History of UNIDO in Turkey

What was previously a UNIDO field office in Ankara (established in 1967) aimed at providing technical assistance to Turkey, became a UNIDO Centre for Regional Cooperation in accordance with the Agreement signed between UNIDO and the Government of Turkey on 9th of February 1999. Turkey' s relatively well-developed economic and technical capabilities, along with its strategic location, made it a suitable site for a UNIDO regional centre.

Since 1967, technical support projects of UNIDO in Turkey varied from genetic engineering to metrology, protecting the environment to assisting SMEs. Small and Medium Sized Industry Development Organization (KOSGEB) and GAP-GIDEMS (Entrepreneur Support Centres in the Southeast of Turkey) were established with the technical assistance of UNIDO. UNIDO also played an active role, since early 1990's, in implementing Montreal Protocol Projects (MP) in Turkey aiming at phasing out Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS).

UNIDO conducted In Plant Group Training Programs (IPGTPs) in Turkey in previous years in the fields of Iron & Steel, Small Scale Foundry, Fruit and Vegetables, Medicinal Plants, Sugar Industry, Cement Industry, Textiles, and Industrial Pollution Assessment & Control.

Since 2000, international workshops, study tours and seminars have been organized in Turkey in agro-industries, textiles and Technology Foresight, in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, TUBITAK and TIKA (Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency).

A regional project funded by the Government of Turkey aimed at development of SMEs in Azerbaijan, Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan was implemented by UNIDO using Turkish expertise in the area. Establishment of International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies in Istanbul, Implementation of Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), participation in the joint UN Project funded by the Government of Spain on “Enhancing the Adaptation Capacity of Turkey to Climate Change” and GEF funded projects on Industrial Energy Efficiency are among the noteworthy ongoing UNIDO projects in Turkey.