The Borsa İstanbul (abbreviated as BIST) is the sole exchange entity of
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
combining the former Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) (), the Istanbul Gold Exchange () and the Derivatives Exchange of Turkey () under one umbrella. It was established as an incorporated company with a founding capital of 423,234,000 (approx. US$240 million) on April 3, 2013, and began to operate on April 5, 2013. Its slogan is ''worth investing''.
Shareholder
A shareholder (in the United States often referred to as stockholder) of corporate stock refers to an individual or legal entity (such as another corporation, a body politic, a trust or partnership) that is registered by the corporation as the ...
s of Borsa İstanbul in 2013 were: 49% Government of Turkey, 41% IMKB, 5% VOB, 4% IMKB members, 1% IMKB brokers and 0.3% IAB members. It is planned that all the Government-owned
shares will be offered for sale. Among the executives of the nine-member board of directors, which is presided by chairman Himmet Karadağ, are former deputy chairman of ISE Osman Akyüz, former head of VOB Işınsu Kestelli,
Merrill Lynch Investment Bank General Manager Hüseyin Kelezoğlu and Chairman of Turkish Association of Capital Market Intermediary Institutions Attila Köksal.
Shareholders of the Borsa İstanbul are (as of 2024) :
*
Türkiye Wealth Fund - 80.6%
* QH Oil Investments LLC - 10%
* Turkish Capital Markets Association (TCMA) - 1.3%
* Borsa İstanbul A.Ş. - 2.32%
* Others - 5.78%
History
Early days of the securities market in Turkey
The origin of an organized securities market in Turkey has its roots in the second half of the 19th century. The first securities market in the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
was established in
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
in 1866 for refinancing the
Ottoman foreign debt taken during the
Crimean War
The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...
(1853–1856) through government
bonds.
With a law in 1873 it was formally renamed as the
Dersaadet Securities Exchange (
Turkish: ''
Dersaadet Tahvilat Borsası'').
It created a medium for European investors who were seeking higher returns in the vast Ottoman markets. Following the proclamation of the
Turkish Republic, a new law was enacted in 1929 to reorganize the fledgling capital markets under the new name of "Istanbul Securities and Foreign Exchange Bourse".
Soon, the Bourse became very active and contributed substantially to the funding requirements of new enterprises across the country. However, its success was clouded by a string of events, including the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
of 1929 and the impending
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
abroad which had taken their toll in the just developing business world in Turkey. During the industrial drive of the subsequent decades, there was a continuous increase in the number and size of joint stock companies, which began to open up their equity to the public. Those mature shares faced a strong and growing demand from mostly individual investors and some institutional investors.
1980s to the present
The early phase of the 1980s saw a marked improvement in the Turkish capital markets, both in regard to the legislative framework and the institutions required to set the stage for sound capital movements. In 1981, the "Capital Market Law" was enacted. The next year, the main regulatory body responsible for the supervision and regulation of the Turkish securities market, the
Capital Markets Board based in
Ankara
Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...
, was established. A new decree was issued in October 1983 foreseeing the setting up of securities exchanges in the country. In October 1984, the "Regulations for the Establishment and Functions of Securities Exchanges" was published in the Official Gazette. The regulations concerning operational procedures were approved in the
parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
and the Istanbul Stock Exchange was formally inaugurated at the end of 1985.

The Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) was the only corporation in
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
for
securities
A security is a tradable financial asset. The term commonly refers to any form of financial instrument, but its legal definition varies by jurisdiction. In some countries and languages people commonly use the term "security" to refer to any for ...
exchange established to provide trading in
equities
Stocks (also capital stock, or sometimes interchangeably, shares) consist of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided. A single share of the stock means fractional ownership of the corporation in proportion t ...
,
bonds and bills, revenue-sharing certificates, private sector bonds, foreign securities and
real estate certificates as well as international securities. The ISE was founded as an autonomous, professional organization in early 1986. It is situated in a modern building complex in the quarter of
İstinye
İstinye is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Sarıyer, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its population was 15,721 in 2022. It is on the European side of the city between the neighbourhoods of Emirgan and Yeniköy, on the northweste ...
, on the European side of
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
, since May 15, 1995.
ISE is home to 320 national companies. Trading hours are 09:30–12:30 for the first session and 14:00–17:30 for the second session, on workdays. All ISE members are incorporated banks and brokerage houses.
ISE price indices are computed and published throughout the trading session while the return indices are calculated and published at the close of the session only. The indices are: ISE National-All Shares Index, ISE National-30, ISE National-50, ISE National-100, Sector and sub-sector indices, ISE Second National Market Index, ISE New Economy Market Index and ISE Investment Trusts Index. The ISE National-100 Index contains both the
ISE National-50 and
ISE National-30 Index and is used as a main indicator of the national market.
On April 5, 2013, the Istanbul Stock Exchange merged with the Istanbul Gold Exchange and was reorganized and renamed as Borsa Istanbul.
Logo of Borsa Istanbul
The current logo of Borsa Istanbul is the traditional flower of Istanbul's imperial gardens, the
tulip
Tulips are spring-blooming perennial herbaceous bulbiferous geophytes in the ''Tulipa'' genus. Their flowers are usually large, showy, and brightly coloured, generally red, orange, pink, yellow, or white. They often have a different colour ...
, also the namesake of the
Tulip period in
Ottoman history, which was
first introduced to the Europeans in Vienna, 1554, as a gift by Ottoman Sultan
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...
to
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) ...
, of the
House of Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...
. The tulip later even became a
valuable investment commodity in Europe, especially in
Habsburg Netherlands
Habsburg Netherlands were the parts of the Low Countries that were ruled by sovereigns of the Holy Roman Empire's House of Habsburg. This rule began in 1482 and ended for the Northern Netherlands in 1581 and for the Southern Netherlands in 1797. ...
, during the
Tulip mania
Tulip mania () was a period during the Dutch Golden Age when contract prices for some bulbs of the recently introduced and fashionable tulip reached extraordinarily high levels. The major acceleration started in 1634 and then dramatically co ...
of the 17th century.
Memberships of ISE
The ISE is a full member of:
*
World Federation of Exchanges
The World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), formerly the ''Federation Internationale des Bourses de Valeurs'' (FIBV), or International Federation of Stock Exchanges, is the trade association of publicly regulated stock, futures, and options exchan ...
(WFE)
*
Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges
The Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges (FEAS) is a non-profit international organization comprising the main stock exchanges in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. The purpose of the Federation is to contribute to the coopera ...
(FEAS)
*
International Securities Services Association
the International Securities Services Association (ISSA) is an international trade association that brings together organizations that participate in the securities services sector, especially central securities depositories and custodian banks as ...
(ISSA)
*
International Capital Market Association
The International Capital Market Association or ICMA is a not-for-profit global trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization found ...
(ICMA)
*
European Capital Markets Institute (ECMI)
*
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...
(WEF)
*
Federation of European Securities Exchanges (FESE)
*
Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) initiative and
The ISE is an affiliate member of:
*
International Organization of Securities Commissions
International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations".
International may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011
* ''International'' (New Order album), 2002
* ''International'' (The T ...
(IOSCO)
Fossil fuel investments
According to
Carbon Tracker
Carbon Tracker is a London-based not-for-profit think tank researching the impact of climate change on financial markets.
Carbon Tracker popularized the notion of a carbon bubble, which describes the incompatibility between the continued deve ...
in 2021 $1 billion of investment in
coal power
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal i ...
was at risk of
stranding, including $300 million for
EÜAŞ
The Electricity Generation Company (; EÜAŞ) is the largest electric power company in Turkey. Owned by the government, it produces and trades Electricity sector in Turkey, electricity throughout the country.
History
EÜAŞ was founded by the go ...
.
ISE and arts
There is a four-meter high marble statue of the "Bull and Bear", in front of the ISE building's protocol entrance. Created by one of Turkey's foremost sculptors,
Mehmet Aksoy, the statue symbolizes the behavior of the world's stock markets, an aggressive bull poised to attack the surrendering bear. Another group of statues, sculptured by
Şermin Güner, made in the honor of all existing and deceased brokers, represents brokers engaged in executing orders and is placed at the main entrance.
The Istanbul Stock Exchange makes contributions to the arts by organizing exhibitions and concerts as well as sponsoring important artistic events in Istanbul.
See also
*
BIST 100
*
List of companies listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange
*
Economy of Turkey
The economy of Turkey is an Emerging market, emerging free-market economy. It ranked as the List of countries by GDP (nominal), 16th-largest in the world and List of sovereign states in Europe by GDP (nominal), 7th-largest in Europe by nominal GD ...
*
List of stock exchanges
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
*
List of European stock exchanges
In the European region, there are multiple stock exchanges among which five are considered major (as having a market cap of over US$1 trillion):
*Euronext, which is a pan-European, Dutch-domiciled and France-headquartered stock exchange compo ...
*
List of Mideast stock exchanges
References
External links
* (archived 6 October 2014)
{{authority control
Financial services companies of Turkey
Economy of Turkey
Stock exchanges in Europe
Stock exchanges in the Middle East
Companies based in Istanbul
Financial services companies established in 2013
Derivatives (finance)
Turkish companies established in 2013