The First Four Years of Asansör Dünyası: 1996-2000

Since its inception in 1996, Asansör Dünyası has continued its publication journey with more confidence, experiencing growth both in terms of content and advertising numbers.

In January 1997, in the masthead of the fourth issue of the magazine, the statement “As Asansör Dünyası magazine, we are primarily responsible to the lift industry, then to the institutions we are closely related to, and to society. We are an organization that strives to do justice to its work” shed light on the magazine’s vision.

During those years, the magazine also showcased remarkable lift projects in Türkiye. In the issues published in 1997, extraordinary projects such as the lifts located at the pillars of the Bosphorus Bridge, the historical Izmir lift, the first electric lift in Hidiv Pavilion and Pera Palas were highlighted, to name a few.

In the 1990s, despite there being fewer fairs and events in the lift and escalator sector worldwide compared to today, the presence of Asansör Istanbul and Izmir Inelex fairs organized in our country stood as one of the most significant indicators of the rapid growth of the Turkish lift sector. We can observe that the fifth Istanbul Lift Fair (named as such at that time), which took place in 1997, received extensive coverage in the April issue. In the article about the fair, it is noted that 61 domestic and 67 foreign companies participated in the event.

Advisory Committee

In the eighth issue of the magazine, we see the introduction of the advisory committee, comprising leading figures in the sector, for the first time. The experts introduced in the advisory committee were Prof. Dr. Sabri Altıntaş, Ersan Barlas, Prof. Dr. Atilla Bir, Prof. Dr. Galip Cansever, Ercüment Hızal, Dr. Erdem İmrak, H. Coşkun İpek, Mahmut Kayral, Ş. Tunç Timurkan, Fevzi Yıldırım and Metin Yılmaz. Rsan Barlas provided the most significant effort and contribution to the advisory board, supporting the magazine until its final issue.

We can observe that during those years, actively operating associations like AYSAD, TASİAD, ANASDER and other associations in Anatolia were not as sharply polarized as they are today. They were able to come together and discuss many issues, including the formation of a federation, through mutual dialogue. The magazine provided extensive coverage to the associations, including their activity reports.

International News

The magazine featured prominent technologies and developments worldwide. In the June 1997 issue, detailed information about Schindler’s first machine room-less elevator model, named the Schindler Mobile 630, introduced by Schindler, was provided.

Asansör Dünyası Is Available in Both Turkish and English

After Asansör Dünyası completed its first year, it began publishing in both Turkish and English, starting from the October 1997 issue, in order to reach a wider audience. Additionally, in this issue, a section featuring brief news about developments worldwide was introduced to the readers. One of the most significant developments of that year was Asansör Dünyası becoming available on the internet starting from December 1997, making it accessible to anyone with a computer.

We observe that in 1998, the internal page designs of the magazine further developed, enriched with colorful visuals. In addition to local firms and agencies advertising in the magazine, we see Mitsubishi beginning to appear after Schindler Türkeli, both through advertising and news about their units at the Çırağan Palace.

Asansör Dünyası at the International Interlift Fair

Just a year after its inception, Asansör Dünyası participated in the international Interlift fair. The detailed coverage of the 1997 fair appeared in the January 1998 issue.

Inelex 98

Organized by Efor Fuarcılık, the Inelex exhibition, initially planned for 1997, opened its doors to visitors in May 1998 with 53 participating companies after being postponed for a year. The June issue extensively covered the fair.

The First Machine Room-less Lift: KONE Monospace

The first machine room-less lift introduced by KONE, revolutionizing the lift industry, was featured in the October 1998 issue of Asansör Dünyası. The article mentions not only the prominent features of the KONE Monospace but also that it was awarded the Golden Palm at the 1997 Batimat fair.

Asansör Dünyası in Mainstream Media

In the November 17, 1998, issue of Milliyet, one of the most widely read and prestigious newspapers of the time, Asansör Dünyası magazine was mentioned as the only lift and escalator magazine in Türkiye and the Middle East.

1999: The Magazine Starts To Be Published in Bi-monthly Periods

In its third year, due to the economic crisis nationwide, Asansör Dünyası did not publish any magazine issues in January and February. However, when in March 1998, it reached readers with its bimonthly March-April issue. Due to the magazine’s transition to bi-monthly publication, the number of pages exceeded one hundred for the first time, reaching 144 pages in this issue. The change was evident not only in the frequency of publication but also in the content. Especially the table of contents section followed a categorization format that we are accustomed to seeing in ELEVATOR WORLD.

In the news article following the Istanbul Lift Fair in March of the same year, it was reported that the fair did not meet expectations. Among the primary reasons listed were inadequate promotion on the international stage and the selection of a date unsuitable for visitors.

Ali Aktaş: “Call for Unity”

In the July-August 1999 issue, Ali Aktaş, the founder of Löher, Türkiye’s first escalator factory, stated, “It is remarkable that escalators, which have such a wide market, are still being imported from abroad. Taking all of these into account, I believe it is time to establish an escalator factory in our country,” inviting cooperation for investment in an escalator factory.

Earthquake Becomes the Hot Topic

Following the 1999 Gölcük earthquake, the impact of the earthquake on lifts was extensively covered in both the final issues of 1999 and subsequent issues of 2000, with news articles and technical papers on this topic frequently appearing in the magazine.

Another prominent news in 2000 was Thyssen Elevator’s direct entry into the Turkish market. The company, which had previously operated through the intermediary agency provided by Hatko A.Ş., began to play a significant role in the Turkish market with the establishment of Thyssen Asansör ve Escalator A.Ş.

Other significant news in 2000 was the announcement of the collaboration between Ametal and Kleemann. Ismail Yıldırım commented on the topic, saying, “Kleemann has become well-known and preferred in our country. The number of imported hydraulic units has reached around 600 since day one. Hydraulic usage is expected to increase in the future of our country. We aim to secure a significant share in this market”.

In the September-October issue, EAYSAD President Yüksel Gül wrote in his article that having two fairs in Türkiye was excessive and that merging them under one roof would be more beneficial for the sector. However, he extended this invitation to the Istanbul fair by suggesting that it should be held in Izmir due to Izmir’s geopolitical positioning.