25.02.2023 Ankara
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, stating that the representatives of the Union's sector council producing construction materials want to contribute to the earthquake housing construction project to be initiated by the government, said, “In this context, they are committing to fixing prices for construction materials to be used in the houses to be built in the earthquake zone.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu held a
press conference with the participation of TOBB Türkiye Cement and Cement
Products Councils Fatih Yücelik, Chemical Industry Council President Timur Erk,
Mining Councils President İbrahim Halil Kırşan, Soil Industry Products Councils
President Kadir Başoğlu, Ceramics and Refractory Industry Councils Vice
President and Turkish Ceramics Federation President Erdem Çenesiz,
Climatization Council Member and Climatization Industry Exporters Association
President Mehmet Şanal, Iron and Non-Ferrous Metals Councils Member Ayhan
İleri, Tayfun Küçükoğlu, Chairman of the
Board of Directors of the Construction Material Industrialists' Association,
and the TOBB Board of Directors members Zeki Kıvanç, Faik Yavuz and Ömer
Zeydan.
At the meeting, which
was also attended by other board members of TOBB via video conference,
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the Kahramanmaraş-based earthquakes, which are
described as the “disaster of the century”, affected 11 provinces and about 14
million people.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that approximately 50,000 people lost their lives in the earthquake and 173,000
buildings were found to be ruined, to be demolished urgently and severely
damaged, and said, “The number of homeless people or those in need of shelter
reached 1.7 million people in total. I pray for the grace of Allah upon our
citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake and hope for urgent healing to
our wounded. I wish patience to the relatives of our people who lost their
lives and to our citizens who were exposed to the earthquake. Our deepest
condolences to our nation.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that they are working to ensure that the earthquake victims can return to their
normal lives and emphasized that they will raise the cities affected by the
disaster together.
Pointing out that they
have taken action for this purpose, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We came together with
our 7 sector councils producing construction materials. Our chambers, commodity
exchanges and sector councils have acted in a great mobilization since the
first day. As the TOBB community, we have provided the shipment of 6 aircraft,
7 ships and 3,900 trucks of relief materials, 41 trucks of tents, 970
containers, 141 mobile kitchens, 551 construction machines and mobile cranes to
the region.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that they went to the region 3 times to be with the aggrieved citizens, that
they saw the disaster on the spot, that they shared the pain of the citizens
and that they would be in the region tomorrow evening.
- The price of construction materials of houses to be built
in 11 provinces will not be increased
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that in this process, the public and private sector showed an example of
solidarity that would be an example to the world and that they transferred all
kinds of aid to the earthquake region, and said:
“Our miners,
search-and-rescue teams, have been organizing and supporting the search and
rescue efforts since the first day. I would like to thank the miners of our
country who have made this sacrifice at the cost of their lives, and our
companies and citizens who have helped to the fullest extent, our brothers and
sisters working here. Our sectors are not satisfied with just this and decide
to take another big step. They say that there should be a contribution from us
to the earthquake housing construction project to be initiated by our government.
In this context, they make a price fixing commitment for construction materials
to be used in the houses to be built in the earthquake zone. As long as there
is no increase in raw material and input costs, they are going to price fixing
for the earthquake region. They agreed not to increase the price of construction
materials foreseen to be used in the houses to be built in 11 provinces
affected by the earthquake. I thank them.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed
out that the sectors represented in the meeting have been providing aid and
support to the earthquake region in coordination with public authorities since
the first day of the earthquake, and that these sectors have also done their
part so that earthquake housing can be built quickly and reliably as soon as
possible.
Emphasizing that the
sectors promised that they would not increase product prices in the 11
provinces affected by the earthquake unless there was an increase in input
costs outside their control, Hisarcıklıoğlu said:
“Thankfully, our
helpful business people, acting in solidarity with our great nation, do not abandon
our citizens who are victims of the earthquake. I thank them. The day is, first
of all, a day of being one, of being together, of bonding and embracing with
the same feeling. The day is a day of unity. We will overcome these sorrowful
days together. We will succeed hand in hand with the state and the nation. By
Allah's will and grace, there is no problem that we cannot solve, no obstacle
that we cannot overcome. Almost all of our country is dealing with fault lines
and earthquakes. It is impossible for us to change or ignore this fact. It is
imperative that we act first with the understanding of precaution and then with
the understanding of trust. It is impossible for me to describe the deep pains
and troubles I have personally witnessed in the region. However, I sincerely
believe that we will leave behind this great disaster together as a single
heart as a nation.”