Textile industry reaction to earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria
Textile industry organisations have been quick to express their sorrow and concern for victims of the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6.
An earthquake measuring at least 7.8 on the Richter scale hit south-eastern Turkey and north-western Syria in the early hours of February 6, with the epicentre close to the city of Gaziantep. There were many aftershocks, including one measuring at 7.5 with its epicentre in the neighbouring province of Kahramanmaras.
Twenty-four hours later, the authorities in both countries confirmed that there had been more than 5,100 fatalities, more than 25,000 injuries and many people trapped under collapsed buildings.
Swiss textile machinery manufacturer Oerlikon said the region around Gaziantep is an important area for the textile industry and that it had many friends, customers and partners there. It extended its condolences to the families of the victims and wished a swift recovery to all those affected.
Global head of textiles for Freudenberg subsidiary Klüber Lubrication, Livia Chen, said she had been to Gaziantep at the end of 2022 for meetings with customers and colleagues. She said she had been impressed by the professionalism and level of technical expertise among the textiles industry contacts she had made there and said she was deeply saddened by the news of the earthquakes.
Italian yarn finishing technology provider Savio Macchine Tessili expressed its condolences too. It described Kahramanmaras as the heart of Turkish textile industry. It added: “Where previously only cotton fields could be found, a major textile industry has arisen, specialising in the production of quality yarn and superior fabrics.”
