According to the machinery manufacturing industry consolidated data shared by the Machinery Exporters’ Association (MAIB), Turkey’s total machinery exports, including free zones, increased by 20.1 percent and reached 2.1 billion dollars in January. Kutlu Karavelioğlu stated that Turkey had to face the reality of earthquake once again at a time when new strategies had to be developed for the expectations of shrinkage and stagnation in the world economy. Our leading exporters across Turkey sent all their machines ready for shipment to the field, and they also assigned almost all of their service and maintenance and repair staff. In the next period, our focus will be on the housing and infrastructure needs of the region.”
Turkey’s machinery exports increased by 3 percent in quantity and 20.1 percent in value, compared to the same period of the previous year, and reached 2.1 billion dollars in January. The increase in January exports to Russia, which rose to the second place among the main markets with its accelerated increase since the middle of last year, was 210 percent. In the same month, Germany’s exports, which increased by 22.6 percent and reached 273 million dollars, were followed by Russia with 165 million dollars and the USA, which reached 117 million dollars with an increase of 29.9 percent.
The sector, which left behind a significant increase in January, also mobilized to undertake duties in the provinces affected by the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes. In order to contribute to the rescue activities from under the rubble immediately after the earthquake; Kutlu Karavelioğlu, Chairman of the Machinery Exporters’ Association, stated that the companies, especially the enterprises in the field of construction and mining machinery, took action rapidly:
“From the first moment of the earthquake, there has been an intense need for lifting machines such as mobile cranes, work machines such as backhoes and loaders, and electrical machines such as generators. Although these machines are in large quantities in the inventory of many users in every province, especially our construction contractors and miners, our rental agencies, the organizations of our official institutions and our municipalities, at the first moment, due to both the destructiveness and prevalence of the disaster and the incapacity of most of the machines and their operators. was insufficient. We understand that they will not be sufficient in any way in the face of this great disaster, from the fact that more than 12 thousand construction machines are operating at the head of the wreckage”.
To contribute to disaster recovery efforts; Karavelioğlu stated that the leading exporters throughout Turkey send all their machines ready for shipment to the field, and that he also assigns almost all of the service and maintenance and repair staff. We are grateful to all our associations who have worked hard to reflect the current opportunities of their members on the field. In the next period, our focus will be on the shelter and infrastructure needs of earthquake victims. Our pain is great; We wish mercy to our colleagues and compatriots who lost their lives, patience and condolences to those left behind.”
“Our priority agenda is the needs of the region”
Stating that the machinery manufacturers continue their humanitarian aid in coordination with public and non-governmental organizations, Karavelioğlu stated that they prioritize the needs of the people of the region as an urgent agenda and said:
“In this difficult process, in which we need to be in solidarity with the country, the importance of the machinery sector in the civil defense chapter, which is of great importance to ensure that infrastructure services such as energy, water, sewerage and cold chain are not interrupted, has been re-understood. While the supplies were flowing to the region from all over the country, our companies made an effort to quickly manufacture and deliver products such as heaters, toilets, water tanks, and mobile kitchens to the region. Many of our manufacturers have allocated some of their capacities to container production. Our members continue to work on providing infrastructure needs such as pumping stations, drinking water and sewer lines of settlements that will be partially or completely renovated, as well as all the needs of temporary cities. As the Machinery Exporters’ Association, like all the organizations of the sector, we will continue to do our best to contribute to meeting the main needs of the region in the next period when debris removal and construction works will be carried out quickly. We will continue to be a guide for our foreign friends who want to provide international solidarity and deliver their humanitarian aid to our country.”
“Our businesses in the region will start operating again in a short time”
Karavelioğlu stated that the total share of Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Hatay, Adana, Malatya, Adıyaman, Osmaniye, Kilis, Diyarbakır and Şanlıurfa, which were affected by the earthquake in the machinery sector, which exported 2.1 billion dollars including free zones in January, was around 3 percent.
“The fact that more than 2,700 machine manufacturers in the region mostly work in steel buildings, machinery and While we have minimized plant damage, the situation is challenging for employees. Although the issues that will hinder production do not come to the fore in Gaziantep and Adana, which make more than half of the region’s exports, the problems in the third rank Hatay are big and the loss of personnel is at a high level. The concern of all sectors, not just machinery, is urgently meeting the living needs of their staff. The ultimate goal of all aid, in cash and in kind, is to heal the wounds and prevent people from being without cities and cities without people. We anticipate that enterprises in the iron and steel industry, which is of great importance for machinery manufacturing, will return to their old capacity in a short time. It will take time for the damaged structures to be rebuilt and the pain to be alleviated, but the start of the industrial enterprises as soon as possible will contribute greatly to the economic sustainability of the region, where approximately 15 thousand people work in the machinery sector and the companies export machinery of approximately 800 million dollars.
“The economic damage of the disaster can be covered by using the resources efficiently”
Karavelioğlu stated that the importance of the machinery industry for Turkey’s ability to fend off threats and its technological independence and how proficient it has become in meeting the needs with the great breakthrough it has made in recent years has been seen once again on the occasion of the disaster after the Covid epidemic, and concluded his words as follows:
“This disaster has made some of us feel that we are not as advanced as they think, and some of us are further behind than they think. Although the state of pessimism is general and very natural, we are at the beginning of a process where we have to work harder than ever and heal the wounds of the people of the region very quickly. The disaster we are experiencing has caused great damage to our economy and a significant share of GDP will be required for the rebuilding of cities, but the psychological side of the treatment is much more important. Foreign sources calculate that the damage of these earthquakes, which are defined as the disaster of the century, to our economy can reach 40 billion dollars. We have no doubt that Turkey, which makes machinery and equipment investments of nearly 100 billion dollars a year, will be able to overcome this huge amount close to the total cost of the machinery it imports in a year, by using its resources in the most efficient way”.
