HRD Antwerp, one of the world's largest diamond certification brands, has launched legal action against its former partners and companies in Turkey for damaging its business reputation. HRD Antwerp's legal representative in Turkey, Attorney Tuncay Çaltekin, made statements to enlighten the public about the process.
Mehmet Can Özdemir established separate companies with his family members and made shady deals. Attorney Tuncay Çaltekin said that HRD Antwerp, being accepted in Turkey, one of the largest jewellery markets in the world, established a business partnership under the name "HRD Istanbul" with Enstitü Istanbul Bilim Akademisi Yönetim Danımanlıgı A.S. in 2014 in order to oer its products and services in Turkey.
Stating that this partnership was terminated after determining that the brand power and reputation of HRD Antwerp was unfairly used their partner named Mehmet Can Özdemir, Tuncay Çaltekin added: "One of the main reasons for the termination was that the partners holding the management of the company did not transfer the trademark "HRD", which was unfairly registered in the name of HRD Istanbul, to the clients despite their previous commitments.”
“The same partners rendered the client company ineffective and unauthorised with legal manoeuvres such as placing liens on the HRD trademark through other companies owned by their family members and transferring HRD's assets to the aforementioned companies. In other words, they committed irregularities contrary to the agreement.”
Therefore, we led a lawsuit for "trademark invalidation" to prevent HRD Istanbul from using the HRD" trademark and logo. Mehmet Can Özdemir used all the knowledge, know-how and opportunities of HRD Antwerp trademark, and made shady deal with separate companies consisting of his own family members operating in the same eld of activity.
As a result of our investigations and examinations, we have led a lawsuit for “Board Member Liability” against Özdemir, claiming that he has caused material damage to HRD Istanbul as a result of unlawful transactions with related companies belonging to himself and his family members."