The Future Of Artificial Intelligence in Industry

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The Future Of Artificial Intelligence in Industry

Mahmut Arıkan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Arıkan Mensucat Industry and Trade Incorporated Company, emphasized that the role of Anatolia is vital in Türkiye’s economic and social transformation. Arıkan, who made special statements to EKOFULL Magazine, shared his deep knowledge of the industrial history of Kahramanmaraş and stated that the industrialization of Anatolia is a critical factor for the development of Türkiye. Touching on the issues of green and digital transformation, Mahmut Arıkan explained his company’s preparations in these areas and emphasized the importance of investments in green energy.

We are both ranker and scholar

I was born on October 29, 1964 in Kahramanmaraş. I attended primary school at İstiklal Primary School, secondary school and high school at Kahramanmaraş Imam Hatip High School. I completed my university education at Istanbul University Faculty of Business Administration in 1987. My late father was one of the fi rst industrialists of Kahramanmaraş. My late father, who was born in 1910, saw the War of Independence and the 2nd World War, and took part in all economic, political and social activities of Kahramanmaraş in the 20th century. In the fi rst years of the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye, after the second world war, he was a person who had a say in the economic, social and cultural development of Kahramanmaraş. After graduating from university, we started life very early. While I was studying at the university, we were always with the deceased during the years I was studying. At a young age, we grew up from the core, so to speak. In other words, we are both regimented and schooled.

From the Incentive Period to the Present: Türkiye’s Economic Evolution

The breaking point of my life is the late Turgut Özal. In 1984, he gave incentives. He saw Türkiye’s development and future in Anatolia and wanted the industry to spread to Anatolia. In production, exports and employment, Istanbul capital had a say in Türkiye. In fact, you know that before 1980, TÜSİAD overthrew the governments and re-established them. The late Turgut Özal gave incentives to Anatolia. Because the late Özal had seen it, he knew very well that if I spread the industry to Anatolia, if I develop the people of Anatolia, if I enrich them, if I spread employment to Anatolia, the future of Türkiye passes through Anatolia. In fact, Anatolia has always been a pioneer in the victory of the War of Independence and the establishment of the Republic. We applied for these incentives. This has become our destiny, our destiny line. We started that day with two Open-End machines. We had 20 workers, thankfully today we employ 1500 people. We are a fully integrated business. From yarn to knitting to dyehouse, we are among the top 500 companies in Türkiye today. The industrialists of Kahramanmaraş and Kahramanmaraş also used those incentives very well. Of course, in those years, we saw the 1994 crisis, the 1997-98 Asian crisis, the 2001 crisis, the 2008 world economic crisis, and the 2018 Andrew Brunson crisis. But Kahramanmaraş Industrialists have always turned these crises into opportunities.

In other words, these crises have always been the occasion of change and transformation in Kahramanmaraş. Industrialism is not always a business of making money, industrialism is a business of culture. The industrial culture in Türkiye began in the 1950s during the reign of the late Adnan Menderes. Just as Turgut Özal changed the fate of Türkiye, both industrialists and Anatolian people have always invested in Anatolia. When you look at Anatolia today, there are huge industrialists in the manufacturing sector, production and export in every sense. It has always been the Anatolian capital that has shaped Türkiye’s economy today.

Green and Digital Transformation strategies

We call these twin transformations. A green transformation and a digital transformation. The company, which cannot achieve these two transformations, will no longer be able to sell goods to Europe and the world. Very quickly, these will come into play in 2025. Of course, we produce for brands. Brands attach great importance to this green transformation and clean energy. As Arıkan, we have prepared the infrastructure for this. Hopefully, we will commission our SPP investment for electricity generation in 2025. We will provide our energy from solar energy. We will convert all the vehicles we use to electric vehicles from 2026. As a company, we are ready for this change quickly.

We also invest in this technology in digital transformation. As a company, we have made great progress in this digital transformation. From now on, we will use artificial intelligence in production. Now we have partial pilot studies of them. Hopefully, we will have achieved these and digital transformation by 2025.

Industrial dynamics of Kahramanmaraş after the earthquake

Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman and Malatya were the most affected in 11 provinces in the February 6 earthquake. But Kahramanmaraş, whose industry was affected the most, was the most. These damaged companies also have industrial facilities with minor damage, moderate damage and heavy damage. The less damaged ones went into production. Those with moderate damage, they also came into play in a short time. Kahramanmaraş Industry has reached a capacity utilization rate of 50-60% of the total capacity. Of course, the biggest problem here is that the industrialists cannot find employees to employ at the moment. This has become a general problem of Türkiye. There are civil engineers, but there are no employees to work in construction. On the other hand, newly established industrial facilities are closed.

Why? There are no elements. On the one hand, Türkiye’s biggest problem is that we are hosting 8.5 million refugees, there is a refugee problem. There are no employees to work in industrial facilities. In other words, we need to put these issues on the table and find solutions to these issues.

Otherwise, Türkiye will face the problem of survival. We need to change this education system and attach great importance to vocational education. Now, we see that 6 million 700 thousand of our people in Türkiye are neither in education nor employment, they spend their free time in cafes and at home. Why? These young people are unemployed. If we had given vocational training to these young people, they would have gone and worked in industrial plants. It would contribute to Türkiye’s production and employment. In other words, our state needs to change its education system.

A rising Kahramanmaraş in the Defense Industry

In the textile sector, we need to take the place of Italy and highlight fashion and design. Our classic production is now only yarn production, raw woven fabric, raw knitting, Türkiye needs to get out of these productions and switch to fashion and design as soon as possible.

One of the areas in which Türkiye has been successful recently is the defense industry. Here, too, Türkiye has made very good progress. Until now, we have always been dependent on foreign sources, but there is a Türkiye that produces

5th generation weapons. Many of our defense industry companies such as TAI and ASELSAN are achieving success. It is a great opportunity for Kahramanmaraş to have such an opportunity. Defense industry from Ankara to Anatolia, you know, the late Özal said that it is necessary to get rid of the capital of Istanbul, the future of Türkiye, Anatolian capital, the people of Anatolia, defense industry companies are investing in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Malatya and Adıyaman from Ankara. In Kahramanmaraş, TAI was passed with a small investment in Türkoğlu OIZ. But the industrialist from Kahramanmaraş will do this job with a larger capital. With a capital of 200 million dollars, an attempt was made to develop the defense industry in Kahramanmaraş. Kahramanmaraş has always invested in the textile sector, steel kitchen and gold business. Defense industry investment is a great opportunity for Kahramanmaraş. 4,000 acres of land near the airport has also been declared an industrial zone. Hopefully, Kahramanmaraş will have started high-tech investments with this defense industry.

Türkiye’s economic challenges and strategies to combat inflation

For the first time, Türkiye is struggling with high inflation after the 2001 economic crisis. Türkiye has grown very rapidly.

We have become the fastest growing country after China. But since 2018, inflation has started to rise in Türkiye. Then the Pandemic began. Of course, the treasury also suffered greatly from this. After the pandemic, there was a recovery and movement in the markets, but there was an energy crisis in Türkiye and in the world. In Europe, he was very impressed by it. Of course, we are a developing country. We are in a country with no savings. How do we make these investments when we invest? We do it with the loans we receive from outside. Credit costs have risen, the cost of living has increased, and when these overlapped, inflation

exploded in Türkiye. Currently, our Minister of Treasury and Finance, Mr. Mehmet Şimşek,

has taken a series of measures. Of course, the measures taken to ensure price

stability and reduce inflation hurt everyone. Here, the manufacturer

cannot keep the price, the exchange rates are under pressure at the moment. Of

course, we need to save money. If we produce, if we sell the goods we produce abroad, only in this way can we continue our lives and grow. Türkiye’s

only solution is to produce, work and sell the goods we produce.

As a state, we need to save a lot

in the public sector and we need to save money as citizens. Hopefully, if everyone does their part, I believe that

this program will be successful. There is no

other formula either. Türkiye is experiencing both inflation and the cost of living.

Together we will succeed

The state is currently under a huge burden. Of course, he is a debtor, and the treasury is a debtor. I hope we will overcome all of this together. We will make every effort for the development of our country, that is, for us to be among the 10 developed countries of the world.

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