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

As the legal team, we are responsible for all legal processes of TEKFEN Holding Agricultural Industry Group Companies (the “Group”). In this context, we carry out the legal transactions of ten companies, including their overseas structuring. The legal team has been a key player in managing the litigation process in cooperation with colleagues in Turkey and abroad.

GDPR and Competition Law are among the most important issues for us. In these areas, we provide training, conduct internal audits, circulate procedures and reminder notes, and establish anti-violation practices. We are also responsible for securing the IP rights of the Group.

In contract management, our focus is on creating a certain standard and establishing organisational memory. In this context, we have developed more than 30 standard contracts. This is important for protecting basic principles, minimising human error, and providing the fastest response to our internal customers. We have implemented a contract management system throughout TEKFEN Holding to support these efforts.

As part of our corporate secretary function, the team plays an essential role in fulfilling corporate legal processes.

Furthermore, we lead legal due diligence processes concerning local and international investments, M&A projects in Turkey and foreign countries. We handle intra-group mergers and partial or full division processes, capital increases, and articles of association amendments in-house. Recently, we completed an M&A transaction entirely with our in-house team in a very short time.

Due to our Group’s primary areas of activity, we act in accordance with Fertilizer and Port regulations, Free Zones, Special Security Zones, and Special Industrial Zones legislation. We also ensure compliance with Energy Market legislation due to electricity production in our facilities.

We work closely with our Corporate Sustainability, Risk, and Governance department regarding Sustainability, Protect and Sustain, Environment, Occupational Health, and Safety initiatives.

Finally, we are responsible for implementing TEKFEN Ethics and Compliance Standards throughout the Group.

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

We will prioritising taking an active role in determining Toros Tarım’s strategic partnership and cooperation opportunities in line with the strategic goals and new investment plans. Furthermore, the legal team will take the lead in providing legal support for Toros Tarım’s actions in achieving the Carbon Neutral Continent target by 2050 within the framework of the EU Green Deal policy.

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

While performing my role as an in-house general counsel, I enjoy encountering completely different issues every day, which keep my legal knowledge alive. Seeing business processes from beginning to end, from the point of genesis to decision implementation, gives me a business perspective. Creating miracles and doing extreme work is nice. However, there is a saying that I like very much: “The most extreme thing is always being able to do the right thing again and again.” I believe it is important to attain legal sustainability and standards.