The Half-Century History of Car Rental in Turkey

Avis Turkey, Turkey's first corporate car rental brand, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Continuing to grow under the Otokoç Otomotiv umbrella, the company stands out for its service quality, customer satisfaction, and international success during its half-century journey that has shaped the development of the sector.

Avis Turkey has been honored with the "Franchisee of the Year" award four times and has maintained its global lead in the Avis Budget Group NPS Customer Experience metric for 16 consecutive years. The story, which began in 1974 with a fleet of nine vehicles, continues today with Turkey's largest fleet and most extensive rental network.

Special 50th Anniversary Events and Global Gathering

The company marked an important milestone both in Turkey and globally with the events it organized for its 50th anniversary. In 2025, the Avis Budget Group Global Licensees Conference was held for the first time in Turkey, hosted by Avis Turkey. The “50th Anniversary Night” event, held at Divan Kuruçeşme, brought together guests from nearly 180 countries to celebrate the brand's half-century history with a special experience.

The event featured:

• a time tunnel area,

• visual presentations prepared from the brand archive,

• a technology-focused promotional film,

• and special 50th anniversary performances.

In addition, a special documentary film chronicling the brand's evolution from past to present was screened for the first time.

Customer Campaign: 50% Discount for the 50th Anniversary

Avis Turkey launched a special campaign to celebrate half a century with its customers. Those who rented for 4 days or more between August 19 and 26 benefited from a 50% discount valid until the end of the year. The special image film, created with artificial intelligence technology and released with the message “We've Been Here for Half a Century, We're Always Ready for Tomorrow,” attracted attention on social media channels.

Otokoç Otomotiv's Vision: “We are leading the transformation in vehicle rental.”

Otokoç Otomotiv Company Leader İnan Ekici stated that Avis Turkey's 50th anniversary signals a new beginning:

"Avis Turkey, which started modestly in 1974, is now the leader in the industry. Its integration into Otokoç Otomotiv in 2005 was a critical turning point that strengthened the synergy between automotive retail and car rental. Today, we manage a modern fleet of approximately 120,000 vehicles across 9 countries. We are also at the top of the industry in terms of service quality and customer satisfaction." Ekici emphasized that the 16-year global customer experience leadership is also a success story originating from Turkey.

“A true story of renewal and success”

Mert Atılgan, Head of Otokoç Automotive Rental and Used Car Division, assessed Avis Turkey's 50-year journey as follows:

"Hosting this year's Avis Budget Group Global Conference once again demonstrated the brand's international strength. It was a great honor for us to welcome our stakeholders from 180 countries to Istanbul. The 50th anniversary is a result of Avis Turkey's innovative approach and strong team spirit."

Avis Turkey's 50-Year Milestones (Summary)

• 1974: Founded with a fleet of 9 vehicles

• 1980: First fleet rental delivery

• 1985: Chauffeur-driven rental service launched

• 1988: Selected as “Licensee of the Year” for the first time

• 2005: Joined the Otokoç Otomotiv umbrella

• 2007: Budget brand incorporated

• 2018: Operates in 9 countries with investment in Greece

• 2019: Selected as “Licensee of the Year” for the 4th time

• 2024: NPS world leader for the 16th time

• 2025: Nearly 120,000 vehicles, 9 countries, 210 locations – Avis Budget Group's largest licensee