The market splits between Turkish-headquartered powerhouses with regional reach and the global network offices serving multinational accounts. The lira's volatility over the past decade has both reshaped the cost structure of Turkish PR and increased the demand for crisis, financial, and reputation work. Below — the firms running Turkish brands and inbound clients in 2026.
| Population | 85 million |
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| Largest PR hubs | Istanbul and Ankara |
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| Social media penetration | 82.7% of population — among the highest in EMEA |
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| Key industries driving PR | Banking, manufacturing, automotive, tourism, defense and aerospace, energy, construction |
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| Global HQ concentration | High — bridge market between Europe, MENA, and Central Asia |
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| Political communications importance | Very high — complex executive-presidential system, currency-volatility-driven economic cycles, recurring geopolitical engagement |
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| Annual PR market size estimate | Difficult to estimate precisely given lira volatility; roughly $80–120 million USD in agency fee income |
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| Industry scale | From fewer than a dozen agencies two decades ago to over 5,000 firms in 2026 |
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| Dominant working language | Turkish (English standard in multinational corporate work; Arabic capability useful for MENA-coordination work) |
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The Communications Landscape
Istanbul. The PR market. Roughly 85% of major Turkish agency activity concentrates in Istanbul, primarily across Levent, Maslak, Şişli, and increasingly the European-side business districts. Bersay, the global network offices, Excel Communications, and most major firms HQ in Istanbul.
Ankara. The political and public-affairs capital. Federal government communications, regulatory engagement, parliamentary affairs, and defense-and-aerospace public affairs all anchor in Ankara.
Izmir. Aegean regional cluster. Industrial, port economy, and Aegean corporate communications.
Bursa. Industrial cluster. Turkish automotive manufacturing (Tofaş, Renault, Ford Otosan) and the broader Bursa industrial economy generate dedicated PR activity.
How Public Relations Works in Turkey
Turkish PR operates in a media environment with substantial government and ownership-concentration dynamics. The Demirören Group, Doğan Group's residual holdings, Turkuvaz Media, and the broader Turkish media ecosystem all operate within an environment of complex ownership relationships and recurring regulatory interventions.
Government and public affairs operate at substantial scale. The Turkish presidency, the various ministries (the broader executive branch under the presidential system introduced in 2018), the Grand National Assembly, and the major industry associations all generate dedicated communications activity.
Banking and financial services communications drives a substantial share of corporate PR. The major Turkish banks (Garanti BBVA, Akbank, Isbank, Yapı Kredi, Halkbank, Vakıfbank, Ziraat Bankası), Borsa Istanbul, and the broader Turkish capital markets generate substantial financial PR activity. The recurring currency volatility, the CBRT policy dynamics, and the broader macroeconomic environment have made financial-and-economic communications particularly intensive.
Defense and aerospace PR have grown substantially. Turkey's defense industry — Aselsan, TUSAŞ (Turkish Aerospace), Roketsan, Baykar (Bayraktar drones), and the broader defense-and-aerospace ecosystem — has produced a substantial sector PR market. The export success of Turkish defense products, the procurement engagement with allied and partner governments, and the broader strategic positioning all generate sustained communications work.
Tourism communications operates at scale. Turkey's tourism economy — Istanbul's heritage tourism, the Aegean and Mediterranean coast (Bodrum, Antalya, Marmaris), Cappadocia, and the broader Turkish heritage tourism market — generates dedicated PR activity.
Automotive and manufacturing communications drive substantial sector activity. Turkey is a major automotive production hub for Europe.
Construction and contracting PR operates at global scale. Turkish construction companies are major international contractors — Enka, TAV, Limak, Kolin, Cengiz, Nurol, and dozens of others — operating across the MENA region, Central Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and beyond.
Regional MENA and Central Asian coordination runs through Istanbul. Turkey's bridge position between Europe, MENA, and Central Asia, combined with Istanbul's developed agency infrastructure, has made it a regional hub for multinationals running coordinated Turkey-MENA-Caucasus campaigns.
The Turkish-Origin Independents
Bersay Communication Group — Founded 1990 by Ali Saydam. The longest-established and most-credentialed Istanbul-based independent. One of Turkey's largest PR groups. Strong across corporate communications, financial PR, public affairs, healthcare, and crisis. Member of multiple international agency networks providing global reach. The foundational firm in modern Turkish PR.
Excel Communications — Istanbul-based PR consultancy with strong corporate reputation, financial communications, and crisis practice.
ARTI Iletisim — Established Turkish PR firm. Istanbul-based with strong domestic media relationships and corporate communications practice.
Mese Iletisim — One of Turkey's pioneering PR firms. Substantial corporate, brand, and sector-specialist practice. Strong in lifestyle, consumer, and healthcare communications.
The Global Networks in Turkey
Edelman Turkey — Istanbul office of the world's largest independent PR firm. Strong on corporate reputation, technology, healthcare, and consumer.
Burson Turkey — Istanbul office of the combined Burson Cohn & Wolfe + Hill+Knowlton entity inside WPP. Strong across corporate communications, public affairs, financial PR, and crisis.
Weber Shandwick Turkey — Istanbul office of the IPG-owned global agency. Strong on consumer, technology, healthcare, and corporate.
FleishmanHillard Turkey — Omnicom-owned. Istanbul office. Strong on the corporate, healthcare, and consumer tech sides.
Marjinal Porter Novelli (MPN) — Full-service marketing communications agency in Istanbul. Affiliated with the international Porter Novelli network. Services span strategic planning, corporate communications, crisis management, and digital PR.
Boutiques and New-Generation Specialists
TimePR (TIME Public Relations) — Founded 2007. Leading new-generation communications consultancy in Istanbul. Full-service PR including media relations, copywriting, digital PR, event management, strategic communications, crisis, leader communications, and employee communications.
Walther Kranz — Boutique communications agency specializing in strategic PR, influencer communications, and event management. Founded 2020. Offices in Istanbul (Cihangir), Dubai, and Baku.
Euroline International — Founded 1993. One of Turkey's longest-established firms in business promotion, marketing, event management, media communications, and mobile digital marketing.
PRactice Communication Management — Istanbul-based PR agency founded 2015. Specializes in public relations and event management.
desiBel Agency — Founded by experienced Turkish media and communications professionals. Full-service agency with strong roots in the Turkish media sector.
Others to Know
Effect PR (Istanbul — corporate and brand); Indeks Iletisim (Istanbul — long-running Turkish independent); Mediacat (Istanbul — integrated communications); MSL Turkey (Publicis); Ogilvy PR Turkey (WPP); H+K Strategies Turkey (now Burson Turkey).
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the top PR firm in Turkey? Among Turkish independents, Bersay Communication Group (founded 1990 by Ali Saydam) is consistently ranked as the longest-established and most-credentialed Istanbul-based firm. TimePR is among the most recommended for international brands entering the market. Walther Kranz is the leading boutique with regional reach into Dubai and Baku. Among global networks, Edelman, Burson, and Weber Shandwick all operate substantial Istanbul offices.
Where are Turkish PR firms headquartered? Istanbul — overwhelmingly. The corporate, financial, and media clusters all sit in Istanbul. Ankara hosts a smaller cluster focused on public affairs, government relations, and policy-facing work.
Do global PR networks operate in Turkey? Yes — Edelman, Burson, Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard, MSL, Ogilvy PR, Marjinal Porter Novelli, and most major global networks maintain Istanbul offices or affiliated partnerships.
What sectors do Turkish PR firms specialize in? Banking and financial services, telecommunications, energy (particularly given Turkey's role as a regional energy transit market), FMCG, automotive, tourism and hospitality, technology, real estate, healthcare, and increasingly defense and aerospace. Crisis and reputation work is particularly mature given the lira's volatility.
Do I need a Turkish-speaking PR firm for Turkey? Yes — without exception for any meaningful Turkish-market work. Istanbul-based firms operate bilingually (Turkish and English) by default, with Arabic capability increasingly added for MENA-facing work.
What is social media penetration in Turkey? 82.7% of Turkey's population are active social media users — among the highest penetration rates in EMEA.
