Adıyaman eyes to revitalize both industry and tourism

ADIYAMAN

The devastating twin earthquakes in early February last year affected not only buildings but also the economy of southern Türkiye.

Before the earthquakes, Adıyaman's economy was based on two main pillars: Agriculture and livestock, and textile factories, which accounted for almost 90 percent of the city's industry. Food, construction and building materials were also produced.

However, after the tremors, the city began to experience significant problems in terms of jobs and manpower. Mehmet Torunoğlu, the chairman of the Adıyaman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that one of the main problems of the city’s economy after the earthquake was the lack of people to work in the factories.

“Before the earthquake, Adıyaman was a city that was about to come out of its shell,” he said.

“It had overcome most of its serious problems. The earthquake took us back to 1954 [the year Adıyaman was separated from Malatya and declared a province]. Many people in the city are now working on the construction of new buildings. The Community Benefit Programs [TYP], which used to provide temporary jobs for the unemployed, now employ nearly 10,000 people. Unfortunately, the labor needed for production has shifted to these areas. There are orders in industry today, but companies cannot increase their capacity because they cannot find people to work."

Torunoğlu said serious support from the state is essential for Adıyaman to get back on its feet, otherwise, it could take 20 years for the city to return to the situation before Feb. 6, 2023.

"After the earthquake, insurance premiums were postponed and 400,000 Turkish Liras in interest-free loans were distributed to businesses by KOSGEB [Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization],” he added.

“KGF [Credit Guarantee Fund], on the other hand, gave loans with variable interest rates, but the interest rates of these loans have increased from 13 percent to 50 percent. These supports alone may not be enough for our development.”

Torunoğlu expects further support and incentives to revive the city’s economy.

“Support such as minimum wage and tax exemption can be provided,” he said.

“As another important and valuable support, Adıyaman can be declared a super incentive zone. We have serious potential in tourism with Mount Nemrut and many other tourist destinations. For example, the year 2025 can be declared as the year of Adıyaman in tourism. We need big incentives that will bring our city, our economy and our people back to life."

Abdulkadir Çelenk, chairman of Adıyaman Organized Industrial Zone, stated that before the earthquake there were nearly 19,000 employees in Adıyaman industrial zones and noted that the number decreased by 30 percent to 13,000 in the first year of the earthquake, adding that 25 factories were damaged and 15 factories were destroyed in the region.

"To better understand the loss in the city's industry, I can give another example: Our electricity consumption, which was 230 million kilowatt-hours before the earthquake, has dropped to 130 million kilowatt-hours in the last 12 months,” he said.

“At this rate, it will take us 10 years to recover. We ask our government for cheap loans with fixed interest rates so that small, medium and large businesses can start working again and the people of Adıyaman can get back on their feet.”