For 150 years, Ziraat Bank has supported culture and the arts in a spirit of sharing with the community.

Ziraat Bank’s social contribution activities proceed.
Ziraat Bank unwaveringly continues its efforts in various fields with a special focus on education, sport, culture and the arts. Ziraat Bank supports projects that will contribute to the cultural accumulation of society and help advance individuals and society.

A reception held on 27 November 2013 in Ankara to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of Ziraat Bank's founding was attended by a distinguished guest list of 3,000 people that included Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN, Deputy Prime Minister Ali BABACAN, and members of Ziraat Bank's senior management.

150^th year anniversary celebrations
As part of the celebrations of the 150^th anniversary of the Bank’s founding in 2013, “150^th Year Employee Gatherings” that were held in Diyarbakır, Ankara, İstanbul, İzmir, and Trabzon were enthusiastically attended by 26 thousand bank personnel. These greatly-appreciated events made a very important contribution to employee satisfaction.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan honored Ziraat Bank’s 150^th Year Reception with their presence when it was held on 27 November 2013 in Ankara. The event, which was attended by the Bank’s senior management and by 3,000 distinguished guests, attracted great attention in the national press and media.

The reception took place at the Congresium International Convention & Exhibition Center in Ankara, whose exterior and foyer provided the backdrop for one of the most elaborate visual effects and video mapping shows ever staged in Turkey. Guests arriving at the reception encountered an image of Ziraat Bank’s original headquarters projected on the facade and they appeared to be passing through its doors as they entered the Congresium Foyer. Inside, guests were treated to a sound & light performance which used a video mapping system that perfectly matched the scale and resolution of the interior in order to provide an unforgettable experience as the establishment, development, changes, progress, and achievements of Ziraat Bank unfolded before their eyes.

Advertising Activities
As it has done for the past four football seasons, Ziraat Bank sponsored the royalty of the Turkish Football Cup in the 2013 / 2014 season. The organization was renamed as the “Ziraat Turkish Cup”.

In the 2013-2014 season, Ziraat Bank continued its sponsorship of the sport club that successfully represents the Bank in the Premier Volleyball League since the 2007-2008 season.

In the same period, in an effort to advertise the Bank, commercial videos of “More than a Bank Abroad”, “The Football Machine”, “Saving Bankkart” and “150^th year” were broadcasted and gained acclaim.

In the “Crystal Apple Turkish Advertising Industry Awards”, a prestigious event recognizing the best examples of advertising in Turkey, Ziraat Bank’s “Football Machine” TV advert racked up a major success by being awarded 5 Crystal and 3 Silver Apples.

Protecting Cultural Values
For 150 years, Ziraat Bank has supported culture and the arts in a spirit of sharing with the community. According to its values, the Bank extended support in its health, education, service and sports activities in 2013 as a part of social responsibility efforts.

Supporting the arts - an essential tradition for Ziraat Bank
Ziraat Bank has attached the utmost importance to the arts and artists ever since its incorporation, as underlined by the slogan “In Art for Art”. The Bank added new links to the chain of support given to the arts since the 1990s, and opened the Mithatpaşa, Kuğulu, Tünel and Kızıltan Ulukavak art galleries and the Ömer Nafi Güvenli Exhibition Hall for art lovers. Seven exhibitions in art galleries in Ankara Kuğulu and Istanbul Tünel were visited by more than 20,000 art lovers.

The founder of Turkey’s First Banking Museum
The Ziraat Bank Museum, housed in the Ceremonial Hall of the Bank’s Original Head Office building in Ankara’s Ulus district, was opened on 20 November, 1981. The museum exhibits the Bank’s 150-year long history, which has borne witness to almost every phase of the Republic era, and is the first museum devoted to banking in Turkey. The Ziraat Bank Museum offers a view of the commercial, economic, political, cultural, artistic and educational transformations that the Turkish banking industry has undergone since its beginning right up to the present day. On display in this historic setting are numerous antique artefacts that reflect these characteristics.

Other Activities
Having sponsored a number of trade shows held in and out of Turkey during 2013, Ziraat Bank’s support contributed to the launch of projects that are important for our country.