The Shotgun Industry In Huğlu (Beyşehir, Konya) From The Perspective Of Industrial Geography

The manufacture of shotguns, which are in the category of light firearms, constitutes one of the subbranches of the defense industry. The enterprises and facilities operating in this sector in Turkey have formed evident clustering in the District of Lakes in the Mediterranean Region. Within this district, Beyşehir has exhibited striking developments and almost become the center of the sector. This study focuses on the shotgun industry in Huğlu Neighborhood (Beyşehir, Konya) with an important share in the production and exportation of shotguns in Turkey. Huğlu is a settlement in Turkey where the manufacture of shotguns and then their mass production first began. The guns produced in Huğlu are a world-famous brand, and 80% of the guns produced are exported to more than 50 countries. The main objective of the study is to describe the historical development of the shotgun industry in Huğlu and the geographical factors influencing this development and determine the basic characteristics of the enterprises manufacturing shotguns in Huğlu. The basic method of the research consists of the data obtained through the questionnaire, interview, and observation techniques applied within the scope of the fieldwork and the evaluation of these data. The questionnaire was applied to all enterprises which manufactured shotguns in Huğlu and which constituted the research universe by employing the face-to-face interview technique. In addition, semi-structured interviews were made with the representatives of a large number of institutions and organizations in connection with the sector. The data obtained within this scope helped to elucidate the factors influencing the developmental process of the shotgun industry in Huğlu and the causality of development and to reveal the historical and current contexts of this sector. The data and information obtained in the process of the research also allowed evaluating the sector under examination with the method of SWOT analysis. The strengths and weaknesses of the sector, the opportunities and the threats were highlighted with the SWOT analysis. The research findings and the SWOT analysis constituted a source for the decisions to be taken, and the strategies to be generated, for the future of the sector. The industry of shotguns in Huğlu has competitive advantages in the sector with its hand workmanship and products of high quality, which are being increasingly demanded by foreign countries every passing day, besides its deep-rooted past, sectoral experience, and accumulation. However, the spatial problems resulting from the topographical features of Huğlu limit the potential of the sector for expanding in Huğlu.

Keywords

Shotgun industry, Defense industry, Industrial geography, Beyşehir, Huğlu.