disaster
Turkey - tackling
Ér
networking
8 What's NewS
Issue 8 Aug/Sept 1999
Real aid - our Istanbul staff (including neJËÊ k
arrived deputy general manager Hidzer Kieu'iet de<k..
Jonge, second from left) load up emergency supplies
In light of the recent earthquake, this
article has turned into a very different
piece on Turkey and our people on the
spot. For obvious reasons, we have
decided to hold over the original story,
which outlines the progress that has
been made in this challenging market
over the past two years. Instead, we
focus on how our colleagues, many of
whom were bereaved, are working for
the relief of the massive suffering in
what is the country's worst natural
disaster in living memory.
RI people were already in action to find
ways to support relief work the day
after the earthquake hit. 'Some of our
colleagues were unable to come to work
that day because they were needed
elsewhere by relatives and family,' says
Sibel Namli, Istanbul's HR manager.
'But those who were able to come in
immediately got together to find ways of
helping out. We all feit a need to do
something real. One way to help was to
outfit a large truck with medical
supplies, sanitary items for both adults
and children, especially babies, blankets,
sterilization equipment and clothing. The
Red Cross and volunteer search and
rescue teams working in the area have
published a list of things needed and we
pretty much stuck to that.'
Once the truck was loaded, three
staffers drove the 150 kms to the worst
hit area. 'Normally,' Sibel says, 'it's a
90-minute drive. Now it takes around
six hours to get through. But they made
it.' The truck was outfitted thanks to an
immediate contribution from head office
which was added to monies earmarked
by our Istanbul people for the relief
effort. 'It gave us something to do, some
action to undertake,' Sibel continues.
'But we need to continue our efforts to
help people devastated by the disaster.'
In addition to the immediate action, our
people have also come up with two
longer-term plans. One is the ongoing
collection of clothing and other
necessities for distribution to people
who lost everything. The other is to
stimulate others in the network to give
generously to national appeals to aid the
earthquake victims. 'Head office has
already been very supportive,' Sibel says.
'But there is so much still to be done
that every cent will count.'
Adds general manager Henk Adams: 'It
is too soon to teil exactly if and how we,
as a cooperative bank, can further
support more general efforts that will be
crucial to restructuring the country. The
human cost is immeasurable, but it is not
even clear yet just how much this will
cost the Turkish people in economie
terms. Some estimates of direct and
indirect losses mention amounts as high
as USD 20 billion, although it is
expected that international aid will parrly
compensate that amount. Our customers
have come through the disaster in
relatively good shape. Some have
suffered minor damage, and there will be
losses in production, but the economy
will not collapse. What we can say,
however, is that we will be reviewing
continually any possibility to bring in
Rabobank expertise to aid restructuring.'
Our tl)ree colleagues (standing) - Arif Ozman,
Adnan Mirzoiev and Halil Albyrak - with search
and rescure workers
