GLS expands into Türkiye through strategic joint venture

GLS expands into Türkiye through strategic joint venture

GLS announces the establishment of GLS Türkiye, a new joint venture that marks the company’s entry into one of Europe’s fastest-growing parcel markets.

• GLS establishes joint venture in Türkiye, marking the European parcel provider’s entry into the Turkish market.
• Özgür F. Kut appointed CEO of GLS Türkiye, with GLS partnering with Turkish logistics investors led by Aslan Kut, who played a defining role in building Türkiye’s parcel delivery industry.
• The company expects to begin operations by the end of 2026.

Amsterdam, July 1, 2026 — GLS, a leading parcel company with a presence in Europe and North America, today announced the establishment of GLS Türkiye, a new joint venture that marks the company’s entry into one of Europe’s fastest-growing parcel markets.

The new company will be led by Özgür F. Kut as CEO. Joining GLS in the venture is a group of Turkish logistics investors led by Aslan Kut, who played a defining role in the establishment of multiple leading parcel delivery companies in Türkiye and later co-founded and scaled one of the country’s most prominent parcel operators. The investor group also includes Turgut Erkeskin, former president of FIATA, the global federation of freight forwarders, and Şerafettin Aras, current chairman of the board of UND, a leading transport association in Türkiye. The partnership combines GLS’ Pan-European and North American network, brand and expertise with deep Turkish market knowledge from several senior executives within the logistics and distribution market.

“Türkiye is a strategically important extension of our European network and represents a key cross-continental gateway into Asia. We’ve seen strong cross-border parcel flows between Türkiye and Europe for years, and establishing a local presence allows us to serve those connections more effectively. This joint venture gives us the local market expertise we need while providing access to GLS’ global network as well as operational excellence, premium services and a strong brand to Turkish customers and businesses,” said Dr. Karl Pfaff, CEO of GLS Group. “We are happy and honoured to have such an excellent team of Turkish entrepreneurs at our side.”

“Turkish businesses and consumers deserve a parcel provider that combines international operational excellence with genuine local knowledge. Our team brings deep experience in the Turkish logistics market, and we’re focused on building operations tailored to local needs while delivering the reliability and service quality that GLS is known for across Europe,” said Özgür F. Kut, CEO of GLS Türkiye.

“In recent months, we have worked very closely with Aslan, Özgür and Turgut to develop a business concept. Today, we founded GLS Türkiye and now very much look forward to bringing our ideas and vision to life,” said Saadi Al-Soudani, Group Chief International Officer of IDS.

GLS Türkiye will operate under the GLS brand, combining the company’s proven European parcel delivery expertise with deep local market knowledge. The venture establishes GLS in one of Europe’s fastest-growing parcel logistics markets and extends the company’s network to serve businesses and consumers across Türkiye.

The company expects to begin operations by the end of 2026.

About GLS Group

GLS Group is one of Europe’s largest parcel service providers, with a network spanning more than 40 countries and nation states across the continent, Canada and the US. With about 115 hubs and over 1,700 depots, GLS delivers the scale, resilience and local depth that businesses depend on—and the reliability and convenience that millions of consumers expect every day. GLS is actively raising the bar on customer experience, operational and commercial excellence, while investing in the areas that define logistics today and tomorrow, including out-of-home delivery and AI-enabled operations. From global parcel shipping to fulfilment and freight, GLS continues to build the capabilities and partnerships that let its customers grow beyond borders. In 2025/26, GLS generated record revenues of €6 billion and delivered 977 million parcels.