In Türkiye's Kulp district, in the southeastern region of Diyarbakır, the country’s only silk thread factory has started producing surgical silk thread, a product for which Türkiye is 100% dependent on imports.
The foundation of the silk thread factory was laid in 2008 and from 2008 to 2013, the process of purchasing machinery and construction continued; the factory received support as part of the SEECO Project, coordinated by the Ministry of Industry and Technology's General Directorate of Development Agencies and the World Bank, and locally managed by the Karacadağ Development Agency.
Mizbah Çaçan, president of the Kulp Silk Producers Cooperative, told Ihlas News Agency (IHA) reporters that the factory's foundation was established in 2008, with machinery acquisition and construction ongoing until 2013. He noted that they activated the facility in 2014 with support from the Karacadağ Development Agency.
Çaçan stated that since 2014, the facility has continued operations. "We produce silk thread at our facility. We also manufacture raw thread for carpet makers in Türkiye; this year, our country is 100% dependent on imported surgical silk thread. To produce value-added products, we applied to the Ministry of Industry and Technology's SEECO Project; we aimed to produce surgical thread."
Çaçan added: "Our project was approved and passed. We installed our machines, and they are currently in the testing phase. We have also applied to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for licensing. We are producing silk thread for veterinary services. This thread production is being done for the first time in our country."
Çaçan mentioned that the Kulp district produces approximately 70% of Türkiye's live silkworm cocoon production. "Moreover, this silk factory we are in is the only silk thread factory in our country; we employ 22 people, half of whom are women, and there is permanent employment here. We have around 800 producers engaged in live cocoon production," he said.
Employee Hasibe Gülsüm, who has been working in silk production in Kulp for 14 years, stated: "I worked in fine spinning, and for the past month, I have been producing surgical thread; I work on this machine. We work to support our families."
