Recent debates and studies have made it clear that even in the most highly industrialized countries handicrafts continue to exist simultaneously with industrialization, and that the progress of the latter does not necessarily suppress handicraft production. In order to promote the development of handicrafts in new forms, it is essential that different parties who deal with handicrafts should work in coordination. In Turkey some initial steps are already taken towards creating links between the market (local businesses-firms) and production (designer-craftsman). A number of well-established enterprises support the production of modernized traditional handcrafted small objects designed by known designers appreciating the know-how and qualities inherited and cultivated within tradition. These firms include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Koleksiyon: A large store that produces and markets glass-ware accessories, and carpets/rugs using traditional handicrafts but re-interpreting them.)
• Paşabahçe: Hand-blown glass works are designed by national and international architects and industrial designers in the firm’s workshops in Denizli.
• Eczacıbaşı Vitra: A ceramic factory which takes its cue from the millenia-old Anatolian tradition of ceramic art, reinterpreting the the handcrafted originals and adapting them to the contemporary bathroom. It also embodies a Ceramic Art Studio that aims to encourage ceramic artists and public appreciation of this medium.)
• Vakko: A large-scale firm that produces scarves and fabrics inspired by traditional Turkish Arts and created by the ateliers of renown artisans.

These enterprises and many more are aimed towards bringing together arts, crafts and design, demonstrating that they have invested in design throughout, from the planning stage to distribution. In recent years another type of initiation, museum-firm pair, has emerged in different parts of the world. The goal of the museum-firm pair is to link various local product institutes, small- and medium-scale firms, and museums of applied arts. In Turkey Eczacıbaşı Virtual Museum  is one such initiation, which brings together multiple collections and exhibitions of traditional handicrafts (i.e. ceramics), paintings, and photography by linking various Turkish museums online.

Ayşe ÖZBIL