We are back in business with the goal of growing the country's exports
With its 112-year history, Türk Ticaret Bankası, the first privately-owned national bank, announced its return to operations with a renewed structure at a promotional meeting held at the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) on May 6, 2025. We also held the opening ceremony of the bank's first branch, the European Central Branch, located on the TİM campus. At the introductory meeting, where we presented the new journey of Türk Ticaret Bankası, Ö. Volkan Ağar, Deputy Minister of Trade, Mustafa Gültepe, President of the Turkish Exporters Assembly and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Türk Ticaret Bankası, Prof. Dr. Yusuf Balcı, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Türk Ticaret Bankası, and İlker Yeşil, Member of the Board of Directors and General Manager of Türk Ticaret Bankası, shared their evaluations of the innovative solutions offered by the bank for exporters, its strategic goals, and its contributions to the Turkish economy.
“It Will Serve Türkiye's Export-Oriented Development Vision”
In his speech at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Trade Ö. Volkan Ağar said: “Investment, production, and exports are central to Türkiye's development strategy. As the Ministry of Trade, we are committed to supporting export-driven growth. To boost and sustain the success of our exporters, we continue to provide support focused on innovation, design, and branding.
With the reopening of Türk Ticaret Bankası today, we are offering a new, export-focused partner to our exporters. This bank will provide both deposit banking services and direct, fast, and favorable financing options for exporters. It will support Türkiye's production capacity and its export-driven growth.
We see Türk Ticaret Bankası as the financial backbone of Türkiye’s export vision, beyond just a traditional bank. With its strong brand value and rich, deep-rooted history, we have embarked on a mission to reinvigorate the bank with a bold new vision. By the end of 2024, we are fully committed to positioning Türk Ticaret Bankası at the heart of the export financing ecosystem, which has reached an impressive total volume of TRY 1.9 trillion. Looking ahead, we will witness a bank that will not only shine brighter than ever before but also leave a new and lasting mark on Turkish banking.
We wish this new era of Türk Ticaret Bankası to bring prosperity to our country, our exporters, the real sector, and the Turkish financial sector."
“The Exporter's Solution Partner”
Mustafa Gültepe, President of the Turkish Exporters Assembly and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Türk Ticaret Bankası, said: “Value-added production and exports are key drivers for Türkiye's economy. To advance our country and improve the welfare of our people, we need to effectively use our resources, add value to what we produce, and increase exports. As the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), we are focused on this mission and mobilize all our efforts to bring more foreign currency to Türkiye.
We entered the second century of our Republic with the aim of positioning Türkiye among the top 10 exporters globally. To achieve this, we must make high-tech investments, upgrade the technology of existing facilities, and turn digital and green transformation into opportunities for Türkiye. In this context, ensuring our exporters have access to affordable and long-term financing is more critical than ever. Two years ago, we welcomed Türk Ticaret Bankası, a 112-year-old institution in the banking sector, to our export family through İhracatı Geliştirme A.Ş.
From now on, Türk Ticaret Bankası will not only be a lender but also a solution partner that provides alternatives for collateral issues while making financing more accessible to exporters."
“Exporters' Own Bank and Solution Partner”
Prof. Dr. Yusuf Balcı emphasized that the Bank’s new focus is to strengthen Türkiye’s export potential, improve exporters' access to financing, and develop solutions that will enhance their competitiveness: “Our bank, which began its restructuring efforts in early 2024, has completed the necessary human resources, technology infrastructure, core banking systems, integrations, products, processes, policies, and procedures required for a bank to operate in just 9 months. After moving to our new building in Ataşehir in August, our bank became de facto operational in September 2024 by granting its first loan.
In this process, the Bank’s product and service portfolio was shaped by focusing on the needs and expectations of exporters. In addition to providing financial services to exporters, a structure has been established that facilitates their access to new markets by offering consultancy services, supporting their sustainable growth goals.
The re-establishment of Türk Ticaret Bankası is not only a milestone for the banking sector but also for Türkiye’s export-oriented development process. Operating under İhracatı Geliştirme A.Ş., Türk Ticaret Bankası, with this vision, is now exporters' own bank and solution partner. We aim to offer not only financial services but also consultancy to facilitate exporters' access to new markets. We are working with great determination to position Türk Ticaret Bankası, one of the most established brands in Turkish banking, as the primary bank for exporters, thus strengthening their power.”
“Our Goal: 150 Billion TRY Credit Limit for Exporters by the End of the Year”
İlker Yeşil, Member of the Board of Directors and General Manager of Türk Ticaret Bankası, stated: "Türkiye’s strong export performance contributes 28% to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, exporters receive only 12% of the banking sector's credits. As Türk Ticaret Bankası, we are taking crucial steps to ensure that the financial support received by exporters from the banking sector matches their contribution to the national economy. Our customized services aim to contribute to both national development and the growth of the sector.
In addition to our innovative financial products and services, we are also taking on the role of consultants for exporters in the context of difficult markets, changing regulations, and legislation. We aim to be more than just a financing provider—we strive to be a business partner who supports exporters on their growth journey. With our digitalized model, which places artificial intelligence and data analytics at the heart of banking, we simplify exporters' financial processes and offer the right solutions at the right time. In the future, we will continue to support exporters with solutions that expand their borders, strengthen their financial processes, and enhance Türkiye’s position in the global market. Currently, Türk Ticaret Bankası serves with four branches and 270 employees, and we aim to complete 2025 with 15 branches."
İlker Yeşil, General Manager of Türk Ticaret Bankası, highlighted that as of March 31, 2025, the Bank has provided approximately 20 billion TRY in financing support to exporters. He also announced that the number of exporter companies that have been allocated credit limits is approximately 550, and the goal is to increase this number to 1,500 by the end of the year. The total credit volume is expected to reach 62 billion TRY by year-end.
Opening Ceremony of the First Branch
Following the introductory meeting, the opening of our first branch, the European Central Branch, took place. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by members of the board of directors of Türk Ticaret Bankası, as well as our esteemed stakeholders.
In its new era, Türk Ticaret Bankası, the first privately owned national bank in Türkiye, aims to strengthen Türkiye’s export potential, facilitate exporters' access to financing, and provide solutions that enhance their competitiveness. Our bank, which has a unique business model where solutions to exporters' financing needs are designed by the exporters themselves, aims to become the main bank of exporters within five years.