Hayat Holding Draws Attention to the Natural Wealth of Kocaeli Bay

Hayat Holding, advancing sustainability initiatives under the vision of Benefit for Generations, launched the "Look at the Bay Again" project on 5 June World Environment Day in collaboration with wildlife photographer Alper Tüydeş. The project aims to draw attention to the biodiversity of Kocaeli Bay and raise awareness regarding the region's natural life.

In addition to coastal cleaning work carried out this year for the fifth time by Hayat Holding companies Hayat Kimya and Limaş, the project documented the natural life of Kocaeli Bay through photography and video work. The images captured through Alper Tüydeş's lens showcased the bay's rich bird diversity.

Biodiversity of Kocaeli Bay made visible
Within the scope of the project, numerous bird species including bearded reedling, flamingo, ferruginous duck, grey heron and pintail were observed in Kocaeli Bay. An exhibition featuring the resulting photographs was presented to visitors in Başiskele, Kocaeli.

Through video work accompanying the exhibition, the bay's ecosystem and biodiversity were conveyed from a different perspective, while the aim was to transform the established perception of the region and make its natural wealth visible.

"We aimed to look at the bay again"
Çağlayan Kent, Director of Global Corporate Communications and Sustainability at Hayat Kimya, made the following statement on the occasion of 5 June World Environment Day:

"In line with our vision of Care for Life, we continue projects that create value for the environment and society, placing sustainability at the centre of all our business processes. Together with our main production facility located in Kocaeli, we carry special responsibility towards this region. In addition to coastal cleaning work that we have regularly carried out for five years, this year we wanted to make the bay's natural wealth visible through Alper Tüydeş's work and raise awareness by saying 'Look at the Bay Again.' We aim to reach schools in the region with the photographs featured in the exhibition, so that this awareness is passed on to younger generations."

"Tons of waste collected, work will continue"
Kürşat Bal, Director of Strategic Planning and Facilities at Limaş, shared the following information regarding coastal cleaning work:

"As Limaş, the port operating company of Hayat Holding, we conducted coastal cleaning work in Kocaeli Bay for the fifth time this year. Within the scope of work we have been carrying out for many years, we have collected tons of waste to date. In the work carried out this year alone, more than 2.5 tons of waste were cleaned from marine and coastal areas. We will continue our work with the same determination in the years ahead."

"The bay is a highly valuable observable ecosystem"
Wildlife photographer Alper Tüydeş drew attention to the biodiversity of the bay and made the following assessment:

"Kocaeli Bay is a highly valuable region that experiences intense bird activity especially during winter months. Thanks to cleaning work carried out in recent years and efforts towards protecting the ecosystem, it has become possible to observe and photograph many species. Making this diversity visible and conveying it to people is very valuable to us. I thank Hayat Holding for contributing to this project."

About Hayat Holding
With foundations dating back to 1937, Hayat Holding operates with 67 companies and more than 20,000 employees in fast-moving consumer goods, wood-based panels, paper packaging, shipping, real estate development and finance.

Growing from Turkey to global scale, the Holding is present in more than 100 countries with 49 brands and operates with 45 production facilities. Kastamonu Entegre ranks first in Turkey, third in Europe and fourth globally in wood-based panel production, while Hayat is the world's 4th largest baby diaper manufacturer and one of the largest tissue paper producers in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa. Hayat Finans is Turkey's first digital bank.