The Turkish lift industry, which had a rocky start entering the new millennium due to economic recession, is now making significant progress during this period.
No one at that time anticipated that the recovery from the destruction and economic burden brought by the August 17 Gölcük earthquake would lead to the exponential increase of many taxes we first encountered in that period, still continuing up to the present day. In the first issue of 2001, the Asansör Dünyası (AD) team, referring to this situation, talked about hopes for the new year with the editorial title “Lost Year 2000, Year of Hope 2001.” However, guest writer Yılmaz Yedekçi, Foreign Trade Manager of Eta-Melco, wrote that he was not very hopeful about 2001, stating that the stability package implemented in the economy did not provide the expected activity.
After Ayşenur Aslan, who had been contributing with her columns since the early days of the magazine, her husband Sefa Targıt also started writing regularly in the magazine. The influence of the couple on the magazine was becoming more noticeable in the new period.
The magazine, which gradually became richer in terms of advertisements and content, would no longer be under 100 pages.
In the May-June 2001 issue, AD provided detailed coverage for the Seventh Istanbul Lift Fair and reported that the fair did not receive the expected interest due to the impact of the economic crisis. We see that Sinan Divarcı, General Manager of Lift Material, candidly conveyed the shortcomings of the organization in his article published in this issue, also touching upon the safety vulnerabilities created by the products exhibited at the fair. In his article, Divarcı mentions several safety vulnerabilities, stating: “The structure of some of the stands and the way some products were exhibited signaled great dangers to me. 125′ or 127′ guide rails hanging in the air, a dumbwaiter tower placed on a 900*900 mm area without any stabilizing or balancing mechanism, cable channels open enough to fit both legs of an ordinary person…”
As the new year of 2002 rolled in, AD unveiled its fresh brand image to readers.
In its January-February issue, AD extensively covered the interlift fair held in 2001, stating, “Undoubtedly, the greatest interest at the fair, which featured participating companies from many countries around the world, was shown to the companies from Türkiye despite the economic crisis they were experiencing.” We see that the article discusses the products exhibited by seven companies participating in the fair.
The transition of Selcom, which regularly advertised on the back cover of ELEVATOR WORLD, to Wittur was announced in the March-April 2002 issue. Wittur maintained its position here until the final issue of the magazine. In the following issue, detailed news was provided about the restructuring of Selcom Asfen as Wittur TR, as part of the Wittur group’s worldwide new structuring.
When Inelex Izmir, another fair in Türkiye, opened its doors for the third time in May 2002, the AD team noted that it did not meet expectations, reporting that participants particularly complained about the low number of international visitors. It appears that the practice of late opening and closing hours, which we are now accustomed to seeing only at fairs in the Middle East, was also implemented at the Inelex fair during that period.
Additionally, in 2002, the complete draft text of the Lift Regulation (95/16/EC), which was also a topic of discussion among civil society organizations at a meeting held in Antalya, was also shared in the magazine, thus informing the industry.
50th Issue
The last issue of 2002 marked the 50th issue of EW. In the editorial of this special issue, it was stated: “Asansör Dünyası, which will use its resources at the 50th issue reached with its subscribers to produce stronger and longer-lasting publications, will also increase its expansion to the world in the coming years.”
In this issue, the lifts of Otis in the newly completed 46-story İş Bankası Headquarters building in 4th Levent, Istanbul, were mentioned. The project featured a total of six escalators and 47 lifts, reaching speeds of 6 m/s, and it was considered one of the country’s most significant at the time.
AYSAD Becomes an ELA Member
AYSAD, Türkiye’s oldest association in the industry, shared the good news of its application made in December 2002 with the sector following its General Assembly in 2003. This important news was shared with the sector in the January-February 2002 issue.
Smiles abound at the 2003 Istanbul Lift Fair. Compared to the previous underwhelming fair, the 2003 fair brought smiles to the faces of the participants. Organized for the eighth time, the fair attracted 140 companies from 12 countries. Talking about the Istanbul Lift Fair in his article for the May-June issue, İsmail Yıldırım wrote: “We experienced a more organized promotion compared to the past, where innovations were frequently observed. With the quality certificates seen at almost every booth, from manufacturers to contractors, from subcontractors to magazines, from professional chambers to certification organizations, and from CE certification ceremonies to presentations, a good image and, moreover, a sense of confidence were conveyed to the visitors …”
Turkish Lift Platform
The long-awaited desire for unified action in the Turkish lift sector began with the meeting organized by AYSAD in Bolu in September 2003. In the organizations held with the participation of various associations in previous years, common ways out were sought with the aim of solving the basic problems of the sector. However, for the first time, 11 associations gathered together to form the Turkish Lift Platform.
Interlift 2003
In its November-December issue, AD dedicated extensive coverage to interlift 2003, praising the fair and reporting that it had met the expectations of the 16 companies participating from Türkiye.
In the fair news, it was stated: “Companies are, without exception, significantly satisfied with this result of interlift. Given that we knew the participants’ hopes were weak due to the severe economic conditions in Europe even before the fair started, it’s an extremely pleasing outcome.”
As we reach 2004, we see that many technical articles obtained especially from sources such as Elevcon, LEIA and ELA began to appear in AD. Additionally, the hosting of Elevcon at the Çırağan Palace in Türkiye in 2004 had made quite a significant impact.
Covering the Elevcon 2004 congress in detail, AD stated: “The congress sponsor Asray, with its contributions during the pre-congress preparation process, raised the bar above the traditional level, going far beyond those who have undertaken sponsorship to date.” Along with the enchanting atmosphere of Çırağan Palace, a visit to the Rahmi Koç Museum was also among the planned activities for the guests.
Another important event of 2004 was the fourth Inelex fair. Additionally, after the Dutch Liftinstituut opened its office in Türkiye in 2004, a rapid increase is observed in certifications for safety components among Turkish manufacturers. This was a testament to the appetite of Turkish producers to penetrate the international market.
The long-awaited Technical Committee for Lifts (ASTEK), anticipated by the lift sector for a considerable time, was officially established with the publication of the relevant regulation in the Official Gazette on July 13th. Its inaugural meeting took place on July 30 in Ankara. The September-October issue featured detailed notes about this meeting, along with the views of the authors.
2005: New logo and new face for AD
In its first issue of 2005, AD unveiled a completely renewed image to its readers. Editor Turhan Korkmaz commented on the magazine’s transformation, saying, “For nine years, Asansör Dünyası magazine has been the sole publication and voice of the lift sector in our country, continuously evolving and now taking significant steps toward becoming an industry leader. Through the contribution and leadership of esteemed minds, and the dedicated efforts of its administrators, the magazine has maintained its pivotal role. With the new year, it has embraced a fresh concept, eager to receive your valuable opinions and preferences.”
Istanbul Lift Newspaper
As in every odd year, the most significant events in the lift sector in 2005 were the Asansör Istanbul Fair and the interlift Fair. Previously known as the Istanbul Lift Fair until its ninth edition in 2005, the event started using the name “Asansör Istanbul.” That same year, AD also began publishing a tabloid newspaper called İstanbul Asansör Gazetesi (Istanbul Lift Newspaper), specially prepared and printed for the duration of this special fair. During the four days of the fair, from the opening day to the closing day, İstanbul Asansör Gazetesi was published daily. A total of 8,000 copies were printed for the 2005 fair. Similarly, during the interlift 2005 fair held in October, a newspaper named Daily Lift News was distributed for the first time to industry members abroad on the second and fourth days of the fair. Daily Lift News was almost racing against time during the fair. The content was prepared in Germany, and after the page layout setting in Istanbul, it was sent for printing the same day in Istanbul. The following day, it was distributed at the fair in Germany.
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