From 'Okkalar Constructıon' human-oriented projects

Okkalar Insaat, one of the most popular construction companies in Konya, gives confidence with human-oriented projects. “Until today, we have worked with the motto of how we can make our customers live more safely and comfortably in our projects. Okkalar Construction Vice Chairman Ömer Faruk Okka answered our questions.

How was 2020 for Okkalar İnşaat, one of Konya's leading construction companies, can you compare 2019?

As you know, 2020 was a more difficult year compared to other years due to the pandemic. We lived through processes where people compromised their private lives and could not go out due to the rules. Its effects still continue. I hope we will get rid of this troubled process as soon as possible. The construction sector was the most affected by the trouble experienced in August 2018. Naturally, instead of making a new investment in 2019, we completed our existing projects and made preparations for 2020. In fact, 2020 had started well, but with the effect of the pandemic that started in March, uncertainty prevailed in all markets. Despite this, as Okkalar, we are beyond the targets we set for 2020.

As you know, 2020 passed with more pandemic processes. How was the construction industry in this process?

As Okkalar İnşaat, of course, we also experienced the difficulties of this process. The curfews, the quarantine process of people who had covid disease and had contact with them caused things to slow down. However, as a company, we continued our business in accordance with the health measures announced by our state. We did not change the dates we promised in the project deliveries, and we delivered the first block of our Arma Vita project 4 months ago. We plan to deliver the remaining 2 blocks by the end of the year. In general, we can say that the pandemic slows down the construction sector. However, with the housing loan opportunities announced by our government in June - July, the sector took a sigh of relief and the contractors had the opportunity to sell their stocks.

At the end of 2019, there was talk of stagnation in this sector in general, but after July 2020, we know that very heavy sales were made and home stocks were consumed. Can you evaluate these two processes?

When we look at the overall year of 2019, it is obvious that we are going through a stable process regarding our industry. The process, which was quite stable due to the pandemic, actually started to rise with the month of June. We know that in June, July, August and September, the flats in the stocks of the companies were sold. Our apartments in our new project have been in high demand these months. We have completed our sales with the trust in our company. The reduction of the Housing Loan rates to 0.64 and the one-year grace period were in great demand by our customers. Compared to previous years, sales showed a serious increase.

Turkey is located in a known earthquake zone. There was an earthquake in Izmir recently. Problems occurred in certain residences and buildings were demolished. Can you make an overall assessment of construction control?

First of all, as Okkalar İnşaat, we wish God's mercy to those who lost their lives in the Izmir earthquake and condolences to those who remained. From the first moment of the earthquake, we witnessed that our state was working hard to heal the wounds at the scene. Our relevant ministers made the necessary investigations at the scene and took steps to eliminate the victimization of our victims. Unfortunately, we know that there are problems in the materials used in the old buildings, especially in the buildings made before the earthquake regulation, and the necessary procedures cannot be done sufficiently afterwards. Turkey to take serious steps for the old building in general and needs to be put into practice in an urgent manner of legislation related to this issue. Since we are a country in an earthquake zone, we need to be prepared in advance for an earthquake. Days after the earthquake, Elif and Ayda, holding tightly to her hand, are required to build buildings with a great conscientious responsibility so that babies do not experience fear in other babies, as well as every contractor and building inspection firm in our sector should sign projects thinking that their family will live there.

We generally see Okkalar Insaat in important and big projects. What is the important project of this year?

As Okkalar Construction, we have worked with the motto of how we can make our customers live more safely and comfortably in our projects. Again, we will have important and big projects that focus on people. Due to the happiness and trust experienced by thousands of flat owners in Konya and Istanbul, we have become a big family by bringing their friends and relatives to our company. We aim to become a bigger family by increasing our family members with our new projects.

It is complained that many contractors did in Turkey. The prevailing opinion is that the state should make a regulation on this issue and that incompetent persons should be prevented from being employed. What are you thinking?

Some arrangements have been made on this issue recently. The limits of who can build and to what extent were determined with the contracting certificate. It will take some time for this system to settle down and its gaps to close. People who only consider materiality, whose main activity is not construction, should be prevented from building. In the process, we saw that we had many victims, both landowners and customers who bought houses. It also seems difficult to overcome their grievances in the short term. Legal regulations and court processes take quite a long time. Our state has to set stricter rules on this issue and allow competent companies. In addition, as I mentioned above, our country is located in an earthquake zone. Building the buildings in accordance with the regulations is a responsibility for us. Buildings that are built by incompetent persons, or rather, cannot do so, carry a risk and give our industry a bad reputation.

SÜMEYRA KENESARI / YENİ HABER