KIRIKKALE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Regarding the absence of Kırıkkale in the Industrial Areas Master Plan, which includes planned industrial investment zones announced in the Official Gazette, our Chairman of the Board, Ahmet Varlı, held a press conference. The details of the issues raised by our Chairman during the press conference are as follows:

Within the scope of the Industrial Investment Master Plan shared with the public by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, it has been closely observed by the business community and the public in our province that, while a significant number of our neighboring provinces have been included among the new industrial investment areas, Kırıkkale—despite its well-established industrial background—has been excluded from the plan.

Kırıkkale is a strong and natural hub for industrial investments with its strategic location neighboring Ankara, its developed highway and railway connections, existing organized industrial zones, and a young population ready for production. Despite these advantages, the fact that our province has not been included in the prepared Master Plan creates a perception that Kırıkkale’s industrial potential has not been adequately evaluated.

As our country’s industrial roadmap is being shaped, Kırıkkale’s exclusion from this process concerns not only the present but also the long-term economic and social future of our city. Our province, which has a strong production culture—especially in the defense industry—has contributed to Turkish industry for many years by hosting strategic institutions such as the Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation. We believe that this accumulation of experience and infrastructure should be made more visible in planning processes.

This plan, which is stated to have been prepared with the aim of ensuring a balanced distribution of industry beyond the Marmara Region, reducing earthquake risks, and creating safe production areas, should be reconsidered by taking into account Kırıkkale’s existing potential, logistical advantages, and strategic position. We believe that such a reassessment would provide significant contributions both to regional development and to the national industry.

At this point, we would particularly like to emphasize that the visionary approach aimed at ensuring Kırıkkale takes a more active role in industrial investment planning processes was first put forward by our Chairman of the Board, Mr. Ahmet Varlı, and that this perspective has been expressed clearly and transparently on all platforms attended to date. This approach has been shaped in line with the common interests of our province and is based on an inclusive perspective that embraces all stakeholders.

In this context, as the Kırıkkale Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we:

• Request that the Industrial Investment Master Plan be reassessed by taking into account Kırıkkale’s potential,
• Demand that our province be included within the scope of the plan,
• Call for Kırıkkale to be positioned where it rightfully belongs in terms of industrial investments and employment policies.

We believe that the relevant authorities will promptly address this shortcoming, which overlooks Kırıkkale’s industrial potential, and we respectfully inform the public that we will not merely follow the process but will be a direct party to it in order to ensure that our province takes its rightful place in planning processes.