Turkey entered 2017 in a challenging position, in the aftermath of significant shocks arising from geopolitical tensions and the multi-pronged terror threats. Ziraat Bank continued to support the real sector in 2017 by acting with the responsibility required and remained the leading bank of our country according to a wide range of criteria, such as the volume of its assets, loans, deposits and equity, as well as the extent of its branch and ATM network, by facilitating access to finance. Always attaching importance to the sustainability of growth and productivity, the Bank designed and implemented strategies and business plans in line with a management approach based on efficiency. As such, it continued to mediate in the effective distribution of scarce sources of funds.
As Turkey’s largest financial institution, Ziraat Bank continues its activities by focusing on efficiency and productivity. It continues to offer a long-term contribution to both its customers and the national economy with its balance sheet expanding by 21% YoY to TL 434 billion. Growth in all areas of industry and production was supported by Ziraat Bank loans. Acting on the principle of sustainable growth, the Bank expanded its cash loan volume by 28% YoY to TL 298 billion and continued to strengthen its shareholders’ equity, which had increased to TL 47 billion by the end of 2017.
The recent expansion in Ziraat Bank’s loans was mainly a result of the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises and housing loans. In 2017, the Bank was more focused on meeting the financing needs of small and medium-sized enterprises with new products, including CGF (Credit Guarantee Fund) backed loans.
Ziraat Bank unwaveringly maintained its support for agricultural financing. In the financing of the agricultural value chain from field to fork, it remained the first bank to come to mind with its service quality and product diversity, its operational infrastructure that has been developed in this area and its know-how and experience.
Ziraat Bank continued to provide funds through bilateral agreements from leading international financial institutions with the objective of diversification of resources and deepening of existing resources. In addition to the strategy of diversification of resources being implemented by the Bank, the Bank has also sought to ensure geographical diversity in terms of resources provided from abroad, while reaching investors and credit institutions from different economic regions.
The Bank continued to meet the financing needs of the economy, particularly in sectors and business lines that contributed to employment and to reducing the current deficit with its productions. The total volume of resources provided by the World Bank and other international financial institutions reached USD 2 billion.
In 2017, Ziraat Bank transformed its branches in Georgia into subsidiary bank under the name of “JSC Ziraat Bank Georgia”, and also took a strategic step with by purchasing the remaining 50% of the shares in its subsidiary in Uzbekistan, in which it already held a 50% share. This subsidiary, now 100% owned by Ziraat Bank, continues its activities under the name of Ziraat Uzbekistan.
Ziraat Bank was once again selected as the most popular bank in the Lovemark 2017 survey, according to the “Lovemarks of Turkey 2017” survey, as it was in 2016, by being the first bank to come to mind for one in every four respondents. In addition, Ziraat won the “Best Bank” award for the second time in a row in the Turkish Youth Awards organization, which was hosted for the third time on 16 May in Istanbul by the MCD Youth Club and World Youth Policy Association.
Ziraat Bank is right in the heart of people’s lives and has the highest accessibility as a bank. Ziraat Bank remains Turkey’s bank that boosts morale as it works to be the bank of everyone and every segment through fulfilling the financing needs of small enterprises and retail customers, as well as those of large-scale institutional companies, and investing their savings.
Ziraat Bank Board of Directors
