Ibrahim Bodur has died

Ibrahim Bodur, founder and honorary president of Kale Group and for more than 50 years one of the most prominent figures in the international ceramic world, died on Monday 23 May at the age of 88.

A pioneer of the Turkish ceramic industry who established Kale in 1957, Bodur was one of the most representative and influential figures in the industry, leading a group that expanded over the years to become a global industrial giant with 17 companies and more than 5,000 employees spanning Turkey, Russia and Italy. The group’s diversified activities range from the production of ceramics and building chemicals (a segment in which it is the market leader in Turkey) to energy, defence and tourism.

Ibrahim Bodur held numerous institutional roles between 1952 and 2008. He was involved in the founding of Istanbul’s Chamber of Industry in 1952 and also served as the president of the Turkish Union of Chambers. As a member of the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Council, he made a vital contribution to promoting international economic relations.