Within the scope of the Industrial Restructuring of Şanlıurfa Project which is implemented under the European Union's Turkey Pre-Accession Financial Assistance Programme, a groundbreaking ceremony for Şanlıurfa's Second Organized Industrial Zone (OIZ) and Waste Water Treatment Plant for the first and second OIZs was organized on 28 May 2009.

Among the participants were the Minister of Industry and Trade Nihat Ergün, the head of EC Delegation to Turkey Marc Pierini, UNDP Turkey Resident Representative Ulrika Richardson-Golinski, Head of the Central Finance and Contracts Unit Muhsin Altun, Governor of Şanlıurfa Yusuf Yavaşcan, and Sabri Ertekin, Chairman of Şanlıurfa Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Project is composed of two components; Construction Works Component covering the infrastructure and waste water treatment plant construction and consultancy and supervision services; and the Technical Assistance Component covering the identification of the strategic sectors for Şanliurfa OIZ and establishing an operating environment for the enterprises in the OIZ, in which such enterprises can operate competitively. The technical component of the Project is implemented by UNDP Turkey. 

The overall objective of the Project is to reduce regional disparities in Turkey, by contributing to social stability and economic development in the Southeast Anatolia Region.

The Project aims at industrial restructuring of Şanlıurfa and improvement of the competitiveness of the province in national and international markets. Within the scope of the Project, infrastructure of the 2nd Organized Industrial Zone and the waste water treatment plant for the first and second OIZs will be constructed, and administrative, operational and entrepreneurial capacities of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises will be improved.

To view the ceremony programme, please click here.

For more information about UNDP's Industrial Restructuring of Şanlıurfa Project project, please click here.