Sevket Basev is 38-years old and chief executive and a founding partner of Istanbul-based 3 Seas Capital Partners, an independent corporate finance boutique that specializes in mergers and acquisitions.
Back in 2003 the then 28-year old and three other partners founded the firm to capitalize on what they saw as a golden opportunity to provide independent, specialist M&A advice to mid to large-cap companies in Turkey.
At that time the Turkish M&A market was noticeable only by the absence of deals, but Basev and his partners were convinced their business idea was a good one and that sooner or later deal-making activity would blossom.
After a few barren years when they made little – their first client was Basev’s father and first deal was the disposal of the family business, which made folding doors – their bet has since paid off.
Today, the Turkish M&A market is noticeable by the proliferation of deal-making activity and 3 Seas Capital is the leading adviser in the country by number of deals, a ranking the firm has sustained since 2008.
Indeed, last year alone Ernst & Young estimates that a record 315 M&A deals worth a combined $30 billion were completed in Turkey, making the country one of the few to buck the downward trend.