Necati Kurmel, the owner of Saray Halı and one of Turkey’s leading businessmen with the country’s largest livestock assets, established a 50 million USD facility for the chrome mine his family has operated for 42 years in Aladağ, Adana, creating employment for 800 people. In addition, Kurmel has built two high schools, a student dormitory, and an indoor sports hall in Aladağ, and has also pledged to build a hospital for the district.

One of Turkey’s prominent industrialists, Necati Kurmel, is also making rapid progress in philanthropic activities. By investing 50 million USD in a chrome processing facility in Adana–Aladağ, where his family’s chrome mine has been operating for 42 years, Kurmel has contributed significantly to regional development. Alongside this investment, he has built two high schools, a girls’ student dormitory, and one indoor sports hall for the district.

Preparing to build a hospital in the near future, Necati Kurmel stated the following at the opening ceremony of the sports hall he built in Aladağ:

“One of the city’s most important needs is a hospital. Hopefully, if I earn enough money, I will also build a hospital here.
We built the first high school in Aladağ 15 years ago. Last year, we added another one. Students coming from distant areas were facing difficulties, so we also built a dormitory for them. Soon, there will be sports halls as well. In addition, we will build a police station and residential housing here.”

Emphasizing his perspective on education and social responsibility, Kurmel added:

“As a businessman who achieved success without formal education and could earn money easily, I consider building schools and dormitories a ‘debt.’ Do not call me a philanthropist. This is my responsibility.
Those who are educated owe a debt to those who are not; those who can easily put bread on their table owe a debt to those who cannot.”

Mining and Industrial Entrepreneurship Are Challenging

Necati Kurmel also highlighted the difficulties of being an industrialist and miner in Turkey, stating:

“Starting businesses from scratch is extremely difficult. Incentive mechanisms are problematic. I do not believe that significant profits can be made through industrial production in this country.
It is impossible for our country to develop and solve unemployment without industry. You must support industrialists so they can create jobs and provide livelihoods.
However, in this country, the state provides aid from its own budget to those without jobs or income. This is not sustainable. It has turned into a ‘charity-based economy.’”

Chrome Became Profitable Thanks to China

The chrome facilities of Ak Metal, owned by Necati Kurmel in Adana–Aladağ, have an annual capacity to process 1 million tons of chrome ore, producing approximately 130,000 tons of chrome. All of the produced chrome is exported to China. The facility employs around 800 people.

In addition to being the only private sector investment in Aladağ, Kurmel is also a partner in Ak Metal and Pınar Metal, which operate two additional chrome mines in the region.

Stating that he began operating the Aladağ chrome mine 42 years ago together with his cousin, Necati Kurmel added:

“We used to be happy when the price of chrome reached 100 dollars per ton, because at that time we could barely make a profit from chrome that cost us 90 dollars per ton.
In recent years, chrome prices have increased significantly. This was mainly due to China entering the market as a major buyer. Chrome prices rose to as high as 750 dollars last year, but recently fell to around 250 dollars. For us, 300 dollars is a very good price.”