General Manager's Message
As a solution to the global crisis, which erupted in 2008, the central banks of developed countries applied expansionary monetary policies, setting the stage for an environment of excess liquidity and low interest rates, which has been the main feature of the last 5 years.
With the recovery in developed countries, the global economy is on course to normalize again. The first step in this process was taken by the Fed, to taper the volume of its bond-buying program and gradually wind down this process. Although the decision did not start to be implemented until December, it started to give rise to volatility in risk perceptions worldwide from the second half of the year. In the coming period, the question of when the low-interest rate environment will end - as well as the pace of the tapering - will remain under the spotlight in the global economy.
Along with the USA, developments in Europe, Japan and emerging markets will be closely watched. Even though liquidity is being cut from the US, there are no similar expectations from the monetary policies in the Euro-zone or Japan. Volatility in the sphere of global development in 2014 is bound to affect Turkey, as a result of our country’s global integration, in common with the process seen in other emerging markets. As our economy started to perform better in 2013 when compared to the previous year, Turkey was affected by the volatility in risk appetite and short-term capital flows, along with other emerging market countries. Despite the depreciation of the TL, the increase in interest rates and downside revisions to growth projections, there are no expectations of a deterioration in the national macroeconomic performance in the new economic era, in which assets are in search of new valuations.
As one of the most important corporations in the country and in the banking sector, Ziraat Bank aims to increase the value-added to the country and sustain efficient and profitable growth on the back of the assets-liability management strategies which have been applied since 2011 and the “value-adding transformation” project, aimed building a customer oriented infrastructure, thus enabling greater competitiveness in this area.
In this framework, Ziraat Bank completed its organizational, operational, human resources and loan policy infrastructure quickly and completely through by internal resources. Aiming to attain a customer oriented balance sheet in 2013, thanks to loan weighted growth model assets increased by 27%. With a strategy concentrated on supporting the real sector, cash loans surged by 55% while non-cash loans increased by almost 100%. While supporting and helping the development of the agricultural sector, which is our main mission, we have also sought to increase our focus on industrial agriculture. In 2013, our profit increased by 26% to reach TL 3.3 billion. We deem our stable growth -backed by profitability and efficiency- and our strategy of maintaining a sound balance sheet structure as factors which help us reflect our profitability into equity.
Ziraat Bank, aiming to attain a customer oriented balance sheet in 2013, increased its assets by 27% thanks to loan weighted growth model.
Deposits represent our main source of financing. In order to support the savings balance of the country, we strive to introduce various deposit products for the use of the customers. In seeking longer term financing and low-cost opportunities, however, we also work on expanding non-depository financing resources. Significant increases in the volume of resources obtained from international corporations and banks, in FX repo transactions, in syndication loans and, on the domestic front, bank-bonds and bills have been seen as part of the diversification in our resource structuring strategies.
Our branches were renovated with a customer focused approach during 2013. A total of 150 new branches were opened, bringing our overall branch network to 1,661 including international branches. We aim to increase the number of locations where we are the sole provider of financial services. Our established operation centers, that will support efforts to gain operational efficiency, undertook 104 million transactions. We also work on developing our alternative distribution channels.
We have successfully come a long way in our domestic restructuring strategy and celebrate our 150th anniversary with pride. In 2014 we will also continue to work on;
Hüseyin Aydın
Member of Board of Directors and General Manager