Leading women’s cooperatives unite under First Lady’s program in Ankara

ANKARA

Women from across Turkey gathered in the capital Ankara for a program hosted by First Lady Emine Erdogan that highlighted inspiring success stories of female entrepreneurs in rural areas.

Anatolian women, united in cooperatives, are contributing to both their households and the economy, creating exemplary success stories.

Emine Ozdogan, head of a cooperative in the northern province of Bolu, shared her journey.

“We created a women’s cooperative with 52 village brides in the village of Demirciler,” she said. “Our village chief told us: “Our president supports women’s cooperatives. We should create it.”

The cooperative’s first project was to make jams in the village chief’s office. Over time, they renovated the abandoned elementary school.

“We leveled his garden, designed the interior and built a production hall. We added a stone oven, six greenhouses and even a lavender garden.”

By 2020, the cooperative had completed entrepreneurship and culinary training, received various quality certifications, and opened a farm-to-table restaurant 5 kilometers from Bolu. Today, their products are sold locally and through e-commerce.

Another village at the forefront of the movement is Zeyniler in the western province of Bursa, which inspired Reşat Nuri Güntekin’s famous novel Çalikuşu (Wren). Elif Yildirim, a board member of the village women’s cooperative, shared her thoughts about their roots.

Founded in 2016, the cooperative began with seven friends and has since expanded to 42 partners. “This is a cooperative of daughters and daughters-in-law from our village. We sell everything from pickled peppers to crispy zucchini jam.”

The cooperative movement is also thriving in the village of Boyali under the leadership of Bahriye Suer, the first female mukhtar of the village. “The women in our cooperative are happy and no longer depend on their husbands’ money. That was the most important thing we were able to achieve,” she said.