Eczacıbaşı
Corporate brand
UnclaimedTurkish diversified industrial group active in building products, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, natural resources, finance and real estate.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Eczacıbaşı is a Turkish diversified industrial group founded in 1942 by Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı. Its origins lie in the Eczacıbaşı family’s pharmaceutical and professional pharmacy tradition, but the organization developed into a broad portfolio of manufacturing, distribution, investment and social institutions. The group’s principal operating fields are building products, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, consumer products, and natural resources, with additional activities in finance, real estate, information and communications technology, foreign trade, insurance and property management. The group is internationally best known through VitrA, its bathroom and ceramic products brand. VitrA has helped give Eczacıbaşı a global profile in sanitaryware, bathroom furniture, fittings, tiles and related architectural products. The building-products portfolio also includes Artema, burgbad and Villeroy & Boch tile activities, while İntema provides a distribution and retail channel for bathroom and building products. Across the wider portfolio, Eczacıbaşı companies manufacture and distribute pharmaceuticals, radiopharmaceuticals, tissue paper, personal-care products, pest-control products and industrial minerals. Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products, formerly known as İpek Kağıt Tissue Paper, was established in 1969 to manufacture bathroom tissue and encourage broader use of tissue products in Turkey, where they were initially treated as a luxury. Its brands include Selpak, Solo, Silen, Servis, Selin, Egos, Uni Med, Detan, Defans, Premax Unibaby, OK and Selpak Professional. The group’s healthcare operations include Gensenta, Eczacıbaşı Pharmaceuticals Marketing and Eczacıbaşı Monrol Nuclear Products. Esan represents the natural-resources business, including the extraction and export of industrial raw materials such as clay, lead, zinc and feldspar. International expansion has been a central element of the group’s development. Eczacıbaşı has acquired or built operations in several geographic markets, particularly in building products, tissue paper and radiopharmaceuticals. In 2022, markets outside Turkey accounted for 59 percent of total sales. By 2023, the group was described as comprising about 50 companies, with more than 13,500 employees and 40 production plants; combined net turnover was reported at TL 33 billion for that year. These figures describe the group rather than a separately listed consumer-facing corporation. Eczacıbaşı’s identity also extends beyond commercial activity. The Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı Foundation supports medical research, music education, photography and the arts. The group was a founding sponsor of Istanbul Modern and has supported the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts and its festivals. It also operates or supports educational, hygiene and sports initiatives, including school hygiene renovations, primary-school personal-hygiene education, music scholarships and the Eczacıbaşı Sports Club. The club is particularly associated with women’s volleyball through the Eczacıbaşı Dynavit team. The brand therefore functions as both a corporate group identity and a house of businesses. Its public positioning combines industrial scale, Turkish private-enterprise heritage, international design and manufacturing, and long-term cultural and social investment.
History
Eczacıbaşı developed from the pharmaceutical and public-service background of the Eczacıbaşı family. Süleyman Ferit Eczacıbaşı was the first university-trained pharmacist in Izmir and received the title of chief pharmacist in 1909. After Turkey’s Surname Law was introduced in 1934, the family adopted Eczacıbaşı, literally associated with the chief-pharmacist title, as its surname. Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı founded the Eczacıbaşı Group in 1942. His vision extended beyond the manufacture and marketing of medicines. He viewed private enterprise as having a responsibility to contribute to social prosperity, a principle that later became visible in the group’s support for education, scientific research, culture, public health and sport. In 1957, Nejat Eczacıbaşı established the VitrA Ceramic Arts Studio to encourage ceramic artists and public appreciation of ceramics. The initiative connected the emerging industrial group with design and culture and foreshadowed the later international development of VitrA as a building-products brand. In 1959, he created a medical-awards program to recognize and support scientific research in Turkey. The program subsequently developed into the Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı Medical Awards, covering medical science, research projects, student projects, incentives and, later, personalized medicine. The group expanded beyond pharmaceuticals into consumer products in 1969, when İpek Kağıt Tissue Paper was established. Its objective was not only to manufacture bathroom tissue but also to broaden consumer acceptance of tissue products in Turkey. The business later became Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products and built a portfolio covering tissue, hygiene, personal care and household products. Selpak became one of the group’s most visible consumer brands, while the company developed production facilities in the Marmara region and at Manisa. Eczacıbaşı also built a substantial presence in building products. VitrA became the group’s leading international brand in sanitaryware, bathroom products and tiles. The building-products platform later included Eczacıbaşı Building Products, VitrA Tiles, Artema, burgbad, Villeroy & Boch tile activities and İntema. Through these businesses, the group combined manufacturing, design, distribution and project-related market access. Healthcare remained another important pillar. The group’s activities came to include Gensenta, Eczacıbaşı Pharmaceuticals Marketing and Eczacıbaşı Monrol Nuclear Products. The latter expanded the group’s role into radiopharmaceuticals and nuclear medicine products. Alongside healthcare, Esan developed the natural-resources business, producing and exporting industrial materials including clay, lead, zinc and feldspar. During the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Eczacıbaşı broadened its portfolio through international acquisitions, new production plants and export networks. The group established or expanded facilities in building products, tissue paper and radiopharmaceuticals in multiple geographies. By 2022, sales outside Turkey represented 59 percent of total sales. In the same year, the consumer-products division opened a tissue-paper plant in Casablanca, marking a further step into the African market. The Eczacıbaşı identity has historically been reinforced by philanthropic and cultural institutions. The group helped establish Istanbul Modern, Turkey’s first privately funded modern-art museum, and supported the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, including its music, film, theatre and jazz festivals. The Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı Foundation has funded music scholarships for Turkish musicians pursuing graduate study abroad, published photography and arts works, and supported medical research. Education and public-health programs have been another recurring theme. Selpak’s school hygiene education program reached more than six million primary-school students in 60 Turkish cities between 2002 and 2022. A related hygiene project involving VitrA, Artema and Eczacıbaşı Professional renovated bathrooms and showers at 57 regional boarding schools in 42 cities, benefiting nearly 20,000 students. The group has also built and funded primary schools, supported a reproductive-health hotline, and promoted girls’ participation in volleyball through its sports club and youth programs. By 2023, Eczacıbaşı was described as a group of approximately 50 companies employing more than 13,500 people and operating 40 production plants. Its combined activities covered industrial manufacturing, consumer brands, healthcare, minerals, finance, real estate, technology and trade. Rather than being identified with a single product category, Eczacıbaşı operates as a Turkish corporate house whose most internationally prominent consumer and design expression is VitrA.
- 2023
Group scale reported at approximately 50 companies
[1]The group was reported to employ more than 13,500 people and operate 40 production plants across approximately 50 companies.
- 2022
Moroccan tissue plant opens
[1]Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products opened a tissue-paper production plant in Casablanca.
- 2022
Eczacıbaşı Youth Ticket launches
[1]The program offered students low-cost access to events at İKSV festivals and other cultural programming.
- 2018
Eczacıbaşı Sports Club receives IOC Women and Sport World Trophy
[1]The club was recognized for its international women’s volleyball achievements and efforts to broaden girls’ participation in sport.
- 2016
Future Spike youth volleyball program begins
[1]The sports club and ES Volleyball Sports Club launched a program intended to expand girls’ access to volleyball.
- 2000
ALO-OKEY reproductive-health hotline is launched
[1]Eczacıbaşı Pharmaceuticals Marketing established a free round-the-clock hotline with the Family Planning Association of Turkey.
- 1997
Eczacıbaşı Arts Encyclopedia is published
[1]The foundation published a three-volume reference work on international art and architecture, with particular coverage of Anatolian and Turkish history.
- 1973
Support begins for the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts
[1]The group supported the foundation, which organizes major Istanbul music, film, theatre and jazz festivals.
- 1969
İpek Kağıt Tissue Paper is established
[1]The consumer-products business began manufacturing bathroom tissue and promoting wider adoption of tissue products in Turkey.
- 1966
Eczacıbaşı Sports Club is founded
[1]The club was established to introduce young people to sport and help raise the standard of Turkish athletics.
Products and positioning
A Turkish diversified industrial group combining domestic scale, international manufacturing and distribution, design-led building products, healthcare and consumer brands, natural resources, and long-term cultural and social investment.
Building products
VitrA
Eczacıbaşı’s best-known international brand, VitrA covers bathroom and architectural products including sanitaryware, bathroom furniture, fittings, tiles and related ceramic products. It is positioned around design, manufacturing expertise and complete bathroom solutions and has given the wider group a strong international identity in the global bathroom and tile markets.
Bathroom fittings
Artema
Artema is the group’s bathroom-fittings brand, associated with faucets and water-delivery products used in residential, commercial and hospitality settings. It operates within Eczacıbaşı’s building-products platform alongside VitrA and supports the group’s complete-bathroom offering.
Bathroom furniture
burgbad
burgbad is part of Eczacıbaşı’s international building-products portfolio and specializes in bathroom furniture and related furnishing systems. Its presence broadens the group’s offer beyond ceramics and sanitaryware into coordinated bathroom interiors.
Tiles
Villeroy & Boch tile activities
Eczacıbaşı’s building-products operations include V&B Fliesen GmbH, identified with the former tile division of Villeroy & Boch. The business contributes tile manufacturing and distribution capabilities to the group’s international ceramic-products platform.
Tissue and hygiene products
Selpak
Selpak is a leading consumer-facing tissue brand within Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products. Its range is associated with toilet tissue, paper towels, facial tissues and other personal-hygiene formats. The brand also supports school hygiene education initiatives in Turkey.
Tissue products
Solo
Solo is one of the tissue brands in Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products’ portfolio. It forms part of the group’s Turkish and export-oriented consumer-products business, which manufactures and distributes household tissue and hygiene products.
Pharmaceuticals and healthcare
Eczacıbaşı healthcare businesses
The healthcare portfolio includes Gensenta, Eczacıbaşı Pharmaceuticals Marketing and Eczacıbaşı Monrol Nuclear Products. Together, these activities cover pharmaceutical manufacturing or marketing and radiopharmaceuticals and nuclear-medicine products, supported by domestic and international distribution capabilities.
Natural resources
Esan
Esan is Eczacıbaşı’s natural-resources business. It produces and exports industrial raw materials including clay, lead, zinc and feldspar, supplying manufacturing customers in Turkey and international markets.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022Eczacıbaşı Youth Ticket
Turkey
Students were offered tickets priced at 10 Turkish lira for selected cultural events, particularly through İKSV festivals, to reduce barriers to participation in the arts.
Outcome. More than 40,000 tickets were sold across nearly 600 events in 2022; the communication campaign received Felis awards.
- 2016Future Spike
Turkey
Eczacıbaşı Sports Club and ES Volleyball Sports Club created Future Spike to encourage girls aged approximately 6 to 12 to participate in volleyball.
Outcome. Expanded youth access to volleyball and supported the group’s women-in-sport objectives.
- 2007Eczacıbaşı Hygiene Project for Primary Boarding Schools
Turkey
VitrA, Artema and Eczacıbaşı Professional worked with the Turkish Ministry of Education to renovate bathrooms and showers at regional primary boarding schools.
Outcome. Renovated 57 schools in 42 cities and improved hygiene facilities for nearly 20,000 students; the project received several international public-relations and social-responsibility recognitions.
- 2006Support for Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts festivals
Turkey
Eczacıbaşı Holding became the leading sponsor of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts and expanded its support across the Istanbul Music, Film, Theatre and Jazz festivals.
Outcome. Strengthened the group’s long-term cultural sponsorship role in Turkey.
- 2002Selpak Primary-School Personal Hygiene Education
Turkey
Selpak organized personal-hygiene classes for primary-school students across Turkey. Between 2002 and 2022, the program reached more than six million students in 60 cities.
Outcome. Expanded hygiene education among Turkish primary-school students.
Brand decisions
2022
Expand tissue production into MoroccoStrategyBackground
Eczacıbaşı identified international expansion as an important growth path for its consumer-products business.
Action taken
Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products opened a tissue-paper plant in Casablanca.
Aftermath
The investment increased the group’s manufacturing presence in Africa and supported its export-oriented tissue strategy.
2022
Increase youth access to cultural eventsStrategyBackground
The group sought to broaden young people’s access to arts and culture through its relationship with the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts.
Action taken
Eczacıbaşı launched the Youth Ticket project, offering students heavily subsidized tickets.
Aftermath
The project sold more than 40,000 tickets in nearly 600 events during 2022 and received creative and social-responsibility awards.
1969
Enter the tissue-paper marketStrategyBackground
Bathroom tissue was still regarded as a luxury product by many Turkish consumers.
Action taken
The group established İpek Kağıt Tissue Paper to manufacture bathroom tissue and promote wider consumer adoption.
Aftermath
The business became Eczacıbaşı Consumer Products and developed into a major Turkish tissue and hygiene-products producer.
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