ISTOÇ

Istanbul Wholesalers Market, more commonly known as ISTOÇ Trade Center, is a cooperative formed by wholesale merchants from various professions located in Tahtakale, Kantarcılar, Mercan, Yeşildirek, Küçükpazar, Süleymaniye, Sirkeci, Cağaloğlu and Beyazıt in the Eminönü district. Wholesale merchants, due to increasingly congested traffic within Istanbul, unhealthy workplace conditions, narrow streets, warehousing, transportation and similar problems, have wanted to leave the Eminönü area and open a wholesale market in one of Istanbul’s outer districts.

It was founded in 1979 by 52 members and settled on its current site in 1984. Today, approximately 35 types of products are sold, including hardware, luxury hardware, plastic goods, melamine, stationery, paper, metal goods, food, office and furniture supplies, home textiles, crockery, medical, promotional products, hunting equipment, toys and second‑hand automobiles. ISTOÇ is located in Mahmutbey, 2 kilometres from the TEM Highway, on an area of 1,100,000 square metres.

Transportation

It is possible to reach ISTOÇ by İETT buses. The bus lines that pass through the area are 31Y, 76O, 78, 78M, 98, 143, 146B and 146M. There is also a metro station named ISTOÇ. Some minibus lines heading from Bağcılar towards Başakşehir and Kayaşehir can also be counted as transportation options.