One-third of The ICI Life City Project is Completed

• 03.04.2023
• Archive

It has been almost three months since the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş Our pain is still very fresh, and we are still mourning. Although this great destruction will be remembered for many years to come, there is a life left behind. It is our duty, as individuals and institutions, to reach out to those lives, to heal, repair, and restore them. With this sense of duty and responsibility, we are mobilizing throughout our country. From public institutions to individuals, from civil society organizations to companies, every sector has been tremendously working for the earthquake region since the beginning. 

As Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ICI), we have been trying to fulfill our responsibilities with all our resources since the first hours of the earthquake. After delivering food, generators, clothing, and medical supplies, which were most needed at the time, we focused on the most critical issue for the region, which is durable housing. Therefore, we have mobilized to establish an ICI Living City with 1,000 containers in the center of Antakya district of Hatay.

Last month, I gave you an update on the initial progress of this matter. And in the following pages of this issue, you will see the incredible progress we have made since then. I am delighted to report that, thanks to the enthusiastic support of our esteemed Assembly and Professional Committee Members, ISOV Trustees, member industrial organizations, and local and international donors, we have received 1,000 container donations for our ICI Living City in a remarkably short period of time. I would like to express my sincere gratitude once again to all our donors who have demonstrated exemplary and sensitive behavior in this regard. 

The works of ICI Living City's infrastructure, along with the production and transportation of containers to the region, is progressing without any interruptions. Over 330 containers have been transported to the area and installed on the 100-acre land designated for this project by the end of March. As a result, I am delighted to announce that we have successfully completed one-third of our project. 

As the ICI management, we are closely monitoring this process while simultaneously conducting the infrastructure construction and container production and transportation. Our team, consisting of chamber employees, is coordinating both the infrastructure works and the delivery of containers to the region. In addition, our Chairman of the Assembly Mr. Ender Yılmaz and our Vice Chairman Mr. İrfan Özhamaratlı, along with myself, inspected the production center and the work in our Living City on-site. 

I am proud to announce that we aim to launch the ICI Living City in early May to serve the citizens affected by the earthquake, as we continue with the infrastructure works, container production, and transportation according to our plan.

During our Assembly meeting in March, we discussed the crucial topic of exports, which is the driving force of our industry and is essential for our economy. We had a productive meeting during our Assembly in March, where we hosted Mr. Kasım Akdeniz, the General Manager of Export Promotion Center of Turkey (IGEME). The meeting covered both global and regional developments, as well as the risks and opportunities of this period for our exports.

This month, we are experiencing the holy month of Ramadan, which we have been eagerly awaiting for 11 months. I wish Ramadan brings peace, abundance, and prosperity to the Islamic world, and using this opportunity, I would like to extend my warmest greetings to all of you for the upcoming Ramadan Eid, hoping that you will have a peaceful month.

Erdal Bahçıvan
Istanbul Chamber of Industry
Chairman