Commercial vehicle manufacturer provides money for relief supplies, emergency vehicles, transports and other support – diverse activities in and outside Turkey.
MAN Truck & Bus is donating one million euros as emergency aid for the victims of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Some of the money will be used directly for material goods and their transport with 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 the Volkswagen – Group which is also donating one million euros 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 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.“
According to current knowledge, MAN employees have not been directly affected by the earthquake – but numerous relatives and friends from the earthquake regions are.
Specifically, employees in Turkey started a collection campaign for the earthquake victims on the day of the disaster, and the first transport set off the following morning loaded with winter clothing, blankets, shoes, hygiene articles, 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. Of course, other people who want to leave the region are also being transported.
In cooperation with the Turkish Civil Protection, MAN started a collection campaign for donations in kind – in a very short time, a large number of relief goods were collected and transported on a MAN truck. 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 with a bus and an MAN TGE in coordination with the disaster control organisation – both vehicles were also used to take people to Ankara on the way back.
In the meantime, many MAN sites and service companies are also showing great willingness to help outside Turkey. Colleagues are offering to be drivers for possible aid transports, others are supporting local initiatives in their region. As was the case at the beginning of the Ukraine war, a coordination office for all activities has been set up at MAN headquarters in Munich. This office takes up existing contacts with aid organisations and will channel initiatives from the sites, service companies and markets. The company has also launched a central appeal for donations to the workforce.