Turkey: Overview & Impact

Country Context
Turkey
Population: 82.3 million (2018, World Bank)
Languages: Turkish (official)
Monetary unit: Turkish Lira
Main Exports: apparel, food, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
GNI per capita: $10,280 (2018, World Bank)
ODA received: 6.2 billion (OECD)
Human Development Index ranking: 64/189 (2017, UNDP)
Estimated GDP growth: 7.4% (2017, CIA Factbook)
Syria
Population: 16.9 million (2018, World Bank)
Languages: Arabic (official)
Monetary unit: Syrian Pound
Main Exports: crude oil, minerals, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, textiles, meat and live animals, wheat
Human Development Index ranking: 155/189 (2017, UNDP)
Estimated GDP growth: -36.5% (2014, CIA Factbook)
Products & Services
- Business Verification
- Local Business Directory
- Training and Mentorship
- Matchmaking
- Tender Distribution
- Market Research
Market Research
- 2021: SME Snapshot - Syrian SMEs in the Southern Region of Turkey
- 2020: Syrian Entrepreneur Success Stories
- 2020: The Impact of COVID-19 on Syrian Businesses in Turkey - Executive Summary (AR)
- 2020: The Impact of COVID-19 on Syrian Businesses in Turkey - Report (EN)
- 2020: Women as Entrepreneurs and Employees in Syrian SMEs in Turkey
- 2020: Turkish-Syrian Business Partnerships, Part II: A Opportunity in Progress
- 2020: Syrian Businesses in Turkey Catalogue
- 2020: The Financial Inclusion of Syrian-owned Enterprises in Turkey
- 2018: One Year Later: Revisiting the Contributions of Syrian Entrepreneurs in Turkey
- 2018: بيلدينغ ماركتس دليل البقاء للأعمال #1:الممارسات المصرفية في تركيا
- 2018: Building Markets Business Survival Guide #1: Banking Practices in Turkey
- 2018: بيلدينغ ماركتس دليل البقاء للأعمال #2:الحوافز الحكومية للأعمال في تركيا
- 2018: Building Markets Business Survival Guide #2: Government Incentives for Businesses in Turkey
- 2018: Turkish-Syrian Business Partnerships: A Nascent Opportunity (EN)
- 2018: Turkish-Syrian Business Partnerships: A Nascent Opportunity (TUR)
- 2018: What's the Point, If Nothing Changes? Current Practices and Future Opportunities to Improve Remote M&E in Syria
- 2018: Enabling a Localized Aid Response in Syria: an Assessment of Syrian-led Organizations
- 2017: Another Side to the Story: A Market Assessment of Syrian SMEs in Turkey (EN)
- 2017: Another Side to the Story: A Market Assessment of Syrian SMEs in Turkey (AR)
- 2017: Another Side to the Story: A Market Assessment of Syrian SMEs in Turkey (TUR)
- 2017: Another Side to the Story Executive Summary (EN)
- 2017: Another Side to the Story Executive Summary (TUR)
- 2017: Another Side to the Story Executive Summary (AR)
- 2017: Another Side to the Story Press Release (EN)
- 2017: Another Side to the Story Press Release (AR)
- 2017: Another Side to the Story Press Release (TUR)
- 2017: Refugee Business Directory Press Release
Building Markets is uniquely positioned to support the growth of refugee-led businesses in Turkey. The organization has developed an extensive network of Syrian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), published ground-breaking research that has brought visibility to their operations and economic contributions, and designed tailored services to facilitate their access to new opportunities. Building Markets works closely with local partners to implement its programs, including Turkish businesses.
Bringing Visibility to Local Firms
We have collected more than 300,000 data points on registered Syrian SMEs in Turkey. Services include:
- Verification of companies through in-person and virtual surveys to identify growth constraints and capabilities.
- Creating tailored businesses profiles on our matchmaking platform: entrepreneurs.buidingmarkets.org
Training and Mentorship
Our training services rely on internal and external experts and are informed by our data collected directly from SMEs on their self-identified needs. Our services have reached 100s of SMEs and over 1,000 entrepreneurs. Training is offered through:
- In-person group, virtual, and individual sessions covering business areas such as procurement, sales and marketing, financial management, and introduction to exporting.
- Our online training platform, which offers SMEs access to technical knowledge, business resources, and supplements our in-person services.
Connecting SMEs to Supply Chains and Capital
Building Markets integrates local SMEs into supply chains and connects them to investment by making valuable information available to suppliers, buyers, banks, and investors by:
- Collecting and sharing tenders on our matchmaking platform.
- Providing on-demand matchmaking briefs and sourcing support that fast-tracks buyer access to local goods and services.
- Connecting investors with SMEs positioned for scale and investment.
- Organizing networking functions, forums, and other events that showcase local SMEs, their offerings, and enable business relationships.
Market Research
We leverage our extensive data to produce market assessments, sector-specific reports, and to share other trends and analysis on our network of SMEs.
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Building Markets has also offered services to Syrian-led civil society organizations. Resources and products from this program can be accessed in the reports section of this page and through: syriancivilsociety.org
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Donors and Partners