GCM Yatirim Review

Company background

GCM Yatirim Menkul Degerler A.S. is a Turkey-based investment firm that started operations in 2012, rebranding from Arti Menkul Degerler A.S. The company is headquartered in Maslak, Istanbul, with additional offices in Ankara, Izmir, Bursa and Adana. GCM Yatirim holds a widely authorised intermediary firm licence from the Capital Markets Board of Turkey (SPK) under licence number G-039 (398). The firm reports paid-in capital of 600 million TL and carries long-term and short-term credit ratings from JCR Eurasia Rating.

GCM Yatirim serves retail clients in Turkey with access to over 500 instruments spanning forex currency pairs, commodities, indices, share CFDs, VIOP futures and options, and direct equity trading on Borsa Istanbul. The broker operates under the GCM Forex brand for its forex and CFD services and provides customer support in Turkish.

Fees and pricing

Forex trading at GCM Yatirim is spread-based with no separate commission on standard accounts. ECN accounts carry tighter spreads plus a per-lot commission. Overnight swap fees apply to open forex positions, and an Islamic swap-free account option is available. VIOP futures and options trades incur a per-contract commission based on exchange tariffs, plus clearing fees. Stock trading on Borsa Istanbul uses exchange and clearing rates set by BIST.

Accounts with no open positions or activity for three months are charged a monthly dormancy fee of 350 TL for Turkish lira accounts or 10 USD/EUR for foreign currency accounts. EFT withdrawals carry a fee of 0.1% of the transfer amount, subject to a minimum of 50 TL and a maximum of 1,050 TL. Currency transfer withdrawals are charged at 0.004% plus BSMV tax with a minimum of 50 USD or EUR plus tax. The minimum deposit for forex trading is 50,000 TL.

Regulation and safety

GCM Yatirim is authorised and regulated by the Sermaye Piyasasi Kurulu (SPK), the Capital Markets Board of Turkey. The SPK licence number is G-039 (398), classified as a widely authorised intermediary firm. Client funds are held in segregated accounts at Turkish banks, separate from company assets. Negative balance protection is available, meaning clients cannot lose more than their deposited funds on leveraged positions.

SPK regulations cap maximum leverage at 1:10 across account types. The SPK is a domestic regulator; it does not hold the same tier-1 status as regulators such as the FCA, ASIC or CySEC. Clients outside Turkey should verify whether they are eligible to open an account under local rules.

Platform experience

GCM Yatirim offers several trading platforms. The proprietary GCM Trader is available as a web-based application and through iOS and Android mobile apps. MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are offered for desktop, iOS and Android. GCM Borsa Trader supports direct Borsa Istanbul equity trading, and Opsiyon Trader is available for options trading. The platforms include charting tools, technical indicators and order management. A free 30-day demo account funded with virtual capital is available and can be renewed without restriction.