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Coca-Cola İçecek (CCI), the Turkey-based bottler for The Coca-Cola Company, has announced a significant executive leadership transition. Chief Operating Officer Ahmet Kürşad Ertin will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer effective July. Ertin succeeds Karim Yahi, who is stepping down from his duties and returning to the United States after leading the organisation since September 2023.

The announcement coincides with the publication of CCI’s 2025 financial results, which demonstrate resilient volume growth despite complex macroeconomic headwinds across the company's primary operating regions.

A Veteran Executive Takes the Helm

Ertin steps into the CEO position with more than 25 years of tenure at CCI, which produces, distributes, and sells Coca-Cola and Monster Energy beverages across emerging markets, including Türkiye, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan.

Joining the company in 1998 in a commercial capacity, Ertin has steadily advanced through the organisation's international ranks. His leadership experience includes serving as general manager in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, as well as leading CCI Pakistan from 2019 to 2022. He subsequently operated as regional director for southern Asia and the Middle East before his promotion to group COO in January 2025. In a formal statement, CCI management acknowledged outgoing CEO Karim Yahi for his significant contributions during his tenure.

Financial Performance and Hyperinflation Accounting

CCI released its 2025 financial metrics against what management described as a challenging trading environment, marked by regional tensions and mounting pressure on consumer purchasing power.

Despite these hurdles, the bottler grew its total volume by 8 percent year-over-year, reaching 1.62 billion unit cases. The company's financial reporting heavily reflects the impact of TAS 29 hyperinflation accounting.

Key financial highlights include the following metrics:

• Unadjusted Basis (Excluding TAS 29): Net sales climbed 38.2 percent to T179.45 billion ($4.08 billion), with EBIT increasing 33.6 percent to T28.23 billion and net income rising 33.2 percent to T12.44 billion.

• Reported Basis (Under TAS 29): Net sales increased 3.9 percent to T187.18 billion, while EBIT saw a marginal increase of 1.8 percent to T25.15 billion. Net income declined 27.4 percent to T14.07 billion.

Strategic Outlook for 2026

To sustain growth in a volatile landscape, CCI management emphasised a strategic balance between volume and value, with a continued focus on affordability to support consumers facing economic pressures.

Looking ahead to 2026, the company anticipates continued macroeconomic and regional volatility. Consequently, CCI maintains its core strategic priorities, projecting low- to mid-single-digit growth within its domestic operations in Türkiye, and high-single-digit growth across its international markets.

Accounting for inflation, the bottler forecasts its net sales revenue per unit case to remain broadly flat or increase by a mid-single-digit percentage, with the goal of maintaining a stable EBIT margin.