A major international gathering on Islamic finance opened in Istanbul on Wednesday, with policymakers, investors, and academics converging to advance the sector’s global footprint and Türkiye’s role within it.
The 3rd Global Islamic Economy Summit, held under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency and organised as part of the Albaraka Summit Series, is taking place at Halkbank’s headquarters in the Istanbul Financial Centre.
Speaking on the second day of the summit, Salim Arda Ermut, CEO of the Türkiye Wealth Fund, said Istanbul represents a strategic hub for long-term financial transformation and highlighted the rapid development of the Istanbul Financial Centre, which now hosts nearly 20,000 people and key regulatory institutions.
Istanbul Financial Centre gains momentum
Ermut pointed to new services such as the “One-Stop Office,” designed to streamline investment procedures and attract international capital.
He also emphasised that Islamic finance is increasingly central to Türkiye’s long-term strategy, citing recent transactions by the Wealth Fund as evidence of growing institutional commitment.
Officials at the summit said Islamic finance offers an alternative model focused on productive investment, entrepreneurship, and social welfare, rather than short-term speculation.
Ahmet Burak Daglioglu, head of the Turkish Presidency’s Investment and Finance Office, said Türkiye has expanded outreach to Gulf countries, the UK, Malaysia and Indonesia in an effort to integrate domestic Islamic finance tools with global markets.
He added that work is under way to expand sukuk issuance (an Islamic certificate forbidding charging or paying of interest), boost access to Islamic financial instruments, and increase trade within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation through a dedicated task force.
Daglioglu also outlined plans for a digital data platform connecting development banks and capital markets, alongside a new incentive framework supporting private funds in Türkiye.
Organisers said the summit reflects a broader ambition to position Türkiye as a leading global hub for Islamic finance innovation and investment.
