stating that they always back women entrepreneurship, he said “We always back woman and woman entrepreneurship. We always gave priority to entrepreneur women within the trainings that we jointly carried out with Bartın Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as KOSGEB and İŞKUR. We use our quota rights in favour of them to enable them to get the share from this cake On the grounds of 8^th March International Women Day as Bartın Chamber of Commerce and Industry we organised Applied Entrepreneurship Course exclusive to our woman entrepreneurs. Attendance to those trainings were quite high. Only in 1 month through KOSGEB and Consultant Firm we certified 48 woman entrepreneurs with Entrepreneurship Certificate.  In point of fact we have entrepreneurs from all age and education groups. Most of them are waiting for to obtain this certificate for establishing their own businesses and to benefit from aids.”

During his speech giving information regarding the activities by TOBB Bartın Women Entrepreneurs Council, Balık said “I sincerely congratulate all our women who are right in the focus of our lives, achieved successes by putting up major fights in every part of life for us reaching modern days and gained rights and freedom thanks to our Republic and also I wish them a life full with equal, freedom and happiness.”

TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Council Black Sea Regional Representative and Bayburt Provincial Executive President Leyla Karabulut in her speech stating that they had been carrying out pleasant works for including women to the business life and coming into prominence, she also said that they maintain their works in that direction.

Later on the programme a presentation devoted to introduction and works of TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Council. Especially information given about the aim of “Women Writing the Future” project performed under cooperation of TOBB, TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Council and Turkcell and also SheMeansBusiness Project conducted by Facebook coordination.

It was stated that the success of those achieved projects would hugely contribute to equality of women and men within the technology world considered as a male-specific only area. 

Furthermore it was stated that the decision for leaving the duty of Presidency for Executive Committee of TOBB Bartın Women Entrepreneurs Council Provincial by Nurten Şahin who had been performing as the President of TOBB Bartın Women Entrepreneurs Council up till that day had been excepted with sorrow and also thanked for her executed services. 

The programme continued with the presentations by Presidents for Executive Committees of TOBB Provincial Women Entrepreneurs. Expressing her appreciation for qualifying for semi-finals with two projects within Women Writing the Future Project as well as ranking in the grand finals TOBB Karabük Women Entrepreneurs Council President Nuray Alpboğa also said “We wave the Black Sea flag in Istanbul during the Grand Finals.”

Participating the programme as local model women entrepreneurs Selma Makar, Nurper Makar Pekatik and Berna Makar sisters shared their story of formation for Sisters Restaurant that they founded by attending KOSGEB courses. They described the principles that they adopted as holding no fears, standing up to, and standing firm.

Attending the programme from Istanbul Aşanteks Chairman of the Board Emine Şahinkaya said that she had to head the business due to her husband’s departure, during that period she had to fight separately with each head of the dragon with seven heads as in tales and she paid no attention to the destructive criticism surrounded her. Sharing her battle after losing and re-gaining the company with the participants, Şahinkaya said “go after the thing that you have faith in and perform your work with love.”

The photograph exhibition themed as “Bartın Women of Republic”visited within the programme got huge credit and furthermore Bartın University Academic Dr. Gülay Şener gave information regarding regional and country-wide women entrepreneurship with her presentation themed as “Women Entrepreneurship within the Region”.

The meeting attended by provincial presidents: Nuray Çelik (Artvin), Nurten Şahiner (Bartın), Leyla Karabulut (Bayburt) Türkan Hocaoğlu (Giresun) Nuray Alpboğa (Karabük), Hilal Keskin (Kastamonu),  Zühre Kavuncuoğlu Kazancı (Rize), Nurcan Abay (Zonguldak) as well as provincial council members and workers of women's non-governmental organizations.