Doğan Holding becomes new distributor of Japan’s Suzuki

Emre Özpeynirci - FRANKFURT

Turkey’s Doğan Holding has become a new distributor of Japan’s Suzuki’s car, sea vehicle and motorbike brands. 

A new subsidiary of Doğan Holding, Suzuki Motor Vehicles Marketing Co, will run the sale and after-sale operations of Suzuki brands. Suzuki had previously been represented in Turkey by Haco Group. 

Doğan Holding CEO Yahya Üzdiyen became the new company’s chairman and Chief Financial Officer Ahmet Toksoy became the new company’s vice president. 

Üzdiyen and Engin Kubilay, the new company’s general manager, met press members in the Frankfurt Fair for the first time in their new positions after the approval of the transaction by the competition board. 

“Suzuki has a good image and will rise in Turkey again. Our prior target in car sales was to acquire 1 percent of the market. We aim to increase this share to 2 percent in a short time,” said Üzdiyen. 

He noted the company’s management has already taken action to make new dealership deals. 

“We’ll review our position in 22 Suzuki dealers. There will be some cancelations in contracts for the sake of new ones. We are ambitious not only in car sales, but also in motorbike and seas vehicle sales. Suzuki has a 25 percent share in the world’s motorbike market. We see big potentials in this area in Turkey as well,” said Üzdiyen. 

He noted the new Suzuki Vitara will be launched in Turkey by the beginning of 2016. “Baleno, which has first launched in Frankfurt, will be for sale in the first half of 2016,” he added.