In the aftermath of the earthquakes, Turkey’s textile industry is calling on brands for support

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In March, the Istanbul Clothing Exporters Association (IHKIB) issued a statement to international partners, calling on brands and retailers to continue placing orders in Turkey. According to IHKIB, clothing exports from the affected region account for $565 million, or 2.6 percent of Turkey’s total clothing exports (the majority are concentrated in and around Istanbul). Textiles produced in the region accounted for 30 percent of the country’s total textile exports in 2022, worth $3.4 billion.

For brands and retailers who source from the region, the earthquakes were a stark warning that climate disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity, leaving the fashion supply chain vulnerable to its impacts. Experts say the debacle is also a reminder of lessons learned during Covid-19, when brands canceled orders, delayed payments and left suppliers on the hook during a time of need. They argue that strong relationships with suppliers are essential to ensuring an environmentally, financially and socially sustainable future for the fashion industry, and brands have a duty of care for the people in their supply chains that cannot be relinquished in times of crisis.

says Dr Hakan Karausman, Turkish co-founder of the EU-funded research Center for Responsible Supply Chain (FReSCH) and assistant professor at Cardiff University. “We’re not talking about millions of euros or anything complicated – brands just need to provide emotional support to people going through trauma, and keep orders steady so they can recover financially.”

Mustafa Goltepe, head of IKHIB, said that the damage to production facilities was limited, due to recent investments in the region by both local suppliers and foreign players, which led to the construction of relatively new and strong buildings. “The real danger of garment production is not the loss of production facilities, but the loss of employers who want to leave the area,” he adds. Unofficial figures for February show a 1.8 percent drop in exports, as the industry focused on recovery in the first three weeks of the month.

How should brands respond in times of crisis?

Open Supply Hub, an open source platform that maps thousands of apparel manufacturing facilities in more than 130 countries, uses supplier lists provided directly by brands, or uploaded by these brands to their websites to track damage and disruption. As of February 2023, the Open Supply Hub shows that there are 13,000 production facilities in the earthquake-affected area. Of these, 9,438 covered apparel, textiles, home textiles, footwear, leather and apparel accessories. When combined with earthquake intensity data from the US Geological Survey’s Earthquake Hazards Program, it shows that 8,240 experienced a modified Mercalli intensity scale (MMI) of 7.5 or higher, including 107 with an MMI of 8 or higher.

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