A signing ceremony was held for the cooperation protocol of the "Villages of Tomorrow Project" Digital Center in Yarma Neighborhood, which will be implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Konya Metropolitan Municipality, KTO Karatay University, and Karatay Municipality, sponsored by Trendyol.
Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay stated that the "Villages of Tomorrow Project" is a project that will illuminate the future, connect villages with technology, and bring a fresh breath to rural development.
Mayor Altay stated that the Digital Center, which will be established initially in Yarma Neighborhood as part of the project, will lead Konya’s rural development initiative. He added, “I believe this center will be more than just a building; it will be a concrete symbol of rural development, green transformation, and digital equality of opportunity. Through the ‘Villages of Tomorrow’ project, we aim to bring together local residents, the public sector, and private sector to help our producers eliminate waste, and increase efficiency and profitability. In this way, while managing our city, we are taking an important step toward ensuring the welfare of our producers—one of our top priorities in rural areas—and preventing migration from rural areas to the city.”
Monica Merino Dominguez, the UNDP Resident Representative in Turkey, expressed great satisfaction in working with Konya Metropolitan Municipality, Karatay Municipality, and KTO Karatay University. She said, “We are making this memorandum of understanding by bringing together local administrators and the private sector. We are opening a new chapter in Konya. We are launching a digital community center in the Yarma Neighborhood. This center will provide important activities for the farmers in the region. Especially, it will raise awareness among children, women, and youth. It will help these individuals produce higher-quality products and better prepare products to be offered through e-commerce. I would like to thank Konya Metropolitan Municipality for their hospitality and wish for the continuation of our cooperation.”
Following the speeches, the signatures were signed by UNDP Turkey Resident Representative Monica Merino Dominguez, Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay, KTO Karatay University Rector Prof. Dr. Fevzi Rıfat Ortaç, and KTO President Selçuk Öztürk.
