Turkish woman from Kars sets out to introduce “goose meat” to the world

Nuran OZYILMAZ, who set out to introduce Kars goose meat to the world, now aims to branch in big cities and open her second restaurant in Istanbul. OZYILMAZ also plans to establish “a goose feather factory” in Kars. Ms. OZYILMAZ who won the award of “Change-maker Woman Entrepreneur” (women who make a difference in their region) in Turkey’s Woman Entrepreneur Competition 2015 organized by Turkey’s Women Entrepreneurs Association (KAGİDER) in collaboration with some banks, has opened a restaurant named KARS KAZ EVİ RESTAURANT (Kaz evi meaning goose house) which enables domestic and foreign guests visiting Kars to try local tastes.

The story of Ms. OZYILMAZ became known to millions when she won the award and was also referred to by a prominent journalist, Tuluhan TEKELIOGLU in her book called “YAPABİLİRSİN”, meaning “YOU CAN DO IT”. As will be understood from the name of the book, it covers success stories from several Turkish women with extraordinary performances in life to achieve almost fantastic results as very good examples for all Turkish women (to be in first place) who – like in many other parts of the world – still “have to” fight to ensure they are treated equally with men, in all walks of life. (TWITTER address: @Tuluhantekeli )

Ms. OZYILMAZ who was born in 1957, married at the age of 19 after completing his studies in Kars. She became a mother at the age of 20 and has four daughters. At that time, she could not be part of the working life as it was not socially welcome and were a housewife for 13 years. The first step to change her life was in 1990, when she decided to enter working life and sold her bracelets to start business as a tailor from home. Later she rent a place to enlarge her business which she ran for 18 successive years. When she realized the business potential was weakening she decided to enter another field and open a restaurant serving dishes from the traditional kitchen of Kars, noticing the lack of regional cuisine in the tourism sector in Kars. Thus she won the title of the first woman entrepreneur of Kars, in this sector. In her restaurant, she serves regional dishes and specialties on Goose meat mainly.

Ms. OZYILMAZ who has had a great success and is popular in the country now says she was the first woman entrepreneur to do it and she believes she has been a role model for other women in the region. She also adds that it was very difficult to find female staff in the first years, but says the number of working women in the following years increased.

Nuran Özyılmaz also emphasizes that the restaurant enjoys more interest because women serve in it and they have served politicians, artists and bureaucrats from both domestic and foreign countries since the opening of the restaurant. She also notes that the restaurant has been referred to and taken part in many programs, including gourmet channels and documentaries.

Nuran Özyılmaz comments that she was inspired by her own effort and courage while opening this business. She says “By introducing and promoting this product destined to disappear but still cooked at homes in villages we have created a market for the product as well as breeders. This has been our biggest and different achievement. We also included women breeders in the economy by opening them business doors”.