‘A Tale of Two Cities’ and an Entrepreneur: Reading Vehbi Koç’s Entrepreneurship in the Ankara-Istanbul Duality

Abstract

This study aims to explore Vehbi Koç’s years as a businessman in Ankara, which took over the position of political and economic centre from Istanbul with the proclamation of the Republic, and his entrepreneurial adventure oscillating between Ankara and Istanbul. As an entrepreneur who saw opportunities, Vehbi Koç’s development of his economic activities and his transition from a tradesman to a merchant played an important role in Ankara’s taking over the title of capital from Istanbul; however, Koç gradually shifted his business from Ankara to Istanbul, which began to lose its economic centrality after the economic depression of 1929. In this context, this study aims to reveal the untouched and unexamined aspects of Vehbi Koç’s entrepreneurial journey between the two cities by focusing on the various activities of Vehbi Koç, who started his entrepreneurial activities in Ankara and moved to Istanbul to pursue new ventures by taking advantage of the opportunities offered by this city through the Ankara-Istanbul dichotomy, which became especially evident with the proclamation of the Republic and Ankara’s becoming the new capital. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.