Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization (KOSGEB) has established in 1990 with the aim of supporting SMEs in Türkiye. KOSGEB has conducted international works with its counterpart organizations abroad and with international organizations in order to mutually share experience and information on SMEs.
KOSGEB contribute and participate to activities regarding SMEs realized by international organizations of which Türkiye is member.
KOSGEB aims to:
- contribute to the recognition of Türkiye's SME experience abroad,
- arrange trainings, information and expert exchange programmes in the field of SMEs in cooperation with KOSGEB’s counterpart organizations to enhance institutional capacity,
- coordinate matching activities for SMEs to increase trade volume.
Bilateral Cooperation Activities
International cooperation activities are carried out through the Memorandum of Understanding and Action Plans signed with the counterpart institutions/organizations. Activities are carried out within a certain time depending on priorities elaborated in the Action Plan.
KOSGEB attends to the Joint Economic Commission (KEK) Meetings, which is a platform held under the coordination of the Ministry of Commerce to negotiate trade, economy, industrial, technical and scientific issues. These meetings have important functions such as developing mutual economic relations, coordinating the private and public sectors, removing obstacles in mutual relations. These meetings enable KOSGEB to come together with its counterpart organizations to launch cooperation on SMEs.
In addition, KOSGEB participates and contributes to the Joint Industry Working Group and Monitoring Committee Meetings established with various countries.
Multilateral Cooperation Activities
KOSGEB participates activities of international organizations, of which Türkiye is a member, for SMEs.
The activities conducted with international organizations can be summarized as follows:
The African Union (AU)
AU was established in 1963 with the aim of ensuring political, social and economic integration, accelerating development, preserving peace and stability, and adopting the principles of democracy and good governance in Africa.
Türkiye’s relations with AU have remained limited in the period of 1963-2002. Following the implementation of the 1998 Action Plan for the Opening Policy towards Africa, Türkiye, participated in the African Union Summits as guest country after 2002, and obtained “observer status” in the African Union in 2005. AU demonstrated its will to strengthen the relations with Türkiye by declaring Türkiye as a strategic partner of the Continent in 2008.
KOSGEB participates to the activities related to the SME topic addressed Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit.
Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA)
CICA is an inter-governmental forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.
The idea of convening the CICA was first proposed by Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev on 5 October 1992, at the 47th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Activities are carried out in five main dimensions: economic, environmental, humanitarian, new challenges and threats, and military-political.
KOSGEB participates to CICA business forums and councils regularly.
The United Nations (UN)
UN is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights and the achieving of world peace. UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations, to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue. From its offices around the world, the UN and its specialized agencies decide on substantive and administrative issues in regular meetings held throughout the year. There are currently 193 member states.
KOSGEB participates to activities and works achieved under UN agencies and programmes indicated below:
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964. UNCTAD supports developing countries to access the benefits of a globalized economy more fairly and effectively.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations’ global development network. UNDP works to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities and exclusion. It also aims to assist countries in developing policies, leadership skills, partnership capabilities and institutional capacity building to achieve sustainable development.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), is a specialized agency in the United Nations system. The Organization's primary objective is the promotion and acceleration of industrial development in developing countries and countries with economies in transition and the promotion of international industrial cooperation
The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) plays a key role in developing that framework in pursuit of its mandate to further the progressive harmonization and modernization of the law of international trade.
The United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) is the United Nations’ home for discussions on science and technology – what is new, what matters, what is changing, what the impact is – and how this affects development and a sustainable future for all. It is the forum that helps ask and frame the critical issues influencing the fields of science and technology today.
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
The aim of ECO is contributing to the development of the Member States, removal of trade barriers within the ECO region, and developing intra-regional trade and promoting the ECO region’s integration with global markets, strengthening cultural and historical ties among the Member States.
Members of ECO are Türkiye, Iran and Pakistan (Founding Members), Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
KOSGEB participates and contributes to activities conducted under The Regional Planning Council.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
OECD was established in 1961. OECD’s mission has been to help its member countries to achieve sustainable economic growth and employment and to raise the standard of living in member countries while maintaining financial stability – all this in order to contribute to the development of the world economy. As a founding member country of OECD, since 1961, Türkiye has been contributing OECD’s programs, policies and priorities.
There are 20 establishing member countries of OECD (Türkiye, USA, Canada, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Iceland, Norway and European Union). During time, number of member countries increased to 38.
OECD works through more than 300 committees, expert and working groups, which cover almost all areas of policymaking. Türkiye has decided public institutions as a national coordinator institution or related institution in those various Committees in order to participate to the meetings.
KOSGEB participates to activities and works achieved under OECD agencies indicated below:
The SMEs and Entrepreneurship Working Group (WPSMEE) within the Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities Center (CFE) was elevated to the Committee (SMEs and Entrepreneurship Committee-CSMEE) level in 2021, with the decision of the OECD Council, and it continues to work within the CSMEE.
CSMEE leads the policy analyses and recommendations made in the OECD on the issues of revealing the current potentials of SMEs and entrepreneurs, increasing efficiency and innovation, eliminating the problems encountered in the field of access to finance and trade, and ensuring digitalization and green transformation.
KOSGEB is the national coordinator of CSMEE.
In this context, the activities carried out under CSMEE;
- to promote the effective implementation of best practices by prepearing country evaluation reports at national and thematic level and by developing standards and policy analyses for evidence-based SME and entrepreneurship policies,
- identify innovative approaches, trade-offs and synergies, and linkages between various policy perspectives in order to improve SME and entrepreneurship policies,
- drive the development and dissemination of robust, comparable and timely statistical and policy data and indicators, and analytical tools and knowledge infrastructure, to support evidence-based analysis and policy effectiveness,
- provide a forum for open dialogue, benchmarking and knowledge-sharing on SME and entrepreneurship policies and programmes, and exchange ideas, experiences, evaluation results and best practices on SME and entrepreneurship issues, policies and programmes.
KOSGEB is also national coordinator of Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED).
In addition to KOSGEB delegates, Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR) participates to LEED meetings held in Paris twice a year as a delegate to the meeting. In the meetings, the main issues and topics are; social economy, local labour markets, workforce skills development, immigrant integration into the labour market, local clustering, cultural and creative sectors, green and digital transformation, inclusive and social entrepreneurship.
Moreover, the measures taken to eliminate the negative effects on local employment and economies within the scope of Covid-19, country sharing regarding good practices, and activities that can be done or can be done for young people and disadvantaged groups are discussed.
Participation and contribution is made to the work and meetings of the Steering Group on the Financing of SMEs and Entrepreneurs, which was formed unofficially. In this context, the Finance of SMEs and Entrepreneurs Scoreboard study aims to provide country and international comparable data on SMEs' access to finance and to create tools for the evaluation of policies. Türkiye has attended in this study in 2013.
Detailed information about the OECD's work for SMEs and entrepreneurs can be found at the link below:
KOSGEB has improved its facilities on development of Turkish SMEs by participating to OECD works and has contributed to OECD publications in the framework of its gained experience. Besides, related KOSGEB departments follow the OECD reports and analyses to benefit from best practices and policy recommendations on SMEs.
Group of 20 (G20)
G20 is the premier platform for international economic cooperation. G20 was born out of the necessity to develop joint responses against challenges brought by economic crises of 1997, and 1998.
G20 countries are as follows:
Europe: Türkiye, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Russian Federation, and EU
America: USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil
Asia-Pacific: China, India, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Australia
Africa: South Africa
Middle East: Saudi Arabia
G20 represents 90% of global economy, 80% of world trade and 2/3 of world population.
Within the scope of the theme created by the G20 Term President, the activities are carried out by KOSGEB.
Developing Eight (D-8)
D-8 was founded in 1997 by 8 countries that have great economic potential, various resources, a young population and a certain geographic region, in order to create new commercial opportunities, increase participation to international decision, making process, provide better living conditions, improve economic cooperation through concrete common projects and strengthen the positions of the developing countries in the world economics. To accomplish this mission, working groups established in various fields continue their operations.
KOSGEB attends the meetings of “D-8 Working Group on Industrial Cooperation” and meetings of “D-8 SMEs Governmental Bodies” which is organized as part of this working group.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
OIC is the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations, which has membership of 57, states spread over four continents. Its purpose is to strengthen cooperation and solidarity among member states and to protect the rights and interests of the Islamic World. It has been operating since 1969.
KOSGEB has shared its experience in SME supports through Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Economic and Commercial Cooperation Standing Committee (COMCEC-COMCEC), Islamic Countries Statistics, Economic and Social Research and Training Center (SESRIC), Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) etc.
The COMCEC works are chaired by the President of the Republic of Turkey. KOSGEB participates to activities and works achieved under COMCEC.
Cooperation with the National Association of Development Finance Institutions (ADFIMI) in the Member States of the Islamic Development Bank has started.
The Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC)
BSEC, a regional economic cooperation organization, was established with the Istanbul Summit held on June 25, 1992 under the leadership of Türkiye, and its Permanent Secretariat, which was put into service in 1994, is located in Istanbul.
The BSEC has 13 members: Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine and Greece.
The Working Group on SMEs was established in 2001 within the BSEC. KOSGEB undertook the task of national coordinator of the BSEC SME Working Group in the 2001 - 2003, 2006 - 2007, 2012 - 2013, 2014 - 2015 periods. By participating in the meetings of the mentioned Working Group, the experience of Türkiye is transferred to the BSEC member states.
Türkic Council (Organization of Turkıc States)
Council was found with the aim of benefitting largely from the historical and cultural accumulations of Turkic world, to develop multilateral cooperation among the Turkic speaking states in 2009.
Member states are; Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Hungary (Observer)
KOSGEB participates and contributes to activities for SMEs carried out by Türkic Council.