Within the scope ofthe “Promoting Decent Work Opportunities for Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in Turkey” project a meeting was conducted in Ankara on 07 December 2017 with the invitation of ILO Office for Turkey to publicize the results of need assessment on capacity improvement of trade unions and employers organizations to improve decent work opportunities for Syrian refugees in Turkey and collect suggestions from participants regarding capacity building training activities for the members of trade unions and employers organizations. The meeting participants consisted of representatives of the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-İŞ), the HAK-İŞ Trade Union Confederation (HAK-İŞ), the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK), the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TISK), The Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK) and their affiliated organizations from general services, textile and garment, agriculture, forestry, food, construction and metal sector in Ankara and Istanbul.

The meeting started with the opening speech of Numan Özcan, Director of the ILO Office for Turkey, and continued with the presentation Ayşegül Özbek Kansu, Program Officer of the ILO Office for Turkey, on the ILO’s on-going projects. In addition, main findings of the needs assessment on capacity improvement of trade unions and employers organizations to improve decent work opportunities for Syrian refugees in Turkey carried out by Professor Seyhan Erdoğdu, ILO Consultant, was presented in the second part of the meeting. The main findings of the assessment were discussed under these titles:

• Creating contact points with Syrians;
• Developing solidarity and inclusive policies based on human rights and decent work opportunities in relation to Syrians;
• Delivering policies on Syrians to organizations, their members and supreme organizations;
• Engaging in solidarity and inclusive activities related to Syrians; trying to develop decent work opportunities;
• Discussing the issues related to Syrian workers on social dialogue bodies or platforms;
• Cooperating with non-governmental organizations and refugee associations related to Syrians;
• Developing creative ideas and activities for Syrians to access decent work opportunities;
• Ensuring that the organizational base has an inclusive and solidarity approach to support Syrians' access to decent work opportunities.

Within this scope, the great emphasis’ placed on; lack of information on the situation of the Syrian workers, conducting trainings and research, publishing reports, development of policies at national level; and raising awareness among the Turkish workers and combating against informal employment based on a holistic approach which includes all workers in Turkey.

Following the presentation, Professor Erdoğdu moderated an open discussion to get participants’ opinions and suggestions with a focus on issues regarding capacity building training activities for the members of trade unions and employers organizations.

Following this event, the need analysis report will be published in Turkish and English and the capacity building training is foreseen to be delivered in January 2018.