Zeynep Bodur Okyay, a member of the second generation Bodur family, transformed the family company into a global player. The Group recently acquired Fincuoghit, one of the largest ceramic tile companies in Italy. With approximately 5000 employees, the Group manufactures in Çanakkale and exports to 100 countries in five continents. CEO of the Group, Ms Bodur Okyay says, her line of business requires much attention and a high level of commitment, “a bit like motherhood”. Ms Bodur Okyay answered İstanbul Commerce’s questions. THE TOWN OF ÇAN WAS LIKE OUR FAMILY You are among the most successful businesswomen in Turkey. How was your childhood, how were you raised? I am an only child but we were lucky to have a large family - The whole town of Çan was like our family. I grew up in our plant in Çan, playing with the children of the employees, the whole factory grounds were our play area. I went to the state school in Çan and then continued onto the Italian Lycée in İstanbul. I spent a lot of time with my dad in his office and many hours in the factory itself. I really liked being there, in the garden, among the kilns; that was like my natural habitat. I got to know many of my dad’s colleagues, the families got together socially too. When I was old enough, my father allowed me to join his meetings. What are your memories with your father? İbrahim Bodur was a blessing, he was the best father ever. He was also a great teacher - taught his values to us not only by words, but also by being a great role model. My passion for business is a part of my DNA, passed on from my father to me. I strongly believe that industrial production has so much to offer for Turkish economy as a main point of leverage and that local and national manufacturers will add significant value to Turkey’s growth story. STRIKING A BALANCE You are a very busy businesswoman, a prominent industrialist, and a mother. How do you strike the balance? I am involved in many charitable foundations and NGOs in addition to my role at Kale Group - time management is a major issue. Like any other mother, I want to be there for my son İbrahim, and not miss him growing up. Therefore, I make an effort to take him along when I travel, which is sometimes quite tolling and cumbersome as we have a very busy schedule of meetings, but I try to do my best. What suggestions would you have for businesswomen wanting to invest in Turkey? Kale Group has business experience in Russia and Italy. Our products are available at 400 points of sale in more than 100 countries. In defence and aviation, we have partnerships with some of the most prominent companies in the world. None of this was achieved overnight of course. This is a culmination of years of hard work. Turkey has a lot of potential to offer for international capital. The need for higher technology provides immense opportunity for strategic investments. On the other hand, Turkey’s 80 mln population is very dynamic and predominantly urban. This potential is a reality that no investor with ambitions at global scale can afford to ignore. PROGRESS CAN ONLY HAPPEN WITH, BY AND THROUGH WOMEN Do you think your perspective and decision making style are different from your male counterparts? How do you make your important decisions? I don’t quite know whether I can say either yes or no to the first question. I am against all gender discrimination yet unfortunately there are are many barriers inhibiting women’s entry and participation to the workforce. Many of these obstacles are a result of the culturally defined gender roles. Yet we know for a fact that progress in any society can only happen with, by and through women. You are fortunate to have such a family… Yes I am very fortunate to have been raised in a family which worked relentlessly to ensure the country benefited from the culture of industrialism I belong to a a school of thought that believes trade will make people richer while the industry will enrich the whole society. It is for this reason that I draw a similarity between motherhood and being an industrialist; they are both very tolling and challenging, but you have to do your best, all the time. MIDDLE EAST IS A STRATEGIC MARKET Could you please tell us about your plans for overseas investments? Our Kale branded products are available in 400 points of sale in 100 countries over five continents. We have ceramic manufacturing in Italy, where we acquired Fincuoghi in 2013 and continue operating under Kale Italia Srl. Our targets are predominantly in emerging markets, Turkey’s neighbouring countries are of strategic importance to us, including the Middle East. MY FATHER TAUGHT ME TO LOVE WHAT I DO Your father İbrahim Bodur was a pioneer in many areas, you now carry the flag after the him. Have you ever considered doing a different job? My father never told me to do this or that. I acquinted familiarity with many tasks during my younger years. He wanted me to love what I did and I did so. I grew up with the work we do. We had many opportunities for quick wins in the past, however we were determined to stick and grow in industrial operations. I never thought to do anything else, I don’t think I can.

14 Haziran 2017 Çarşamba

President hails ‘historic’ decision to safeguard nation’s future Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gives a speech during a press conference as the results of Turkey’s constitutional referendum show “Yes” votes ahead of “No” votes, at Turkish Presidency's Huber Mansion in İstanbul. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the “Yes” vote on the presidential system has resolved a 200-year-old conflict in its administration with the results in favor of a presidential system. It is “a major sign that our nation is safeguarding its future”, Erdoğan said in a post-referendum speech at Huber Palace in İstanbul. “That decision was no ordinary one. Today is the day when a change, a decision to shift to a new administrative system was made,” Erdoğan said. Erdoğan added 25 million “Yes” votes were cast with a 1.3-million vote margin of victory, according to results. “I would like to thank all our citizens, regardless of how they voted, who went to the polling stations to reflect their national will.” Erdoğan pointed out that Turkey “has the power to overcome all kinds of problems, difficulties and crises” and last July’s failed coup attempt was a clear example of it. Erdoğan said Turkey changed its governmental system through civilian means for the first time in its republic history. “For the first time in its history, Turkey has decided such an important change by the will of its national assembly and people,” Erdoğan said. “In the past, our constitutions and governmental systems formed by these [constitutions] had been decided either in extraordinary conditions like our independence war or by way of military interventions. For first time in the republic’s history, Turkey changed its administrative system through civilian means.” THE REFERENDUM STRENGTHENED OUR PLURALIST DEMOCRACY Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım stated that the ballot boxes reflected the will of the nation with Turkish citizens opting to vet constitutional amendments as proposed. Highlighting the importance of the need to respect the will of the nation, Yıldırım added: "There is no losing side in this referendum. Supporters of Yes and No alike, are our own people. We respect their decisions. It is the Turkish nation that won. Democracy means pluralism, and the referendum strengthened our pluralist democracy. The referendum has taken place in a very calm and mature environment”. WHAT THE REFERENDUM SAID: STABILITY, CONFIDENCE AND HOPE President of the İstanbul Chamber of Commerce, İbrahim Çağlar, said the result of the April 16 referendum and vetting of the constitutional amendments by Turkish citizens will enable great changes for Turkey. Çağlar added: “The Yes vote, by a 1.3 mln majority, tells us three things: Stability, confidence and hope. It means no economic and political crises to be caused by coalition governments, thus a period of “stability” will commence. It means a Minister of Economy directly appointed by the President, thus; “confidence”. A single handed economic administration with a lesser bureaucratic burden will bring “hope”. We are brothers and sisters standing united, we will move closer to our targets as a one strong nation.”

01 Haziran 2017 Perşembe

DOĞAN ERDOĞAN / CANNES MIPIM, the world’s leading property market, was organised in Cannes France on March 14-17. Attracting participants from 90 countries, the event also hosted an impressive 685m2 İstanbul Real Estate Pavilion is established on the most prestigious strip of Cannes where leading financial capitals like Paris and London will also be located. Organised by İstanbul Chamber of Commerce, it is aimed to provide a platform for B2B meetings to take place among global investors, under the “İstanbul: Two Continents One City” motto. 100 BIG-TICKET INVESTORS 100 large scale investors came together with their potential Turkish partners in the İstanbul Pavilion. ICOC made use of digital presentations to promote Turkey to the creme de la creme of the investor base. Presentations expanded on the theme of “Fall in love with İstanbul, and enjoy the magnificient Bosphorus as a real İstanbulite, with your Turkish passport”. Details of the recently introduced Citizenship by Investment Programme were shared with visitors to further elaborate on the advantages of enjoying İstanbul like a local. THE CHARM OF İSTANBUL President of the İstanbul Chamber of Commerce İbrahim Çağlar mentioned how ICOC aims to set an “İstanbullian Dream” particularly for the wealthy investors. Çağlar added: “We explained to the high net worth base that “the best and most profitable way to live in İstanbul is to purchase a “home” here. This is the only city in the world that spans on two continents. And it offers so much potential in high returns in many prestigious projects. Buying a house or a flat in İstanbul will allow you to win in more ways than one: first through capital gains and second by way of the Citizenship by Investment programme. The latter will make you a Turkish citizen and a real İstanbulite”. FOCUSED ON INVESTMENT Çağlar said: “We made use of our real estate pavilion to further enhance İstanbul’s image. İstanbul’s image as a great place to be has stayed in the minds and hearts of MIPIM visitors and we now want to reap its benefits through higher investment into this great city”. President of the İstanbul Chamber of Commerce İbrahim Çağlar added that to counteract the effects of the July 15 failed coup attempt, ICOC made a conscious effort to highlight the motto “İstanbul: Two Continents, One City”, and designed the real estate pavilion in tandem with the spirit of this motto. İstanbul Chamber of Commerce delegation to MIPIM included Vice President Gökhan Murat Kalsın, Board Member Adil Coşkun and Deputy Secretary General Hasan Uluç Hacıhasanoğlu as well as ICOC Council Members. İSTANBUL: A CITY TO FALL IN LOVE Italian Delegation İstanbul Pavillion received a high level of interest, including various visits by national and city delegations. Torino Mayor Chiara Appendino, and President of Italian Trade Agency Michele Scannavini visited the Pavillion with their 20-strong team. Visits were also paid by Undersecretary of Italian Economy and Finance Ministry, Paola de Micheli and Governor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala. MIPIM 2017 IN FIGURES 23.000 visitors 2.600 company booths 90 countries 1.000+ projects 150 networking events 100 conferances 5.300 international investors 1 mln business cards exchanged Turkey ranked number 5 on national participation TIME TO SIGN NEW BUSINESS CONTRACTS More than 800 Turkish professionals represented Turkish business world and had a chance to get together with the 23 thd MIPIM participants at the ICOC İstanbul Real Estate Pavilion. ICOC organised a special event bringing together Turkish Minister of Urbanisation and Environment, Mehmet Özhaseki, various Turkish businesses and 100 large scale international investors on the second day of MIPIM. President of the İstanbul Chamber of Commerce İbrahim Çağlar said ICOC meticulously planned all details of the İstanbul Pavilion to ensure it served as an efficient platform to allow Turkish entrepreneurs meet with international investors. Çağlar added: “We reached out to the 100 big-ticket purchasers among the MIPIM participants, these are the investors at the very high end of the value chain. We invited them to the B2B area in İstanbul Pavilion to meet with the Turkish companies at MIPIM. This was an added touch and meant that many new contracts were successfully signed between the two parties.” CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT PROGRAM One of the most important benefits of the İstanbul Pavilion was its positive role in providing a medium to properly convey the details of the Citizenship by Investment programme to potential buyers. Effected in January 2017, program aims to attract wealthy investors to come and invest in İstanbul. Participants of the program will be granted Turkish citizenship via purchase of a USD1 mln+ residential unit in Turkey and can enjoy the perks of Turkish citizenship. The program is expected to boost real estate sales by an additional 10% and attracted much attention at MIPIM. İSTANBUL ATTRACTS INTEREST FROM REAL ESTATE FUND MANAGERS İstanbul Chamber of Commerce hosted 100 big-ticket investors at the İstanbul Real Estate Pavilion. B2B meetings organised by ICOC brought together fund managers and influential players in real estate from all around the world including USA, Italy, Russia and Spain with counterparts in Turkish real estate business. President of the İstanbul Chamber of Commerce İbrahim Çağlar highlighted that the above mentioned meetings between the various counterparties were a huge success and it was very pleasing to see the high level of interest towards İstanbul.

01 Haziran 2017 Perşembe

Now is the time we set sail to enjoy the wind beneath our wings, make use of robust financing and investment opportunities and invite all potential investors to our land of stability. We aim to connect with investors in İstanbul, in the city that connects continents. MIPIM, The World's Leading Property Market, is once again ready to welcome its visitors representing leading names in construction and real estate business. It will also be a platform for İstanbul to showcase the city and the opportunities it offers. While MIPIM welcomes its 23,000 visitors from 90 countries, İstanbul will present itself as the hub and bridge that connects 57 countries with a mere 4-hour flight. It also presents a very attractive offer: overseas buyers who spend USD 1million+ for property purchases in Turkey will be granted citizenship, allowing them to fully enjoy the perks of İstanbul as a true local. The ancient city of İstanbul awaits you with the investments of the future... The heart of global economy continues to beat in İstanbul... İstanbul calls on its investors to win and succeed together. İbrahim ÇAĞLARPresident, İstanbul Chamber of Commerce *** Turkey's largest real estate investment companyEmlak Konut, aims to sell 9.900 units in its projectsand reach 453 mn Euros net profit in 2017 Emlak Konut, Turkey's largest real estate investment company by its market value and the size of the land bank & projects, continues to build the most innovative projects of Turkey and affects whole of Turkey. Its brand value is based on more than 60 years of experience and completed numerous projects with success. So far, Emlak Konut REIC has finalized approximate 127.000 units’ tender during 14-year period since 2003. Since its establishment up to date, the Company leads to use environment conscious technology in its all projects and breaks new ground. Emlak Konut has completed a successful year of 2016 with a total estimated sales value of 1.62 billion Euros and a minimum guaranteed Company share of 574 million Euros in 7 revenue sharing model tenders. The Company owns 9,9 million square meters of untendered land plots in value of 1.38 billion Euros in their portfolio has high expectations for 2017. Emlak Konut REIC growing with the public offers further strengthened its place among Turkey's most powerful companies with 957 million Euros paid-in capital. Emlak Konut REIC targets to reach an approximate total sellable area of 1.3 million m2 and total sales value of 2 billion Euros for all units in its ongoing and pipeline projects in 2017. Emlak Konut REIC expects a net profit of 453 million Euros for the same year as well. Emlak Konut REIC steps to the future with strong determination and increasing momentum under its people-oriented corporate philosophy since its foundation. It approaches to the goal of becoming a proudly referred global player for this country day by day.

01 Mart 2017 Çarşamba

İstanbul, February 15, 2017 - İstanbul Chamber of Commerce ICOC will set up a real estate pavilion for İstanbul at MIPIM, The World's Leading Property Market. The pavilion will be in the most prestigious strip at the Market where leading financial capitals like Paris and London will also be located. İstanbul Real Estate Pavilion at MIPIM that will take place in Cannes, France on March 14-17 2017 will be themed ‘two continents, one city’ and will welcomes its visitors to be a B2B meeting point for global investors from 90 countries and İstanbul’s real estate companies. Time to sign new business contracts President of İstanbul Chamber of Commerce, İbrahim Çağlar, stated that every inch of the 685 m2 İstanbul Pavilion was planned with great attention to detail to create a meeting space that is fit for purpose, bringing together global investors with İstanbul based real estate companies. Çağlar said: “We have significantly enhanced İstanbul’s image in the past two years with our İstanbul Pavilion efforts. MIPIM’s long time visitors now have this wonderful image in their hearts and minds, and now is the time to reap the benefits by signing new contracts.” Turkey's largest real estate investment companyEmlak Konut, aims to sell 9.900 units in its projectsand reach 453 mn Euros net profit in 2017. Emlak Konut, Turkey's largest real estate investment company by its market value and the size of the land bank & projects, continues to build the most innovative projects of Turkey and affects whole of Turkey. Its brand value is based on more than 60 years of experience and completed numerous projects with success. So far, Emlak Konut REIC has finalized approximate 127.000 units’ tender during 14-year period since 2003. Since its establishment up to date, the Company leads to use environment conscious technology in its all projects and breaks new ground. Emlak Konut has completed a successful year of 2016 with a total estimated sales value of 1.62 billion Euros and a minimum guaranteed Company share of 574 million Euros in 7 revenue sharing model tenders. The Company owns 9,9 million square meters of untendered land plots in value of 1.38 billion Euros in their portfolio has high expectations for 2017. Emlak Konut REIC growing with the public offers further strengthened its place among Turkey's most powerful companies with 957 million Euros paid-in capital. Emlak Konut REIC targets to reach an approximate total sellable area of 1.3 million m2 and total sales value of 2 billion Euros for all units in its ongoing and pipeline projects in 2017. Emlak Konut REIC expects a net profit of 453 million Euros for the same year as well. Emlak Konut REIC steps to the future with strong determination and increasing momentum under its people-oriented corporate philosophy since its foundation. It approaches to the goal of becoming a proudly referred global player for this country day by day.

15 Şubat 2017 Çarşamba