Turkish Businessman’s Mariupol Factory Destroyed by Russia—But His Faith in Ukraine Endures

A Turkish businessman, İsmail Hacıoğlu, revealed that his elevator manufacturing plant in Mariupol, Ukraine, occupied by Russia in 2022, was destroyed by Russian forces in March 2022, just months before it was set to begin production. Hacıoğlu had planned to produce lifts and spare parts for export to Ukraine and European countries, he told in an interview with Ukrinform on December 18.

Despite securing land and constructing the necessary facilities, including offices, warehouses, and production lines, the plant was bombed by Russian forces, making it unusable.

Following the bombing, the Russian military proceeded to loot the plant’s warehouses, which were filled with elevators and spare parts. Hacıoğlu, who is now wanted by Russian authorities for his pro-Ukrainian stance, stated that he has no access to his property or goods in Mariupol, according to Ukrinform.

Hacıoğlu, who has deep ties to Ukraine through his Ukrainian wife and two children, helped organize evacuations from dangerous regions in eastern and southern Ukraine during the early stages of the war.

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Despite losing much of his capital due to the Russian occupation, he remains committed to rebuilding Ukraine. His company, EkoAvrasya, is planning new projects, including creating joint Turkish-Ukrainian industrial zones and resuming elevator production after the war.

“Ukraine is my second homeland. My life and hopes for the future are tied to it. I travel to Ukraine regularly. I am not currently involved in any commercial activities, as we lost a significant portion of our capital as a result of the Russian occupation and bombings,” Hacıoğlu told Ukrinform.

“However, we do have new projects for the reconstruction and development of Ukraine. We believe in Ukraine’s future,” he continued.

Looking to the future, Hacıoğlu emphasized the importance of investing in Ukraine now, stating that his company intends to build housing, create jobs, and even develop a halal meat processing facility. He also plans to participate in a Turkey-Ukraine business forum next year.

Previously, it was reported that Ukraine was working on developing a mechanism to grant the status of a foreign Ukrainian, particularly for Crimean Tatars residing in Turkey.

This was stated by Ukraine’s Ambassador to Turkey, Nariman Dzhelyal, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

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