“I came back to life thanks to IPARD.”

These words belong to Yusuf Arı, the producer of Arido Ice Cream.

Yusuf Arı and his brother Hamdi Arı are ice cream producers in Malatya. While selling ice creams with a mobile ice cream cart, Murat Tunç, Malatya Provincial Coordinator of the Agriculture and Rural Development Support Institution and the Malatya IPARD Representative, introduced them to a program: IPARD, the rural development component of the European Union Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance-IPA. 

Arı brothers established a modern facility with the support of IPARD and grew their business. But these happy days did not last long, and Yusuf Arı suffered a stroke.

Murat Tunç proposed to Yusuf Arı, who had to quit his job, to establish a new factory with the support of the IPARD. Since Arı could not speak or walk, he did not take kindly to this offer. But Tunç did not give up and finally convinced Arı.

Arı started to produce the organic ice cream of its dreams with the support of IPARD. This work reconnects him to life; Arı has started to walk and talk, albeit slowly. He expanded his business with the support of his wife and children.

Nowadays, he is enjoying the happy days again.

Stories about EU-Türkiye cooperation