# Turkish initiatives for women's economic empowerment > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/turkish-initiatives-for-womens-economic-empowerment > Updated: 2026-09-15T09:59:00.000Z. Sources: 15. Developments: 2. Efforts to support women’s economic participation and entrepreneurship in Turkey have expanded through both national and local initiatives. At the national level, the Turkish Ministry of Trade established a cooperation protocol with five major e-commerce platforms—Hepsiburada, N11, PTTAVM, Pazarama, and Trendyol—as part of the 2025-2029 Turkey Cooperativism Strategy and Action Plan. This agreement provides women-led cooperatives with free registration and reduced commission rates, including 0% commission for the first six months, to improve digital market access. Simultaneously, local municipalities have launched targeted programs. In Kahramanmaraş, the Metropolitan Municipality, in partnership with Kahramanmaraş İstiklal Science and Technology University and the Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM), founded the Kahraman Women’s Academy. This academy offers training in e-commerce, entrepreneurship, and digital security, alongside an online sales platform. In Kandıra, a local municipality opened a Women’s Handcrafted Goods Store to help women market non-food items such as jewelry and ceramics, aiming to convert manual labor into economic value. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-15: Turkish municipalities launch initiatives to support women entrepreneurs Turkish municipalities are implementing programs to empower women entrepreneurs through specialized training academies and dedicated retail spaces for handcrafted goods. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkish-municipalities-launch-initiatives-to-support-women-entrepreneurs ### 2026-09-07: Turkish Ministry of Trade partners with e-commerce firms to support women's cooperatives The Turkish Ministry of Trade and five major e-commerce platforms have launched a five-year support program to boost women's cooperatives through free registration and low commission rates. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkish-ministry-of-trade-launches-e-commerce-support-for-womens-cooperatives --- Cite as: Turkish initiatives for women's economic empowerment. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/turkish-initiatives-for-womens-economic-empowerment