With last year’s failed coup followed by a radical change in powers for Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, uncertainty is the watchword for Turkish banks. With a tumbling currency and pressure to cut interest rates, their outlook looks set to remain challenging. David O’Byrne and Stefanie Linhardt report.
Following a stormy 2016 blighted by a failed coup and a spate of terror attacks, Turkey's weakened economy has shown signs of recovery. But with a divisive referendum campaign dominating the first months of 2017, questions about the recovery's resilience remain. David O'Byrne reports.
Despite a failed military coup, and increasing regional instability that has brought frequent terror attacks and left the country catering for millions of refugees, the Turkish economy is delivering growth levels its Western neighbours can only dream of. But the possibility of external shocks continues to pose a risk, as David O'Byrne discovers.
Turkey's impressive growth across numerous measures in recent years showed signs of slowing in 2013, and its image was further dented by civil unrest in June and July. However, will a more considered growth strategy be good news for the country's banking sector and investors?
Turkey’s central bank has apparently achieved the impossible by successfully tackling inflation, stabilising the country's currency and combating speculative inflows through an unconventional mix of interest rate cuts and tweaking reserve requirements. But can these changes hold up against the changing economic climate?
Is Bank, Turkey's largest private bank, has an unconventional boardroom make-up and an unusual business portfolio. However, it is the bank's focus on conventional banking that has seen it emerge from the crisis in good health and in a position to expand beyond its domestic borders. Writer David O'Byrne
Over the past eight years, Yapi Kredi has been taken over by Turkey's banking regulators, sold and then merged with a smaller bank, yet it still emerged from the recent global financial crisis in robust shape. The secret, according to its CFO, is looking after the customers. Writer David O'Byrne