Turkey will collaborate with Cameroon in developing the small and medium-sized enterprises sector, the recently appointed Turkish Ambassador to Cameroon, Ayse Saraç has said. She was speaking to reporters in Yaounde, Thursday March 7, 2019, after an audience with the Minister of Small and Medium- sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicraft, Achille Bassilekin III.

According to the Turkish diplomat, her government will be providing support aimed at empowering Cameroonian entrepreneurs. Ayse Saraç cited the putting in place of centers of excellence and incubators as some of the immediate actions they will take. “We discussed on different sectors like handicraft, the textile industry, amongst others,” she said, noting that much of their attention will be focused on crafts work. To Minister Achille Bassilekin III, Turkey has developed very rapidly in the last 20 years, depending mostly on its comparative advantage – its long tradition of valourising handicraft and developing SMEs. As such, it is necessary to tap form their experience. “We brainstormed on key areas that can redynamise our cooperation, not only in the domain of SMEs but also handicraft,” the Minister told reporters. He disclosed that they examined together how collaboration can work out between some institutions which are at the heart of the expansion of the private sector in Turkey and those in Cameroon like the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Promotion Agency. “On the basis of this, we have come out with some guidelines which will be the subject of discussions in the near future,” he added.