Altunok: "We Demand That More of Our Members Benefit from the Project"

Speaking at the FOSTER II Project's Malatya Promotion Meeting, Ayhan Altunok, Vice Chairman of the Malatya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MTSO) Assembly, said, "As Malatya, which has experienced major earthquakes, we need financial support. We request that more of our members benefit from the project."

The Malatya Promotion Meeting of the FOSTER II Project, funded by the European Union, managed by KfW Development Bank, and implemented by KOSGEB, was held.

Ayhan Altunok, Vice Chairman of the Malatya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MTSO) Assembly, attended the meeting and delivered a speech.

In his speech, Altunok stated the following: "As you know, we experienced major earthquakes on February 6. It has been exactly 34 months since that day. Our tradespeople, merchants, and industrialists are struggling to get back on their feet. In an environment where more than 4,000 of our tradespeople are struggling in 21-square-meter containers, hundreds of our businesspeople have left the city. As the Malatya Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we present all kinds of problems and needs of our members to the relevant authorities and follow up on them. The most important need of our members is finance. We are experiencing significant difficulties in accessing finance. KOSGEB has provided substantial support, especially after the earthquake. We thank them on behalf of all our members. We believe that the support program implemented under the FOSTER II Project, carried out by KOSGEB, will provide significant support to earthquake-affected businesses. However, our request is this: Positive discrimination should be applied to our Malatya, which has experienced major earthquakes and has been deeply affected by agricultural frost. We are saddened that applications are being rejected due to certain procedures. We urgently request that the application processes be facilitated and that more of our businesses benefit from the support. We once again extend our gratitude to KOSGEB and the Ministry of Industry and Technology, to which it is affiliated, for standing by us."

Murat Seki, KOSGEB Malatya Provincial Director, stated in his speech that Malatya was not included in the FOSTER I Project but was included in the FOSTER II Project following negotiations and requests.

Following the speeches, project experts provided information on the Employment-Committed SME Financing Support Program and the Employment-Committed SME Support Program.