Bringing together İstanbul Menkul Kıymetler Borsası (Istanbul Stock Exchange), Istanbul Gold Exchange and Turkish Derivatives Exchange under one roof, Borsa İstanbul has been established in April 2013 as the national focal point for all financial trades with all types of capital market instruments. We are targeting to become a leading stock exchange with a mission to operate and develop transparent, efficient, reliable and accessible markets and reflect Turkey’s potential in terms of the number of publicly traded companies and market capitalization.

Keeping this mission on mind, Borsa İstanbul, a founder member of the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, considers sustainability a priority subject that needs attention from all stakeholders. This year, we hosted several conferences and workshops regarding sustainability and sustainable finance in particular, which shows our commitment. Borsa İstanbul also holds a seat in the Board of UN Global Compact Turkey Local Network and actively contributes to the activities of the Network.

We also completed our efforts for the creation of the BIST Sustainability Index, which is now awaiting the regulator’s respective regulation and the green light. We expect to see the Index go live in the first quarter of 2014.

Serving as one mega exchange, Borsa İstanbul has a bigger role than ever in promoting sustainability issues and raising awareness with regards to the principles of UN Global Compact both in Turkey and abroad. It goes without saying that Borsa İstanbul will continue supporting the principles of the UN Global Compact as in the previous years.

Yours Sincerely,
İbrahim M. TURHAN, Ph.D.
Chairman and CEO
Borsa Istanbul

Borsa İstanbul is committed to protecting human rights and freedom and believes that everyone should be given the liberty and security, the right to express himself/herself freely, the right to have respect in private life. In this context, Borsa İstanbul strives to ensure and sustain a reliable, fair and healthy working environment.

The recruitment and personnel policy of Borsa İstanbul is in line with the internationally proclaimed human rights principles. Borsa İstanbul policies prohibit discrimination based on sex, race, religion, and color, political or other opinion and social origin. Borsa İstanbul also has a certain recruitment reserve for disabled people.

Borsa İstanbul staff must sign an ethics code of conduct, which is in line with the human rights principles. The ethics code of conduct is based on social work’s core values of service, honesty, fairness, non-discrimination and alike.

Indirect contributions to ensure a healthy corporate life:

Borsa İstanbul has been computing and disseminating the Corporate Governance Index since 2007. The index measures the price and return performances of Borsa İstanbul traded companies. A rating of compliance with corporate governance principles is an independent, unbiased and fair evaluation and classification of corporations’ and capital market institutions’ compliance with the corporate governance principles set by the Capital Markets Board of Turkey. Rating grades ranging between 1 and 10 shall be assigned on the compliance with corporate governance principles as a whole and individually with respect to the topics such as; shareholders, public disclosure and transparency, stakeholders, board of directors.

Contributions to education:

Borsa İstanbul’s “Contribution to National Education Project”, which started back in 1997, is in progress. Borsa İstanbul has been transferring funds to the Ministry of National Education for the construction of different types of schools throughout Turkey. In this regard, a protocol was signed between the Turkish Ministry of National Education and Borsa İstanbul in December 2011.

- Borsa İstanbul did not receive any negative feedback regarding human rights violation during the period.
- Number of disabled staff working at Borsa İstanbul is 16 as of Augus 29, 2013.
- Borsa İstanbul Corporate Governance Index comprises 45 companies as of August 31, 2013.

Contributions to education:
With the “Contribution to National Education Project”, Borsa İstanbul has allocated funds of approximately $US 1 billion to national education since the project’s inception in 1997.

Throughout the whole phases of the Project, 415 fully functional and equipped educational institutions have been constructed including, but not limited to, university faculty buildings, administrative buildings, social facility centers, public training centers, primary schools, high schools, apprenticeship schools, boarding schools, vocational high schools, dormitories, mass-housing, sports and cultural centers.

Borsa İstanbul sustains its professional relationship with employees’ union. Borsa İstanbul is also committed to offering democratic, equal and respectful working environment to its employees and members in addition to its non-discriminating recruitment and service policies.

Borsa İstanbul personnel regulation provides the staff with the freedom of association and collective bargaining, as well as the right to become members of associations, foundations, etc. for social activities.

Borsa İstanbul offers its employees a healthy and safe working environment. In this regard, a workplace safety specialist and a doctor are currently serving the personnel.

The first collective agreement between Borsa İstanbul and “Tez-Koop. İş - Commercial and Official Employees Union” was signed in 2007. In 2009, another collective agreement was signed covering the years 2009 and 2010. Finally, the last collective agreement was signed in March 2011, covering the years 2011-2013.

Borsa İstanbul staff can also become members of “The Association of Borsa İstanbul Employees”, which aims at improving the communication and cooperation among the members, protecting the rights of its members, contributing to the social, cultural and sportive aspects of its members’ lives and providing its members with scientific research, training and publications.

The total number of members of “Tez-Koop. İş - Commercial and Official Employees Union” is 532 whereas the figure was 409 in year 2012.

The ratio of union members to the total number of employees was 98.7% in 2011, 88.9% in 2012, and 81.4% as of now.
The total number of members of “The Association of Borsa İstanbul Employees” is 371, which was 326 in the last period.

A “Tez-Koop. Is-Commercial and Official Employees Union” representative also takes part in Borsa İstanbul personnel committee and Workplace Health and Safety Board.

The number of female personnel is 174, which represents 26.65% of the total number of employees. It goes without saying, there is no wage discrimination due to genders.

The minimum age for employment is 18

Borsa İstanbul is committed to protecting the environment and resource saving and actively supports and participates in ecological protection, promotes environmental responsibility in most of its infrastructural and administrative systems.

Energy
The Borsa İstanbul building was constructed in line with the new technologies considering environmental protection. Additionally, environmental friendly technologies like recycling & energy saving initiatives started to be used in the current infrastructure construction projects.
Natural gas is used for heating.
Borsa İstanbul continuously participates in programs aiming at reducing carbon footprint.

Recycling
To protect the environment, waste papers, batteries and recyclables are collected sent to recycling facilities periodically.
To reduce energy consumption and save energy, efficient air conditioning systems and energy saving light bulbs are being used within Borsa İstanbul premises.

BIST Sustainability Index
On the 10th of August 2010, Borsa İstanbul and Business Council for Sustainable Development Turkey (TBCSD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in order to jointly create a new index offering significant opportunities for the capital markets, companies and investors, namely, “BIST Sustainability Index”.

BIST Sustainability Index project has been initiated by Borsa İstanbul and TBCSD in partnership with leading experts in corporate sustainability and sustainable investment, globally and in emerging markets. BIST Sustainability Index project is a multi-stakeholder, multi-year project developing best practices with the goal of launching a Turkish sustainability benchmark for the Borsa İstanbul listed companies and their investors. The creation of the index has been endorsed by leading Turkish companies, investors, NGOs, as well as a group of international experts in sustainability.

Energy
Borsa İstanbul employees are diligent to integrate environmental management and control in their daily life and administrative activities.

Previous enhancements in the building automation system had enabled Borsa İstanbul to achieve minor reductions in electricity consumption. Further efficiency is targeted for energy savings; hence a comprehensive infrastructure renovation is still under way to achieve this end.

Borsa İstanbul Sustainability Index
Since the beginning of the project, two surveys were held and three workshops have been organized with the participation of the represantatives of Borsa İstanbul-traded companies and investors. Turkey-specific sustainability criteria were discussed during these workshops and a survey report was published.

BIST Sustainability Criteria and Question-Answer Samples were finalized and shared with Capital Markets Board of Turkey (CMB).

Borsa İstanbul plans to launch the Index in 2014.

Borsa İstanbul does not allow violation of laws/regulations and dishonesty or unethical behavior. Any illegal act such as bribery, abuses by employees or executives are strictly prohibited.

Borsa İstanbul takes all necessary precautions to prevent such abuses.

Borsa İstanbul rules and regulations require that the employees are not allowed to offer, give or take any presents in any form in cash or in kind, directly or indirectly from any person, institution, public officials, etc.

Enforcement and Surveillance Board of the Borsa İstanbul monitors the trading activities for any unusual price/volume changes in order to detect illegal practices such as manipulation, insider trading and any other market abuses.

Borsa İstanbul supports the activities of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), Institute of Internal Auditors- Turkey (TİDE), European Confederation of Institutes of Internal Auditing (ECIIA) and ACFE Local Chapter.

Borsa İstanbul also became a member of International Surveillance Group in late 2012.

Currently, Borsa İstanbul employs 16 CFE (Certified Fraud Examiners), 10 CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) and 1 Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certified personnel.