Turkey's İŞKUR and VakıfBank sign protocol to create 3 million youth jobs
Turkey's Ministry of Labour and Social Security, represented by Minister Vedat Işıkhan, attended the signing of the "İstihdama Değer İş Birliği Protokolü" between the public employment agency İŞKUR and VakıfBank. The agreement links İŞKUR's job‑placement services with VakıfBank's development‑oriented financing to expand support for women and young people.
The protocol sets a target of employing three million youths over the next three years and aims to boost women’s labour‑force participation. VakıfBank will promote its financing products through İŞKUR’s 81 provincial directorates, while İŞKUR will inform businesses about the bank’s services.
Minister Işıkhan highlighted recent labour‑market data: youth unemployment fell to 12.8% and female unemployment to 9.8% in June 2026, the lowest rates in 21 and 14 years respectively. At that time 4.692 million young people and 10.831 million women were employed. He also noted that Turkey led global increases in youth employment from 2007‑2024 and achieved the fastest rise in women’s labour‑force participation among OECD members.
Entities: Ministry of Labour and Social Security · Recep Tayyip Erdoğan · Turkey · VakıfBank · Vedat Işıkhan · İŞKUR
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 6 SOURCES] The protocol targets support for women and youth employment through financing and services. (new)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Since 2002, İŞKUR has facilitated employment for 5,742,000 youths and 5,815,000 women. (new)
- [● 6 SOURCES] As of June 2026, 4,692,000 youths and 10,831,000 women are employed in Turkey. (new)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Female unemployment fell to 9.8% in June 2026, the lowest level in 14 years. (new)
- [● 6 SOURCES] The protocol aims to employ three million youths within three years. (new)
- [● 6 SOURCES] A protocol titled 'İstihdama Değer İş Birliği Protokolü' was signed between İŞKUR and VakıfBank. (new)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Youth unemployment fell to 12.8% in June 2026, the lowest level in 21 years. (new)
- [● 6 SOURCES] Turkey was the world’s leading country in increasing youth employment between 2007 and 2024. (new)