Kurtuluş Emerges as New Center of Attraction

The Kurtulus district, the oldest neighbourhood in the Sisli area, is undergoing change, with new buildings rising and old ones being renovated. In this instalment of our series, we spoke with Abdullah Aytaş, second-generation representative of Has Aytaş Nalburiye, which has been operating in Kurtulus since 1993, about demand for building products. It is known that Istanbul had settlements three thousand years ago. However, today, Sisli, with its shopping centres, hotels, and historic and public buildings, is actually considered a relatively new residential area where urban life is most densely observed. Historical records show that there was no settlement in what is now known as central Sisli until the mid-nineteenth century. Records also indicate that the region was a vast countryside before the 1850s. The Kurtulus district, which was called Tatavla until the establishment of the Republic, is said to have been founded in the 16th century and is thus known as Sisli's oldest settlement. In the 17th century, cemeteries lined both sides of the road extending from present-day Taksim to Pangalti, while in the 18th century, vineyards and vegetable gardens occupied the Sisli and Mecidiyeköy areas. However, Sisli rapidly entered a modernisation process and, due to its central location, became a district favoured by people of upper socioeconomic strata. In Kurtulus, the oldest district of Sisli, change is being observed through the opening of Feriköy and its surroundings to construction, the expansion of the metro network, and the demolition of old buildings with new ones being erected in their place. The district is once again becoming an attraction for Westerners working in Istanbul, artists and intellectuals. House prices and rents are observed to be increasing, and the district's character is changing. Kurtulus, which is becoming one of the most sought-after districts on Istanbul's European side, is no longer a 'middle-class' living centre but progressing towards becoming a luxury district. Made attractive by its central location, Kurtulus is within walking distance of the city's important districts, notably Taksim, as well as Mecidiyeköy and Nisantasi. The metro station built at Osmanbey had significantly increased the importance of Kurtulus. Has Aytaş Nalburiye has been operating in Kurtulus for approximately 25 years. We spoke with Abdullah Aytaş, second-generation representative of the business founded by Ahmet Aytaş, about the Kurtulus district and interest in building products. Aytaş explained that he entered the profession from the ground up, noting that he took over the management of the shop after his father Ahmet Aytaş retired. When we asked how business was in particular regarding paint sales, Aytaş pointed out that the activity seen in past periods was not present recently. Moreover, noting that there is considerable branding in paints and that imported paints are beginning to enter the market, Aytaş stated that there are currently 25-30 active paint brands on the market. When asked about the impact of urban transformation on their business, Aytaş said: "There has been an impact, of course, but we are small tradespeople. In urban transformation projects, contractors generally make bulk purchases, so it doesn't affect us much. From us, for example, they have small needs like plaster products, but they buy paints in bulk." When asked about the customer profile they trade with, Aytaş noted that approximately fifty percent of their customers are end-users and fifty percent are craftsmen. Regarding why and when paint is purchased, he said: "Of course, people buy paint because it gets old, they buy out of necessity. It is rare for someone to get tired of a colour and have paint applied; I assure you seventy percent is out of necessity. Since we also do application work, we go to apartments, we see places that have swollen, darkened, some places that have peeled, and so on. But in such situations, paint demand arises. Of course, the financial aspect of the matter also affects the decision to buy and apply paint." To the question of whether new tenants have paint applied, Aytaş responded: "It varies from person to person. After all, someone is moving into a new home, and if they think 'let there be a fresh coat of paint and give the home a sense of freshness,' then of course they have paint applied. But there are those who don't, they look at it and think it's clean, and anyway I'm a tenant. So with this logic, they get by. Part of it is also about finances, of course." Aytaş, who stated that grey tones, especially silicone silk matte finishes, were the trend colour for 2017, was asked what changes consumer tendencies and the effect of advertising. Aytaş responded: "Advertising has an effect on people but price is of greater importance. Paint-buying consumers generally leave the choice to us. They say they want good paint and at a reasonable price. We don't sell cheap black-market paint anyway, but if they want something at a lower price, we offer second-quality products. If they say price is not important, they want something good, we offer a first-quality product. Of course, we specify that it is a better product but more expensive. They follow advertisements but I have very few customers who say 'I saw this product in an advertisement and I want that product.' I don't think advertisements have much effect on people. It is partly left to the shop assistant and the painter. This is, of course, my personal opinion. In the paint business, if a customer is going to have paint applied to their home, they either consult their painter or ask the shop, 'which paint do you recommend?' Particularly television advertisements, I don't think they have much effect on people." Aytaş continued: "They also ask us about colour and ask for recommendations. In short, the business comes down to the shop and the painter; the customer is somewhat undecided. They ask both the craftsman and the shop, and if it is a shop they trust, one they have known for many years, they trust them and ask what brand and colour would you recommend. As for the craftsmen's perspective, I don't think television advertisements influence the craftsmen's thinking because they are the ones directly applying the product. If a painter has used a company's paint and didn't like the product, no matter how much advertising that paint gets on television, that painter won't use that brand. Even if you gave them the product for free, painters have this habit—for example, if we say 'take this brand's top-quality paint, use it, and I'm giving you very reasonable prices,' the painter will definitely not use that paint. The most difficult point here is convincing the painter. If you can't convince the painter, no matter how much advertising you do, nothing changes. Painters generally don't take risks; they stick with the brand they know. However, one thing can be done: when a company or brand launches a new product, if they tell the painter 'I'm giving you this product for free, apply it,' then the painter will apply it, and if they like it, they will then start buying the paint because painters won't pay for a product to try it, and they don't." When we asked about renovation work in the Kurtulus district, Aytaş answered: "Generally there are tenants here; since apartments are very expensive, people cannot buy real estate. People in the homes they rent, even if the home is old and in poor condition, don't undertake very extensive renovation. They just have paint applied, and in damp, humid places, they apply simple solutions. Normally, what should actually be done is that the wall be completely scraped, properly plastered, and go through many processes like applying styrofoam mesh, but this is rarely done. Tenants don't think so broadly and long-term. The property owner, on the other hand, thinks 'I'm renting it anyway, why should I undertake extensive renovation?' Because this area has a certain rental rate; even if you make the building brand new, after the building is old, the rental price doesn't change much." When asked whether there are those who attempt to do their own renovation, Aytaş said: "Of course there are, but they are amateurs, and unfortunately amateurs don't do renovation work well. What they do themselves is definitely not the same as what a craftsman does. Let's say when a craftsman does it, it lasts 5, 10 years, but when they do it themselves, maybe next season this work needs to be redone. But besides that, people generally manage paint work well. When we provide the product, we also provide all kinds of information to the customer, and they mostly apply it successfully," he concluded. Abdullah Aytaş Has Aytaş Nalburiye