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 Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences - iisbf@gelisim.edu.tr


08 September 2025 Monday
 Report of the Workshop on “New Trends in Turkish Cooperatives” at IGU Announced
Within the scope of the United Nations’ declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives, a workshop was held at Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU) shedding light on the future of women’s cooperatives, social cooperatives, and new-generation cooperatives. Conducted in two sessions, the event presented solution proposals under nine main themes, ranging from legal regulations to digital transformation, from campus cooperatives to women’s labor. In the conclusion of the report, a strong call was made for cooperation among the public sector, private sector, academia, and civil society to enable the transformation of cooperatives.

Cooperatives in Turkey Discussed in the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives
As part of the United Nations’ declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives, the current state and future of cooperatives in Turkey were discussed at a workshop held at Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU). Organized under the leadership of CIRIEC Turkey, in collaboration with Istanbul Gelisim University and Istanbul Rumeli University, the workshop titled “New Trends in Turkish Cooperatives in the 2025 International Year of Cooperatives” shared its final report with the public.

Aimed to Develop Concrete Solutions

Held on May 23, 2025, at IGU’s Avcılar Campus, the workshop focused on women’s cooperatives, social cooperatives, and new-generation cooperative models. The event aimed to develop concrete solutions on issues such as strengthening the legal framework for cooperatives, sustainability, marketing, digital transformation, and gender equality.

Wide Range of Participants

Opening speeches were delivered by Prof. Dr. Kenan Aydın, Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences at IGU and President of the CIRIEC Turkey National Committee; Prof. Dr. Bahri Şahin, Rector of IGU; and Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kara, Rector of Istanbul Rumeli University.
The workshop was attended by public and cooperative representatives including Gülsüm Gözde Ayanoğlu, Mustafa Yıldırım, Hakan Özkan, Hakan Çalen, Aytaç Ünen, Bahar Kastan, Fatma Şahin, Nesrin Deli, Gülser Özkan, Tuncay Eskin, and Rasim Keskin; as well as academics such as Prof. Dr. İzzet Gümüş, Prof. Dr. Emine Akçadağ Alagöz, Prof. Dr. Nurcan Turan, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nilüfer Serinikli, Assist. Prof. Dr. Aysun Kaya Deniz, Assist. Prof. Dr. Ayşe Aydın, Assist. Prof. Dr. Selda Tunç Subaşı, and Res. Assist. Zehra Makar.

Key Themes from the Sessions

Session 1 – Women’s Cooperatives and Legal Regulations
  • Legal definition of women’s cooperatives and legislative gaps
  • Sustainability challenges and proposed solutions
  • Strengthening women’s labor in rural areas
  • Need for training and mentoring in project writing, e-commerce, and entrepreneurship
Session 2 – Social and New-Generation Cooperatives
  • Renewable energy cooperatives and opportunities for green transition
  • Campus cooperatives to meet students’ basic needs
  • Social cooperative models for disadvantaged groups
  • Disaster management, digitalization, entrepreneurship culture, and regulatory improvements

Nine Main Recommendations from the Report

  1. Legal framework – Special status for women’s and social cooperatives, modernization of the Cooperatives Law, inter-ministerial coordination
  2. Informal employment – Micro-employment models, SGK (social security) exemptions, special incentive packages for women’s labor
  3. Promotion – National campaigns, “Cooperatives Day” events, digital storytelling projects
  4. Sustainability – Inter-cooperative collaboration, financial literacy programs, mentorship networks
  5. Gender equality – Childcare, transportation, care support, women’s leadership academies
  6. Social cooperatives – Separate legal status, incentive funds, low-interest loans
  7. Marketing and logistics – Common branding, e-commerce infrastructure, collective shipping agreements
  8. Supply chain integration – Joint production and procurement unions, sectoral integration
  9. New-generation approaches – Digital transformation, platform cooperatives, campus cooperatives, green energy initiatives

Emphasis on “Strong Cooperation”

In the conclusion of the report, it was underlined that strong collaboration between the public sector, private sector, academia, and civil society is critical for the transformation of cooperatives. A call was made for the establishment of regular platforms under the leadership of CIRIEC Turkey, where stakeholders can come together and put these recommendations into practice.

Click here to read the workshop report




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