On 27-28 April 2022 Secretaries of Commission Kunduz Rustembekova and Enes Yıldırım had meetings in Ankara within the framework of preparations for the upcoming 9th meetings of the Commissions on Economic Cooperation and on Legal Affairs and International Relations.

The representatives of the Secretariat met with members of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye – Mr. Yaşar Karadağ, member of the Commission on Economic Cooperation and Mr. Yüksel Özkan, member of the Commission on Legal Affairs and International Relations. The parliamentarians were informed on the preparations and draft documents of the 9th meetings of the Commissions scheduled to be held in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, respectively.

During the meeting with Mr. Burak Balkan, Head of the Department of the Directorate General of Trade Researches and Risk Management of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye and Mr. Murat Yarat, Expert of the Foreign Trade of the Directorate, the parties discussed issues related to the support and promotion of the activities of Small and Medium Business (SMB) in Türkiye and measures implemented by the Ministry to support SMB during the pandemic and post-pandemic periods.

Secretaries of Commission had meeting with Mr. Eser Erol, Employment Specialist of the Department of Foreign Relations and Projects of the Directorate of the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR). The parties exchanged views on employment of population, including in small and medium businesses.

In the course of the meetings with the Heads and experts of the Directorates of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization of Türkiye (KOSGEB), delegation of the Secretariat was informed in detail on the measures and projects aimed at maintenance of further development of SME’s and those taken to support SME during the pandemic and recovery after lockdowns. Mr. Selim Baktır, the Director of the Technology, Innovation and Local Production Department of the Supplier Development Directorate of the KOSGEB, briefed on ongoing measures and implemented projects concerning supplier development in SME. Mr. Mehmet Fatih Aydın, the Director of the Technology, Innovation and Local Production Department of the R&D and Innovation Supports Directorate of the KOSGEB, provided wide information on researches and innovations in SME support in Türkiye.