Did you know that when someone asks, “Where is the geographical center of the earth?” the correct answer is “Türkiye”? You read it right! My name is Aslı Öncü and I am writing to you from “Türkiye— the center of the earth.”

In addition to its geopolitical strategic importance as a link between Asia and Europe, Türkiye has for centuries hosted a variety of civilizations such as the Hittites, Lydians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. Countless heritage and historical artefacts from these civilizations have made Türkiye an important tourist destination. As a multilingual society where people of many races and religions all live together, Türkiye is also a country with a lot of potential. Furthermore, it is a land that has produced renowned leaders. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic whom we will always remember with unbounded love, respect and longing, is an example to the whole world with his motto “Peace at home, peace in the world.”

MUFG Turkey as a financial, social and cultural bridge

The country’s biggest and most dynamic city is the extremely cosmopolitan Istanbul, where MUFG Turkey is also located. With 80 employees, our bank is one of the oldest Japanese institutions operating in Türkiye. The first representative office was established in 1986 under the name of “Bank of Tokyo.” After obtaining all necessary approvals, MUFG Turkey opened its doors for business in 2013. The year 2023 thus happily coincides with both the 100^th anniversary of the Turkish Republic and the 10^th anniversary of our bank. We are excited and proud to celebrate both events with great enthusiasm.

Amid a compelling yet fragile business environment, we do our best to cope with all challenges and enhance our resilience. Being guided by the Mitsubishi Group’s corporate DNA encompassing “integrity & fairness” and “global understanding through business,” we put tremendous efforts into efficiency.

MUFG Explorers—A dedicated team for “Shoki Hoko” (CSR)

Outside of work, we have set up an informal team of volunteers named the “MUFG Explorers” to strengthen the social and cultural engagement of ourselves and our colleagues. We also focus on CSR to contribute to the target of “giving back to society” and have signed a three-year partnership agreement with the Parıltı Association, which aims to provide social and educational support to children with visual impairments. As part of the partnership, we have developed various projects:

1) A children’s book called Pen Pals, written by myself, was launched in 2022. All proceeds of sales are donated to Parıltı. Book promotion activities continue to take place in various primary schools and open bazaars during festivals.

2) We participated in the Istanbul Marathon and ran for Parıltı to create awareness and collect donations.

3) We organized a New Year party for Parıltı children at their rehabilitation center. Presents were given and a rhythm workshop was held. Our team spent an enjoyable time together with the Parıltı kids.

Just as Istanbul straddles two continents and MUFG Turkey envisages “building financial bridges between Japan and Türkiye,” the MUFG Explorers act as a bridge that links our bank to the community.

A bit about myself

A happy and proud employee, I have been working as an officer/executive assistant at MUFG Turkey since September 2016. I am also a board member of the Executive Assistants’ Association in Türkiye. Besides work, as the mother of a nine-year-old son, I love spending time in nature, mostly trekking and camping. Marbling, writing and traveling are my other hobbies that I could never give up.