The Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan attended opening ceremony of Soda Ash Production Plants in Beypazarı that was made in cooperation with Ciner Group and ETI Soda.
Erdoğan said in his speech here that today private sector and state cooperation is invaluable, and Turkey gained an exceptional work.
Erdoğan, stating that fixed capital investment of ETI Soda and Soda Ash Production Plants is 290 million dollars, thanked Ciner Group and ETI Soda A.S. so that it gained Turkey such a plant considered as a “giant plant”.
The Prime Minister Erdoğan said the followings:
''I will not talk with figures on annual income. However, this department has great significance for us so that it provided direct and indirect employment for 1500 people. I care about it from this respect. I care about it in terms of our export, and what are under our lands, and I care about it at the point of revealing them.
Turkey is always a world leader in boron mine reserve for years. It ranks second in the world about trona mine. We were always proud with our two mine reserves having strategic importance in the world, we always talked these things but unfortunately we did nothing to make them goods or finished goods. Now, this mine should be extracted efficiently and new products should be obtained in a way to create added value.
Increase of request for this mine with investments that you will make to technology and with research-development studies has importance. Here, it is succeeded. trona mine that is available here comes to light with the cutting-edge technology, and we produce soda ash. Soda ash is a precious product used especially in glass and metallurgy industry in different areas of the industry.
While carrying out many projects, which were left half finished and were neglected, as a government, we considered merger of Ciner Group and ETI Soda at this point as beneficial for us, and today we had this work here”.
''THE PLACE WE CAME IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR MINING''
The Prime Minister Erdoğan, telling that Justice and Development Party completed works such as road, hospital, dam and schools for which Turkish people long, said that trona project has an ancient history just like many projects in Turkey.
Erdoğan said the followings:
''This project was talked for 20 years. No step was taken for long years. Energy and mines have great benefits for the future of our nation, but no one saw them. They have vital importance but no one saw them. Here is the potential we have, we always fell behind because they were not evaluated properly. For this, national income remained at the level of 230 billion dollars for 29 years in this country. We added 520 billion dollars on it within 6.5 years. If this figure is increased to 750 billion dollars currently, it increased with this understanding, with this entrepreneurial spirit. It increased to realize this. And hereafter it will continue to increase.
I saw example of this mine as a solution shortly before, I saw liquefied state. I saw water. Powdering of it afterwards is very important to show what will can make and to which it can achieve from Stone. However, they did never think this until today. And now this was realized.
There is no sense to spend time in discussions and pass the time with words. Thus, we are saying work, work and work. We are saying production, production and production. This is made. We did not pretext, and made excuse. We acted and overcame technical and financial problems, and handled the subject in 2004, we said that ‘this plant will carry Turkey to a step further’. Foundation of the plant was laid. We completed the plant fast about which there was no improvement for years after this date. And today, we are putting it into service. Beyond doubt, the place we came today is very important for mining. Credit should be given for our ETI Maden Companies carrying our country to world leadership on boron sector”.
''NATURAL RICHNESSES ALWAYS REMAINED INACTIVE UNTIL THE RECENT YEARS''
The Prime Minister Erdoğan, emphasizing that ETI Soda A.S carried out Beypazarı trona project with success, stated that “Turkey boasted about its underground and aboveground richnesses during decades but these these richnesses always remained inactive until the recent years.
Erdoğan stating that ''Previous governments acted unwillingly to activate mines, streams, winds, sun, natural beauties and cultural values for welfare of Turkey'', said that ''But now this period fell behind. We are hanging on all of them, we are carrying out them all together. We have to carry out them. We have to do this for the future of our country, future of our nation and to leave such a Turkey for next generations''.
The Prime Minister Erdoğan continued as follows:
''We heard shortly before, there will be export of 250 million dollars from there. Look, the export was 36 billion dollars 6.5 years ago. It became 132 billion dollars as of the end of 2008. I hope that Turkey reaches export of 500 billion dollars in 2023 in addition to these 250 million dollars. We will succeed this.
Our target in 2023 is to include Turkey within first 10 ranks of the world in economy. We will work for this. We were 26th biggest economy of the world 6.5 years ago, but now we are 17th biggest economy. We are 6th biggest economy in Europe. We came here. But this is not sufficient, we will achieve better point''.
''IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO HAVE WORK WITHOUT PREPARING ANY INFRASTRUCTURE''
The Prime Minister Erdoğan stated that all these and similar developments show that Turkey grew, developed and became a global power and continued his speech as follows:
''Double road in Turkey in 79 years is 6 thousand kilometers but double road we made in 6.5 years is 9 thousand 468 kilometers. Highways and freeways are included into them. If today we go to Eskişehir via express train from Ankara to Eskişehir, this reveals what and how our government wants to do. We laid its foundation, and thank God we made its opening. Turkey saw these days. We reached Eskişehir from Ankara with the express train with speed of 253 kilometers. We saw these days. We will progress further.
There are double road works in Ankara-Beypazarı in the same way. There is not much left, we have a work around 20 kilometers. We will complete them quickly. Thus, our products to be obtained from Beypazarı will reach to Ankara and other districts of our country more easily via ARTICULATED LORRIES. My citizens will access very comfortably from these double roads. Thank God, they are realized, they are about to be finished, there is not much left. We will complete them quickly. When we have full capacity, soda ash of 700 tons will be carried per day. Roads are necessary for this. This government builds these roads. It is not possible to have such works without forming any infrastructure. For this reason, infrastructure precedes and then these works”.
The Prime Minister Erdoğan wished that soda ash production plant will be beneficial, and finished his speech by saying that “I thank Ciner Group and managers of ETI Maden Enterprise before you. We want to be happy to be with you in many successful investments”.
Following his speeches, the press took photos of Turgay Ciner who is the Chairman of the Board of Ciner Group by holding trona mine in platform and the Prime Minister Erdoğan by holding soda ash in a porcelain vase.
The Prime Minister Erdoğan, then, Minister of State Said Yazıcıoğlu, Minister of Internal Affairs Beşir Atalay, Minister of Industry and Trade Zafer Çağlayan, Russian Energy Minister Sergey Şmatko and ETİ Soda A.S. authorities cut the ribbon.
Erdoğan and others visited the plant, and obtained information from the authorities.
