Nurten Öztürk, a founding member of the OPET Board of Directors, has been recognized not only in Turkey but also on international platforms for her work in social responsibility and sustainability. She received two awards at the Stevies International Business Awards (IBA). Öztürk is the only individual to receive the Gold Stevie® award in the “Sustainability Hero of the Year – in Europe” category, directly impacting the lives of over 20 million people through her conscious community projects. Additionally, she was awarded the Silver Stevie® award in the “Woman of the Year” category.

The 2024 International Business Awards (IBA) ceremony took place on October 11 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Istanbul. Nurten Öztürk, the leader of the “OPET Conscious Community Projects,” which have each become a brand in their field, expressed her honor and pride in receiving the award at the ceremony, stating:

“First and foremost, I believe that this country and its people deserve the best. As an individual, I feel a duty and responsibility to my country and to those who value us. By considering the needs of our country, we serve as an example to society with our stable social responsibility projects, creating impact and inspiring courage. Although we are a commercial enterprise, we have never thought commercially in any of our undertakings. All the social responsibility projects we have signed are aimed at embracing society, solving needs, and making people’s lives easier, focusing on the past, present, and future, and we have reached over 20 million people to date. I would like to thank the valuable jury members who recognized my efforts and honored me with this award.”

Under the leadership of Nurten Öztürk, OPET has implemented numerous projects across Turkey, including the “Clean Toilet Campaign, Green Road Project, Sample Village Project, Respect for History Project, Troy Archeo-village Tevfikiye Project, Troy Ethno-village Çıplak Project, Traffic Detectives Project, Women’s Empowerment Project, Our Business is Clean Project, Respect for Nature Project, and Clean Tomorrow Starts from Schools Projects.” Due to the added value and intensive efforts these initiatives have created, Öztürk was recognized with an award. The jury members noted in their evaluation:

“Nurten Öztürk exhibits an extraordinary blend of entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to social responsibility, and pioneering efforts in the fuel sector. Her story, from a teaching career to establishing one of Turkey’s most valuable companies, along with the projects she leads, has demonstrated significant social impact. Öztürk has been a driving force behind numerous impactful social responsibility projects in Turkey. Her leadership and commitment to social improvement have led to significant transformations in the fuel sector and beyond. Öztürk’s Clean Toilet Campaign, Traffic Detectives, and sustainability initiatives highlight her dedication to improving public health, safety, and environmental sustainability. As a strong leader promoting women’s participation in the workforce in Turkey, Öztürk plays a crucial role in boosting the courage of Turkish women and ensuring greater representation in business by sharing her experiences and life story across various platforms.”

In 2022, Öztürk became the first Turkish recipient of the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award,’ ‘Woman of the Year,’ and ‘Manager of the Year in the Energy Sector’ at the Stevie International Business Awards (IBA). She also received the ‘Social Change Creator of the Year’ award at the Stevie Women In Business Awards, as well as the ‘Visionary Woman Leader of the Year’ at the Globee Awards Business Excellence Awards. Öztürk was also honored at the Globee Awards Women World Awards, winning in the categories of ‘Successful Woman Role Model in Business’ and ‘Woman of the Year (Europe, Middle East, and Africa).’

The International Business Awards (IBA)

The International Business Awards (IBA) is the most well-known of the nine award programs organized by the Stevie Awards, which specializes in award organizations. Now in its 21st year, the IBA award program highlights successful companies, projects, products, and professionals in the business world across numerous categories. This year, there were 16 main categories and over 600 subcategories in the IBA award program, featuring international successful projects. The program received more than 3,800 applications from 62 different countries this year. The winners are determined by jury scores, with over 300 international jurors participating in the award program.