The fifth Digital Center established under the Villages of Tomorrow Project, launched in collaboration between Trendyol and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has opened in İnceler Village, in the Bozkurt district of Denizli. The Villages of Tomorrow Project supports rural development by providing digital transformation opportunities in selected villages across Türkiye.

The opening of the Denizli İnceler Digital Center, established under the Villages of Tomorrow Project carried out in partnership between Trendyol and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was attended by Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır; Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ahmet Yıldız; AK Party Denizli Member of Parliament Nilgün Ök; AK Party Deputy Chair Nihat Zeybekçi; Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Assistant Administrator and Director, Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States Ivana Živković; UNDP Türkiye Resident Representative Monica Merino; Denizli Governor Yavuz Selim Köşger; Bozkurt District Governor Enes Özkan; and Trendyol executives.

The center launched in the Bozkurt district of Denizli, aims to build digital skills across a wider part of the local community, from producers to children, women entrepreneurs and farmers.

Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır said in his remarks at the opening ceremony: “With our National Technology Initiative vision, we are moving forward with determination to make Türkiye a country that develops high technology through its own capabilities, produces it, and offers it to the world in a competitive way. Together with our young and dynamic population, which is our country’s greatest advantage, we are turning dreams into technology projects and continuing our journey toward a fully independent Türkiye. While advancing industrial transformation we also aim, through the Local Development Initiative, to transform the local values of every corner of Anatolia into economic value. The İnceler Digital Center will serve as a model for development where women participate more strongly in employment, young people gain digital skills, and local products reach global markets through e-export. Guided by the belief that access to digital opportunities is a fundamental human right, we hope this project, carried out in cooperation with the United Nations, will inspire the world.”

Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ahmet Yıldız, said: “As the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Türkiye to the United Nations, I am truly pleased to be present at the opening of this digital center, launched through the partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Trendyol, in İnceler Village, where I was born and raised. I would like to thank Trendyol for its strong support and cooperation in making this initiative possible. Being here today, in the village where I was born and grew up, is deeply emotional for me, both personally and professionally. This building holds profound meaning for our family. It is a place where my father, Hüseyin Yıldız, carried stones in its foundation, and where my siblings and I received our education. To preserve the spirit of İnceler and ensure it is not forgotten, we restored this structure and transformed it into a library and museum. From this strong foundation shaped by our shared past, we look toward the future. Hosting the ‘Villages of Tomorrow’ initiative, this center reflects UNDP’s commitment to reduce gaps in digital access and advancing inclusive development. By empowering local producers, particularly farmers, women, and young people and connecting Denizli’s rich heritage and production culture to broader markets, this initiative stands as a tangible example of how the United Nations, together with public and private sector partners, delivers sustainable and inclusive development across the country.”

Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Assistant Administrator and Director, Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Ivana Živković said: “It is a great pleasure to be with you today in İnceler Village for the opening of the Digital Community Centre, a space designed to build digital skills and unlock social and economic opportunities. I would like to thank Trendyol and the Bozkurt District Governorship for their continued partnership and commitment to the “Villages of Tomorrow” initiative. Inclusive and sustainable progress demands whole of society partnerships; public institutions, the private sector, civil society, and communities, so that no one is left behind. I am confident that this initiative will further unlock the potential of İnceler and Denizli. Our shared goal is simple: more connected households, more competitive businesses, and more opportunities for young people and women to thrive close to home.”

Bozkurt District Governor Enes Özkan said: “The İnceler Digital Center marks an important milestone in our district’s local development journey, spanning from production to education, and from entrepreneurship to employment. I believe this center will make a meaningful contribution to the development of digital skills in rural areas, particularly by expanding access to new opportunities for our young people and women. At the same time, it offers us a valuable opportunity to bring the global recognition our local products truly deserve. I would like to thank UNDP and Trendyol for their support in delivering this significant initiative to our district, and I wish it continued success and lasting benefit for İnceler and our district.”

Denizli’s Production and Cultural Heritage Strengthened Through Digitalization

The Villages of Tomorrow Project will continue to expand across different regions of Türkiye with the aim of reducing the digital divide, empowering women and young people, and supporting inclusive growth. Following Adana, İzmir, Diyarbakır, and Sakarya, the opening of the center in İnceler, in the Bozkurt district of Denizli, has brought the number of active digital centers to five. Work on establishing centers and delivering training programs is also ongoing in Konya and Hatay.

These centers offer training and support programs structured around four main focus areas: product development, marketing, branding, product design and photography, e-commerce, and digitalization training for producers and entrepreneurs; capacity-building programs for rural communities; digital literacy, artificial intelligence, robotics, and coding training for children and young people; and digital and sustainable agricultural practices for farmers.

To date, the Villages of Tomorrow Project has reached approximately 10,000 people, enabling a broad segment of society, from producers to youth, to gain digital skills and competencies.

The Villages of Tomorrow Digital Centers present a development model where children receive robotics and coding training in technology classrooms, young people prepare for the digital world, and women entrepreneurs brand their products and reach global markets through e-commerce. The project goes beyond training alone; it aims for long-term rural transformation through digital agriculture practices, data-driven production models and sustainable value chains.

As part of the project, the Villages of Tomorrow online boutique enables 13 producers to reach consumers directly with more than 250 products. In addition to agricultural products such as Buldan chestnuts, Çalkarası and İsabey grapes unique to Denizli, Honaz cherries, and Denizli thyme, the initiative also seeks to expand the reach of local products distinctive to the region, such as weaving, Buldan cloth, İnceler haba (a traditional thick wool fabric), and wooden handicrafts, by leveraging digital tools to access wider markets.

As part of its efforts to support local development through technology and digitalization, Trendyol presented the details of the Villages of Tomorrow Project to an international audience in September 2025 at the panel titled “Private Sector Partnerships: Bridging the Digital Divide for Inclusive Rural Growth”, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.