The signing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Faruk Özlü, the Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Melih Gökçek, the President of the Ankara Chamber of Industry Nurettin Özdebir, the presidents of 11 Organized Industrial Zones operating in the capital, and municipal bureaucrats.
According to the protocol, Ankara Metropolitan Municipality will provide road and asphalt construction, sidewalks, engineering structures, landscaping, tree planting, maintenance and repair services free of charge, based on the decision No. 148 of the Municipal Council dated 16.01.2015. In return for these services, the Organized Industrial Zones have committed to increasing employment.
“Where there are Organized Industrial Zones, there is no unemployment”
Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek, speaking at the opening of the ceremony where the Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Faruk Özlü served as the protocol referee, began his speech by saying, “Organized Industrial Zones and industrial areas are the cornerstones of Ankara; if they exist, there is no unemployment. As Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, we have made cooperation with organized industrial zones our guiding principle.”
Recalling that when the first Organized Industrial Zones Law was enacted, each OSB was granted the authority of a municipality, and that this led to the cessation of municipal aid to OSBs, Mayor Gökçek said, “I have never given up on anything in my life, but I gave up on this and decided to cooperate. After this decision, we made many investments in OSBs.”
Mayor Gökçek noted that the Metropolitan Municipality has invested a total of 482 million Turkish Lira in Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs) to date, adding that 51 million Turkish Lira of support was provided in 2016 and 2017 alone. He then detailed the asphalt, road construction, bridge, viaduct, material maintenance, sidewalk, curb, and barrier works carried out in the OSBs.
Underlining that many investments have been made not only in Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs) but also in industrial areas, Mayor Gökçek offered a blank check for BELTEK Courses to provide support for skilled workers, adding that courses could be opened in any field that receives demand from the OSBs.
“We don’t just use our streets as a district”
Speaking at the meeting, Orhan Aydın, Chairman of the Board of Directors of OSTİM Organized Industrial Zone, explained the practices in OSTİM OSB regarding Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek's call for BELTEK Courses. Pointing out that Gazi University has a unit operating in OSTİM, Aydın said, "We accept this invitation as a commitment. We are putting the issue of reviving BELTEK, which is run by Gazi University's OSTİM Vocational School, on the agenda."
Continuing his speech by thanking the Metropolitan Municipality for its activities in industrial zones, Orhan Aydın then shared the following views: “We directly transfer our property taxes and signage taxes to the municipalities in our regions. Therefore, because we don't have these revenues, it sometimes becomes impossible for us to solve issues like asphalt and drainage systems. Especially in places like OSTİM and İvedik, the streets that pass through the middle of the city are not only used by our region, but by all of Ankara. Therefore, we rightfully have to request help from our municipality in their maintenance and repair. We, as the Organized Industrial Zones, also have much to do for local administrations and municipalities. You are making great efforts for the development and progress of Ankara.”
“We cannot put Ankara's metro trains on Ankara's lines”
Mayor Aydın, stating that Ankara Metropolitan Municipality's procurement policies do not adequately utilize the local industry, emphasized that the world's most qualified construction machinery and the best metro vehicles are manufactured in Ankara. Aydın highlighted the following: “We are very saddened by this. The opening of a Chinese metro in Ankara pains our hearts. Bangkok's metro is being built in Ankara. The vehicles for the metro built in Thailand are manufactured in Ankara, but we cannot put the metro vehicles we produce in Ankara on Ankara's lines. As a result, we cannot lay the metro in our own city with the resources we have at our disposal. This is a shame for all of us. Furthermore, the equipment and vehicles in Ankapark, the parks you use, can be supplied by Ankara's industries. You need to prioritize this.”
“We cannot solve the employment problem without production”
There are two magic tools in the development of cities. One is the provision of local resources by local administrations. The second is the presence of our defense industry in Ankara. Ankara has a defense and aerospace ecosystem. This has created an incredible difference in Ankara's industrial culture and industrial quality. Therefore, Ankara is currently the most important industrial city in Turkey. We cannot solve the employment problem without production. If we carry out production using our own resources, our own capabilities, and the capabilities of our own city, then employment opportunities will arise here as well. I want to emphasize this. On behalf of the people of OSTİM, I thank our Metropolitan Municipality for this protocol.”
Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek, returning to the podium following the speech by OSTİM OSB Board Chairman Orhan Aydın, stated the following: “As Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, as you know, we have had quite a few dealings, especially in OSTİM. In fact, we were going to build a monorail, but we couldn't. Currently, the Ministry of Transportation is producing 147 vehicles in Sincan OSB. They will be produced domestically; because of the 51% domestic content requirement. Furthermore, we have a collaboration with ASELSAN. As a result of our collaboration with ASELSAN, three vehicles have been completely overhauled and renewed. We are doing these things.”
Let me state this clearly: Within the next two years, we aim to ease transportation to Ankara via monorail or cable car. We have two city hospitals. These two hospital areas will experience heavy traffic. We are striving to alleviate this traffic congestion with a monorail. We are in contact with many companies. Our condition here is 'build-operate'. If there are companies in the Organized Industrial Zones that will undertake 'build-operate' projects, we offer them a blank check; let's sit down and talk immediately. These lines can be either monorail or cable car. Whichever option you prefer, we offer you a blank check. Apart from spare parts, there is currently no direct cooperation we can undertake. If there is, we will gladly consider it.”
“We prioritize the use of local products in municipal procurement.”
Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Faruk Özlü thanked Melih Gökçek, who has always supported Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs) since 1994 and demonstrated this once again with the new protocol, and also thanked the OSBs in Ankara for their production and the employment they create.
Minister Özlü, emphasizing that the capital city is now an industrial city and a very important production and export center, said, “If you go a little outside the city, you can see that there is a feverish production activity in Ankara. Our Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs) play a very important role in Ankara gaining the identity of an industrial city today. I would like to share just this figure with you: Until 2002, the number of plots that started production in Ankara's OSBs was 5,875. Between 2003 and 2016, production started in another 5,285 plots. This figure clearly shows how the OSBs gained vitality during the AK Party periods and how industrial production increased thanks to this vitality. Currently, we have 11 registered OSBs in the capital city of Ankara. ASO, OSTİM, Başkent, İvedik, Anadolu, and Polatlı OSBs are OSBs that have reached very important occupancy rates, and some of them are still continuing to expand. Similarly, Uzay "Work is also continuing on Organized Industrial Zones such as Specialized and Aviation, Foundry, and Şereflikoçhisar," he stated.
Faruk Özlü noted that Organized Industrial Zones (OSBs) need significant infrastructure investments, regardless of whether they have started production or not, and said that the protocol would inspire and serve as an example for other municipalities in our country.
Faruk Özlü stated that they attach great importance to municipalities prioritizing domestic products in their procurement processes and thus contributing to the national industry, adding, "I would also like to remind you that there is a price advantage of up to 15% in favor of domestic products in this regard."
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