Turkey, Land of Natural Stone
Natural stone industry in Turkey – Turkey is the 5th biggest natural stone producer in the world. It is the 3rd biggest exporter after China as well. Turkey is the champions in raw marble exports.
MAINLAND OF MARBLE & TRAVERTINE : TURKEY
International stone production continues to progress rapidly and has exceed one hundred million tons. This volume is equal to 1.200.000 square meters ( 2 cm. in thickness) . These figures are twice times bigger than recorded twelve years ago and this growth trend has been continious. And this wiev shows that 2015 production will reach two and a half billion square meters.
Turkey has a significant place in terms of world natural stone reserves and is increasing its share in the international markets every year with a variety of products in different colors and texture quality. Turkey ranks 5th among the natural stone exporting countries. The Turkish natural stone sector takes up around 8% of the world natural stone export pie and aims at bringing exports to $ 2.5 billion by 2010.
Turkey has 33% of world’s reserves with its natural stone reserve of a total of 13.9 billion tons (5.2 billion m3) in the form of ‘visible, probable and possible’, is one of the oldest natural stone producers with its 4000 years of production history starting from the Marmara island.
It’s known that there are over 250 kinds of stones with different colors, textures and designs in Turkey. The sector today, with its high production and export potential, domestic market consumption, natural stone machinery manufacturing and export, makes an important contribution to the Turkish economy.
The oldest marble quarry in Turkey located in Marmara island has 4000 years production history and called Marmara White . Afyon White, “matchless” Rosso Levanto and Bursa Beige are very well known Turkish Marbles have ben exporting since first years of Turkish Marble exportation has started. Another white marble Mugla White ( also called blanco ibiza) with simillarities to italian marble Carrara was most popular marble before 2000. Nowadays it is becaming popular in Europe and Middle east. Especially year 2000 and after world stone market tended to cream, beige and other soft colors and Travertine became a best –seller natural stone . Last 5 years other cream-beige marbles like Burdur Beige, Crema nova, Bursa beige, sand wave, rosalia, Lymra were popular but other colored marbles has been becoming demanded materials. Emparaor light, Seagrass, Cappucino, Silver Shadow, Scabas, toros black,olive marron, emparador dark are some of the materials which using at very prestigious projects all over the world.
The first important factor of viewing this figure is geological properties of Anatolian peninsula. All this richness of color and texture variation result of metamorphism, sedimantation and volcanic-tectonic activation coming from nature. And the second factor is the passion of entrepreneurship of Turkish people. Around a thousand marble quarries, small and medium sized 1,500 factories and 7,500 workshops functioning in the sector contribute seriously to employment.
Alper OZULOGUL
Turkish Stone Expert
Who is ALPER OZULOGUL
Mr. Ozulogul graduated from the faculty of Geology (Istanbul Technical University) in 1990.
He got his master degree in Turkish Marbles. Simulataneously, he worked as a researcher in the Marble Inventory Project of Turkey at university in 1992-94 where he had the opportunity of exploring Turkish Natural Stone
He worked many Turkish Stone firms among which there were some joint venture companies with foreign partners.
He has personally paid many visits to the majority of the quarries and marble and travertine factories in Turkey to examine them on the spot and has thus gathered broad knowledge and experience about Turkish Stones.
Mr. Ozulogul also possesses very close and good relations to majority quarry & factory owners in Turkey and has a very good reputation in the sector as a reliable stone expert.
Mr. Ozulogul provides professional consulting services for foreign buyers/companies that would like to import natural stone from Turkey or parties in search of information about Turkish stones.
You are welcome to contact him at below address:
TEL +90 232 486 88 14
GSM + 90 532 5837404
