In Turkey's southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, which produces the most dried isot peppers (special dried Urfa red peppers), tomatoes and eggplants in the country, women unite under the roof of a cooperative with the support of the Ministry of Trade and market the products they produce across the country and abroad.

Fifteen female entrepreneurs from Şanlıurfa have formed an all-woman cooperative. They benefited from a project grant provided by the Ministry of Trade for female entrepreneurs and came together under the roof of the cooperative they established last year. Cevahir Asuman Yazmacı, a businessperson representing the female entrepreneurs, said that by establishing the "Urfa AGRO Cooperative" in the city, they are able to offer registered regional dishes such as organic bread, stuffed meatballs (içli köfte), semsek (a kind of Turkish samosa), ağzı açık (an open minced meat pastry) and ağzı yumuk (a closed minced meat pastry), which can be frozen and marketed all over Turkey.

Contributing to the national economy

Yazıcı, in her statement about the cooperative, said: "We established the cooperative on Feb. 21, 2021, with the support of the Trade Ministry. We started the business by renting a kitchen of the technopolis that had been idle for 14 years. With the support we received from the Trade Ministry, we bought some of the kitchen equipment. Our main goal here, as the Urfa AGRO women's initiative and production cooperative, was actually to socialize women and to contribute to the national economy in general, and the economy of Şanlıurfa, in particular. I believe we achieved this."

Yazıcı explained that today, they are producing more of Şanlıurfa's geographically indicated products, including isot peppers, pepper paste, tomato paste and dried fruit.

"And we are helping to market them," she said.

Ultimately, all the women will have a share in the cooperative, she explained. "For now, of course, in order for the cooperative to stand on its own feet, it provides my colleagues a salary while producing the products here, but I believe that each of these sisters will continue as a partner of this company when the cooperative gets stronger economically in a very short time," she said.

Touching on the philosophy behind cooperatives Yazıcı outlined: "The logic of the cooperative system is important, and cooperatives are an important phenomenon in terms of contributing to the family economy and socialization of everyone who works in them. We set out with my female entrepreneur colleagues in Şanlıurfa, and today, I believe that this cooperative will be an exemplary one for Turkey in general, and Şanlıurfa and the region, in particular. I hope their numbers will increase."

'Women should obtain economic freedom'

Bahar Güler, one of the female employees working within the cooperative, said: "We work here. Our working environment is very good. We can both socialize and work. It's not like a work environment, it's more like a home environment, as if I'm working at home. We are very pleased. I hope our cooperative will get somewhere. We don't think about the economic part at all, that is to say, we want it to grow. I want to call on all women from here to work. Women should not have to rely on men. They should work. They should obtain their economic freedom."

Gülten Beyaz, another member of the cooperative, said: "I was spending time alone at home because I have no children. I was bored at home from time to time; you visit friends' homes for a day, two days, three days. These visits are only enjoyable to a certain extent. I was bored at home. Now, thanks to this job, we are having a great time. Psychologically, we were also very good. Working here feels like therapy. I go home happy."