Materials handling supports Türkiye efforts

Allan Leibowitz -
News Story
- 16 Feb 2023 ( #1115 ) - Turkey
4 min read
TÜRKONFED volunteers gather in-kind donations for people affected by the earthquake.
TÜRKONFED volunteers gather in-kind donations for people affected by the earthquake.

Türkiye (formerly Turkey) and Syria face a massive challenge in recovering from this month’s devastating earthquake.

According to media reports, aid groups and logistics operators worldwide are ramping up urgent relief efforts for victims of the earthquakes but they are facing significant difficulties because of the devastation of infrastructure throughout the region.

Supply chain risk management company Everstream Analytics warns that attempts to clean up rubble or repair structural damage are unpredictable. “With the crisis far from over, those doing business in Türkiye should anticipate further disruptions to business and logistics operations in the coming weeks, particularly in southern Türkiye,” an advisor tells Forkliftaction News.

“The exact extent of damage to the road network in southern Türkiye remains unclear amid ongoing rescue operations. However, with widespread structural damage confirmed in almost a dozen provinces, and more than 5,000 buildings destroyed by the earthquake, severe road transport disruptions should be anticipated in the coming days until clean-up operations can begin clearing the rubble and repair roads in affected areas,” Everstream adds.

The global Red Cross and Red Crescent are spearheading the current humanitarian efforts in Türkiye and Syria. 

“The level of pain and suffering is immense and the need for support is equally enormous. This humanitarian response is not a sprint. It is a marathon. We call on the international community to support the people of Syria and Türkiye not just in the coming days, but also in the months and years needed for recovery,” says Jagan Chapagain, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) secretary general.

Forkliftaction News has attempted to contact forklift dealers and distributors in Türkiye, but so far without success.

Clark Europe confirms that its importer in Istanbul is not directly affected. “However, there are two dealers from our sub-dealer network in the earthquake region. The regular business of these dealers is suspended at the moment, as all employees are currently working in the local rescue and relief service,” a spokeswoman tells Forkliftaction News.

Toyota Material Handling corporate communications director Jonas Lindell says his company is represented in Türkiye by independent distributor Toyota Istif Makineleri, which has three branches and four official dealers, with a total of 95 employees. “As safety of people is our foremost priority, we have been in constant contact with them since the earthquakes, and they are all safe and out of harm; however, of course, affected in different ways by what has happened.”

Red Crescent relief work
Red Crescent relief work

“We are in a continuous dialogue with our colleagues in Türkiye on how we best can support them and the country in this situation and going forward,” Lindell adds. 

KION group spokesman Frank Grodzki says as far as he knows so far, “the KION Group has not been affected by the disaster in the earthquake zone”. 

“To help people in this desperate situation, KION is supporting the fundraising campaign of the German Red Cross, which is currently working closely with its sister (organisations) in Türkiye and Syria. The KION Group will match the donations made by our employees.

“If required, the KION Group will also provide the Red Cross with industrial trucks to support humanitarian aid in disaster areas,” he says.

In addition, KION is providing up to 10 days of paid leave for employees who want to take part in the humanitarian aid effort on the ground. 

Toyota Industries Corporation in Japan was quick to respond to the crisis, donating EUR100,000 (USD107,000) to aid victims of the earthquakes.
“Toyota Industries sincerely expresses its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the disaster and extends its warmest wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured,” president Akira Onish says in a statement.

Clark Europe is currently planning a delivery of relief goods to the earthquake region in Türkiye. This consists mainly of outdoor and survival equipment, according to Sabine Barde, head of corporate communications.

On the ground in Türkiye, local businesses have stepped up for emergency relief operations, with the Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TÜRKONFED) and the OCHA-UNDP Connecting Business initiative (CBi) mobilising more than 54,000 Turkish businesses to provide in-kind contributions, critical equipment and logistics services to the affected areas.

In addition, CBi Member Networks from around the world are providing additional in-kind support and deploying search and rescue experts.

TÜRKONFED has set up an emergency centre and crisis hotline to coordinate requests for support from local businesses and has launched a domestic in-kind donations campaign. To donate or assist, visit the appeal site.

Long-term assistance needed in Hawaii
Long-term assistance needed in Hawaii 24 Aug 2023 - Maui, HI, United States - 2 min read
Carer devastated in floods
Carer devastated in floods 25 May 2023 - Ravenna, Italy - 2 min read
Industry steps up after Hurricane Ian
Industry steps up after Hurricane Ian 3 Nov 2022 - Lakeland, FL, United States - 2 min read
Previously about:
Clark launches new electric stacker News Story - 24 Aug 2023 - Duisburg, Germany - <1 min read
Volvo CE site adds electric forklifts News Story - 27 Jul 2023 - Changwon, Korea, Republic Of - 1 min read
Ontieleva named Clark Spanish distributor News Story - 22 Jun 2023 - Valencia, Spain - 1 min read
Kion Li-Cycle battery recycling underway News Story - 28 Sep 2023 - Magdeburg, Germany - 1 min read
KION posts strong 1H result, raises guidance News Story - 10 Aug 2023 - Frankfurt, Germany - 2 min read
Movers & Shakers News Story - 13 Jul 2023 - 2 min read
Do you have materials handling news? Submit your news here

PREMIUM business

B & B Attachments
The leading fork lift truck attachment company in the UK and Ireland.

MTC Forklifts b.v. is an international wholesale company specialised in buying & selling forklifts, port equipment & aerial platforms. We deliver worldwide from our yard in the Netherlands. Check these specials:

2015 Doosan D70S-7 | 2017 JCB 540-180 
2015 Hubtex DQ70D | 2013 Konecranes 4531TB5 
2014 Atlet PLP200 | 2009 Linde H40D 
2013 Terberg RT283 | 2015 Unicarriers AS1N1L15H 

CONTACT US!   View our full stock of used machines. 

Words of support …

Undoubtedly, peer experience plays a crucially important role in our industry and it is extremely valuable for us to be part of the platform, where industry professionals, as well as end users can discuss and learn more about the materials handling world.

Alexandra Artemova, Marketing Specialist - Rocla AGV Solutions

Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

Forkliftaction's JOB MARKET

PREMIUM business

Hyster-Yale Asia-Pacific Pty Ltd
We fully support a range of lift trucks from design to service, primarily under the Hyster® and Yale® brand names.

Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

Forkliftaction's JOB MARKET

MTC Forklifts b.v. is an international wholesale company specialised in buying & selling forklifts, port equipment & aerial platforms. We deliver worldwide from our yard in the Netherlands. Check these specials:

2015 Doosan D70S-7 | 2017 JCB 540-180 
2015 Hubtex DQ70D | 2013 Konecranes 4531TB5 
2014 Atlet PLP200 | 2009 Linde H40D 
2013 Terberg RT283 | 2015 Unicarriers AS1N1L15H 

CONTACT US!   View our full stock of used machines. 

Inside The News
With the northern hemisphere Summer well and truly over, it’s clear the materials handling sector has been hard at work... Continue reading

PREMIUM business

Tailift Material Handling Taiwan Co.,Ltd.
Focused simply for the new era.

Are you recruiting? Find your ideal candidate among a diverse range of materials handling professionals:

Forkliftaction's JOB MARKET

"Forkliftaction is our go-to for online advertising. We always get excellent results in terms of impressions and clicks, and quite often potential leads mention seeing our content on the site, as the reason they got in contact.”

- Rachael Tracey, Marketing Coordinator, Mobicon Systems

To learn how our brand-centred B2B campaign model can boost your advertising success:
DOWNLOAD our new Media Kit today.