ARDSI Director Ahmet Antalyalı was engaged in a series of meetings in Antalya, including an information and publicity meeting on the IPARD III Programme.
Visiting Antalya Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry at the first stop of his program, Dr. Antalyalı had an exchange of opinions with the Provincial Director, Şakir Fırat Erkal, regarding the role and significance of the province in agricultural production and the priority sectors of the province for IPARD grants. He informed they have worked in cooperation with all the provincial authorities of the Ministry and thus, he believed ARDSI Antalya Provincial Contact Office will accomplish great things together with the Provincial Directorate.
Coming together with the staff later in Antalya Provincial Contact Office (PCO), Dr. Antalyalı sought information about the ongoing and planned activities of the PCO. He appraised ARDSI Isparta Provincial Coordinator and the PCO staff, who work hard for Antalya to benefit from IPARD grants, for their selfless efforts wishing them success in their further endeavors.
He also visited the Western Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute (BATEM), where he was briefed about the Institute’s activities, focusing particularly on seed growing and consulted with the Deputy Director Mustafa Soysal.
IPARD III Information and Publicity Meeting
The meeting was attended by ARDSI Director Dr. Ahmet Antalyalı, EU and Structural Adjustment Department Head Hasan Hüseyin Han from the General Directorate of Agricultural Reform - IPARD Managing Authority, Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry Şakir Fırat Erkal, ARDSI Isparta Provincial Coordinator Süleyman Gülcü, BATEM Director Abdullah Ünlü and ARDSI Coordinator for Personnel Affairs Aziz Bilgin Yılmaz as well as the relevant public institutions and organizations, NGO representatives and entrepreneurs.
Speaking at the IPARD III Information and Publicity Meeting, Antalyalı highlighted that the IPARD Programme, previously implemented in 42 provinces, has been expanded to 81 provinces as of 2024. He emphasized that, within this scope, Antalya has had access to the IPARD grants for the first time this year with the IPARD III Programme. He stated, "With the project applications our brothers and sisters from Antalya submit to our Institution, we will support investments in many sectors, from plant and animal production to slaughterhouses, packaging, storage, and cooling facilities, as well as renewable energy and rural tourism. By bringing EU-standard facilities to our province, we will create new employment opportunities.”
He maintained, “Our contact office in Antalya operates at the Antalya Expo Center. I strongly encourage you to visit our Provincial Contact Office and get first-hand information from our team on IPARD investment opportunities."
The meeting, which also included technical information on the implementation of the IPARD III Programme, concluded with a general assessment, requests, and Q&A session.
Visit to Governor Şahin
ARDSI Director visited Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin in his office and spoke about the importance of Antalya for the agricultural sector. He expressed his satisfaction in finally being able to provide IPARD grant support, which producers in this region had been eagerly awaiting for a long time.
At the end of the meeting, Dr. Antalyalı presented Governor Hulusi Şahin with the book “Hand in Hand with the Producers”, prepared by ARDSI. Governor Şahin emphasized the importance of ARDSI’s upcoming projects in the province and expressed his gratitude to Dr. Ahmet Antalyalı and his accompanying delegation for their courteous visit.
Finally, ARDSI Director visited a food enterprise operating in Antalya's Aksu district, which also exports abroad. He met with company representatives to discuss the sector's expectations from the IPARD Programme.
