TURKEY
MAN Truck & Bus is donating €1m in emergency aid for the victims of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Some of the money will be used directly for material goods and transport with the supply of buses, trucks and vans, but it will also go to major aid organisations that are providing humanitarian aid in the disaster region. These include MAN’s donation of five fire engines for use in the earthquake zone. The commercial vehicle manufacturer is making this donation in addition to the aid provided by MAN parent company Volkswagen Group which is also donating €1m on behalf of its brands for emergency aid in Turkey and Syria.
“MAN has been closely associated with Turkey for many decades through its Ankara site. When it was founded in the 1960s, the plant in Ankara was our first production site outside Germany. The relations are correspondingly close. In view of this catastrophe, it is clear that we will help quickly and unbureaucratically,” said MAN CEO Alexander Vlaskamp.
Together with Chief Production Officer Michael Kobriger, he visited the Ankara plant to observe the situation for himself and consequently discussed possible support activities with the company’s team in Turkey. “Our deepest compassion goes out to all the victims of the terrible earthquakes. At the same time, it is impressive to see the great commitment with which our employees have already been able to help in the past few days and continue to work hard for the victims of the catastrophe.”
At the time of going to press, it was believed that MAN employees in the country had not been directly affected by the earthquake, but many have relatives and friends from the earthquake regions who have been. MAN employees in Turkey started a collection campaign for the earthquake victims on the day of the disaster, and the first aid transport set off the following morning loaded with winter clothing, blankets, shoes, hygiene products, food and water.
MAN Turkey has sent numerous vehicles which have brought several hundred relatives of MAN employees from the earthquake area to Ankara so far, as well as other people who want to leave the region.
In cooperation with the Turkish Civil Protection organisation, MAN started a collection campaign for donations in kind, and said that in a very short time, a large amount of relief goods were collected and transported. Another vehicle was used to bring food to a village that had been particularly badly affected.
Cash donations collected by MAN employees in Ankara on their own initiative have meanwhile been handed over to the aid organisation AHBAP. MAN’s Turkish sales company, which is also based in Ankara, transported relief supplies to the earthquake area using a bus and an MAN TGE truck in coordination with the disaster control organisation, both vehicles also being used to take people to many MAN sites and service companies outside Turkey are also showing great willingness to help. Colleagues are offering to be drivers for possible aid transport whilst others are supporting local initiatives in their region. As was the case at the beginning of the Ukraine war, MAN said that a coordination office for all activities has been set up at its headquarters in Munich, to take up existing contacts with aid organisations and channel initiatives from the various sites, service companies and markets.
The company has also launched a central appeal for donations to the workforce.
