The blessing of partnership… if we share, we thrive; if we divide, we perish…

In recent years, major corporate groups have been reaching record numbers of shareholders. Companies such as Koç Holding and Anadolu Group now have as many as 16 partners. The fact that many of these groups have maintained their partnerships for many years is particularly noteworthy. This is how they achieve synergy across different areas. Most importantly, they share their knowledge and know-how. Their openness and transparency toward one another are also among the key factors enabling this. In addition, they support each other through their diverse backgrounds and experiences gained from different geographies and operations.

For example, the Koç family laid the foundation of its partnership with Ford in 1954, and this successful collaboration continues to this day. Koç Group, Türkiye’s largest conglomerate, has maintained long-term business partnerships not only with the Burla Group (Arçelik) and Ford Motor, but also with domestic and international companies such as UniCredit, LG Electronics, Öztürk Group, and Fiat Chrysler.

The largest business groups in Türkiye have embraced a culture of collaboration and joint ventures across many areas in which they operate. It could even be said that working together has become a tradition. Just as coalition culture is common in Europe, a partnership culture has become increasingly widespread in Türkiye. When we examine developed countries, we see that politics and governance often progress through coalition systems, and these countries have demonstrated that they can be successfully managed through such structures. In Türkiye, however, this culture is almost nonexistent.

Tekfen Holding is a company with 12 partners. Tekfen’s philosophy of partnership stems from the tradition of mutual trust, respect, and compromise inherited from its founders. The partners always treat one another with warmth. They move forward not with the mindset of “I know,” but with the mindset of “We are in this together.” The structure of partnerships may vary depending on the type of partners, industry, market, or country, but they are always based on balance and the principle of mutual benefit for all parties involved. Sometimes companies establish project-based partnerships. Such collaborations can provide advantages such as local market experience, technical know-how, human resources, strategic strength through cooperation, and the ability to act quickly and remain flexible.

Anadolu Group has a total of 14 partners. Hurşit Zorlu, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee, states that the partnership culture is one of the most important building blocks of Anadolu Group.

Joint ventures typically operate on the principle of majority ownership. Care is taken to establish structures that leverage both parties’ strengths for the benefit of the company. After experiencing difficulties with its 20-year partner Carrefour, Sabancı Holding increased its stake in CarrefourSA by acquiring an additional 12% share, raising its ownership to 50.8% and taking over management control. Thus, in a sector with strong local dynamics, Sabancı Holding gained easier access to local knowledge, experience, and management capabilities that would enable it to better meet customer expectations. When we examine companies’ partnership experiences, we see that they choose to form partnerships for 3 main reasons. Entering new sectors and markets, developing and transferring know-how, strengthening existing businesses by partnering with globally recognized brands and increasing brand awareness, and managing uncertainty more effectively while reducing risks when expanding into markets outside Türkiye.

Aksoy Holding, Sabancı Holding, Tav Holding, and Kervan Gıda continue their operations with eight partners. One of Türkiye’s greatest advantages is its role as a bridge between Asia and Europe. This provides a significant benefit, as we are close to both cultures. As a result, our ability to establish partnerships is higher compared to many other countries and nations, providing us with a competitive advantage as well.

There is also international strategic cooperation… This is truly a separate case in itself.

As you know, migratory birds fly in a “V” formation. This is because, when each bird flaps its wings, it creates an updraft that lifts the bird behind it. Thus, a flock of birds flying in a “V” formation increases its flight range by up to 70% by taking advantage of the airflow created by the wingbeats of the birds in front of them. In this way, they nearly double the distance they could travel alone by moving together through cooperation and unity.