The country’s 1st Cooperative Workshop which aimed to create a roadmap for cooperatives was held on Tuesday.
Opening speeches delivered at the workshop emphasized the importance of cooperatives and highlighted the necessity of upgrading existing systems.
The Cooperative Companies Auditing Directorate, in collaboration with Eastern Mediterranean University and Lefke European University, organized the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (TRNC) 1st Cooperative Workshop on Tuesday.
Shortcomings and deficiencies in cooperatives were examined, and the goal to determine a roadmap for the cooperative sector was discussed during the workshop.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu mentioned that the workshop was aimed at preparing a roadmap for the future.
Ataoğlu stated that next year, an online system will be implemented in some cooperatives, ensuring the supervision of both cooperatives and the Auditing Directorate.
“Our goal is to pass on what we know about the importance of cooperatives to the future,” he said.
Also delivering a speech, the leader of the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP) Tufan Erhürman emphasized the importance of collective production, stating that cooperatives are not a new concept in the country but due to education, supervision deficiencies, and political intervention, producers have distanced themselves from cooperatives.
Erhürman emphasized the need to support producers and urged politicians to withdraw their hands from cooperatives.
The Turkish Ambassador to Lefkoşa Metin Feyzioğlu stated in his speech that cooperatives involve the unity of smaller entities to exist in the world of larger ones.
Ambassador Feyzioğlu said that the Republic of Türkiye has decided to support projects to turn cooperative production into trade within the framework of the Development and Economic Cooperation Agreement in the coming period.
Speaking next, Prime Minister Ünal Üstel reminded that the Turkish Cypriot people took their first step into cooperatives with the cooperative established in Geçitkale and reached the present day, expressing the goal of revitalizing village cooperatives.
Highlighting the mandatory use of locally produced goods in hotels, the Prime Minister stated that efforts are made to increase quality in production.
Üstel mentioned that the government will provide the necessary support to integrate women and other cooperatives into a more modern system.
Delivering the final opening speech, President Ersin Tatar said that cooperatives have a significant role in bringing the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to the present day.
He emphasized the importance of domestic consumption as much as exports, saying, “12 years ago, the number of beds was at 12,000, and now it has exceeded 30,000. Increasing the number of students is also among our goals. Considering these, local production is very important.”
Tatar also highlighted the significance of cooperatives and expressed the hope that the value of cooperatives would be increased through branding.
Following the opening speeches, the workshop continued with plaque presentations and a panel on Cooperatives in the 21st Century.