Mardin Economic Development Conference!

A conference titled “Production-Based Economic Development Model” was organized under the Economic Development with the Project System by the MKA Development and Project Agency.

The conference, held in Mardin on June 21st, was attended by representatives of companies in the Mardin region, industrialists, representatives from TÜSİAD (Turkish Industry and Business Association), Mehmet Şerif Öter, President of the Grain Merchants and Grocers Association, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Artuklu Municipality officials, tradesmen, farmers, women, and young entrepreneurs. Among the speakers were MKA Project Director Specialist Tahir Babat and Economist Dr. Ahmet Boz. Following the introduction of the MKA Development and Project Agency at the opening of the conference, the session continued with questions and answers among the speakers and participants.

Representatives from various sectors participated in the conference, expressing both their problems and solution proposals, thereby ensuring strong participation. Days before the conference, Rojbin Kalkan, the MKA Development and Project Agency Mardin Coordinator, and her team visited all segments of the business world, including tradesmen, businessmen, civil society organizations, department and chamber presidents, and public institutions, inviting them to the conference. They emphasized that this conference would significantly contribute to the economy of Mardin and continued, “Through intensive efforts in Mardin, we noticed that many tradesmen and business people are not yet aware of projects and support. Within a short period, we aim to close this gap in Mardin and elevate Mardin’s economy to its deserved position. We believe that this conference we hold today is important not only for us but also for the economy of Mardin. As an institution, we believe that by introducing this importance to our people accurately, we will achieve successful collaborations with them.”

At the end of the program, Mehmet Şerif Öter, President of the Kızıltepe Grain Merchants and Grocers Association, emphasized the importance of the conference for Mardin and the need for such conferences to raise awareness among the people. He said, “Today, in Mardin, the MKA Development and Project Agency organized a conference. The main theme of this conference was to provide information about the grant support provided by development agencies to the agriculture, tourism, and industry sectors. It was also explained by agency experts that many sectors are not aware of these grants or do not benefit sufficiently from them. The support provided by development agencies is very important. Especially, sectors such as agriculture, industry, and tourism need to benefit from these. The development of a country depends on realizing the potential in that country, and to realize it, it is necessary to utilize the support provided by the state and public institutions. Unfortunately, it emerged from this conference that we, as Mardin, are not sufficiently benefiting from the support provided by development agencies, and because we do not benefit, we cannot grow and develop our own field. We need to apply to this sector with expert teams and benefit from these supports.”

Another figure commenting on the conference was Tahir Babat, Director and General Coordinator of the MKA Development and Project Agency. In his statement, he said, “Today, we organized a conference in Mardin on economic development with the project system. The purpose of our conference here was to hold a conference covering a wide range of participants, from public institutions, civil society organizations, industry and business world to young and women entrepreneurs. One of our aims here is to develop the region’s development efforts with a production-based system, and we, as the MKA Development Agency project unit, participated in this. From the efforts we will make in the region, I hope that Mardin will be an example of a welfare city and a development model. I thank all the participants.”