What has been the number one challenge that has impacted you over the past year?

The biggest challenge that impacted our sector the most in the past year has concerned the crude oil supply chain. Even though this process had many uncertainties at first due to the commercial and contractual disputes and force majeure claims, it has been successfully managed by our operational and commercial departments thanks to solid legal support as well as other department’s contribution when necessary. As the company’s legal team, we take a proactive role in the processes such as legal opinions and contract management regarding current commercial operations to identify strategies and the causes and effects of disputes to mitigate the challenges and disputes on commercial and contractual matters.

In your opinion, what areas should in-house lawyers focus on over the next few years to prove value to their organisations in Türkiye?

The areas concerned with climate change and sustainability, two of our very sensitive and priority issues, are implemented with the utmost awareness in every field our company operates. It is not only the responsibility of just specific departments of the companies but also the responsibility of all employees as individuals to follow all the innovations made in these fields nowadays. I believe our company will make a difference with each passing day, as it does today, thanks to raising awareness and consciousness of each employee on these issues. As the legal team, we will continue to support all the efforts put into practice. In this direction, for example, we meet a significant part of our electrical energy through our Wind Power Plant. Our group’s Environmental, Social & Governance score is among the highest in the industry. We strive to meet our missing energy needs based on green energy. The innovative technologies we implement, and our digital transformation projects enable us to minimise environmental impact with significant benefits. We carry out many projects within the scope of our social responsibility plans. As a legal team, we provided our company’s investment projects and sponsorship processes with the necessary support.

Could you share an example of a time when you came up with an innovation that improved how your legal team works and did not come at a large expense?

My team and I have supported the implementation of innovative practices and applications for the comfortable execution of litigation and contract processes, especially during the remote working mode. In this respect, we have implemented the aforementioned applications that facilitate the operation of activities of the company. These innovations have enabled us to capture an effective working environment even in the remote working model and facilitated the daily course of business. Moreover, when we consider the benefits of such practices that make business life easier for the company and its operations, one must consider the cost efficiency of the process.