While Turkey was shaken by the subsequent earthquakes, Cem Altan stated that approximately one third (in between 20% and 35%) of the workers in the textile and apparel industries were employed in this region, and further underlined that 11 cities with 1616 apparel and 1290 textile companies were affected and also revealed figures on the employment power of the region which employs 150.000 personnel in apparel and 200.000 in textiles.
While stating that TGSD supports the region with supply containers, Altan talked about their aim to alleviate the social impact of the earthquake by creating a new working environment. While emphasizing on the main purpose of the aid and support which is to provide employment in the region and to start production once again at full capacity, Altan said that when people have a place to live and a job to work, this will help the region to return to normalization, and shared his own belief that these troubled times can leave behind by cooperating local and international partners towards a common task.
45% of Turkish Textile Production Capacity is Carried Out in the Region
Cem Altan stated that there are 36 different industrial zones in 10 cities which affected by the earthquake, and said that apart from textiles and apparel; steel, cement and agricultural industries were also hit by the calamity while giving statistics about the apparel industry in the region which accounted for %2.6 percent of the total apparel exports of Turkey with 565 Milyon $ in 2022. In addition, textile exports in the region are at the level of $ 3.4 billion and constitute of 30% of total textile exports. Moreover, 45% of the total production capacity is carried out in this region.
While stating that the infrastructure systems in industrial regions are mostly in good condition, Altan emphasized that the destructive effects of the earthquake were felt at lesser levels in production facilities compared to living residences.
Short-Term Factory Stoppages May Occur
Short-term production cuts seem inevitable for the Turkish apparel industry after the earthquakes. However, Cem Altan stated that all stakeholders should work together to make the factories in the region operational again. While stating that water, electricity and natural gas have been supplied to some cities and regions, and at the same time the planes have become operational, Altan said that the Turkish textile and apparel industries will use their production capacity surplus in the short term, while giving reference to yarn and fabric production capacity which increased by 25% with the investments made last year, and said that as a result, the lost capacities are moving to other big cities immediately such as Bursa, Istanbul, Tekirdağ and Denizli.
