Türkiye

Kardemir – Pioneer of the Turkish Steel Industry
Founded as Turkey’s first integrated iron and steel plant, Kardemir was established on April 3, 1937, under the national industrialization vision of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with the foundation laid by Prime Minister İsmet İnönü. On September 9, 1939, the first blast furnace was ignited, and the next day, the first Turkish iron was produced.

Since its inception, Kardemir has led Turkey’s industrial breakthroughs, designing, manufacturing, and assembling numerous major industrial facilities, earning the title “the factory that builds factories.” Following its privatization on March 30, 1995, the company invested over USD 2 billion in modernizing production technologies, becoming one of the largest industrial enterprises in Turkey today.

Kardemir is Turkey’s only national brand in railway rail production, and all of its shares are publicly traded on the BIST 30 index. Prioritizing occupational health and safety, the company operates a modern training and cultural center to enhance employee skills and expertise.

As a model in university–industry collaboration, Kardemir opens its doors to academics to commercialize scientific research. The company actively contributes to improving quality of life in Karabük, with significant investments in education, healthcare, sports, and culture, including the Iron and Steel Institute and R&D Center at Karabük University, which serves the entire steel industry.

With a holistic sustainability approach balancing economic growth with environmental and social responsibility, Kardemir, together with its subsidiaries and over 4,500 employees, continues to produce and add value to Turkey and humanity with pride.