1. Agricultural Cooperatives in Turkey
can they be a model for Central Asia? by
Huseyin Polat
Senior Adviser, National Cooperative Union of Turkey
Professor of Cooperative Management and Training

2. Description of the situation of cooperatives in Turkey
Three different laws governing co-ops
The largest ones are in agricultural sector
Product-based co-ops specialised in marketing;
Two- and three-tier mixed structures;
Village-based multi-purpose rural development co-ops need strengthening;
Co-op development strategy in action;
Member participation needs improvement;
Future priorities: Education & training, finance.

3. How big is the sector? Total number of co-ops: 53.258
Total number of members:
Number of co-op unions: 462
Number of employment created:
Total amount of paid capital: 500 million USD
Total volume of business: >50 Billion USD

5. Product-based agric. co-ops
Olive & olive oil producers’ marketing co-ops
• Hazelnut producers’ marketing co-ops
• Apricot producers’ marketing co-ops
• Figs producers’ marketing co-ops
• Cotton producers’ marketing co-ops
• Sunflower seed producers’ marketing co-ops
Sugar-beet producers’ Cooperatives
Sultana raisins producers’ marketing co-ops

7. TARIS Group of Co-ops Aegean region
Olive oil
Figs
Cotton
Sultana raisins

8. Olive, Hazelnut & Apricot

9. Sugar-beet producers’ co-ops
Sugar-based products
1,6 million members
Own 5 sugar factories
42 % of sugar produced in Turkey
10 Billion TL volume of business

10. Agricultural Credit Co-ops
2nd largest agric. credit distributor (19 %)
Largest fertilizer, seed.. distributor,
1.625 primary co-ops
owned 14 companies
1,1 million farmer-members and staff
2016 volume of business exceeds 10.9 billion TL

11. Co-op2co-op trade
The 2nd Turkish Cooperative Fair to be organized in Ankara between 7-10 December 2017 will be a good platform for cooperative enterprises to buy and sell co-op products to/from Turkey

12. Looking ahead… Policies: Prioritize implementation of SDGs
Co-op law: respect co-op principles and values
Innovation: how to strengthen rural-urban linkages- taking part jointly in value chains
Linkage with/among co-ops in A/P: China, India, Central Asia, Japan, Korea, Iran, Turkey
Caring for others: Co-ops and refugees