1880: ICOC is founded as the Dersaadet Chamber of Commerce.

1888: The organization is renamed Dersaadet Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and undertakes the functions of a chamber of industry and agriculture.

1910:  The Dersaadet Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture is separated and renamed as the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

1925: The Turkish government passes legislation that makes the chamber a legal entity and mandates membership.

1926: The first elections held for the chamber?s assembly.

1950: New economic policies and a new multiparty government system enables private sector commerce to gain more weight in the Turkish economy, which in turn drives significant growth and demand for the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The government grants the chamber autonomy, and the organization experiences a period of rapid evolution. Not only is it able to deal more dynamically with the country?s private sector, but is also able to gain extensive representative authority that allows the chamber to take on a constructive role in the determination and implementation of the government?s economic, financial and commercial policies.

1952: The Fifth Industry Congress splits the chamber into two entities: the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ICOC) and the Istanbul Chamber of Industry. While large industrial companies join the Istanbul Chamber of Industry, around 5,000 smaller industrial companies remain within the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce. 

1954: ICOC establishes a Study and Research Department to analyze developments in economic life; today it is the Department of Economic and Social Researches.

1957: The Department of Industry and Distribution is formed to meet industrialists? need for raw materials, machinery and equipment and for conducting capacity determination studies.

1958: The first edition of the ICOC Newspaper is printed.

1960-1965: While it is operating in permanent coordination with the government?s framework for the mixed economy model implemented during the early 1960?s, ICOC also becomes a representative for private sector in issues relating to economic policies within the government. To comply with stipulations for European Economic Community (EEC) membership established by the 1963 Ankara Treaty, ICOC creates the Economic Development Foundation in cooperation with the Istanbul Chamber of Industry. This entity?s main function is to analyze and study the feasibility of certain planned development issues and has focused particularly on Turkey-EEC relations as of 1965.

1967: ICOC forms the External Trade Department to properly conduct activities related to foreign trade.

1968: ICOC implements the Rewarding the Successful Exporters program.

1977: The chamber establishes the ICOC Tax Awards program.

1981: The first edition of the Annual Economic Report is published separately in Turkish and English. ICOC also produces its first Export Market Research in Turkey report.

1984: ICOC produces second Export Market Research in Turkey report.

1990: ICOC establishes the Turkish Subcontracting Exchange and is enrolled as a member of the Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME).

1996: ICOC forms the Service of European Union, which was recently renamed the Department of European Union and International Cooperation. In the same year, the Trade Registry Office devolves to the chamber.

1999: ICOC becomes the first organization of its kind to receive an ISO 9001 Certificate.

2003: ICOC?s Web site is upgraded and turned into the ICOC Portal. In the same year, ICOC launches its monthly magazine, ITO Vizyon. The chamber also integrates the OECD Depository Library into ICOC?s Department of Information and Document Management.

2004: The chamber implements the ICOC Information Line.