By Cinzia Rizzi
Published on
From Sabancı's Yoko Ono exhibition to İstanbul Modern's Renzo Piano building, Turkish conglomerates are investing heavily in culture to boost the city's global appeal.
Türkiye's biggest business groups are shaping İstanbul's cultural identity, and its international pull.
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The Sabancı Museum's Yoko Ono exhibition, developed with Spain's MUSAC and Akbank, is drawing global art attention, while Eczacıbaşı-backed İstanbul Modern reopened in 2023 in a Renzo Piano building.
The Koç family's industrial museum, meanwhile, has won European recognition since 1996.
Nearly 64 million visitors came to Türkiye in 2025, generating $65 billion in tourism revenue, with culture cited as a key draw. As TAV Airports' Franck Mereyde notes, understanding culture is increasingly central to doing business in Türkiye.