Issue: 10
On 15-16 October, UN Millennium Committee invites people from all over the world, to remind the world leaders to keep their promise to eradicate extreme poverty on earth by achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. You, too, can support this symbolic action by standing up and making the following Pledge together with your fellow citizens, colleagues in the workplace, your family and friends. What’s more, even break a Guinness World Record!
“Stand Up against Poverty” is an exciting and innovative challenge which attempts to set an official Guinness World Record for the most number of people ever to STAND UP Against Poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals, in just 24 hours from 10 am on 15th October to 10 am on 16th October, 2006. A total of at least 10,000 people must physically “stand up” from a seated position collectively and simultaneously!
There are two ways you can participate in this exciting worldwide challenge: You can either join an existing Millennium Campaign or partner Stand Up Event; or you can arrange your own Event.
For an independent Stand Up action, you can organize your own local community or group to gather in a public space, such as a town or neighborhood square, city hall, marketplace, park, school, university, or your own workplace.
How to “Stand Up” and make your Pledge against poverty?
‘Stand Up against Poverty’ Pledge
“We stand here proudly as members of the generation that intends to defeat extreme poverty, the greatest challenge of our times.
We stand up now because we do not wish, years from now, to stand in front of the next generation and say ‘we knew that millions of people were dying unnecessarily every year – and we stood by, doing nothing.”
We cannot stay seated when a child born in a poor country today will die 30 years earlier than a child born in a wealthy one. It’s is time to end all this heartbreak.
And we stand up because we are asking not for charity but justice – we know, that in our names, world leaders have already made promises to bring this to an end – they are called the Millennium Development Goals.
What is needed is the political will to achieve and exceed these goals – So we, hundreds of thousands of concerned individuals from over 100 countries, are on our feet to say:
To the leaders of the wealthy countries – “be great - fight to keep your promises – debt cancellation, more and better aid, and trade rules that help fight poverty – you know what needs to be done – do it”.
We also stand before the leaders of poorer countries to say – “be great – make it your first responsibility to save the lives of your poorest citizens. We ask you to achieve real transparency and accountability in how money is spent, to tackle inequality, to root out corruption. You know what needs to be done. Do it”.
Every generation has mighty battles to fight against evils such as slavery and apartheid which seem as though they cannot be defeated. But history proves time and again they can, if enough people stand up against injustice.
We wish to set a record today of the number of people standing up to demand action on poverty – but the record we really want to break is the world’s record of breaking promises and just ignoring the poor.
We are six billion Voices. We want justice now. No more excuses. We will not stand for them."
How to be counted for the Guinness World Record?
The final but crucial step is to count or estimate as accurately as possible, the number of people taking part in the action. This is very important, as these figures will be added to the total Guinness Record breaking numbers. If possible, the Stand Up moment should be recorded on digital camera, mobile phone or video recorder and the pictures be sent to the Millennium Campaign Office.
The act of Standing Up against the Poverty is in itself a strong symbolic statement. But, for it to have political impact, it is crucial that these efforts are acknowledged by world leaders and governments. Therefore, the event organizers should take the responsibility to register their Stand Up numbers, by completing the Registration Form, and submit them no later than 9 pm (21.00 hours), on 16th October to the mentioned address in the form.
A renowned economist and expert on development issues, Dr. Ayub expresses his satisfaction to be now working in a country, which he says, he has cultural and emotional ties with.
Born in Pakistan in 1948, Mahmood Ayub completed his undergraduate education in the U.K., and received his PhD from Yale University in America. His expertise is in macroeconomic policy, private sector development, trade and capacity development issues. He has published widely on economic development issues, and speaks six languages (English, French, Spanish, Persian, Arabic (not fluent), Urdu, his mother tongue Pashto). Dr. Ayub is married to the internationally-acclaimed painter Mansoora Ayub, and the couple has three children.
Prior to joining the UNDP, Dr. Ayub served for almost 30 years in various capacities at the World Bank. His last assignment was as the Director of Strategy and Operations for Africa. At the World Bank, he worked in the research and strategy departments, but has also contributed many years in operations, including serving as the World Bank's representative in Egypt and Bolivia.
During the preliminary days of his assignment in Ankara, Dr. Ayub made several media interviews, in which he talked about the priorities of the UN in Turkey and the future prospects for UN-Turkey cooperation. Here is what he said:
" Reflecting the priorities of Turkey itself, the UN system’s strategic focus in this country has been on three key human development areas, which are at the heart of achieving the Millennium Development Goals. As you know, these goals are a set of time-bound development targets agreed to by 191 world leaders at the UN Millennium Summit in New York in 2000, aimed at reducing poverty by half by 2015 while addressing significant shortcomings related to health, education and environment.
The three key areas of focus are: first democratic governance, second poverty alleviation and the provision of adequate service delivery; and third the protection of environment. Needless to say these priorities are very closely inter-related.
In the area of democratic governance, the objective of the UN system is to support Turkey’s local administration reform, addressing rights-based issues including internally displaced persons, women’s empowerment, and participation in political processes and decision-making at the local and central levels. It also includes the use of information and communication technology as a means to increase transparency, efficiency, and participation in decision-making.
The challenge for the government and its development partners is to develop programmes that support productive activities, including women’s entrepreneurship and rural development in Eastern Anatolia. The challenge also is to achieve better human development conditions for Turkish citizens, with significant increases in life expectancy, school enrollment and adult literacy and substantial increases in per capita incomes, particularly in the poorer regions. A country is like a chain: it is as strong as its weakest link. So, regional disparities are an important challenge to Turkey’s development.
Finally, on environment, the UN agencies are working with Turkish authorities to address environmental degradation, and lack of access to clean, affordable water and energy services. Turkey became a signatory to the UN Framework for Climatic Change Convention in May 2004, and the UN agencies are supporting the Government’s efforts to address the challenges of Climate Change. We are also supporting the Government and civil society organizations to protect Turkey’s important bio-diversity environment, including a project along the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. "
Mahmood Ayub, being the UNDP Representative in Turkey as well, also spoke about his views on the prospective strategic focus of UNDP in Turkey:
" The UNDP’s role in any country can be understood better in the context of the overall UN system. A stronger and more coherent UN will go a long way in resulting in a stronger and more effective UNDP. UNDP is one among several UN agencies active in Turkey. There are well over one hundred staff employed by the UN system in this country, and the UNDP employees are only one-third of these.
That said, the UNDP has been an important partner of Turkey for over fifty years. And I foresee its role becoming more prominent over the coming years. There will be some key strategic decisions needed. First, how to narrow the focus of our activities to those areas where the UNDP has a true comparative advantage. Second, how to rebuild the UNDP’s resource base through partnerships with international funding resources, private sector and, of course, the government, And third how to develop monitoring and evaluation systems that would measure the success of our pilot projects which can then be scaled up by other development partners such as the World Bank and the European Commission. "
Van is one of those provinces which are highly populated with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Turkey. But in spite of all the official efforts, increasing numbers of IDPs and limited resources for effective response are hampering the endeavors to provide a decent level of living standards, befitting Human Rights Principles, to these vulnerable people. Additionally, the heterogeneity amongst the IDPs brings forth the necessity of diversity in aid and service delivery.
Over the last 15 years, governments in Turkey have taken numerous measures to improve the conditions of IDPs in Southeastern and Eastern Anatolia, where Van is located, to ensure their voluntary return in safety, their integration into new communities and that compensation is granted for losses due to various reasons, most significantly, security concerns. These efforts have started to turn into concrete results with the preparation of an Action Plan in recent months for IDPs in the province of Van.
Prepared by the Governorship of Van and UNDP, the Action Plan was officially presented in a meeting in Van on 29 September, with the participation of the Minister of the Interior Abdülkadir Aksu, UN Secretary-General’s Representative on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Dr. Walter Kaelin, and UN Turkey Coordinator and UNDP Representative Mahmood Ayub.
The Action Plan includes strategic measures such as the resettlement and integration of IDPs, providing basic infrastructure and other social services, social and economic development, awareness raising and communication, and cooperation and partnership with the stakeholders, including IDPs themselves, in the province of Van.
The Plan foresees the facilitation of the safe and smooth return of those IDPs who voluntarily choose to go back to their old homes, and speeding up of the land survey and registry procedures in the rural areas which are now opened to resettlement. The Plan also arranges for the repair and maintenance of the previously abandoned homes, and assists the returnees to adapt to social and economic life and resume their livelihoods. Building model settlements for those IDPs who wish to stay in urban areas and initiating them on vocational entrepreneurship are also among the works indicated in the Action Plan. It is envisaged that the Van Governorship implement a communication strategy to inform IDPs about all these activities.
In his opening address at the meeting, Van Governor Mehmet Niyazi Tanılır said, he was happy to present the Action Plan to concerned parties, adding that it is a social, political and ethical mission to provide the living standards which IDPs deserve.
General Director of the Multilateral Political Affairs of the Turkish Foreign Ministry Ambassador Hasan Göğüş said that following each visit of UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Dr. Walter Kaelin to Turkey, they witness another big step in resolving the plight of IDPs and that these are not mere coincidences, but deliberate and planned steps to improve the humanitarian conditions of these unfortunate people. Göğüş reassured that Turkey will continue its efforts and international cooperation in good faith.
UN’s Coordinator and UNDP Representative in Turkey Mahmood Ayub said, in supporting the Turkish Government to prepare the Action Plan, their overall objective was to develop what could potentially be an international best practice by Turkey, in providing legal remedies for past losses and durable solutions for IDPs to resume their lives and livelihoods; and that UNDP is proud of the technical assistance provided to the Van Governorship in an area which supports Turkey’s reform process, including the fulfillment of EU’s political criteria. Ayub explained that UNDP has worked on capacity enhancement in IDP response, targeting NGOs, through training events and seminars; and cooperated closely with the Ministry of the Interior and members of the Compensation Commissions, including those appointed by the Bar Associations, to share with them the lessons drawn from international experiences.
Mahmood Ayub emphasized the importance of the “Migration and Internally Displaced Populations in Turkey Survey” which has been conducted by Hacettepe University Institution of Population Studies, but whose results are not released to date, saying “the release of the Survey and its findings represent an important means to further inform the development of regional Action Plans, as well as scaling these into a National Plan of Action with a sound context of the scope of the displacement issue and the extent of required total investment to adequately address the IDP needs”.
UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Dr. Walter Kaelin congratulated the Government of Turkey on their determination for resolving the issue of the IDPs and for preparing a concrete and complete Action Plan in a short span of seven months. Dr. Kaelin praised the Government for working closely with the civil society in this process, and said that the personal commitment of the Minister of the Interior is a promising indication of the forthcoming successful implementation of the Action Plan.
Minister of the Interior Abdülkadir Aksu explained that they have spent more than 500 thousand dollars for the rehabilitation of IDPs, their response efforts are continuing unwaveringly, and that he believed this Action Plan will set a good model for other provinces experiencing similar problems.
| Basic Principles on Internal Displacement
Freedom of Movement Supporting voluntarism and choice Ensuring security Valuing the voice and opinion of service users Participation and partnership Gender and youth-sensitivity Environmental sustainability Differences within the IDPs Distinguish between urban-rural Holistic approach |
Implementation Parametres
Process-oriented approach Contributions of IDPs as service-recipients Reduction of replication and waste Sustainability Dynamic planning and implementation Consistency with the Compensation Law
|
That was how the 5th Women’s Councils Summit in Ürgüp began. From 1-4 September, representatives and volunteers of Local Agenda 21’s Women’s Councils coming from 35 towns in Turkey, as well as women politicians, academics, NGO members, journalists, trade union representatives and writers participated in this Summit within the framework of Local Agenda 21 Programme which was supported by the UNDP “Women in Politics Project”.
On the first day of the Summit, Ürgüp Mayor Bekir Ödemiş, Local Governor Necdet Türker, Local Agenda-21’s National Coordinator Sadun Emrealp, Ürgüp’s LA-21 Secretary-General Necla Kırca, and , UNDP’s ‘Women in Politics’ Project Assistant Aslı Şahin on behalf of Deputy UNDP Representative Sarah Poole delivered their opening speeches.
Sadun Emrealp pointed out that Local Agenda 21 will continue to support Women’s Councils, while Mayor Bekir Ödemiş said they have always supported women’s efforts as part of their town’s cultural activities, adding that he believed women’s participation in decision-making mechanisms is a very important factor in creating a better educated society.
At the first panel of the Summit on “Women’s Place in Political and Social Life”, CHP’s (Republican People’s Party) Ankara MP Gülsün Bilgehan Toker elaborated on the reasons why Turkish women participate in every aspect of social life but remain rather passive in political life. Mrs. Toker also stressed the importance of the quota system and civil society’s support in promoting women’s presence in politics.
At the second panel on “Women’s Role in the Political History of Turkey” where KADER President Seyhan Ekşioğlu and Milliyet Columnist Ece Temelkuran were among the speakers, the participants argued that women actively involved in politics must venture to run on the same race track with male politicians, and that’s one of the reasons why men try to keep women out of politics. “Women always come against the prejudice that they are sentimental and cannot tackle with political responsibilities and household responsibilities at the same time”, the panelists pointed out, and suggested that women politicians should fight against this false image, not be intimidated in political struggles, face their fears in social life and overcome them, not be afraid of diversity, and always remember that there cannot be improvement without women’s solidarity and to be able to understand others, one should first understand oneself.
However, the most heated discussions of the Summit revolved around the issue of women’s quota in elections. On the threshold of the 2007 general elections, Women’s Councils have increased their efforts for the adoption of the Quota System, carried out a public signature campaign and lobbied influential members of the political parties, MPs, mayors and the media.
Women’s Councils’ volunteers found the opportunity to meet with the leaders of the women’s branches of political parties at the panel on “The Women’s Branches of Political Parties in Turkey: Their Mission and Functions”. The volunteers forwarded their demand for the Quota system, and defended it by asserting that because of the approaching elections the political parties need women’s votes, so they should respond to women’s political movement. Volunteers also insisted that women’s branches of political parties should become more than just “branches” and act as units creating projects and policies for women. One of the most important outcomes was that members of the women’s branches shared auto-criticism about the usefulness and effectiveness of these party organs which are in need of autonomy to implement women policies.
The Quota issue was also discussed during another panel on “The Necessary Legal Reforms to Provide Gender Equality in Political Representation: the Quota System”. Chairwoman İlknur Üstün, KADER’s Ankara Branch President, shared her experiences with Bonnie Bernstrom, a former member of the Swedish Parliament and Filiz Öztopal, a member of Local Agenda 21’s ‘Quota Working Group’. Ms. Bernstrom talked about “political perception” and how the women’s movement in Sweden achieved success, adding that political parties in her country apply gender quota voluntarily because, by joining forces, women pause a threat for political parties, which in turn feel obliged to consent to women’s equal representation in the elections.
On the last day of the Summit, Women’s Councils’ Declaration (Turkish) was submitted to the participants’ vote and was unanimously approved, and then announced to the media.
Women’s Declaration demands that the State of Turkish Republic comply with the articles of the ‘Law on Local Governments’ pertaining to gender equality, one of the most important criteria for European Union and Millennium Development Goals of achieving equality between men and women, and abide by the rules of CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Kinds of Discrimination Against Women) of which Turkey is a party.
Turkish women who participated at the Ürgüp Summit believe that the 10th Article of the Turkish Constitution, which states that “All men and women have equal rights; and the State of Turkey is responsible for implementing gender equality in all aspects of daily life”, is sufficient to solve all problems, as long as this decree is actually implemented, and not remain on paper.
Less than 100 gazelles now survive in the steppes of Urfa. Hundreds of fauna and flora species in the world survive only in the shrubberies of Antalya. The 11 remaining Demoiselle cranes live in the grassy plains of Bulanık in Muş, and two of the last 200 orchid species in the world are found only on Western Taurus Mountains. The İzmir-Karaburun Peninsula is the main habitat of the last 100 Mediterranean seals. And more than 90% of Europe’s eagles migrate over Istanbul each year.
Bird Life International’s affiliate in Turkey, Doğa Derneği (Nature Society), UNDP/Turkey and the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry have jointly launched the ‘’Nature Fund” project earlier this year. It was the first of nature preservation projects to be supported by individual donations from the public. We talked about this campaign with Güven Eken, President of the Turkish Nature Society.
UNDP Turkey: How did the idea of creating a Nature Fund come up?
Güven Eken (G.E.): There is a large number of fauna and flora species that need to be protected in Turkey. Most of these species are found in the 305 Key Biodiversity Areas, covering 29 % of Turkish land. Yet, in very few of these areas any work is being done to make sustainable use of natural resources. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, the number of scientific experts capable of carrying out studies in this field is very limited, and secondly, the total budget allocated to making rational use of the country’s natural resources is meagre, to say the least. The Nature Society has been working on projects to compensate for these inconveniences. One of these projects is the ‘’Nature School’’, which aims to solve the human resource problem and the other is the ‘’Nature Fund’’. Presently, the work related to nature preservation is being supported by the Turkish Government, the European Union, various European Governments, GEF (Global Environment Fund) and some private sector establishments. However, we wanted a national solution to this national issue. We wanted the Turkish public, as well public and private sectors which use these natural resources, to get directly involved in the preservation efforts and take action. We believed that the donations should be collected in a national fund which is transparently managed. We shared our goal with UNDP and the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry (now the founders of this Fund). They, too, supported us and thus the ‘Nature Fund’ was born.
UNDP Turkey: What does the ‘Target: Zero Extinction’ campaign involve?
G.E.: ‘Zero Extinction’ is in fact a global concept. The so-called “Alliance for Zero Extinction – AZE” is a joint initiative of over 30 institutions around the world, among which is the Turkish Nature Society. Its aim is almost the same as that of the ‘Nature Fund’: to stop further extinction of rare species that survive only at certain sites in the world. We have slightly broadened this concept in Turkey and applied it to rare species living in all ‘Important Biodiversity Areas’, not only at certain sites. So, “Target: Zero Extinction” became our slogan to preserve the 305 Important Biodiversity Areas in Turkey.
UNDP Turkey: When did the campaign start? How long will it continue? How is the public interest in it?
G.E.: We started to collect funds in June and will continue this until mid 2008. So the duration is two years. The interest is beyond our expectations. We collected most of the funds for the “Gazelle Project”, the first of the 10 planned projects, through donations by SMS cell phone messages and other personal donations. We are very happy that this became the first nature preservation project supported by public donations.
UNDP Turkey: What is the current situation in the campaign efforts? Do you have statistical data?
G.E.: Nearly 20 thousand people have supported the campaign through SMS on cell phones or bank transfers. We received a significant donation from Motorola as well. Presently, we have about 120 thousand YTL in our kitty.
UNDP Turkey: What were your priorities in determining the target species to be included in the Campaign? Will the 10 projects you planned be sufficient to save all the endangered species in Turkey?
G.E.: First of all, we took special care that all projects are carried out in the ‘Important Biodiversity Areas’. Among these areas we chose the ones which have the most varied species, the most unique sites and those habitats which contain at least one “flagship” species (most popularly known species among common people). Then of course, we have our feasibility criteria. We had to make sure that local capacity to support our activities are there. With our 10 projects we will be able to protect only a few of the species that need to be protected in Turkey. But even that will be enough to protect the gazelle, the seal, the endemic orchids, the Demoiselle cranes and the Bald Ibis, species that are largely associated with Turkish life and culture. Another very important point is that these projects set a good model. This will encourage other institutions to work in the protection of other important areas.
UNDP Turkey: Where did you use the funds collected through CNN Turk’s donation campaign?
G.E.: We will start using the funds in October. We have closely worked with the General Directorate of Nature Preservation and National Parks in Urfa and Ankara last summer, and decided on the details of the project. We will shortly sign a protocol with the Ministry and start working in October.
UNDP Turkey: Are more donations still coming in?
G.E.: Yes. Many companies have approached us after the launch in June. We are carrying out negotiations on how to support and implement different projects.
UNDP Turkey: What would you say about your partnership with UNDP?
G.E.: We have established a close cooperation with UNDP. Apparently, UNDP first thought we were looking for a financial source for the Fund. When it was made clear that our aim was to get more corporate support and cooperation for nature protection, our collaboration took on a different course. The GEF funds, in one way or the other, are being used for nature anyway. But the purpose of the ‘’Nature Fund’ is to create a larger budget for nature protection. Therefore,we attach great importance to UNDP’s partnership in the Nature Fund. This partnership is a serious proof that the work we are doing aims a global target – ‘to use nature in a rationalistic way’. I hope we will be getting more and more support, first and foremost from Global Compact companies, as well as from other actors in the private sector.
In his opening speech, Finance Minister Kemal Unakıtan said, “By integrating their expertise, resources and know-how, public and private business cooperations increase efficiency and productivity. These partnerships also help lift the burden on the Turkish Treasury to a certain extent.”
The participants shared their legal, financial and technical expertise at the Summit, which was organized by Corporate Social Responsibility Association (CSRA), in collaboration with UNDP, the World Bank and UK Trade & Investment; and supported by related ministries and governmental organs of Turkey. Minister of Transportation Binali Yıldırım, World Bank’s Director in Turkey Andrew Vorking, UNDP Representative in Turkey Mahmood Ayub, CSRA’s President Serdar Dinler, British Consul-General to Istanbul Barbara Hay, President of the Privatization Administration Metin Kilci, Undersecretary of Finance İbrahim Çanakçı, and Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Adem Şahin were among the conference speakers. The Summit was also attended by representatives from Turkish private sector companies which have declared their commitment to the 10 principles of the Global Compact, who discussed ethical business values and the role of corporate social responsibility in the betterment of the global community.
“I heartily support the role of private companies in undertaking public sector investments, without handing over public ownership”, said Finance Minister Kemal Unakıtan, adding that the PPP model can be especially instrumental in public infrastructure projects. Unakıtan also pointed out to the fact that developing countries need a source of nearly 500 billion dollars each year, to be able to meet their public infrastructure requirements, and that PPP businesses in Turkey, too, mainly operate in motorway, airport and railway constructions, and in public drinking water and solid waste infrastructure works.
“Global Compact Principles promote responsible corporate citizenship, so that businesses can be a part of the solution to the challenges of globalization.”
In his opening address to the Summit, UNDP Turkey Representative Mahmood Ayub stressed the role of the private sector in achieving the ‘Millennium Development Goals’ and in fulfilling the ‘Global Compact Principles’. Ayub said, “United Nations has long recognized the vital role of the private sector in contributing effectively to sustainable and equitable growth at the global and national levels. In the words of Secretary-General Kofi Annan: ‘In today's world, the private sector is the dominant engine of growth – the principal creator of value and managerial resources. If the private sector does not deliver economic growth and economic opportunity - equitable and sustainable - around the world, then peace will remain fragile and social justice a distant dream’. We, at UNDP, believe that the private sector has a critically important role to play, through its financial and technical support, in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. These goals, in their essence, commit to reducing poverty by half by 2015, while also addressing significant national and global shortcomings related to health, education, and environment. Importantly, the Millennium Development Goals also establish a framework for global partnerships and better harmonization of the efforts of governments, international organizations and private sector, recognizing the enormity of the challenge the goals present… (While) the Global Compact Principles seek to promote responsible corporate citizenship, so that businesses can be a part of the solution to the challenges of globalization.”
“Public-private sector partnership is a necessity, not a passing trend!”
Serdar Dinler, President of the Corporate Social Responsibility Association (which was one of the hosts of the Summit), said that they hoped this Summit would be a significant step in establishing the legal framework of public-private sector partnerships. “Public-private sector partnership is a necessity, not a passing trend,” Dinler emphasized, pointing out that public-private sector cooperation and social responsibility concepts could soon be exhausted, if they are applied without first building the essential legal infrastructure. “These practices must be implemented in such a way as to benefit the economy over the long term. And for that, a solid legal background should be established with the help of all social stakeholders”. Dinler also added that the Principles of UN’s Global Compact are a source of strong inspiration for national/local development projects and business partnerships in such generally neglected areas, as HIV/AIDS combat, access to clean water and sheltering problems of developing nations.
In his address to the Summit, World Bank’s Turkey Director Andrew Vorking elaborated on the benefits of PPPs and gave examples of their public infrastructure projects in Turkey. Vorking said in his closing remarks: “Turkey can easily and successfully implement many PPP models throughout its economy. Based on assessments of infrastructure and Turkey's favorable investment climate, there is significant opportunity for PPPs in all of the infrastructure sub-sectors—energy, water and wastewater companies and rail freight companies, as well as in some of the service sectors, including at the municipal level. Turkey's experience can set an example for both other emerging markets and the EU accession and pre-accession countries. PPPs are not the cure for all investment needs in Turkey or in other countries, but they are workable and successful model which have and can bring great benefits to the economy and to the population.”
Minister of Transportation Binali Yıldırım also gave numerous examples of the airport, seaport, yacht marina and railroad construction projects that have been successfully completed, and will soon be undertaken by public-private sector partnerships (PPPs) and build-operate-transfer (BOT) systems. Mr. Yıldırım added that, the State Planning Organization have more than 4,000 pending projects in hand, which could not be possibly realized for another couple of decades, given the present finances of the State budget. “Here comes the importance of public-private sector business partnerships”, Yıldırım said.
President of the Privatization Administration Metin Kilci, on the other hand, claimed that the ‘build-operate-transfer’ (BOT) system can not actually be portrayed as “successful” in Turkey, due to ‘lack of sound political, economic and legal legislations, mistakes made in the partnership agreement conditions, and the ill-balanced risk distribution between public and private sector companies.’ ”However”, Mr. Kilci added in his speech, “we’ve had several successful PPP projects in Turkey, including airport terminal constructions and service operations.”
U.K.’s Consul-General in Istanbul Barbara Hay was also among the speakers at the PPP Summit, who remarked that her country is looking forward to sharing their knowledge and experiences in public-private partnerships which have become very common and successful in U.K.
UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on the Global Compact, Prof. Klaus M. Leisinger,and the Head of International Strategy of International Financial Services London (IFSL), Stephan Harris were among the participants at this Summit.
There were not only Textile firms but also Governorship, GAP Regional Development Agency (RDA), Small and Medium Industry Development Organization (KOSGEB), Turkish Clothing Manufacturers’ Association (TGSD), Istanbul Textile and Ready-to-Wear Exporters’ Union (ITKIB), Adıyaman Municipality, Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Textile Ready-to-Wear Clustering Association at the ‘Textile and Ready-to-Wear Forum’ in Adıyaman, on September 15, 2006.
The aim was to increase the value-added created in the region, including Gaziantep, Adana, Şanlıurfa, Malatya, Kahramanmaraş and Diyarbakır, while focusing on Adıyaman province, and thus strengthen the competitive power of the textile sector and the economy of the region as a whole, by clustering all companies and institutions in the textile area.
The project carries the vision of making the GAP region, which produces 60% of Turkey’s cotton yield, the centre of the labour-intensive textile and ready-to-wear industry within the span of 10 years.
Governor Halil Işık said that he believed the regional dimension of clustering and its contributions to the region would be extensive, adding that putting Adıyaman in the focus of the Clustering Project was enthusiastically welcomed by local industrialists and investors.
The Forum was organized within the framework of the “Textile and Ready-to-Wear Clustering Project” initiated by GAP-GIDEMs (Entrepreneur Support Centres). GIDEMs, which were established by the UNDP and GAP RDA in the framework of an EU funded project, have been providing training, advisory, consultancy and information services to the target group through their offices in Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa and Mardin, which also implement the “clustering approach” – a local economic development method.