On February 6, a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkey, leaving a devastating trail of destruction in its wake. More than 50,000 people have lost their lives, while millions of others faced the fear of the earthquake. Many have lost their homes and are struggling to cope with the aftermath of the disaster.

In the midst of this chaos, the team members at Turkish nonwovens producer General Nonwovens and their families are all safe and well, according to marketing manager Nevra Yilankirkan. “We are pleased to report that our workers and their families are also unharmed, she adds. “Our factories in Gaziantep were not affected by the earthquake, as the central city and industrial zone of Gaziantep are in much better condition compared to the suburbs and cities on the earthquake fault line.

General Nonwovens has opened its Gaziantep factory building to provide a safe haven for our employees, their families, and relatives until they feel secure to return to their homes. Its canteen is also being used to prepare and distribute food packages to those in need.

Additionally, the company has completed all necessary safety checks, both internally and with official authorities. All plants and machinery are in good shape, and it has already resumed operations at the Gaziantep plant in order to help normalize life in the affected areas.

Despite the challenges, General Nonwovens also has the advantage of having different production plants in different cities. The company has been able to operate without any interruption during this time, supplying materials from its Sakarya plant, which is located just one hour’s drive from Istanbul.

General Nonwovens has also joined the nationwide initiative of the National Disaster Recovery Plan with a generous donation.

“We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to all our business partners and friends around the world for their messages of support and prayers during this difficult time,” Yilinkirkan adds. “Additionally, we are pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at the upcoming INDEX exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland. We look forward to welcoming our guests and showcasing our products and services.”