Team size: Eight attorneys and two work health and safety specialists

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

I am a seasoned attorney, in-house counsel, and corporate executive with in-depth expertise and a proven track record in a wide spectrum of legal fields, including Energy and Natural Resources, PPP Contracts and Construction, Information Technologies, Data Privacy and Protection, M&A, Corporate and Commercial, Capital Markets, Banking and Finance, Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, and Compliance and Regulatory.

Having obtained my bachelor’s and postgraduate degrees respectively from Galatasaray University (Istanbul) and ULB (Brussels), I worked in top-tier international and Turkish law firms, leading their M&A, Corporate, and Capital Markets teams, as well as Energy and Natural Resources and Tax Practice Groups thereof. I further have extensive experience in international arbitration and dispute resolution, including commercial and investment disputes. Previously, I held the position of general counsel at Türkerler Holding, Karpowership, and Fayrix. During my career, my teams and I have closed several cross-border M&A, energy, PPP, and infrastructure projects involving various jurisdictions from the US to Japan (W-E) and Russia to South Africa (N-S). I am also a member of a niche club of legal practitioners specialising in LNG and FSRU operations.

One of the landmark transactions that I led and closed was the unsecured notes issuance by Petkim Petrokimya Holding, valued at US$500mn, on the Irish Stock Exchange. The work involved heavy legal and business due diligence of Petkim and its operations, the Turkish petrochemicals market, as well as drafting the international offering circular. Additionally, I advised UBS, Bank of America Merrill Lynch International, and Citigroup Global Markets for the block sale of 6.8% shares in Turkcell by Sonera Holding, valued at TRY 1.775 billion (approximately US$493mn); and BNP Paribas, HSBC Bank, ING Bank, Unicredit Bank, and J.P. Morgan Securities for senior unsecured notes issuance by Rönesans Construction, valued at US$300mn, on the Irish Stock Exchange.

The most recent PPP projects in which I was involved include the EPC and O&M of Izmir (Bayraklı), Ankara (Etlik), and Kocaeli mega-city hospitals in partnership with the Turkish Ministry of Health.

As for the energy projects in which I was involved, they include, among others, South Africa’s Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (“RMIPPPP”) tender process seeking to add a 2000 MW capacity to the country’s grid in 2021. I acted as the general counsel of Karpowership, whose bids for a total capacity to generate 1,220 MW of LNG-to-Power were named as winning bids for three projects. Once completed, the project aims to supply more than five percent of South Africa’s total electricity needs.

As a legal counsel and business expert, I continue to assist and represent key market players and international conglomerates in structuring their IT, energy, and infrastructure projects around the globe. Additionally, I advise boards of both local and global companies on structuring and implementing their corporate governance and compliance programmes as part of their pre- and post-JV, M&A, IPO transactions, and restructuring programmes.

What strategic priorities are guiding you and your team in 2024?

I joined Soyak Enerji as vice president and was entrusted with leading the Soyak Enerji Global Legal and Compliance teams in 2023. Soyak Enerji has been developing renewable energy projects in several jurisdictions in Turkey and the CEE region. Soyak Enerji is a member of the Soyak Group of Companies, whose headquarters are located in Istanbul and have been operational in various fields since 1961. Today, the Group is active in the energy, iron casting, cement, and construction sectors.

Soyak Enerji entered the renewable energy sector back in 2008 through the construction and operation of three HEPP projects in the Republic of Turkey. This was followed by the successful completion and commissioning of two geothermal projects in 2018 and 2019, respectively. With further projects in the pipeline, Soyak Enerji decided to expand its footprint and utilise its extensive know-how in neighbouring countries such as Croatia. Croatia was quickly followed by the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. In 2024, we aim to ensure that the Soyak Enerji Legal Team, with its extensive know-how and field-tested experience, maintains and fortifies its position as a key component of the most imminent, innovative, and sustainable renewable energy producer in the region. This is based on a rich portfolio including wind, geothermal, agro-solar, and rare earth elements.

Do you have a cause, business-related or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

I am part of an anonymous group of sector professionals who have come together on a pro-bono basis to contribute to the legal aspects of concept-developing phases of innovative energy projects. These projects aim to make accessible sustainable and clean energy solutions to citizens of low-income countries facing several structural impediments to sustainable development.