Journalist Yalçın Sönmez was bid farewell on his last journey

Yalçın Sönmez, the owner of Kobi Efor Industry and Economy Magazine and the President of Alikahya Organized Industrial Zone, passed away due to a bowel disease he had been fighting for 6 months. Sönmez was buried at Ümraniye Kocatepe Cemetery after the afternoon prayer.

Yalçın Sönmez (64), the owner and editor of Kobi Efor Industry and Economy Magazine, a congress member of Fenerbahçe Sports Club, and the President of Kocaeli Alikahya Organized Industrial Zone (OSB), succumbed to a bowel disease he had been battling for 6 months. A funeral prayer was held for Sönmez at Üsküdar Şakir’s Mosque during the afternoon prayer. The funeral prayer was attended by Deputy Governor Mustafa Ayhan, his wife Dr. Nurdan Sönmez, his son Öncücan Sönmez, actress Merve Boluğur, relatives, friends, businessmen, and the heads of organized industrial zones from Kocaeli districts. Moreover, various institutions, organizations, and many heads of Organized Industrial Zones from different provinces and districts sent wreaths for the funeral. After the funeral prayer, Yalçın Sönmez’s remains were laid to rest at Ümraniye Kocatepe Cemetery.

Kocaeli Deputy Governor Mustafa Ayhan, who attended the funeral prayer, stated, “We are here due to the passing of our Alikahya OSB President. As the Kocaeli Governorship, we are here with the family to express our condolences on behalf of our Governor İlhami Aktaş and our Governorship. We are saddened by the loss of a valued individual from Kocaeli’s productive industrialists, who was beneficial to his hometown. I wish condolences to our industrial community, Kocaeli, and his family.”

Dr. Akkan Süver, President of the Marmara Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation, also noted, “Every death is an early death. Yalçın’s death was also an early death. Yalçın left a beautiful mark as he departed from us. He was a journalist. He served the SME community greatly. He guided small and medium-sized tradespeople. He established an Organized Industrial Zone. All of these will be remembered as short but very valuable assets in his 60-year life. He was a good father, a good head of the family, and a very good friend.