Turkey: Women strawberry garden launched in Diyarbakir

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey

The Bismil District Governor and Deputy Mayor Hamza Turkmen inspected a strawberry garden Tuesday that was established to provide employment opportunities for women in Turkey.

Turkmen said the Bismil Women’s Cooperative’s priority was to create the garden on an area of 5,700 square meters (18,700 square feet).

He noted that 25,000 strawberry seedlings were planted on a field next to Dicle University Bismil Vocational School and women, who are members of the cooperative, will grow the seedlings.

"We will teach our women how to grow strawberries and this will be an income channel for them. We held meetings with the GAP Regional Development Administration for our women, who will be successful in this project, to establish a strawberry garden in their own garden in the coming years," Turkmen said.

The head of Bismil Women's Cooperative, Melek Icer Aslan, said the aim is to empower women economically and socially.

Aslan said that there are 60 women in the cooperative and they will sell products women will grow.

Member Zilan Bakir said she is working in the garden to contribute to her family and to gain a profession.

*Writing by Burak Dag in Ankara