From 1906 to Today: Türkiye's 18th Chamber of Commerce and Industry
About BTSO
Bartın Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) was established on 27 August 1906 under the title "Chamber of Commerce and Agricultural Industry" and has the distinction of being the 18th Chamber of Commerce and Industry established in Türkiye. The establishment of the Chamber was notified to the District Governorate of the period by a letter signed "Ahmet, President of the Bartın Chamber of Commerce and Industry"; in this document, a building and a clerk were requested for the Chamber, and thus the institutional organization of the Bartın business community was formalized.
While the form of address "İzzetli Efendim Hazretleri" used in the founding letter reflects the official style of the period, one of the first decisions taken was that merchants be divided into classes and that those who did not register with the Chamber could not participate in public tenders (9 September 1906). This decision showed that, from its very first years, the Chamber was not merely a representative body but also a regulatory force in commercial life.
Original Founding Board
The establishment of the Chamber was the result of the vibrant economic environment created by Bartın's rapidly developing trade in eggs, poultry, timber and forest products at that time. The original founding board that institutionalized this potential consisted of:
Keleşzade Ahmet Ağa
President
Members
Yirmibeşzade Hacı Osman Efendi
Bodosaki Konstantinidis
Kürt Hacızade Ahmet Efendi
These names are remembered as the pioneering figures who shaped Bartın's economic future.
Historical Development
1461
Period of Mehmed the Conqueror
With Mehmed the Conqueror's conquest of Amasra, the center of gravity of regional trade shifted back to Bartın.
Late 19th Century
Trade Center Period
Bartın turned into a lively marketplace where products from surrounding villages and towns changed hands; with the trade in timber, flax, walnuts, butter and similar products, it became a strong economic center on a regional scale.
27 August 1906
Establishment of the Chamber
It was established under the title "Chamber of Commerce and Agricultural Industry" and began operating as Türkiye's 18th Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
8 March 1950
Law No. 5590
The Bartın Chamber of Commerce and Industry acquired the status of a professional organization with public institution character. The Bartın city center, the districts of Amasra, Ulus and Kurucaşile, and the town of Kozcağız were included within its scope.
Today
Modern Institutional Structure
It operates in line with the principles of transparency, reliability, innovation and sustainability, in accordance with the standards of the TOBB Accreditation System.
The Republican Era and Institutional Development
In the Republican era, the institutional structures of chambers of commerce and industry were reorganized, and with Law No. 5590, adopted on 8 March 1950, the Bartın Chamber of Commerce and Industry acquired the status of a professional organization with public institution character. With this regulation, the Chamber's field of activity was expanded; in addition to the Bartın city center, the districts of Amasra, Ulus and Kurucaşile and the town of Kozcağız were also included within its scope. Thus, the Chamber became an institution representing the commercial and industrial life of the entire region, not only of the Bartın city center.
In the more than a century that has passed since its establishment, the Bartın Chamber of Commerce and Industry has maintained its identity as an institution that protects the rights and interests of its members, contributes to the economic development of the region and responds to the needs of the business community.
Institutional Identity and Vision
In the more than a century that has passed since its establishment, the Bartın Chamber of Commerce and Industry has maintained its identity as an institution that protects the rights and interests of its members, contributes to the economic development of the region and responds to the needs of the business community; through the services it provides, the projects it develops and the advocacy activities it carries out, it has aimed to increase the competitiveness of the Bartın business community.
Today, the Bartın Chamber of Commerce and Industry continues its corporate governance approach in accordance with the standards of the TOBB Accreditation System and operates in line with the principles of transparency, reliability, innovation and sustainability. Our Chamber, which shapes the future with the strength it draws from its deep-rooted history, continues its work with the vision of an innovative, solution-oriented and prestigious institution, and, within the scope of Law No. 5174 on the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye and on Chambers and Commodity Exchanges, strongly represents the Bartın business community at national and global levels under the leadership of Chairman of the Board Halil Balık, who has a strong background in commerce.