RESMAR Project Closing Meeting Held in Istanbul 14 July 2026

The RESMAR Project Closing Meeting, organized under the project "Making Industrial Organizations Resilient to Disasters with a Business Continuity Management Approach: Marmara Region Application (RESMAR)" - co-financed by the European Union and AFAD - was held on July 1–2, 2026, at the Hilton Bomonti Hotel in Istanbul, under the theme "Business Continuity Vision from Marmara to Türkiye."

The meeting was organized to enhance the disaster resilience of industrial infrastructures, to generalize the business continuity approach across Organized Industrial Zones (OIZs), and to share the outputs achieved throughout the project with relevant stakeholders. The event brought together representatives from public institutions, international organizations, Organized Industrial Zones, academia, the private sector, and project stakeholders.

The first day of the meeting commenced with a moment of silence and the national anthem, followed by a presentation titled "RESMAR from Past to Present" delivered by Mehmet Fatih ŞEN, Head of the Technological Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group at AFAD. The presentation highlighted the activities carried out under the RESMAR Project, field implementations, and the organizational achievements secured during the project lifecycle.

The program continued with the session "Resilient Industry of the Future: OIZ Experiences – I." Moderated by Engineer Esen DEMİRKOL KILIÇ, the session featured panel speakers Ayla DEV, Regional Manager of Istanbul Anadolu Yakası OIZ, Kemal BALTEPE, Regional Manager of Istanbul Tuzla Chemical Industrialists OIZ - KOSB, Serhat ŞENGÜL, Regional Manager of Bursa Demirtaş OIZ, and Yıldıray DEMİRKIRAN, Technical Affairs Manager of Birlik OIZ. The speakers shared their practical field experiences regarding disaster risks, business continuity practices, and institutional resilience within OIZ structures.

The official opening speeches of the meeting were delivered by Abdulkadir TEZCAN, Head of the Marmara Afet Risklerini Azaltma Dairesi at AFAD, Prof. Dr. Orhan TATAR, General Director of Earthquake and Risk Reduction at AFAD, Stephen CAHILL, United Nations World Food Programme Representative and Country Director in Türkiye, Maria Luisa WYGANOWSKI, Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, and Hamza TAŞDELEN, Vice President of AFAD.

The opening remarks emphasized the fundamental importance of the business continuity approach in disaster risk reduction efforts, the enhancement of readiness capacity in industrial infrastructures against disasters, and the vital contribution of public-private partnerships as well as international cooperation toward sustainable development goals.

The afternoon session of the first day featured "Resilient Industry of the Future: OIZ Experiences – II." Moderated by Prof. Dr. İbrahim AKGÜN, RESMAR Project Team Leader, the panel included Cihan ODABAŞI, Regional Manager of Global Mixed OIZ, F. Çiğdem BAYKAL, Regional Manager of Tekirdağ Çerkezköy OIZ, Haldun TOYGARLI, Deputy Regional Manager of GEBKİM, and Tufan SAAT, Regional Manager of Gebze Güzeller OIZ. The participants shared their experiences concerning business continuity management, risk reduction, and disaster preparedness processes in line with the studies executed within the scope of the project.

The second day of the meeting opened with a presentation titled "From February 6 to the Future: Lessons in Business Continuity and Resilience" by Hüseyin DOĞRU, Chairman of the Board of MOBSAN. The presentation evaluated the institutional significance of business continuity capacity for industrial enterprises and commercial operations in the aftermath of the February 6 earthquakes, alongside key deductions regarding post-disaster recovery processes.

Subsequently, a panel discussion titled "Global Partnerships for Resilience" was conducted. Moderated by Duygu YARDIMCI, EU Expert from the Directorate for EU Affairs, the panel featured Akif TÜRKEL, Program Manager at the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, David BAKER, Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Ege SEÇKİN, Emergency Preparedness and Response Consultant at the UN World Food Programme, and K. Deniz ÇİFTÇİ, Project Coordinator at the United Nations Development Programme. The panel comprehensively addressed the critical role of international cooperation in line with disaster risk reduction, business continuity, organizational resilience, and sustainable development goals.

Following the panel, Balkır DEMİRKAN, Secretary-General of DASK, delivered a presentation titled "The Role of the Insurance System in Disaster Risk Management." The presentation evaluated the positioning of financial preparedness, insurance frameworks, and risk transfer mechanisms within macro resilience policies.

The final session of the second day was a panel titled "Public Perspective on the Path to a Resilient Türkiye."Moderated by Gökhan YILMAZ, Head of the Department of Emergencies and Defense Planning at the Ministry of Health, the session included panel speakers Emrah SÜME, Head of Department at the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, Hüseyin ERBAŞ, Head of Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Murat AÇIKGÖZ, Head of Department at the Ministry of Industry and Technology, Selim ÇİÇEK, Head of Department at the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, and Tayfun TEMUR, Head of Department at the Ministry of Trade. The panel members shared structural evaluations regarding the ongoing efforts of public institutions in risk reduction, preparedness, business continuity, and institutional capacity building toward the target of a disaster-resilient Türkiye.

The meeting concluded with a closing speech delivered by Abdulkadir TEZCAN, Head of the Marmara Afet Risklerini Azaltma Dairesi at AFAD.

The institutional frameworks and models developed under the RESMAR Project have generated a benchmark expertise area for implementing the business continuity management approach across Organized Industrial Zones in the Marmara Region and for fortifying industrial infrastructures against disasters. As one of the concrete outputs of the project, the OIZ Business Continuity Management System Installation and Implementation Guide aims to scale the institutional knowledge base and practical implementation experience acquired in the Marmara Region across all industrial zones throughout Türkiye.

Project Information

• Project Name: Making Industrial Organizations Resilient to Disasters with a Business Continuity Management Approach: Marmara Region Application (RESMAR)
• Financing: Co-financed by AFAD and the European Union
• Duration: 2024 – August 2026
• Implementation Area: Selected OIZs in the Marmara Region
• Objective: To increase the resilience of industrial organizations against disasters, establish business continuity systems, and disseminate good practices.
• Contact: resmar.afad.gov.tr | resmar@afad.gov.tr