Jamie Oliver’s restaurant in Turkey files for bankruptcy just fourteen months after opening in Istanbul

Jamie Oliver's restaurant in Turkey has been forced to file for bankruptcy after only 14 months of operation.

The Jamie's Italian in Istanbul's $2.5billion Zorlu Center Mall was unable to reach targets due to a tough economic climate, it was reported.

A bankruptcy hearing was told the chain, which is the Italian eatery's largest branch abroad in the summer when it can accommodate almost 200 diners on its outdoor terrace, planned to cut staff and put in more capital after experiencing financial difficulties. 

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Jamie Oliver's Istanbul restaurant filed for bankruptcy after only 14 months of operation. Pictured, the celebrity chef, 39, at Jamie's Italian in Manchester

Jamie's Italian in Istanbul's $2.5billion Zorlu Center Mall, pictured, was unable to reach targets due to a tough economic climate, it was reported

The restaurant suffered due to the lower prices offered to compete in the city and a a lower than forecast footfall, the Hurriet Daily News reported. 

A spokesman for Jamie Oliver told MailOnline the restaurant will not be closing.

He said: 'Jamie's Italian Istanbul is trading well but is currently in some negotiations with regards to its operations and it is standard practise to request protection from the Court from its creditors whilst those negotiations are ongoing.'

He added: 'Jamie's Italian is working closely with its Turkish partners to resolve the current situation in Istanbul. 

In the meantime, the Jamie's Italian restaurant brand remains hugely successful across the world. 

'In Australia, the Sydney Jamie's Italian had record numbers of customers through the door in the run up to Christmas while the Perth restaurant still has queues out of the door almost two years after opening.'

The company cited the country's tough economic conditions had been a factor as Turkey's growth fell from 8.8% in 2011 to just 1.7% in the last quarter of 2014.

But Ozgur Altug, chief Turkey economist at BGC Partners, said 'almost all other restaurant and chains are going fine'. 

He added restaurants in Istanbul are a 'lucrative business' and 'this has nothing to do with the economy'.

'Turks do not hesitate to eat out even in tough times.' 

Jamie’s Italian has been rapidly expanding since it was founded in Oxford in 2008 - with more than 30 restaurants worldwide, including Singapore, Dubai and Russia.

Cleared out: The former Recipease store on Western Road, Brighton, was pictured boarded up last year

Early in 2014, all bar one of Oliver's nostalgic Union Jacks restaurants, including the Chiswick branch, pictured, were shut down 

But other business ventures haven't fared as well.  

In October last year, the 39-year-old chef unexpectedly closed two of his cookery class shops - and failed to tell staff until they were abruptly cleared out of the premises during a shift. 

He shut down his Recipease branches in Clapham Junction and Brighton after five years of operation - with a spokesman claiming they were 'focusing energies on their flagship Notting Hill branch'.  

But MailOnline reported that one customer, who called to complain about a cancelled booking, said a despondent former employee temporarily posted to customer services admitted the stores were 'making no money'.

Early in 2014, all bar one of Oliver's nostalgic Union Jacks restaurants were shut down amid financial troubles.

The television chef's company cited a 'challenging climate' as the reason for closures of branches in Holborn, Chiswick and Winchester - with only the branch in Covent Garden remaining open.

An employee from the store claims a woman from head office came into the shop during the day to close the place down without warning

A worker from the Clapham branch, pictured with windows boarded, says she she turned up for work to find the doors were locked

 HAS THE NAKED CHEF SPREAD HIS 'PUKKA' EMPIRE TOO THINLY? 

After leaving school at 16 years old with just two GCSEs, Jamie Oliver has built a £240million business empire and is one of the most recognised chefs in the world. Here are some of his biggest hits, along with a few of his recent failures.

TV PROGRAMMES AND BOOKS

The Naked Chef, 1999: He became a household name after launching the hit TV show in 1999.

Jamie's 30 minute Meals, 2010: Channel 4 series of 40 episodes focused on home-cooked meals that could be put together within the titular timeframe, using simple techniques.

Jamie's 15 Minute Meals, 2012: A re-vamp of his previous show - now for people with even less time.

Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast, 2014: Jamie and best mate Jimmy Doherty join forces at their end-of-the-pier caff in Southend to make feasts for the weekend. 

CRUSADING CAMPAIGNS

Jamie's School Dinners, 2005: The rising star hit headlines with his campaign against unhealthy school dinners in this four-part documentary.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, 2010: After his UK crusade, the chef met resistance in the USA and was barred from entering any public school in LA - with his ABC show also getting cancelled.

BUSINESS VENTURES

Jamie’s Italian: The brand has become hugely successful with chains opening up around the world.

Fifteen Restaurant: Initiative designed to give young people the chance to turn their life around with apprenticeships - it recently met controversy for employing a convicted paedophile. 

Recipease: After opening in 2009, two of the three stores were shut down last year. 

Union Jack's: The high-priced British-themed venues were hit by bad reviews and complaints and three out of four branches closed in January 2014.

Jme: The Artisan food range folded amid poor sales and criticism that the brand boasted high prices for basic ingredients.