Sabancı Holding subsidiary Çimsa has initiated the necessary process for the cancellation of its license for the Bozüyük White Limestone Quarry, located approximately 2 kilometers from the İntikamtepe Martyrs’ Cemetery, and has withdrawn all applications submitted to date in relation to this site. The quarry in question had reserves large enough to meet the Eskişehir plant’s raw material needs for approximately 80 years.
Waiving an 80-Year Reserve
Umut Zenar, Sabancı Holding President of Strategic Investments and Operations and Chairman of the Board of Çimsa, stated: “What we refer to as white limestone is, in fact, the raw material for white cement. Cement companies hold licensed limestone quarries in various parts of Türkiye. The raw material supplied from these quarries is transported to plants and used in cement production. The commercial significance of this site lies, of course, in its close proximity to our Eskişehir plant. With production at Eskişehir and Mersin plants, Çimsa is the world’s second-largest white cement producer. Cement produced here is exported to more than 70 countries. When this site was put out to tender in 2022, we reviewed the technical documentation and identified a very substantial reserve—approximately 40 million tons. This corresponds to a reserve capable of meeting the Eskişehir plant’s needs for 80 years. Therefore, both in terms of geographic proximity to our plant and the size of the reserve, this site was an extremely strategic investment for us.”
“We Will Provide the Maximum Support for Rehabilitation and Protection”
Noting that they obtained the operating license for the site in 2022, Umut Zenar continued: “We managed all legal processes properly and in full compliance with regulations. We completed the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and forestry permit application processes without issue. After all approvals were finalized, we received a notification in recent months stating that a certain portion of the license area had been declared a protected (SIT) area. Subsequently, we requested a review of this investment. As of today, even though no expert report has yet been issued, we have withdrawn all our applications out of respect for the sensitivity of this area. Should there be any determination regarding historical or cultural assets in the area, as Çimsa, we will provide the maximum possible support for its rehabilitation and protection.”
“Sharing What Is Earned from These Lands with the People of These Lands Has Been Sabancı’s Unchanging Core Principle for 100 Years”
Emphasizing that the foundations of the Sabancı Group were laid in 1925 with the confidence, courage, and belief brought to these lands by the Republic, Umut Zenar continued: “The Sabancı story is, in essence, a story of the Republic. The existence of this story is owed to the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his hundreds of thousands of comrades-in-arms who heroically defended these lands at the cost of their lives. Therefore, neither Sabancı, nor Çimsa, nor any group company that takes the values of the Republic as its compass would ever engage in an action that could cast a shadow over the sacred memory of our martyrs. This is a non-negotiable principle for us. Because our sole priority is Türkiye. No investment or commercial benefit can change this priority. ‘Sharing what is earned from these lands with the people of these lands’ has been Sabancı’s unchanging core principle for 100 years. This is Sabancı’s very reason for existence.”
“No Benefit Is Above the Sacred Memory of Our Martyrs”
Umut Zenar concluded with the following remarks: “We do not view the public sensitivity that has emerged on this issue in recent days as an obstacle limiting our activities; on the contrary, we see it as a symbol of our country’s and our people’s social unity, and as a highly valuable part of the culture of honoring those who gifted us these days. We fully share this sensitivity. Let me emphasize clearly: no benefit stands above the sacred memory of our martyrs. On this occasion, I once again commemorate the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, his comrades, and all our heroic martyrs with mercy, gratitude, and respect. May their souls rest in peace. These lands are entrusted to us by them, and we will continue to protect this trust with all our strength.”
