A Momentous Step for Investor Confidence and Capital Markets

As part of our endeavours to add more value to our companies and our capital markets, Integrated Reporting Network Türkiye (ERTA) and Turkish Investor Relations Society (TUYID) have established the “IR & IR Platform”.

ERTA – TUYID IR & IR Platform, representing Integrated Reporting and Investor Relations, respectively, aims to spread Integrated Reporting in Turkey to strengthen the communication between issuers and investors and to improve the reporting experience of companies. Prof Dr. Güler Aras, ERTA Executive Board Chair and Aslı Selçuk, TUYID Chairperson will co-Chair the IR & IR Platform.

IR & IR Platform was established with the mission of spreading “Integrated Reporting” in Turkey and encouraging the development of the reporting experience. The purpose of the collaboration is raising awareness, guiding and supporting the development of integrated thinking and reporting system that will meet the common needs and expectations of investors and issuers, which are among the key stakeholders guiding corporate reporting. Within this framework, the Platform aims to support the development of companies, investment institutions and our capital markets and, to grow investor confidence.

IR & IR Platform also targets to grow communication with issuer companies about the direction, content and developments in Integrated Reporting Framework and requirements; identify the needs of investors and issuers about Integrated Reporting and developing suggestions; communicate the meaning, importance and benefits of Integrated Reporting to grow the number of companies that embrace IR; share best practices on integrated thinking and reporting; provide guides and roadmaps for issuers.

ERTA Chairperson Prof. Dr. Guler Aras

The rapid change and transformation experienced in the business world has significantly changed the expectations of stakeholders from companies as well. Today, investors are more aware that environmental, social, and governance performance has created financial value in the mid and long run. Institutions are expected to be able to integrate environmental, social and governance risks, as well as their financial performance, into the business strategy and their operations, and to share information about their value creation process via their corporate reports within this scope. Responding to these expectations of stakeholders, especially investors, “Integrated Reporting” emerges as a result of the activities of institutions that have adopted an integrated thinking mindset and value creation approach.

As Integrated Reporting Network Turkiye (ERTA) and Turkish Investor Relations Society (TUYID), we established IR&IR Platform that aims to increase awareness and to improve the experiences of both investors and institutions on “Integrated Reporting” providing a common language between investors and issuers. As ERTA, we are very pleased to collaborate with TUYID and to create value together in the establishment of this platform, which aims to make significant contributions to companies, investment institutions and capital markets.

TUYID Chairperson Aslı Selçuk

While sustainability is on everyone’s agenda in today’s world, we are seeing that investors stand out as the main stakeholder driving action. Environmental, social and governance indicators are increasingly being integrated into investment decisions and Integrated Reporting is a prominent tool that is widely used in transforming sustainability elements into financial metrics.

Investor Relations professionals play a very important role in embedding sustainability within the companies as a strategic focus point by sharing investor expectations and driving companies to develop an effective strategy that caters multiple stakeholders.

Our companies are at different stages in the learning and reporting curve. Through the ERTA – TUYID IR & IR Platform, we aim to grow awareness in our market and contribute to the integrated thinking and reporting process of our companies. We are very happy to establish this cooperation with ERTA and will work to contribute to the development of our companies and capital markets.

ERTA – – Integrated Reporting, based on integrated thinking, is a reporting system which identifies the connection of an institution's strategy, management and environment, social and economic performance as well as its financial performance and explains how it creates the value. Supporting the institutions’ sustainable performance, Integrated Reporting is an effective communication tool which enables investors and other stakeholders so as to be able to see the real performance and risks of the institution. A concrete step has been taken in Turkey regarding the Integrated Reporting in 2013 with the project submitted to The Coordination Council for the Improvement of Investment Environment (YOIKK) through Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSİAD). Upon the project’s acceptance, Integrated Reporting has been included in the YOIKK 2014-2015 Action Plan. In the same year, it was decided to establish Integrated Reporting Network Turkiye (ERTA). The founding members of ERTA are Prof. Guler Aras (Independent Founding Member), Borsa İstanbul, TUSIAD, Global Compact Turkey, Corporate Governance Association of Turkey (TKYD), Business Council for Sustainable Development Turkey (BCSD Turkey), IIRC Turkey Ambassador, Arguden Governance Academy and the first implementation companies Garanti BBVA and Çimsa. ERTA met with the business world and all its stakeholders at the bell-ringing ceremony held at Borsa Istanbul at the beginning of 2017.

TÜYİD – Turkish Investor Relations Society is designed to foster collaborative ties among Investor Relations professionals and the constituencies which they serve such as management, shareholders, bondholders, private investors, analysts, employees, government, corporate customers and media, at both the corporate and personal levels, with a view to develop professional know-how, to be a reference center and to elevate Turkish investor relations applications on a par with global standards. Its mission is to contribute to the promotion of the Turkish markets, provide assistance for Turkish companies to achieve fair market value for their capital market instruments and to support Turkish capital markets to gain depth and resilience. TUYID aim to be the most effective and efficient means of conducting two-way communication between companies that have issued capital market instrument and regulator; to increase awareness of the Investor Relations profession before public and institutions; to create a rich bibliography that brings together the guides, legislation, best practices and researches that can be used by all institutions and companies, to bring international knowledge and experience into our country through publications and trainings; to contribute to the training and development of Investor Relations professionals and to create an information sharing platform. TUYID represents 70% of Borsa Istanbul market cap with its 66 corporate members.