Mapa Group

Mapa Group is a Turkish diversified conglomerate controlled by its founder, Mehmet Nazif Günal. The group originated in construction and developed from Günal Construction, established in 1976, and Mapa Construction, established in 1978. Those businesses were consolidated as a joint-stock company in 1983. Construction has remained central to the group’s identity, with early major projects including the Afşin Elbistan Power Plant, the Kralkızı Dam, and the Hilton Izmir. Over time, the group expanded beyond contracting into aviation, tourism, media, financial services, and mining. The group entered air cargo in 1996 through the creation of MNG Airlines. It moved into tourism in 1999, building a portfolio that included hotels, travel-related services, ticketing, and meetings and events operations. Its tourism projects in Antalya included a recreation of Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace and the Kremlin Palace Hotel, a resort complex designed around reconstructions of Russian architectural landmarks. The group also established a media presence through MNG Media Group, which launched TV8 in 1999. TV8 was later sold in 2013 to Acun Ilıcalı and the Doğuş Group. Mapa’s construction activities have included airport and infrastructure work in Turkey and abroad. The group won the tender to construct the new Istanbul Airport in 2013 and completed the Heydar Aliyev International Airport terminal project in Azerbaijan in 2014. In Ghana, Mapa Construction completed a new terminal at Accra International Airport in 2018. It has also been associated with construction of the Stade Abdelkader Khalef stadium in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria. The group has also operated through financial and investment businesses. Its securities brokerage arm, MNG Securities, was acquired by Lehman Brothers in 2007. Other listed group activities include factoring and investment services. In mining, the group has been associated with Avesoro Resources and its operating subsidiaries in West Africa. The organization was formerly known as MNG Group of Companies and MNG Şirketler Grubu Holding A.Ş. In 2020, it changed its group name to Mapa Group. Public reporting about the group has included environmental criticism connected with hydroelectric dams and the development of Istanbul Airport, as well as controversies involving mining operations in Liberia and Burkina Faso. MNG Jet was also connected to the 2019 escape of Nissan executive Carlos Ghosn through Istanbul after an employee admitted falsifying passenger records. The company said it filed a criminal complaint against that employee. Mapa Group’s business profile is therefore that of a founder-controlled, project-oriented conglomerate whose original construction platform supports a broad portfolio of infrastructure, hospitality, transportation, financial, media, and resource-related activities. Publicly available reference material does not establish a complete current corporate structure, a consolidated financial profile, or a definitive list of all operating subsidiaries.

Mapa Group began with Günal Construction, founded by Mehmet Nazif Günal in 1976. Mapa Construction followed in 1978, and the businesses became a joint-stock company in 1983. The group's initial growth was based on major construction and infrastructure contracts. Its early landmark projects included the Afşin Elbistan Power Plant, completed in 1982, the Kralkızı Dam in 1984, and the Hilton Izmir, completed in 1992. The business diversified during the 1990s. In 1996 it entered air cargo with MNG Airlines, and in 1999 it expanded into tourism. The same year, MNG Media Group launched TV8, creating an additional consumer-facing media operation. Tourism development included large themed hotel projects in Antalya. A recreation of Topkapı Palace was completed as a beach resort in 2000, followed by the Kremlin Palace Hotel in 2003, incorporating reconstructions inspired by St. Basil's Cathedral and the Moscow Kremlin. Construction remained a major platform while the group broadened its geographic reach. In 2007, Lehman Brothers purchased MNG Securities, the group's equity-securities brokerage business. In 2013, the group won the tender to construct the new Istanbul Airport. That year also saw the sale of TV8 to Acun Ilıcalı and the Doğuş Group. The airport project became one of the group's most prominent Turkish infrastructure engagements and also generated environmental criticism. International airport work continued with the completion of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport project in Azerbaijan in 2014. Mapa Construction later completed a new terminal at Accra International Airport in Ghana in 2018 and was involved in construction of the Stade Abdelkader Khalef stadium in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria. The group's portfolio has included tourism companies such as MNG Turizm, MNG Bilet, MNG Mice, and WOW Hotels; aviation businesses including MNG Airlines and MNG Jet; financial companies such as MNG Faktoring and MNG Investment; construction-related companies including Günal Construction, Mapa Construction, MNG Esmaş, MNG Tesisat, MNG Targem, and MNG Zemtaş; and mining interests associated with Avesoro Resources. Several controversies have affected the public profile of the broader group and associated companies. Environmental objections concerned hydroelectric dams and Istanbul Airport construction. In 2017, a tailings-storage failure at MNG Gold Liberia's Kokoya mine released chemically contaminated material, according to reporting summarized in the reference article. In 2019, a fatal shooting involving a security guard at the Youga Gold Mine in Burkina Faso was followed by local unrest. MNG Jet was also drawn into the investigation of Carlos Ghosn's escape from Japan after an employee admitted falsifying flight records; the company reported the employee to authorities. In 2020, the former MNG Group of Companies changed its name to Mapa Group. The available reference material identifies Mehmet Nazif Günal as founder and owner, but does not provide a sufficiently complete account of current executives, consolidated finances, headquarters, or the present status of every subsidiary.

• 2020

  MNG Group becomes Mapa Group

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The MNG Group of Companies adopts the Mapa Group name.

• 2018

  Accra International Airport terminal is completed

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Mapa Construction completes a new terminal at Accra International Airport in Ghana.

• 2014

  Heydar Aliyev International Airport project is completed

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  MNG completes construction of the airport project in Azerbaijan.

• 2013

  Istanbul Airport construction tender is won

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group wins the tender to construct the new Istanbul Airport.

• 2013

  TV8 is sold

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  TV8 is sold to Acun Ilıcalı and the Doğuş Group.

• 2007

  MNG Securities is acquired by Lehman Brothers

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Lehman Brothers purchases the group's securities-brokerage arm, MNG Securities.

• 2003

  Kremlin Palace Hotel is completed

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The Antalya resort project known as the Kremlin Palace Hotel is completed.

• 2000

  Topkapı Palace-themed resort opens

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  A beach resort recreating Istanbul's Topkapı Palace is completed in Antalya.

• 1999

  Expansion into tourism and television

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group expands into tourism and launches TV8 through MNG Media Group.

• 1996

  MNG Airlines is created

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group enters air cargo and air transportation through MNG Airlines.

• 1992

  Hilton Izmir is constructed

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group completes construction of the Hilton Izmir.

• 1984

  Kralkızı Dam is completed

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group completes the Kralkızı Dam project.

• 1983

  Businesses become a joint-stock company

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The principal construction businesses are organized as a joint-stock company.

• 1982

  Afşin Elbistan Power Plant project is completed

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The group completes one of its first major large-scale construction projects.

• 1978

  Mapa Construction is established

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Mapa Construction is founded, expanding the group's construction base.

• 1976

  Günal Construction is founded

  [1]Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Mehmet Nazif Günal establishes Günal Construction, the first company in the future group.

A Turkish founder-controlled conglomerate built around construction and infrastructure, with diversification into tourism, aviation, finance, media, and mining.

• Construction · 1976

  Construction and infrastructure services

  The group's original and most prominent business area includes large civil-engineering, infrastructure, airport, terminal, stadium, power, dam, and hotel-construction projects. Mapa Construction and related companies have operated in Turkey and international markets including Azerbaijan, Ghana, and Algeria.

• Air transportation · 1996

  MNG Airlines

  MNG Airlines was created in 1996 as the group's air-cargo business. It represents the group's expansion from construction into aviation and logistics.

• Private aviation

  MNG Jet

  MNG Jet is the group's Turkish private-jet operator. It became publicly associated with the investigation into the 2019 escape of Carlos Ghosn after an employee admitted falsifying passenger records.

• Tourism and hospitality

  WOW Hotels

  WOW Hotels formed part of the group's tourism portfolio. The group's Antalya developments included highly themed resorts based on reconstructions of Topkapı Palace and Kremlin-related architecture.

• Travel services

  MNG Turizm, MNG Bilet, and MNG Mice

  These businesses represented travel, ticketing, and meetings, incentives, conferences, and events activities within the group's tourism division.

• Finance

  Financial services

  The group has included MNG Faktoring and MNG Investment, alongside the former MNG Securities brokerage operation. MNG Securities was sold to Lehman Brothers in 2007.

• Mining

  Mining operations

  The group has been associated with Avesoro Resources and gold-mining operations in West Africa, including the Kokoya mine in Liberia and the Youga Gold Mine in Burkina Faso.

• 2020

  MNG Jet records and the Carlos Ghosn escape

  An MNG Jet employee admitted falsifying passenger records in connection with flights used in Carlos Ghosn's escape from Japan. MNG filed a criminal complaint, while Turkish authorities charged seven people accused of helping him reach Lebanon via Istanbul.

  Source

• 2019

  Fatal incident at the Youga Gold Mine

  A security guard associated with Avesoro Resources killed a man illegally panning for gold at the Youga Gold Mine in Burkina Faso. The incident was followed by riots and attacks on mining facilities.

  Source

• 2019

  Environmental criticism of Istanbul Airport development

  The Istanbul Airport project drew criticism over environmental impacts, including reported removal of approximately 660,000 trees during construction.

  Source

• 2017

  Kokoya mine tailings-storage failure

  A tailings-storage facility at the Kokoya mine in Liberia failed, releasing an estimated three million gallons of toxic material, including substances identified in the reference material as cyanide, mercury, and lead. A Liberian Senate report warned of long-term risks to the surrounding environment and communities.

  Source

• 2015

  Controversy over the TV8 sale

  Turkish media alleged that the sale of TV8 had been requested by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The allegation became part of the political controversy surrounding the disposal of the broadcaster.

  Source

Read more

• 2020

  Rename the group as Mapa GroupStrategy

  Background

  The conglomerate had previously operated under the MNG Group of Companies name.

  Action taken

  The MNG Group of Companies changed its name to Mapa Group.

  Aftermath

  Mapa Group became the public-facing name of the founder-controlled conglomerate.

  Source

• 2013

  Win Istanbul Airport construction tenderProduct launch

  Background

  The Turkish government pursued development of a new major airport serving Istanbul.

  Action taken

  The group won the tender to construct the new Istanbul Airport.

  Aftermath

  The project became a significant infrastructure engagement and generated environmental criticism during development.

  Source

• 2013

  Sell TV8M&A

  Background

  MNG Media Group had operated TV8 since its launch in 1999.

  Action taken

  TV8 was sold to Acun Ilıcalı and the Doğuş Group.

  Aftermath

  The sale ended the group's direct ownership of the broadcaster and later became the subject of political allegations in Turkish media.

  Source

• 2007

  Sell MNG Securities to Lehman BrothersM&A

  Background

  The group operated a securities-brokerage business as part of its financial-services portfolio.

  Action taken

  Lehman Brothers purchased MNG Securities.

  Aftermath

  The transaction transferred the brokerage arm out of the group; the available reference does not provide transaction terms.

  Source

• 1999

  Diversify into tourism and mediaStrategy

  Background

  The group expanded its portfolio beyond construction and aviation into consumer-facing businesses.

  Action taken

  It entered tourism and launched TV8 through MNG Media Group.

  Aftermath

  The group developed themed hotel projects in Antalya and later sold TV8 in 2013.

  Source

• 1996

  Enter air cargoStrategy

  Background

  After developing its construction base, the group sought diversification into transportation and logistics.

  Action taken

  It created MNG Airlines and entered air-cargo operations.

  Aftermath

  The move established aviation as one of the group's major non-construction activities and was later complemented by MNG Jet.

  Source

1. 1Mapa Groupen.wikipedia.org