TÜRKŞEKER Produces 250 Fire Tankers for Rural Areas
· Türkşeker
TÜRKŞEKER Machine Factories are manufacturing 250 fire-fighting tankers to provide first response to fires in agricultural lands and rural areas, and to meet multi-purpose water needs.
Tanker Production for Rural Areas
Machine Factories, operating under the umbrella of Türkiye Şeker Fabrikaları A.Ş. (TÜRKŞEKER), have commenced the manufacturing of fire-fighting equipment for use in rural regions. According to the institution's statement, the manufacturing process for a total of 250 fire-fighting tankers, each with a 3-ton water capacity, is ongoing at the factories. These vehicles, powered by a centrifugal pump system driven by a tractor, have been developed to meet multi-purpose needs such as fire response, agricultural land and road irrigation, water transportation, and facility cleaning. The tankers are produced as a complete set, including a pump, valves, nozzles, and hose lines.
Early Intervention in Rural and Field Fires
According to information shared by the institution, 91% of forest fires occurring in Turkey are caused by human factors. A significant portion of these fires do not start directly within forests but rather in agricultural lands, stubble fields, or village settlements, and then spread to forested areas due to wind. The tractor-mounted tankers aim to control flames before they spread by delivering water directly to the initial point of ignition in fields, vineyards, and rugged terrain where standard fire trucks and off-road vehicles struggle to access.
Tanker Deliveries to Local Administrations
As part of the production plan, 97 of the manufactured tankers have been delivered to various public institutions and private organizations. According to the disclosed data, 50 vehicles were given to the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality, 36 to the Adıyaman Provincial Special Administration, and 11 to İnova Elektrik Üretim Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. located in the Bozüyük district of Bilecik. The demand, extending from municipalities to provincial special administrations, and from headmen's offices to industrial facilities, highlights the broad utility of this equipment in rural and agricultural areas.
Emphasis on Local Engineering and Production
Drawing attention to the strength of domestic production and the need for rapid response, TÜRKŞEKER Chairman of the Board and General Manager Dr. Muhiddin ŞAHİN made the following assessments:
"Since its inception, TÜRKŞEKER has not only been an institution that produces sugar; it has also become an industrial enterprise that produces the factories producing sugar. Our Machine Factories in five cities have played a role in the establishment of dozens of sugar and cement factories in our country. Today, with the same machinery and engineering expertise, we are producing first-response fire-fighting equipment."
Dr. Muhiddin ŞAHİN further elaborated on the tankers' function in the field:
"This tanker is a response to a concrete need from the field. A fire often starts in a field, a stubble area, or on a village road before it reaches the forest. If there is a water tanker there in those first minutes, the fire remains contained. The most effective way to protect our green homeland is to stop the fire before it grows."
Emphasizing the commitment to production, Dr. Muhiddin ŞAHİN stated:
"It is our duty to produce the products our nation needs in the factories entrusted to us by our nation. We will continue with determination to offer our domestic production capabilities in service of our country and our green homeland."