BTSO Arbitration and Mediation Center (BTSOTAM), which operates within the body of Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) and is the first arbitration and mediation center established between chambers and commodity exchanges in Türkiye, will continue its activities with a new structure that will be more effective in the field of arbitration and respond more strongly to the needs of the business world. At the consultation meeting, where the new term vision of the center was discussed, evaluations were made regarding accelerating arbitration processes, strengthening the expert arbitrator structure and moving the center to a more effective position on a national and international scale.
Bursa Governor Erol Ayyıldız, former Deputy Minister of Justice Zekeriya Birkan, BTSO Chairman of the Board of Directors İbrahim Burkay, Bursa Chief Public Prosecutor Mustafa Çelenk and representatives of the judicial community attended the meeting held at BTSO Arbitration and Mediation Center. At the meeting, new applications that will provide faster, reliable and effective dispute resolution services to the business world by increasing the institutional capacity of the center in the field of arbitration were discussed.
"We will provide stronger support to the needs of our business world"
Stating that they established the BTSO Arbitration and Mediation Center in 2015 for the first time among the chambers and stock exchanges in Türkiye, President Burkay said, "Thanks to this center, our members had the opportunity to resolve their disputes in a much shorter time, with a more constructive and more conciliatory approach than the court processes. Today, we are taking this knowledge to a new stage. We are making the arbitration dimension of the BTSO Arbitration and Mediation Center more functional and in a structure that will respond more strongly to the needs of our business world. In our civilization Trade was considered together with morality, profit with responsibility, and competition with equity. One of the best examples of this understanding was the Akhism, where the arbitration committees resolved commercial disputes based on consent, by masters who were distinguished by their expertise and honesty. As time progressed, this tradition remained intact. The "Yiğitbaşı" and "Boards of Elders" in the guilds acted as referees in disputes. "During the Ottoman period, this structure was placed on a legal basis and crowned with Mecelle. Our Arbitration Center is the last and brightest link of this magnificent chain extending from Akhism to guilds, from Mecelle to today's modern law. In other words, arbitration, which is presented as a modern concept in the world today, is not something we are foreign to, it is our own Ahi tradition." he said.
"We aim to create a strong and effective center for Bursa's business world"
President Burkay said that with the new structure established within BTSOTAM, they aim to resolve members' disputes faster, expert-oriented and on a basis that protects commercial reputation. Stating that arbitration is resolved by experts who know the industry dynamics and in accordance with the speed of trade, Burkay said, "Arbitration is also of great importance in terms of protecting trade secrets, company reputation and business relations. In a city with high production, export and industrial power like Bursa, effective resolution of disputes is of critical importance for the continuity of economic life. Our goal is to direct the energy of our businesses to production, investment, exports and employment instead of wasting them on disputes. In this regard, BTSOTAM arbitrates the commercial contracts of our business world." "We attach importance to the addition of this condition. Thus, our companies will have a faster, predictable and institutional solution mechanism and will be protected from the time loss and costs caused by long judicial processes. As BTSO, we aim to create a strong and effective center for the Bursa business world by combining the compromise culture we have acquired from tradition with the modern arbitration system, and we plan to organize arbitration workshops at Bursa Business School and training and accreditation programs at our center together with our ministries." he said.
Stating that his view of the arbitration and mediation system has undergone a great transformation over time, former Deputy Minister of Justice Zekeriya Birkan said, "I was one of those who opposed these practices for a while. However, after taking part in the process and seeing their contribution to practice closely, I saw that arbitration and mediation are indispensable, especially in terms of resolving commercial disputes quickly, effectively and with an understanding that protects social peace. Today, our goal is to make BTSO Arbitration and Mediation Center a fast, transparent and solution-oriented center that the business world can apply with confidence. In this direction, "We are creating an accredited company system, a strong Arbitration Tribunal, and a pool of expert arbitrators. Our aim is to prevent companies from losing time and value due to years of judicial processes, and to contribute to the sustainability and uninterrupted continuity of companies into the future by preventing family companies and partnership structures from being worn down by long-lasting legal disputes. We want to enable businesses to focus on production, investment and growth." he said.
"We aim to make Bursa an exemplary center in this field"
Stating that their goal is not only to resolve disputes in Bursa, but also to create a trusted arbitration center on a national and international scale, Birkan said, "Today, we see commercial disputes worth billions of dollars being resolved abroad. We aim to make Bursa an exemplary center in this field, with a strong institutional structure, qualified arbitrator staff and a reliable system, and to make significant contributions to the legal knowledge and commercial life of our country. For us, the most important outcome of arbitration and mediation is not only to resolve disputes. Our main goal is to strengthen the culture of reconciliation by preserving the relations of the parties, to strengthen the culture of reconciliation for a long time." and to contribute to both the business world and social peace by producing fast, fair and permanent solutions instead of exhausting litigation processes." he said.
Bursa Governor Erol Ayyıldız said that arbitration and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms are not new concepts for the legal system. Stating that traces of this understanding can be seen at the basis of many regulations, Governor Ayyıldız said, "The important thing is to develop this accumulation in accordance with today's needs and transform it into a structure that can meet the expectations of commercial life. It is of great importance that disputes can be resolved with fast, predictable and trustworthy processes, especially in order to strengthen the investment environment. The business world expects not only fair decisions but also a legal system that understands the dynamics of commercial life and minimizes loss of time. Strengthening arbitration and mediation mechanisms with this understanding will both increase investor confidence and increase commercial life." "I believe that this approach will contribute to the continuation of activities without interruption. It will be an important element that supports the competitiveness of our country for both domestic and foreign investors." he said. - BURSA