In the Spotlight: Resilient futures through entrepreneurship

Pinar Yapanoglu is an ICMPD Portfolio Manager of the ENHANCER and ENHANCER Pro project in Türkiye. Pinar has over 30 years of experience in fundraising, programme management and advocacy for socio-economic and development initiatives. She has supported mobilising resources to expand opportunities for refugees and women entrepreneurs and led large-scale grant programmes that influenced policy at the national and international levels. 

Can you give us a general description of the ENHANCER and ENHANCER PRO projects? 

The ENHANCER and ENHANCER PRO Projects aim to support the socio-economic inclusion of Syrians under Temporary Protection (SuTPs), Persons under International Protection (PuIPs), and host community members in Türkiye by building resilient livelihoods through entrepreneurship. 

The ENHANCER Project runs from 2020 to 2026 in 11 provinces in Türkiye, focusing on developing entrepreneurship skills, strengthening local business ecosystems, and improving market access. It collaborates with Regional Development Agencies and local stakeholders to provide technical support, business advisory services, and grants to cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). About 5000 beneficiaries participated in training— nearly half women and more than half Syrian — and over 300 entrepreneurs received mentorship. The project also provided grants to startups, SMEs, and cooperatives, creating over 700 new jobs. 

In addition, 25 local and public institutions received grants to establish shared facilities for strengthening the entrepreneurship infrastructure. Another 20 grants supported local technoparks, industrial zones, municipalities, universities and NGOs promoting a migrant-sensitive entrepreneurial ecosystem. Together, they reached thousands of entrepreneurs and contributed to the establish over 200 start-ups. 

The ENHANCER PRO Project, running from 2024 to 2028, is expanding these efforts across 18 provinces with high refugee concentrations. It has a stronger focus on digital innovation, private sector engagement, and sustainability. The project continues to support inclusive entrepreneurship while promoting formal employment opportunities through partnerships with the private sector and initiatives such as women’s cooperatives. 

Both projects are funded by the European Union and implemented by ICMPD’s Representation in Türkiye, in close coordination with the Directorate General of Development Agencies under the Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye. 

Can you elaborate on the positive impact of these projects on migration-related policies or socio-economic developments in Türkiye? 

Both projects align with key frameworks such as the EU-Turkey Joint Action Plan (2015)¹ and the Action Document (2023)² on refugee inclusion. By connecting entrepreneurship with migration management, we’ve influenced policy shifts toward more resilient and long-term economic integration strategies. 

Through structured cooperation with public institutions like the Ministry of Industry and Technology and local actors like the Regional Development Agencies, our work has contributed to mainstreaming socio-economic inclusion in local development agendas. These efforts show that entrepreneurship is more than a livelihood — it’s a pathway to self-reliance and social cohesion, and formal employment and legal registration among Syrians under Temporary Protection (SuTPs). 

The projects also serve as a way to test policies in practice, guiding policy changes and showing how socio-economic integration can be best achieved in a society. In addition, the incentive for employing SuTPs has helped employers change their perspective, facilitating socio-economic integration. 

Can you share a human/memorable story about your time working at ICMPD, and how you believe your work made a difference in someone’s life? 

One of the most impactful stories comes from a cooperative in Karateke İzmir, where a group of SuTP and Turkish workers teamed up to produce pickles. With our support, they received training, registered, accessed grants and advisory services, and bought automation tools. Now, they employ over 20 people and export to various countries. What was once a vulnerable group is now contributing to the local economy, driving positive change and benefiting both the cooperative partners and the wider community, including local farmers and workers. 

Another story that stayed with me is from Hatay, a region devastated by the earthquake, stayed with me. A women-led cooperative lost most of its products and equipment, but with our grant, they bought new machinery and restarted production. They created new jobs for SuTPs and local women. During a visit, a woman told me how meaningful it was that ICMPD came after the disaster, bringing people together for something as hopeful as starting a business. Another entrepreneur, who expanded her vegan products, appreciated the holistic support — financial aid, mentorship, and networks she hadn’t imagined. 

ENHANCER’s grant schemes and B2B activities have opened doors for many. In Tarsus, a centre trained over 100 people in mushroom cultivation and food drying in both technical and entrepreneurial skills. One Syrian family started producing mushrooms at home after the training, and within six months had recovered their investment and hired four staff. I also recall a Mersin doctor entrepreneur preparing to pitch his start-up to investors. Coming from an academic background, fitting his story into a 10-minute presentation was a challenge at first. But after several months of mentoring, he delivered a clear, compelling pitch, later saying it was more impactful than many medical congresses.  

A Syrian entrepreneur who had been working in a bakery joined software development training at Erciyes Technopark. He developed an app automates bakery production and sold it to his former bakery, transforming from unskilled worker to software developer and business owner. 

Can you share a time when your work influenced migration practices or decisions by individuals or institutions? 

Through our business development grants and formalisation support, we witnessed a significant increase in SuTP-owned businesses move from informal to formal structures. In  Hatay, for example, the local chamber of commerce adjusted its registration processes after one of our stakeholder roundtables to better accommodate refugee entrepreneurs. This type of institutional shift fosters long-term inclusion and legal economic participation, reflecting a ripple effect of our work in the field. 

We have witnessed that most of the companies and cooperatives employed SuTPs for the first time, and some SuTPs officially registered to work for the first time with our grant programmes. They experienced some difficulties in receiving work permits, and ICMPD provided feedback to authorities to influence regulation changes. We believe this has resulted in a change of mindset, not depending only on EU livelihood support, especially for those aiming to settle in Türkiye. 

We saw transformation in Türkiye’s Technoparks, key hubs for innovation and entrepreneurship. Before ENHANCER, most Technoparks had never engaged with SuTP entrepreneurs. Our grants introduced them to the concept of inclusive entrepreneurship, showing them the potential and how diversity could enrich the ecosystem. This experience sparked a new vision within these institutions — one that sees SuTPs not as outsiders, but as valuable contributors to Türkiye’s future economy. 

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced while working on ENHANCER/ENHANCER PRO, and how have you overcome them? 

One major challenge has been addressing the diverse capacity levels across provinces and actors. In some areas, institutional frameworks for supporting entrepreneurship were either weak or fragmented. To overcome this, we focused on capacity-building for local institutions and worked closely with the Regional Development Agencies to develop region-specific models. After the February 2023 earthquakes, the challenge shifted as many of our grant beneficiaries in affected regions needed not just recovery but transformation. We reoriented parts of the project to help them rebuild and adapt to new market conditions. 

Another recurring challenge is addressing social perception and miscommunication regarding refugee inclusion. To tackle this, we promote inclusive narratives and joint business ventures between host and refugee entrepreneurs, emphasising how expanding the entrepreneur ecosystem benefits the whole economy.  

How do you cooperate with other organisations, both governmental and non-governmental, to address migration issues, and what have been some of the key outcomes of these collaborations? 

Our collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Technology and Regional Development Agencies has been central. We’ve created multi-actor platforms that bridge local governments, business support organisations, civil society actors, and chambers of commerce. Under the LCUF and Ecosystem Institutions Grants, 45 institutions have been supported, strengthening inclusive institutions at the local level that address migration in connection with entrepreneurship and employability. Through public-private partnerships, we've organised B2B events that match refugee-owned businesses with local suppliers and retailers. We also engage women’s cooperatives and social enterprises, not only as beneficiaries but as service providers and multipliers within the project. These efforts have led to more formal employment of refugees, stronger trust among stakeholders, and replicable models of economic inclusion. 

We built a relationship with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to simplify work permit processes and with refugee NGOs to connect employers and employees.     

The European Union Delegation (EUD), together with the Ministry of Industry and Technology, have played a vital role in the whole process as both donors and active partners at the local and national level. Their strategic engagement and willingness to be part of the solution have been key in shaping the programmes, ensuring sustainability, and aligning them with broader national and regional policy frameworks. 

What inspired you to work in the field of migration and how has your perspective on migration evolved since you started working for ICMPD? 

Türkiye has confronted an unprecedented migration management situation, and it necessitates looking beyond border management and security. As a development professional with experience in private, public and international organisations, I believe in addressing migration not only as displacement, but also as an opportunity - with dignity and emphasising sustainability. Working at ICMPD has deepened this understanding by allowing me to witness firsthand how strategic interventions in livelihoods can reshape the narrative around migration by supporting policy work as well as implementing direct intervention modalities.  

Which has been your biggest learning since the beginning of these projects? 

I am grateful for this enormous experience and steep learning curve, which showed me that entrepreneurship can be a transformative force when supported systematically. It’s not a luxury – for many, refugees and it’s a survival mechanism that becomes a springboard for leadership, stability, and contribution to society. 

The experience of refugees being registered for employment has an impact on the change of mindset for the society and refugees, sustaining and enhancing socioeconomic integration.  

It’s important to recognise Türkiye’s national contribution and the significant responsibility it shoulders in addressing migration challenges cannot be overlooked. The strong will and constructive attitude of national institutions and ENHANCER Project partners clearly demonstrate how the country is tackling these issues with resilience and a forward-looking perspective. 

Has your view changed on the role of entrepreneurship in migration contexts? If so, how? 

Absolutely. I initially viewed entrepreneurship primarily as a tool for economic self-reliance. But through these projects, I’ve come to see it as a catalyst for social inclusion, gender equality, and even institutional change and private sector partnership. Women-led cooperatives, for example, not only generate income but also challenge existing norms and build cross-community solidarity. 

_{¹ European Commission fact sheet. EU-Turkey joint action plan, Brussels, 15 October 2015.} 

_{² JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL State of play of EU-Türkiye political, economic and trade relations. Brussels, 29.11.2023.}