TIKAD Supports Women's Cooperatives in the Earthquake-Affected Regions
Forex - Following the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes that occurred in 2023, a special project is being initiated by the Turkish Business Women's Association (TIKAD) to increase female employment in the region, contribute to the global marketing of products made by women's labor, and revive carpet weaving, one of Turkey's traditional handicrafts. The project, developed by Ahmet Nakkaş, a former president of the Turkish Clothing Industrialists Association, and supported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is being implemented by TIKAD.
The project is also backed by Halkbank (IS:HALKB), which stands by all women entrepreneurs and producers in Turkey. Osman Arslan, the General Manager of Halkbank, emphasizes the importance they place on women cooperatives in the earthquake-affected areas and expresses pride in supporting them.
As part of the project, traditional Turkish carpets and four specially designed carpets, each unique to a city, created by four successful Turkish artists will begin to be woven on looms set up in four cities of the earthquake zone. This project, which will continue to produce carpets and kilims, will be supported by orders from internationally renowned textile brands, with a sense of social responsibility.
The Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, defined as one of the disasters of the century in 2023, allowed the wounds to be healed and life to flourish again with the solidarity shown by our nation and the strength of our state. However, there is still much work to be done. Among the priorities is providing psychological and social support to help the local population reconnect with life and accelerate economic development.
The FAO provided material and technical support for the project as part of its "Cooperative Support Program." Dr. Ayşegül Selışık, FAO's Deputy Representative in Turkey, conveyed their support for the project by stating: “In carpet weaving, which is an important example of traditional handicrafts, pure wool yarn is used. We supplied this yarn to the women's cooperatives for use on weaving looms. Additionally, we provided training on 'Digital Tools and Strategies for Cooperatives, Business Model Cycle, and Preparing Business and Marketing Plans' through our FAO experts. These trainings are vital for enhancing the sustainability of cooperatives and strengthening their competitiveness. The business model and business plan training allows cooperatives to determine their strategic goals and make more efficient use of their resources. We are confident that this support from FAO will help women's cooperatives increase their market share and contribute more effectively to local economies. Through these cooperatives established under the leadership of women, they are strengthening collectively by producing together and generating common solutions to their needs with available resources. Women act in solidarity and collaborate with broader masses. Not only do cooperative member women gain strength, but the local communities also grow stronger. As the FAO Turkey team, we are pleased to support this project that enables the women in the earthquake zone to hold on to life again.”
Four esteemed artists contribute their special designs to the project. World-renowned jewelry designer Sevan Bıçakçı, Ece and Ayşe Ege, founders of the international award-winning fashion brand Dice Kayek, artist and lecturer Fırat Neziroğlu, who introduced a weaving technique named after himself, and Kadriye İnal, known for her surreal sculptures and public art works that have garnered a wide fan base, have rolled up their sleeves for this project. Each artist selected one of the four cities where the project will take place and designed a special carpet for that city. In addition to traditional motif carpets, these four unique carpets are also being woven by women in the earthquake-affected areas. The project is supervised by artist Fırat Neziroğlu.
Local women cooperatives are included in the project. The Kahramanmaraş Yedi Güzel Kadın Cooperative, Hatay Rimmen Women Cooperative, Adıyaman Sevgimin Hilali Women Cooperative, and Malatya – Pütürge Women Initiative Production and Business Cooperative are the main supporters of all local activities, from the completion of weaving training for women in the region to the identification of areas for placing the weaving looms.
Producing is not enough; the financial value of labor must also be rightfully recognized. As the women in the earthquake zone strive to hold on to life again, the Turkish Business Women’s Association places great importance on ensuring that their labor receives the financial value it deserves. The sale of all traditional handicrafts produced by women's labor at low prices poses a significant obstacle to the sustainability of these arts. The low wage policy also hinders women from gaining economic strength. TIKAD ensures that the true owners of labor benefit from this project.
The world's oldest known carpet bears the signature of the Turks. The traditional hand-woven Turkish carpet, which has survived from the 4th-5th century BC to the present day, is a widely practiced handicraft that has been sustained for centuries in the earthquake regions. Each carpet created in Anatolia, which has hosted civilizations for thousands of years, is considered a unique work of art owing to the meanings carried by its motifs. The world's oldest known carpet is believed to be the carpet unearthed by Russian archaeologist C. İ. Rudenko between 1947 and 1949, buried in the V. Pazırık Mound located at the foot of the Altai Mountains in Siberia, now known as the "Pazırık carpet." The carpet, exhibited at the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad, is estimated to have been woven between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC. It is known that the Turkish carpet art continued its development in Anatolia following the Turkish conquest in 1071. The carpets woven by women in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Adıyaman, and Malatya, who are trying to restore their lives after the earthquake, will be contemporary expressions of such a profound heritage.