Interview

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs,

As a valued member of international organizations with strong foreign economic and commercial relations around the world, Turkey continues to display its political clout in a new world order.

Interview

Wilbur Ross, US Secretary of Commerce,

Increasing bilateral trade between Turkey and US in a way that benefits both parties remains a key focus.

Interview

Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation,

Given the mutually beneficial relationship between Turkey and Russia, investors from both sides will find plenty of opportunities to cooperate further.

Focus

The Demands of Security

With a strengthened domestic defense industry, the Turkish military, NATO's second largest, is flexing its muscle on the international stage.

Interview

Murat Uysal, Governor, Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (TCMB)

The central bank is focused on using all the available instruments in pursuit of price stability and financial stability in Turkey.

Interview

Berat Albayrak, Minister of Treasury and Finance,

The Ministry of Treasury and Finance is working toward financial stability, focusing on financial restructuring and improving the country's current account balance, in addition to boosting domestic savings.

Interview

Caner Çolak, Secretary General, Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK)

DEİK will continue to create new and strengthen existing ties around the world through various initiatives and events.

Focus

Tough Times Call for Sweeping Measures

Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak has introduced comprehensive reforms to stabilize the nation's economy.

Interview

Hüseyin Aydın, Chairman of the Board, The Banks Association of Turkey

The Banks Association of Turkey is optimistic that the central bank's decision to reduce interest rates will boost lending activity in the economy.

Interview

Bülent Aksu, Chairman, Turk Eximbank

Turk Eximbank prioritizes sectors with high technology and high added value as part of its economy policy and future strategy.

Interview

Xiangyang Gao, Chairman, ICBC Turkey Board of Directors

The largest bank in the world, ICBC is looking at channeling funding into projects and companies in Turkey that will create the highest value addition.

Interview

İkram Göktaş, CEO, Vakıf Participation Bank (Vakıf Katılım)

Vakıf Katılım's mission is to support companies and sectors that are best positioned to boost Turkey's economy and reduce its current account deficit.

Interview

Ufuk Uyan, General Manager, Kuveyt Türk

In order to enhance the experience of its SME and corporate customers, Kuveyt Türk plans to employ various innovations, especially for its internet and mobile channels.

Focus: Dealing with NPLs

A Loan Path

Burdened by non-performing loans, the latest in a series of economic woes, Turkey's financial institutions are looking for a compromise.

Interview

Mithat Arıkan, General Manager, TurkishBank

TurkishBank is digitizing its banking services to provide a better customer journey and improved financial services.

Interview

Levent Bosut, Managing Partner, inHERA Capital

Given that Turkey will continue to be a preferred investment location for multinationals and financial investors, inHERA Capital stands ready to help buyers enter or expand in the country.

Interview

İhsan Necipoğlu, President, Dow Turkey and Central Asia

Dow's vision is to be the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world.

Interview

Onur Kipri, General Manager, Ak-Kim

In line with its plans for expansion, Ak-Kim is looking at acquisitions to grow the company further and even go public.

Interview

Kerim Kemahlı, CFO, Nurol Holding

Nurol Holding's defense and mining businesses continue to grow in line with the most important trends shaping the Turkish economy.

Interview

Hasan Yıldırım, CEO, Temsa

As part of its smart mobility vision, Temsa is positioning itself as a pioneer in advancing innovations and smart products in the local transportation segment.

Forum

Manufacturing

Constant innovation and finding ways to add value to the final product ensure manufacturing companies stay ahead of the competition.

Interview

Turan Erdoğan, CEO, Vestel Group of Companies

Vestel is navigating the consequences of decreased domestic demand after the devaluation of the lira in 2018, while trying to capitalize on the resulting competitive advantage in exporting its electronics overseas.

Interview

Adem Atmaca, Chairman, Atmaca Group

Atmaca Group has been in the electronics business for 40 years and is preparing for the next wave of technology by investing heavily in its R&D arm.

Interview

Onur Özyurt, General Manager & Board Member, Kopaş Kozmetİk

Cosmetic products are in big demand in Turkey and the region, resulting in rapid growth of Kopaş' product lines to the global marketplace.

Interview

Orhan Öğücü, Chairman, Lila Group

Lila Group is upgrading machinery to compete in the global market for tissue products, from Turkey to the US.

Interview

Bülent Araslı, General Manager, Belgin Oil

Belgin Oil is on the lookout for new markets and partners to deliver oil products for both cars and factories.

Interview

Mehmet Şerif Kanık, Founder & Chairman, Kanık Group

Everyone needs tires for their vehicles, and the Kanık Group of Companies is there to sell them small and large, no matter what the client is able to afford, thanks to technological innovation and strategy.

Interview

M. Süleyman Öncel, Chairman of the Board, Sentez Grup

Sentez Grup has invested continuously over the years in a state-of-the-art facility that is able to produce any kind of packaging customers want.

Interview

Livio Manzini, Chairman & CEO, Bell Holding

Bell Holding operates companies that produce packaging of all varieties, and it is looking to expand to larger facilities and markets.

Forum

Packaging

Turkey is a major exporter of plastic products. Turkish players in the sector are focused on adapting to new market trends and manufacturing capacities.

Interview

Ali Ömer Alemdar, General Manager, Üntel Kablo

Üntel Kablo makes a wide variety of cables for a range of uses and demonstrated its expertise by participating in the prestigious Istanbul Airport project.

Forum

Cables

Turkey's wire and cable industry features dozens of companies ready to serve specific needs across a range of sectors both low and high tech.

Forum

Textiles

The textile industry is one of the gems of the Turkish manufacturing sector, and these three firms, Taypa, Aytim, and the ORMO Group, are finding new ways to respond to customers' demands across the world.

Interview

Yılmaz Özcan, Country Manager – Turkey, Eaton

Diversifying its portfolio of products, services, and sectors, Eaton is prepared for slower global and domestic growth.

Interview

Turan Koçyiğit, CEO, Vefa Group

Vefa Group produces prefabricated shelters for refugees and social housing, meeting a growing need in Europe, Africa, and Central Asia.

Interview

Ahmet Hamdi Atalay , CEO, HAVELSAN

HAVELSAN produces a range of defense industry products for Turkey and its allies, including cybersecurity solutions and flight simulators.

Interview

Temel Kotil, President & CEO, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI)

TAI is making the next generation of unmanned vehicles, while also looking into commercial and civilian aviation designs.

Interview

Murat İkinci, CEO, STM

STM is deeply involved in the country's defense sector, building ships and submarines for export to Turkey's allies, as well as developing cybersecurity products.

Interview

Akgün Filiz, General Manager, Kale Pratt & Whitney

Kale Pratt & Whitney manufactures key components for Turkey's role in the F-35 program. Although the F-35's future is in doubt, the company is finding ways to adapt.

Focus

Turning a new leaf

Over the last decade, local defense companies have expanded beyond the domestic market to become international arms exporters, with a rapidly growing clientele in Southeast Asia.

Interview

Mesut İlter, General Manager, SOCAR - STAR Refinery

In addition to reducing Turkey's annual current account deficit by around USD1.5 billion, STAR Refinery will also reduce diesel fuel imports from 60% to 40% and LPG imports from 80% to 70%.

Interview

Sean Guest, CEO, Valeura Energy

Through content to help serve a captive market, Turkey's current crop of producers are well-poised to export before long.

Forum

Renewable Energy

Wind energy has established itself as a leading source of Turkey's diversifying energy mix. Despite recent financial difficulties, the sector is here to stay.

Focus: Offshore drilling in Cyprus

Road to self-sufficiency

To keep up with the rising demand for natural gas, Turkey aims to tap into hydrocarbon-rich layers in the Thrace Basin and off the coast of Cyprus.

Interview

Murat Erkan, CEO, Turkcell

Turkcell's 1,000-plus R&D engineers and developers not only place customers first, but are also working around the clock to make the company Turkey's premier ICT service provider through its digital business solutions in three years.

Interview

Ümit Önal, CEO, Türk Telekom

With the most extensive fiber infrastructure in the country covering 80% of the entire fiber network, Türk Telekom stands ready to continue to lead Turkey's digital transformation.

B2B

Technology

New regulations are helping push Turkey's technology sector in the right direction, but more help from banks is needed if fintechs are to reach as many customers as possible.

Focus

All a click away

The e-commerce sector has seen tremendous growth in recent years, a trend that offers enormous promises if players can capitalize on high-volume, low-price sales.

Interview

Metin Balcı, General Manager, ULAK Communications

By partnering with some of the biggest telecom operators in the country, ULAK has become a reasonable alternative to the existing global telecom vendors in critically underserviced parts of Turkey.

Interview

Bengü Atamer, Co-Founder & COO, BuzzMyVideos

BuzzMyVideos provides a data-driven, measurable and scalable platform to more effectively entertain and engage audiences globally.

Interview

Fatih Dönmez, of Energy and Natural Resources,

The ministry is working round the clock to increase the mining sector's contribution to GDP and ensure the companies operating in the sector are sensitive to the environment.

Interview

Murat Güreşçi, General Manager, Çayelİ BakIr

As the first mine in Turkey to introduce a fleet management and mine control system, Çayeli Bakır is leading the sector with investments in technology and sustainability.

Interview

Ali Emiroğlu, CEO, Miners Association of Turkey (TMD)

With around USD25 billion in annual mining imports, it is no wonder the government is drawing up new regulations to incentivize domestic production.

Focus

Golden bull

Turkish gold is making its way from deep under the ground to global markets, making it Europe's leading producer of gold in recent years.

Interview

Sami Habbab, CEO, Delta Group

Having become a reliable and leading organization in the energy sector globally, Delta now brings its expertise and international standards to the mining sector in both production and trading.

Interview

Ömer Mafa, CEO, Cengİz Holding

Cengiz's investment in the Mardin Mazıdağı Metal Recycling and Integrated Fertilizer Plant was the largest private investment in the history of southeast Turkey.

Interview

Vehip Kaçı, President, DMT GmbH & Co, Turkey

Turkey is a perfect mining springboard not only for expanding one's operations regionally, but also for helping the country inch closer to energy independence.

Interview

Mehmet Cahit Turhan, Minister , Transport and Infrastructure

Turkish transit and aviation ambitions go beyond being a mere global hub; before long its also seeks to develop its own world-class aircraft.

Interview

Turhan Özen, Chief Cargo Officer, Turkish Airlines

With 23 freighters and 240 aircraft, Turkish Airlines has one of the largest cargo fleets in the world.

Focus: Istanbul’s new airport

Stay fly

Increased capacity and facilities at the new Istanbul Airport, paired with the city's location, have encouraged several global logistics players and cargo airlines to use it as a regional hub.

B2B

Export Facilitation

Long an expert in facilitating trade between Asia and Europe, Turkish firms are now doing more than anyone to connect the former CIS, along with vast swathes of Africa, with the global economy.

Interview

Claus Lassen, Managing Director, DHL Express Turkey

After Leipzig, DHL has plans for Turkey to be a major sub-hub in the region, which is why it is investing EUR135 million in a new 42,000-sqm building using the latest green technology at the new airport.

Interview

Salim Güneş, CEO, MNG Kargo

Though the growth of e-commerce has positively boosted the sector, MNG Kargo is working on innovative systems and technologies to deal with the overwhelming requirements.

Interview

Lars Hoffmann, VP and Head of Mediterranean Business Unit, DFDS

Apart from transporting huge amounts of textile goods, machinery, automotive parts, and finished vehicles from Turkey to the rest of Europe, DFDS is also expanding the amount of reefer cargo it brings to Europe.

Interview

Erik Leiss, CEO, DB Schenker Arkas

Though the growth of e-commerce has positively boosted the sector, MNG Kargo is working on innovative systems and technologies to deal with the overwhelming requirements.

Interview

Ali Avcı, Chairman of the Board, Ceynak

Providing world-class logistics solutions to the firms laying the monumentally important TurkStream pipeline is but one of Ceynak's many contributions to the logistics sector.

Interview

Thomas Konietzko, EVP, Sales and Marketing, Çelebİ Aviation Holding

Laser focused on both organic and inorganic expansion opportunities in India, the growth outlook is very bright for firms such as Çelebi.

Interview

Umut Şenol, Managing Partner & Chairman of the Board, Core Media

Core Media relies on local knowledge and relationships, as well as its extensive experience, to further its business.

Interview

Hakan Gümüş, General Coordinator, GABORAS

The digitalization of property infrastructure will not only help consumers, investors, and individuals, but also make it easier for the government to monitor and understand crucial developments in the real estate market.

Interview

Tamer Çiçekçi, CEO, Reha Medİn Global

With two-thirds of residential units in Turkey not up to earthquake code, there is significant room for growth in sustainable housing across the country.

Focus

Whole new latitude

Local contractors are winning more tenders for infrastructure projects in Africa and possibly beyond.

Interview

Mehmet Ali Aydınlar, President of Board of Directors, Acıbadem Healthcare Group

With 14 medical centers and 30 representation offices in 18 countries and a world-class university, Acıbadem Healthcare Group is proving its mettle on the global stage one step at a time.

Interview

Leyla Alaton, President, Alvimedica

Government-backed incentives are helping Alvimedica to invest in R&D and make Turkey a hub for the global medical devices market.

Interview

Hasan Ulusoy, Chairman, Nobel İlaç

Nobel İlaç seeks to grow its domestic market share and achieve its targets in its foreign operations.

Interview

Ayhan Özturk, Turkey Country Manager, Medtronic

Significant investments in industry leading technologies are enabling Medtronic to help treat chronic diseases on a global scale.

Focus: Medical devices

Slice of life

Turkey is a tried-and-true manufacturer of local products, a manufacturing base for numerous brands that are household names. Soon, those names could include Turkish-made medical devices as well.

Interview

Souheil El Hakim, CEO, Bıçakcılar

What separates Bıçakcılar from its foreign counterparts is the determination to bring affordable solutions to patients in developing and underdeveloped countries.

Interview

Süha Taşpolatoğlu, CEO, Abdİ İbrahİm

Abdi İbrahim is investing heavily to make Turkey a major player in the biosimilars field and prepare the company for the future.

Interview

Çağrı Bağcıoğlu, President of the Board of Trustees, Istanbul Bilgi University

As Turkey's third-oldest foundation university, BİLGİ has achieved great success by being adaptable to market demands and focusing on STEM fields.

Forum

Education

Turkey's education sector has developed immensely over the years on the back of government policies and strong collaborations with renowned international institutions and bodies.

Interview

Demir Koloğlu, General Manager, Sefine Shipyard

Sefine Shipyard builds boats and ships across the world. It has navigated difficult waters in terms of competition and the lira's value.

Interview

M. Ömer İnce, Founder, Arena Offshore

Having made a name for itself in markets close to home, Arena Offshore is now expanding its presence across Asia, Africa, and South America.

Interview

Orhan Gülcek, Chairman, Cemre Shipyard

Cemre Shipyard builds increasingly sophisticated classes of ships and vessels in Turkey and Europe, catering to a more environmentally conscious customer.

Focus

On par with the best

Having evolved from an old traditional activity in Anatolia to an internationally recognized industry, Turkey's shipbuilding sector is giving its eastern counterparts fierce competition.

Interview

Kerim Kalafatoğlu, Chairman, Ares Shipyard

ARES Shipyard today is the largest builder of advanced-composite and aluminum naval and working vessels in Europe, with highly advanced production facilities and success in system engineering.

Interview

Mehmet Gazioğlu, General Manager, Tersan Shipyard

Tersan will continue to focus on purpose-built, technologically sophisticated vessels for its clients, providing them with innovative solutions in the design, sales, and engineering stages.

Interview

Ömer Malaz, Chairman, Numarine

The global market for personal boats is in constant flux, but Numarine is staying ahead of the curve with high-tech offerings across its business lines

Interview

Mete Vardar, Chairman, Jolly

With 33 years of experience in the Turkish tourism industry, Jolly is investing in technology to create the perfect experience and stay one step ahead of the competition.

Interview

Uğur Talayhan, Uğur Talayhan Regional Vice President Turkey & General Manager, Swissôtel, Swissôtel

Swissôtel's multinational team focused on improving guest experience ensures no stone is left unturned when fulfilling guests' personal preferences.

Interview

Mehmet Mengü, Managing Partner, Mercan Tourism

Mercan Tourism is targeting new markets and segments to capitalize on the opportunities created by Istanbul's new mega-airport.

Focus

Eat, pray, love

The 2016 crisis that hit the Turkish tourism sector has pushed the government to diversify its tourism offerings and attract tourists seeking an enthralling array of art, culture, and cuisine.