Our Work in Turkey
Verité has worked in Turkey since 1999 and is currently focused on assessments and training in the apparel sector. Turkey is the third largest apparel supplier to the European Union after China and Bangladesh. Its proximity to Europe, strong production infrastructure, and entrepreneurial climate make it a top destination for global apparel and footwear brands. For the last several years, Verité has collaborated on work in Turkey with Senior Consultant Pauline Tiffen and her team on-the-ground. She is the founder of Tiffen & Associates, and prior to that she founded two leading fair trade companies: Cafedirect and The Divine Chocolate Company. Ms. Tiffen leads Verité’s work in Turkey utilizing her expertise for rapid appraisals on issues of forced labor, designed for the specific risks of labor abuse currently present in the country. As Ms. Tiffen shares with Vision, the informal nature of Turkey’s garment sector, influx of millions of Syrian refugees, and lack of transparency in apparel supply chains, has resulted in a widely unregulated environment rife with labor rights risks.