Turkish Forum

Category: Business

  • Iran’s Custom Office to Facilitate Border Trade

    Iran’s Custom Office to Facilitate Border Trade

    Iran’s Custom Office to Facilitate Border Trade

    A0135741TEHRAN (FNA)- Head of Iran’s Customs Office Abbas Memarnejad promised to ease the trend of declaration and release of goods in custom offices, particularly at Iran-Turkey border.

    He made the remarks in a meeting with Board of Directors of Association of Iranian Businessmen and Investors in Istanbul.

    Memarnejad underlined that facilitating private sector activities is among the objectives of the government.

    During the meeting, the Iranian businessmen and economic activists talked about their problems and called for stability in regulations, decrease in trade obstacles and facilitating foreign exchange transfer as necessary moves to improve mutual ties.

    In August in line with expansion of private sector’s presence in the country’s economy, Memarnejad announced that the country’s private sector can start exporting Iranian crude supplies.

    “The private sector can run activity in crude oil export by setting up a consortium,” Memarnejad told FNA.

    In relevant move, in last October, Iranian and Turkish officials in a meeting in Ankara explored avenues to further develop mutual cooperation between the two countries in the transit and transportation sector.

    The latest statistical report released earlier this month showed that the trade exchanges between Iran and Turkey had reached $17.52bln since the beginning of the current Iranian year (started on March 20, 2012).

    According to the figures released by the Turkish Statistical Institute, Iran became Turkey’s third biggest business partner with a trade exchange of $17.52bln since the beginning of the current Iranian year (started on March 20, 2012).

    Turkey imported $8.94 billion in goods from Iran, and exported $8.58 billion in goods to the Islamic Republic during this period.

    Trade between Turkey and Iran has risen sharply over the past decade.

    Turkey was Iran’s fifth-largest oil customer in 2011, buying around 200,000 barrels per day, 30 percent of its total imports and more than 7 percent of Iran’s oil exports.

    The two countries’ officials plan to mutual trade to $30bln by 2015.

    via Fars News Agency :: Iran’s Custom Office to Facilitate Border Trade.

  • iTunes Music Store reportedly live in Russia, Turkey and South Africa [ux2]

    iTunes Music Store reportedly live in Russia, Turkey and South Africa [ux2]

    iTunes Music Store reportedly live in Russia, Turkey and South Africa [ux2]

    By AppleInsider Staff

    12.12.03 iTunes TurkeyJust hours after invitations for an expected iTunes media event were sent out to select media outlets on Monday, a number of users in Russia and Turkey are reporting that Apple’s online media store is now live in those countries.

    Update: iPhone Türkiye has confirmed to AppleInsider that both music and video are available for purchase through the iTunes store in Turkey.

    Update 2: It appears that South Africa will also be getting the iTunes Music Store, according to Apple’s website, however it is unclear when content will be available.

    iTunes Russia Turkey

    Availability of iTunes by country as seen in the iTunes OS X app. | Source: Apple

    Reports from Russia and Turkey claim that the iTunes Music Store has gone live for some users, with the news coming a day before Apple will be “holding a musical evening” in Moscow.

    While rumors of a Russian iTunes Store have persisted for years, Apple has yet to launch the media marketplace. Turkey is also on the list of countries without iTunes, however identical reports say that the store is now open ahead of an official announcement.

    Turkish Apple blog iPhone Türkiye was able to make multiple song purchases from the iTunes app running on a new iPhone 5, including tracks from local musician Sezen Aksu.

    iTunes Turkey

    iTunes Turkey. | Source: iPhone Türkiye

    Russian Twitter user “iMaxim” confirmed that iTunes is available for the iPad as well, though it appears that only the categories “Top Charts,” “Genius” and “Purchased” are available at this time.

    iTunes Russia

    iTunes Russia as seen on Apple’s iPad. | Source: iMaxim via Twitter

    At the end of 2011, Apple finished rolling out the iTunes Store to all countries in the European Union some eight years after the world’s No.1 music store first launched in the U.S.

    via iTunes Music Store reportedly live in Russia, Turkey and South Africa [ux2].

  • Chanel to launch No 5 campaign at Istanbul Atatürk

    Chanel to launch No 5 campaign at Istanbul Atatürk

    A 50sq m olfactory space will be open to travellers at Istanbul Atatürk airport in partnership with Gebr Heinemann and ATÜ Duty Free

    chanel istanbul Nov2012

    Beauty supplier Chanel has partnered with travel retailers Gebr Heinemann and ATÜ Duty Free to launch a promotional campaign around the classic Chanel No 5 fragrance at Istanbul Atatürk airport. The 50sq m olfactory space will present the product to travellers from December 1 to January 15 2013.

    Created in 1921, the scent broke the established codes of traditional perfumery at the time and has remained a classic fragrance since. The Istanbul promotional area will employ the new brand communication campaign featuring Hollywood actor Brad Pitt—the first man to front the fragrance’s advertising—and guide customers with the help of the sales team through its different olfactory compositions.

    The promotional zone is located within the main ATÜ Duty Free store at the airport, Chanel added.

    via Chanel to launch No 5 campaign at Istanbul Atatürk.

  • Giant ‘seagull’ set to land on Istanbul skyline

    Giant ‘seagull’ set to land on Istanbul skyline

    The Gateway goes behind the scenes of the world’s major transport hubs, revealing the logistics that keep goods and people moving. This month, the show is in Istanbul, Turkey.

    121119054355 kabatas seagull shore view horizontal gallery

    (CNN) — Wheeling around the skies above the ferry boats and cargo ships, seagulls are as a familiar sight above the Bosphorus as the commuters and containers on it.

    Their enduring presence on Istanbul’s busy waterway will soon be further cemented with the construction of a new transport hub designed to look like the seabird in flight.

    Perched on the western shores of the Bosphorus, the Kabatas Seagull Transportation Hub will enable new and improved connections for ferries, trains, buses and some small ships, says Ali Ulvi Altan, director of major projects for Hakan Kiran Architecture.

    “Today this area carries around 60,000 passengers per day … when [the hub is completed it will carry] around 90,000 persons per day by our estimates,” Altan said.

    The seagull was a natural choice for the design, says Altan, because the bird is the symbol of the Bosphorus.

    The Istanbul-based architects will be assisted by Dutch engineering company, Royal HaskoningDHV who will be providing geotechnical, environmental and maritime expertise.

    In addition to its iconic design, the project will incorporate green features such as rainwater collection and a renewable energy facility.

    Work on the building is due to start next year, Altan says, and should be completed by 2015/16.

    via Giant ‘seagull’ set to land on Istanbul skyline – CNN.com.

  • Kuveyt Turk aims to become Germany’s first Islamic bank in 2013

    Kuveyt Turk aims to become Germany’s first Islamic bank in 2013

    By Seda Sezer and Ebru Tuncay

    ISTANBUL | Wed Nov 28, 2012 8:24am EST

    Nov 28 (Reuters) – Kuwait Finance House’s Turkish unit Kuveyt Turk has applied for a German banking licence and aims to become the first Islamic bank in Europe’s largest economy, Chief Executive Ufuk Uyan told Reuters in an interview.

    Kuveyt Turk – which issued a $350 million sukuk, or Islamic bond, last year – is awaiting a response from German financial watchdog BaFin but hopes the application process will be completed next year, Uyan said.

    “We are trying to obtain a full banking license,” he told Reuters in his office in Istanbul. “We plan to open branches in Germany and if this model becomes successful we could consider going to other European countries.”

    Uyan said Kuveyt Turk planned to invest initial capital of 45 million euros ($58 million) in its planned German unit.

    ($1 = 0.7733 euros) (Writing by Seda Sezer; Editing by Nick Tattersall)

    via Kuveyt Turk aims to become Germany’s first Islamic bank in 2013-CEO | Reuters.

  • Vastned acquires high street shop in Istanbul

    Vastned acquires high street shop in Istanbul

    Vastned acquires high street shop in Istanbul

    Vastned has acquired a 2,000 sqm high street shop on Istasyon Caddesi in Bakirkoy, Istanbul. The vendor of the property is a Turkish company.

    The property, with a total lettable area of 2,000 sqm is located on Istasyon Caddesi 27, which is at the heart of the high street area in Bakırköy in Istanbul. Bakırköy is located on the European side and is an important commercial and residential district. It is a 250 m long pedestrian street with continuous high footfall during weekdays and weekends. The lease with Turkish fashion retailer LC Waikiki has a remaining duration of 13 years. The company has its roots in France and has been active since 1997, presently in 11 countries through 370 stores.

    via Vastned acquires high street shop in Istanbul.