M&A in Turkey: Why 2025 Could Be the $10 Billion Year for Corporate Consolidation”

🏢 “Buying Power in Turkey: Why Mergers and Acquisitions Are the Shortcut to Success”

Subtitle: Forget Starting From Scratch – Smart Businesses Are Buying Their Way Into the Turkish Market

🌍 1. Why Is Everyone Looking at Turkey Right Now?

• Turkey is booming. It’s the 19th largest economy in the world.
• It connects Europe and Asia, with free trade routes to both.
• Labor is cheaper than the EU, but talent is high-quality.
• Over 500+ international mergers happened in Turkey in the last 10 years.

🔑 In plain words: Buying a company in Turkey is like getting a VIP pass to a fast-growing market.

🔄 3. What Are the Most Popular Ways to Do It?

Here’s how companies enter the Turkish market:

Method	What It Means
Share Purchase	Buy shares of an existing company
Asset Purchase	Buy only the good parts (property, brand, factory etc.)
Merger	Two companies become one big player
Joint Venture	Team up with a Turkish partner

🔍 4. What Do You Need Before You Buy?

Think of it like buying a used car — you check everything. That’s called Due Diligence, and in Turkey, it must include:

• Is the company in debt?
• Are there unpaid taxes or lawsuits?
• Does it own or lease its offices?
• Do employees have legal claims?
• Is the brand protected?

🏛️ 5. Who Do You Need Permission From?
Some deals need a green light from Turkish regulators:

🏦 Banking? → BDDK

⚡ Energy? → EMRA

📈 Listed Company? → SPK

💼 Big Deal (over ₺750 million)? → Competition Board

✍️ You’ll also need Turkish notaries and translators. A local M&A lawyer is not optional — it’s survival.

• 🏦 BDDK –
  (Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency of Turkey)
  🔗 https://www.bddk.org.tr
• ⚡ EPDK –
  (Energy Market Regulatory Authority)
  🔗 https://www.epdk.gov.tr
• 📈 SPK –
  (Capital Markets Board of Turkey)
  🔗 https://www.spk.gov.tr

💸 6. Is It Expensive? Not Always.

Here’s the good news:

• Foreigners don’t pay capital gains tax when selling shares
• Some asset deals are VAT-exempt
• Stamp tax is low: under 1%

💡 Structuring the deal right can save you thousands. (That’s why smart companies work with experts.)

⚠️ 7. What Could Go Wrong?

M&A sounds glamorous. But here’s what we’ve seen go south:

• Buying a company with hidden debt
• Employees who refuse to work under new owners
• Family businesses with unclear ownership
• Foreign buyers who skip lawyers, lose big

📉 True story: A German investor bought a factory and later learned the land was leased – not owned. They lost €1M.

🚀 8. Real-Life Success Stories

Global Player	Turkish Target	Industry
BBVA (Spain)	Garanti Bank	Banking
Coca-Cola	Coca-Cola İçecek	Beverages
Socar (Azerbaijan)	Petkim	Energy
Hitay Holding	MACFit Gym Chain	Fitness

🔄 9. After the Deal: Merging Cultures and Systems

Most deals fail after signing — not before. Why?

• Culture clash
• Tech system mismatch
• Confused leadership
• Lost customers

📌 10. Final Thoughts: Is It Time to Buy Your Way Into Turkey?

If you’re:

• A startup looking to scale fast
• A global player chasing new markets
• An investor seeking value deals…

…Turkey’s M&A market is your golden ticket.

🛬 Why land and build from scratch when you can land and take over?

✅ Summary Checklist for CEOs

✅ Question	✍️ Tip
Do I need permits?	Yes – especially for large or regulated sectors
Is tax friendly?	Mostly yes – if structured properly
Is the process fast?	Share purchase is fastest
Can foreigners own 100%?	Absolutely – no restriction in most sectors
Do I need a local lawyer?	100% yes. Non-negotiable.

Acquiring a company is not buying its assets—it’s inheriting its people, its problems, and its potential.