INTERVIEW: HASAN ERCAZİP
I think it was 7 years ago. We are in Istanbul for a meeting of İMİB. The meeting in Ortaköy ends, I walk to the bus stop to go to Taksim. At that moment a car stops next to me, Eyüp Batal, one of the new executives of İMİB, says “Mr. Hasan, please come in”. I get in the car and we start chatting as two communicators who are just getting to know the marble sector. And our communication always proceeds with this sincerity and respect.Years later, when Mr. Eyüp took the presidency of İMİB, it was up to us to go to Istanbul to wish the new president success and at the same time sign his first interview in the sector.
“WE WANT TO PROVIDE THE MAXIMUM PROFIT”
We say ‘Good luck’ and ask about the presidential process. Mr. Eyüp interjects with his usual naturalness and summarizes it as follows: “As the management, we adopted the idea of completing the task we took on and fulfilling our responsibility. Erol Yüce and Metin Çekiç assumed the vice-presidency, while I assumed the presidency. We will try to create maximum benefit here.”
“WAF IS A BEGINNING FOR US”
At this very moment, Mr. Eyüp is reviewing the news about the World Architects Festival (WAF) in the 66th issue of Marble Trend. He reminds us that this step is very valuable and underlines the following points: “World Architecture Festival (WAF) is one of the important projects of the new era for us. It is an event where architects from all over the world participate in order to provide prestige to their projects. It is a place where we can touch the decision makers of projects around the world. In this event, İMİB, in cooperation with EİB and BAİB, will present an award called “Best Use Stone” for the best use of natural stone. Under the Turkish Stones brand, we will present Turkish natural stones to the architects attending the event. However, WAF is the starting point of our projects in this field. We will take important steps to shine the Turkish Stones brand in giant organizations where decision makers from Milan to Singapore are present.”
“THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THE COST INCREASES”
Back to Turkey. I remind Mr. Batal that we are hearing about serious problems in the sector… “Unfortunately,” he says, “6 months or 1 year ago there was investor appetite in the sector, people were waiting for permits. However, at the moment, there is not an appetite for investment, there is a very serious concern about tomorrow. The most important agenda in the sector right now is cost increases and people’s financial difficulties. There is a continuous increase in costs against the dollar. We have prepared a file on this issue within the union. What is the increase in the dollar in the last 1 year, what is the increase in costs, what is the situation of exporters? We present these in a file to those concerned.”
“INSTITUTIONAL CONTINUITY IS AN IMPORTANT GOAL”
IMIB President Batal also underlines a change in the way the sector’s problems are conveyed to the public.”We are now talking in sets. Everyone knows what to follow from an institutional point of view. I want to say, “This issue was there when we came to you two years ago, and it is still there.” Or, for example, 10 years from now, when the president of the time goes to you, “Look, this was the number one issue in the file presented to you in 2024. This is still in our problem set”. Let’s put this in front of those responsible every time. Let it be seen that we do not forget, our agenda does not change. Mr. Rüstem presented great examples from Europe on mining. We want to make the president’s communication here as corporate communication. What a president does can be removed by the new administration. However, corporate production can be used in the new period even if the administrations change. In this respect, corporate continuity is very important.”
“PERCEPTION OF MINING IS CHANGING”
Here we ask about the work on the perception of mining. Eyüp Başkan summarizes the current situation as follows: “You had previously written an article titled ‘Miners are no longer on the defensive’. We first adopted this logic. We said that mining in Turkey is being done with the latest technology, that there are great examples, and that we would discuss these with everyone. Today, I think a certain point has been reached. For example, people no longer say ‘No mining’. They are convinced of its necessity. There are two issues here. Do you cause any harm to the public and the environment when you mine? And the second question is what will this place be like when you are done? We want to change the language in the kitchen of the media. We don’t want to say ‘another mining accident’, for example. Let’s get information about the mine without that headline. It is valuable to provide these things. No one is a traitor. When you sit down and talk somewhere, you come to a point. In the coming period, we have the idea of making some programs on channels that seem the most sensitive about mining.”
“A SOLUTION POOL FOR LEGAL ISSUES”
Eyüp Batal believes that communication is also a key factor within the sector. In this sense, he gives the example of law: We also strive to improve communication within the association. For example, I would like to bring together the sector’s lawyers in one place, so that these people can share their experiences with each other, so that no one has to deal with a problem that has already been solved. If a company in Konya has resolved a forest-related issue, if it has resolved it in Isparta, let this be the basis for the application in Afyon. Say, “Your Regional Director in Isparta has taken such a decision, it should be a precedent.” Our legal committee is very good in this sense. Now a very good work has been done on the draft mining regulations. When there is a culture of consultation, good work emerges. This also affects the people in front of you. They deal with people who know what they want and have a good command of the subject. Therefore, I invite everyone who can benefit the sector to our legal committee.”
“MABLE IZMIR FAIR SHOULD BE LIKE A FESTIVAL”
As a native of Izmir, it would be impossible not to ask about Marble Izmir. İMİB President Batal approaches this issue from a different perspective and says the following: “Our opinion on fairs is clear. We are against the logic of ‘let’s stay in our comfort zone, there is no need to take risks’. Our main goal is to extend the stay of decision-makers at the fair. The man should not think that he should see this fair quickly with a rickshaw in one hand. Just as when we say ‘we are going to Verona’, even someone who has nothing to do with natural stone says ‘let me come’, we can do the same in Izmir. Izmir has more potential than Verona, not less. Izmir is a great place with its Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, nature, gastronomy, everything. There is a different perspective in the world now. If you produce different things and become a part of people’s social media posts, if you can add joy to the work, you become a center of attention. For example, we said we would gift a stage made of blocks to İzmir, Kordon. You put a barcode on the marble, anyone who is curious can scan it and learn where the stone came from and its story. In this way, a year-round open event and exhibition space is created. During the fair period, for example, a concert can be held there, creating a socializing area for the participants and visitors of the fair. In Verona, for example, the fair takes place during the day, people go out in the evening, have dinner, and at night they reunite and socialize in the Erbe Square. The main aim here is to increase the attendance, the duration of the fair and the mingling of people. Our general philosophy is not to repeat existing things, but to try new things. Some of these new experiments may fail. I have no objection to that. But we need to overcome the banality of doing the same things over and over again.”
“WE ARE HERE TO CREATE BENEFIT”
Finally, we ask Eyüp Batal about 2 years ahead. Mr. Batal concludes as follows: “We are here to create a benefit. It is of great importance that those who are not likely to create benefit should not be in these seats. As of now, I cannot foresee two years ahead, but as I emphasized before, we are in this position to create benefit.”
