Alibaba to partner up with Turkish tradesmen

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba will carry out joint projects with tradesmen in Turkey. The Ministry of Customs and Trade plans to bring together tradesmen in Turkey with Alibaba in this regard. Eyeing investment opportunities in Turkey, Alibaba wants to collaborate with small firms. Alibaba head Jack Ma previously met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss the issue.

According to Turkish daily Milliyet, Alibaba plans to enter the Turkish market by investing in Turkey and wants to collaborate with small firms and open up to East Asian markets. While companies around the world trade via the Chinese alibaba.com, Alibaba management came to Turkey and met with officials from the Ministry of Customs and Trade; Undersecretary of the Ministry of Customs and Trade Cenap Aşçı met with Alibaba Group Director Michael Evans and Alibaba Turkey Manager Cüneyt Erpolat in this regard.Noting that work is in progress to introduce e-commerce, especially to small businesses, Aşçı said they want to cooperate more with the private sector.

Alibaba Group Director Evans said they find products produced in Turkey quite qualified for their business, stressing that they want to ensure market expansion into East Asia in cooperation with small firms in Turkey.

Pointing out that they expect support from the ministry for cooperation with tradesmen in Turkey, Evans said they want to establish a structure based on a win-win principle for both sides.

"We would like to introduce e-commerce to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), small producers and tradesmen, craftsmen who produce handicrafts, tradesmen whose businesses are about to be extinct," Undersecretary Aşçı said, highlighting that there are efforts from both the Ministry of Customs and Trade and the Ministry of Economy to encourage these disadvantaged groups, introduce them with e-commerce and establish these platforms. "The approach of Alibaba coincides with our policies," Aşçı noted.Alibaba's head Ma met with President Erdoğan through Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ last year. Yalçındağ has been working to bring Alibaba to the Turkish market for some time.