ISTANBUL, Turkey (April 16)—Sakip Sabanci, head of Turkey's Sabanci Holding—which includes the tire maker Brisa Bridgestone Sabanci Tire Manufacturing and Trading—died April 10 at age 71 from complications related to cancer.
Sabanci, considered one of the world's wealthiest individuals and a leading philanthropist in Turkey, oversaw the founding in 1974 in Izmit of tire maker Lassa Tire Inc., which 14 years later was turned into a joint venture with Bridgestone Corp.
Sabanci also has a tire cord processing company, KordSA, and three other tire-related joint ventures—DUSA (DuPont-Sabanci) International L.L.C., BEKSA (Bekaert-Sabanci) Steel Cord Manufacturing and Trading Inc. and SAKosa Sabanci Industrial Yarn and Tire Manufacturing and Trading Inc.—on the same site in Izmit. Sabanci Holdings today reports more than $5 billion in annual sales and has joint ventures with more than a dozen leading industrial companies.
A state funeral was held April 13 in Istanbul. Sabanci is survived by his wife, Turkan, a son and two daughters.