Bodrum Chamber of Commerce was founded on 27.05.1977 by the Bodrum traders coming together.

In the years of establishment, the Trade Registry procedures were carried out in Milas. In 1980, the Trade Registry Office was taken into operation within the scope of our chamber as per the permission from the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Turkey and the requirement of law.

Serving 25-30 members with its staff in its first years, Bodrum Chamber of Commerce has reached to an institutional structure that serves with approximately 6,000 members and 25 personnel, with the development of trading capacity of Bodrum as a result of successful activities and services carried out today.

The first service address of BODTO is the “top floor of the Bekir Çilek Grocery Store" which is one of the famous bazaars in Bodrum, and in the Municipal Office Block and Municipal Food Bazaar in the following years. In 1996, with the purchase of the real estate of 600 m ² belonging to the Treasury in the neighborhood of Yokuşbaşı, Bodrum Chamber of Commerce laid the foundation of the building and thus it began to serve in its own building   in August 1998. In order to provide better quality and corporate service, BODTO moved to the new service building which was established on 18 September 2017 in the area of 1.801 m2. On 24 September 2017 the new service building was opened.

In 42 years, Bodrum Chamber of Commerce has changed five Chairmen of the Board of Directors and 7 Municipal Chairmen, and it has signed many firsts with its recent works. Bodrum Chamber of Commerce, while becoming the first Chamber in Muğla that received the ISO 9001: 2000 Quality Certificate in 2006, it was awarded the title of the Accredited Chamber which fulfilled the requirements within the scope of the TOBB Accreditation System in May 2007. Our chamber, maintaining the certificates successfully since then, has been continuing its activities in order to develop the commercial, socio-economic life of Bodrum and the region with a sustainable approach.

The “FIRSTS” of our chamber are as following;

1.    The first chamber that started quality study in overall Muğla province (2006)

2.    The first accredited chamber in Muğla province, and the third in the Aegean Region (2007)

3.    The institution in Bodrum awarded the first project support from Geka (2010)

4.    The institution in Bodrum awarded the most project support (2010-2013)

5.   The first institution in Bodrum carrying out strategic planning (2010)

6.    The third district in which the CGF was opened (2012)

7.    The first chamber with a private employment agency (2007)

8.    The first chamber opening a Visa Office (2012)

9.    The first chamber issuing regular magazines- example for other chambers (2005)

10.  The first chamber establishing allocation and special commissions–example for TOBB (2009)

11.  BODTO first started Muğla Partner Chambers Meeting - example for TOBB (2006)

12.  It started the first marine cleaning project (including other chambers, too) (2005)

13.  The first chamber supervised by the British Chambers of Commerce (2009)

14.  Made the first contact with Rhodes and Kos (2005)

15.  Arranged the first fair with Muğla chambers on the Islands (2006)

16.  Muğla Common Tax Awards Ceremony was first arranged by BODTO being an example for TOBB (2007)

17.  Award ceremony was started to be held for students succceeding in exams (University Entrance Examinations) (2008)

18.  The first commercial inventory involving the overall region was carried out (2006)

19.  It started discount workplace application for members (2006)

20.  The first district chamber in Muğla province awarded the DEİK Chamber Representativeness, the 3rd in overall Turkey (2009)

21.  It started Turkey's first 10-Cluster Project-First Clustering Study at District Level (2007-2009)

22.  The first institution arranging festivals by bringing together the Yacht Racing and Yacht Show (2011)

23.  The first chamber in Muğla accredited in category “A” (2013) and listed among the first 25 chambers in overall Turkey in the same year

24.  In Muğla chambers, it first published its Strategic Plan (2014-2017) as a book and distributed all over Turkey (2015)