Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
At Aksoy Holding, we believe in the power of equality to create social value. In the belief that access to equal rights, opportunities and resources is a fundamental human right, we carry out activities that support the UN Sustainable Development Goals of Gender Equality (5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (8), Reducing Inequalities (10), Quality Education (4) and Partnerships for the Goals (17).
We are a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, and the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) developed in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women). At the same time, our activities based on gender equality and aimed at creating a fair and inclusive work environment for all our employees have been documented with the “Equality for Women at Work Certificate”.
We have made equal opportunities the basis of our company and in all our business processes and we aim to raise employees’ awareness of equality in their business and social lives and to make equality our corporate culture.
We do all this under the coordination of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and under the banner #AwareAndEqual. Committee Chair Banu Aksoy says, “We are committed to embedding equality, diversity inclusion into our business policies and operations. We are focused on creating a culture that values the contribution of every employee in our company and aim to be at the forefront of change with the activities led by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.”
We see diversity and inclusion as our wealth and aim to create an environment where our employees are accepted, loved and respected for their differences and where everyone can freely express their ideas. We manage key human resources processes such as recruitment, career management, employee development and performance management within a framework of transparency, equality and fairness.
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First Chance Program-Esas Sosyal
Turcas Holding is among the corporate supporters of the First Chance Program (Şevket Sabancı Vizyonuyla İlk Fırsat in Turkish) which is designed by Esas Social, the social investment unit of Esas Holding to raise awareness about equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion in youth employment. Within the scope of the program developed by Esas Social as a solution model for youth employment, new university graduates from lesser-known universities gain experience by working in full-time positions and salaried for 12 months within their NGO’s. Being a part of the ecosystem since 2021, Turcas supports young people while also contributing to mentoring program, interviews and awareness studies. www.ilkfirsat.org/en
Koç University Anatolian Scholarship Program
Within the scope of the program initiated by Koç University in 2011, successful students in need from various provinces of Anatolia are offered full scholarship opportunities. Turcas joined the program as a supporter in the 2014-2015 academic year and two Turcas Scholars successfully graduated in 2020. For the 2025-2026 academic year, one student is provided with a full scholarship.
The Johns Hopkins University – Engagement with Academia
Batu Aksoy is a 1998 Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate of The Johns Hopkins University, a renowned educational and research institution that has consistently achieved academic excellence worldwide. Mr. Aksoy has, for many years, made contributions to the education of young people, post-education career planning, and the advancement of science by maintaining close relationships and engagement with academia, serving on various boards and/or advisory councils of his school.
As of 2020, Mr. Aksoy has been a member of the Advisory Board of the Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) of The Johns Hopkins University and continues to contribute to alumni gatherings and university support programs, thereby enlightening the path for the development of future leaders and the success of future generations. Prior to his role at the WSE Board, Mr. Aksoy served as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at The Carey Business School of The Johns Hopkins University from 2015 to 2020.
As Aksoy Holding, we will continue to support young talents in shaping their careers and to make sustainable contributions to education believing in the power of science and education.
Barrier-Free Service Area
Shell & Turcas continues its collaborations with relevant civil society organizations by working with the goal of “Reducing Inequalities” within the scope of sustainable development goals. Goal of Shell & Turcas is to make the lives of disabled guests visiting its stations easier and to offer them a barrier-free visit experience with the ‘Barrier-Free Service Areas’ created at its stations in 2017 -a first in its sector. With the ‘Barrier-Free Service Areas’ located at more than 850 stations, disabled guests can receive support from station employees from their shopping in the market to the toilet or they can receive and pay for service without getting out of their vehicles.
Exhibition - Avni Lifij. The Modern of His Time - Sakıp Sabancı Museum
The artistic production of Hüseyin Avni Lifij (1886-1927), who occupies a unique position in the history of Turkish painting, was exhibited at Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM) between the dates of October 15, 2019 and January 12, 2020. Making its debut with a comprehensive collection for the first time in Turkey, “Avni Lifij. The Modern of His Time” exhibition reached an attendance of 60.000 visitors. The exhibition consisted of a selection of approximately 1.000 pieces of artist’s works, covering a wide range of genres such as self-portraits, pochades, landscapes and compositions with figures as well as his articles on politics and culture, art criticism and photographs. In addition to the artworks collected from the public institutions and other collectors, Aksoy Holding also gave support to “Avni Lifij. The Modern of His Time” exhibition by landing more than 500 artworks from the family collection.
HAL - Huseyin Avni Lifij Collection
Restoration, preservation and the exhibition processes of more than 500 oil and charcoal artworks created by Hüseyin Avni Lifij, a valuable Turkish painter of the II. Constitutional Period are managed by Aksoy Holding. Artworks are sent to various exhibitions at domestic and foreign museums.
Women Energy at Shell
Shell & Turcas has provided employment to more than 10,000 women since 2018 with the pioneering movement of the fuel sector, “Women’s Energy at Shell”. Since the day it started with “Women's Energy at Shell”, which was launched as a first in Türkiye in March 2018 to encourage women's employment in the fuel sector, more than 10,000 women have been employed at Shell & Turcas fuel stations. Setting out with the goal of providing employment opportunities for 5,000 women by 2023, Women's Energy at Shell has now become an important part of the operation and has initiated a transformation in the sector.
Shell, which has always adopted the principle of achieving “firsts” in the sector and “inspiring” the sector, has pioneered a transformation and inspired the fuel sector with “Women's Energy at Shell”. With the “Women’s Energy at Shell” initiative launched on March 9, 2018, under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services, in cooperation with İŞKUR, women are encouraged to work in different positions such as station manager, front-line salesperson, market salesperson, shift manager, accounting officer and administrative affairs specialist.
İTÜ (Istanbul Technical University) Alumni Association- Turcas Scholarship Fund
The Turcas Scholarship Fund, established in collaboration with the ITU Alumni Association, has provided monthly educational support to 10 successful students each year since 2017.
Sponsorship for Paralympic Committee of Türkiye
Shell & Turcas has strengthened its commitment to supporting development in sports and barrier-free living by signing a sponsorship agreement with the National Paralympic Committee of Türkiye (TMPK) in 2023. TMPK contributes to social transformation by leading Paralympic athletes to successfully represent Türkiye. With this strong partnership, it is planned to support para athletes in Türkiye and to convey the social impact created to wider audiences.
Plastic Cap Collection Programme
Shell & Turcas carries out a ‘plastic cap collection’ in cooperation with the Spinal Cord Paralytics Association of Türkiye (TOFD). Business partners, guests, and company employees support this programme and the collected plastic caps are donated to TOFD to purchase wheelchairs. The programme actively participated in by lubricant distributors across Türkiye, allows Shell & Turcas’ guests to contribute by bringing the plastic caps they collect to the stations designated as collection points by TOFD.
Erdal Aksoy Archeological Open-Air Site
Archeological finds dating prior to A.C. 7th century were discovered as a result of the rescue excavation and restitution studies carried out with the permission and auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on the Aksoy Holding’s ultra-luxurious complex The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bodrum.
The ruins were unearthed in 2020 by the experts of the Bodrum Underwater Archeology Museum, under the sponsorship of Aksoy Holding, with a meticulous study that lasted 12 months. This area, which contributes to the cultural heritage of our country, has been transformed into an open-air exhibition and named as “Erdal Aksoy Archaeological Open-Air Site”.
Blocks for Hope Project
Turcas Holding is among the institutional supporters of the ‘Blocks for Hope’ project, which was built for earthquake victims on the campus of Mustafa Kemal University in Hatay with the support of the JAV and volunteer businessmen. In the medium term, the project will offer housing, education, psychological support, sports, entrepreneurship support and vocational trainings to citizens affected by the earthquake. In the long term, this project will be used as a dormitory for university students. We will continue to act with a sense of responsibility toward our society & environment and also actively participating in valuable projects.
DEIK City of Life
Turcas Holding has made a container donation to the DEIK Yaşam Kenti project initiated by the Foreign Economic Relations Board in the Elbistan district of Kahramanmaraş after the earthquake that affected 11 provinces on February 6, 2023. This project, consisting of 1,000 containers built to meet the housing needs of our citizens affected by the earthquake, was completed within 3 months. We will continue to contribute to projects that create benefits and develop new initiatives with an awareness of our responsibility towards the society we live in.