İlhami İlhan, Bursa OR-KOOP

• OR-KOOP, the center union of Turkish Forestry Cooperatives, was established in 1997. These cooperatives are known an organized power of forest villagers.

• They undertake a leadership role for forest villagers to improve their social and economic rights in related to produce of any kind of forest products.

• OR-KOOP works with the forest villagers to get a fair share from the national income, provided that this is not contrary to the public interests.

• Also, their main principles are involve in the necessary activities for the development and expansion of Turkish forests.

• They create employment opportunities for their members to support and maintain their living conditions in the forest.

• As estimates, almost 60% of total wood production was carried out by the cooperatives every year.

• In addition, the cooperatives sell or help market non-wood forest products produced from forests.