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Spotify announced it will open a new office in Istanbul by the end of June 2026 and expand its regional leadership to formally include Türkiye as a priority market, marking a structural shift after months of tensions with Turkish authorities.
According to a company statement, Akshat Harbola’s role has expanded to general manager for the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and Türkiye. The Istanbul office will support local operations with local expertise and new senior hires focused on the Turkish market.
Harbola described the move as more than symbolic. “Opening an office in Istanbul is not symbolic for Spotify, but entirely structural,” he said, adding that strengthening the company’s presence reflects a long-term commitment to “Türkiye’s music ecosystem, artists, content creators and culture.”
The announcement follows a period of public disputes in 2025 between Spotify and Turkish authorities over local representation, content moderation and competition practices.
Tensions escalated throughout 2025.
In May 2025, Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Batuhan Mumcu criticized Spotify and other international platforms for failing to establish local offices despite having significant user bases in Türkiye.
He said artists struggled to find representatives and raised concerns about playlist algorithms that, in his words, promoted “slang, violence, and illegal substance use.”
In July 2025, the dispute deepened. Mumcu accused Spotify of hosting playlists that he said insulted religious figures and government officials, including references to first lady Emine Erdogan.
He described the content as “incompatible with our nation’s cultural and moral values” and called for legal action.
Around the same time, Türkiye’s Competition Authority launched a formal investigation into Spotify. The regulator said it would examine whether Spotify’s licensing practices and platform behavior distorted competition, created barriers for rivals, or granted unfair visibility to certain artists.
Birol Kule, chairman of the Competition Authority, said the probe concerned not only economics but also cultural impact. “Our goal is to ensure fair competition in the music industry, equal conditions for content creators, and the protection of cultural diversity in the digital space,” he said.
In July 2025, Spotify said it was cooperating with the inquiry and working toward a swift and constructive resolution. Company sources also indicated that it was evaluating “all scenarios,” including pausing operations or exiting Türkiye altogether.
The new office announcement signals a different direction. Rather than scaling back, Spotify now plans to deepen its local presence and leadership structure.
Spotify also released new data on the global reach of Turkish music.
According to Harbola, 52 million users outside Türkiye listened to at least one Turkish-language song in 2025.
Streams of Turkish music abroad increased by more than 160 percent between 2020 and 2025. Arabesk streams rose by around 150 percent during the same period.
In 2025, Turkish songs were most streamed in:
Interest also increased rapidly in Azerbaijan, Brazil, Austria, India and Canada.
Harbola said artists such as Lvbel C5, BLOK3, Semicenk, Tarkan and Ezhel ranked among the most listened to by international audiences in 2025.
“These figures show how strongly Turkish music is positioned on the global stage,” Harbola said. He added that tens of millions of listeners worldwide are engaging with Turkish language songs across pop, hip hop, arabesk and electronic genres.
Harbola said Turkish music carries both a deep legacy and the ability to reinvent itself. He noted that local audiences maintain a strong emotional connection with domestic artists and return to their music repeatedly.
As part of its 2026 plans, Spotify said it will organize Spotify Masterclass events in Istanbul starting in the spring. These sessions will focus on the streaming economy, editorial playlists and practical tools for artists and their teams.
The company will continue its existing programs:
Harbola said Spotify’s role in Türkiye extends beyond streaming and that the company will continue to prioritize creators and artists while expanding local activations and marketing efforts.
After a year marked by regulatory scrutiny, legal threats and public criticism, Spotify’s decision to open a physical office in Istanbul represents a structural shift in its engagement with Türkiye’s music industry.
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