A century-long production journey comes to life once again at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum, alongside Turkey's industrialization story. Prepared on the occasion of the Koç Group's 100th anniversary, the "Domestic Industry, International Reputation" exhibition addresses a hundred years of accumulation from 1926 to the present, centered on production, technology, entrepreneurship, and social transformation. The exhibition makes the development of domestic production and the traces it has left on daily life visible through a visual chronology spanning from 1926 to 2026, as well as archival documents, photographs, and a specially prepared diorama.
The exhibition presents a chronological narrative from 1926, the year the late Vehbi Koç registered the firm he inherited from his father with the Ankara Chamber of Commerce, to 2026. The focal point of the narrative in the museum is the period from the 1950s, when industrialization gained momentum in Turkey through private sector investments, to the present day. Documents, photographs, and products of the era provide the opportunity to follow the transition from trade to industry, from assembly to manufacturing, and from domestic production to exports on the same timeline.
From fields to homes, from factories to roads
The Koç Group's orientation toward industry did not just mean the establishment of new factories. As investments such as Türk Demir Döküm, Arçelik, and Otosan followed the lightbulb factory established in cooperation with General Electric, technical know-how grew alongside production; a qualified workforce was trained, and sub-industry, dealer, and service networks developed. Products manufactured in Turkey reached homes, workplaces, fields, and roads.
Refrigerators and washing machines changed life inside the home, tractors changed working methods in agriculture, and automobiles changed mobility. Thus, the major chapters of production history can be read through familiar objects that resonate in people's lives. The 1/18 scale diorama prepared by İnanç Benlioğlu also recreates a familiar urban view of 1990s Turkey with its streets, shops, apartment buildings, vehicles, and billboards, making the place that Koç Group brands have acquired in different areas of daily life visible through details from our collective memory.
Domestic production opens up to the world
Over time, design, engineering, and technology development competencies were added to production capacity. The "international reputation" in the exhibition's title also points to the aspect of this journey that cannot be measured solely by exports. Facilities in Turkey have transformed into centers that develop products for different countries and deliver their output to international markets. The trust regained while entering new sectors required quality in production, continuity in collaborations, and standing behind one's word. The Koç Group's work in the fields of education, health, culture, and science has also formed the side of this century-long accumulation that extends to society.
Today's product, tomorrow's historical document
With this exhibition, the Rahmi M. Koç Museum also reminds us of the importance of preserving industrial heritage. An item that only made daily life easier during the period it was produced now serves as a document that tells of the technical knowledge, labor, and lifestyle of that era. "Domestic Industry, International Reputation" tells the story of the Koç Group's hundred-year production power and its contribution to Turkey's industrialization, along with the memory carried by these objects.
Rahmi M. Koç Museum General Manager Mine Sofuoğlu stated that the exhibition addresses industrial history along with the memory of daily life, saying, "Objects that were once an ordinary part of daily life turn into historical documents years later that tell of a period's production culture, technical knowledge, and labor. With this exhibition, we aim to pass on this hundred-year production journey to future generations, along with the traces it has left in people's lives."
The "Domestic Industry, International Reputation" exhibition, which met with visitors on October 9, 2026, can be visited at the Mustafa V. Koç Building of the Rahmi M. Koç Museum until February 7, 2027.
News Source: 12punto
