The three-day training programme held in Istanbul covered institutional communication, publicity, public relations, effective presentation skills, negotiation management, digital media and artificial intelligence applications.
The training programme organised by the General Directorate of Agricultural Reform of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry under the “Technical Assistance Project for Strengthening the Publicity and Communication Capacities of the Provincial Directorates of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the ARDSI Provincial Liaison Office Staff in the Newly Included Provinces of the IPARD Programme”, implemented within the framework of the Technical Assistance Measure of the IPARD III Programme, was successfully completed in Istanbul on 20–22 October 2026.
The training, conducted under the project jointly financed by the European Union and the Republic of Türkiye, aimed to enhance the effective publicity of the IPARD III Programme across the country, strengthen institutional communication capacities and ensure that the support opportunities provided under the Programme reach potential beneficiaries more effectively. Strengthening Publicity and Communication Capacities under the IPARD III Programme The opening session of the three-day training programme was attended by Muhsin YAZICI, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Agricultural Reform; Dr. Ahmet ANTALYALI, President of the ARDSI; Suat PARILDAR, Istanbul Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry; and Hasan Hüseyin HAN, Head of the Department of Managing Authority for EU Structural Adjustment.
During the opening session, it was emphasised that the expansion of the IPARD III Programme to all 81 provinces had extended rural development support nationwide, highlighting the importance of improving the effectiveness of publicity and information activities throughout this process.
On the first day of the programme, staff from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry received training on the implementation procedures of the IPARD III Programme, while ARDSI staff attended sessions on European Union visibility rules, public relations and help desk operations.
Enhancing Institutional Communication, Presentation and Negotiation Skills The training programme included theoretical and practical sessions on news writing and presentation techniques, the use of photography in institutional communication, personal awareness, persuasion and influencing techniques, and effective negotiation management.
Günnur ÖZTÜRK YENER, news presenter and voice-over artist, delivered training on news writing and presentation techniques, while Evrim ERGİN, director and film producer, provided training on the use of photography in institutional communication and practical photography techniques.
Sessions delivered by Dr. Ayşegül YILDIRIM, TRT News Presenter, focused on personal awareness, effective communication, persuasion and negotiation management. Additional training on institutional representation, protocol rules, public speaking and effective presentation preparation aimed to further enhance participants' professional competencies.
On the final day of the training, Aytaç UZUNLAŞ, Digital Transformation Expert and Trainer, provided participants with information on the effective use of institutional websites, social media management and the application of artificial intelligence technologies in digital content production.
Contributing to the Effective Publicity of the IPARD III Programme in All 81 Provinces The successful completion of the training programme held in Istanbul on 20–22 October 2026 marked an important step towards strengthening the institutional capacities of staff working in the 39 provinces newly included in the IPARD III Programme, particularly in project development, publicity and communication.
The knowledge and skills acquired during the training are expected to contribute to more effective publicity of the IPARD III Programme across all 81 provinces, encourage greater participation of potential beneficiaries in project preparation and implementation processes, and ultimately enable a wider range of stakeholders to benefit from the grant opportunities offered under the Programme.