Overseas Branch Banking

To address the financial requirements of its customers both in Türkiye and internationally, Ziraat Bank is implementing a growing strategy to establish new branches, representative offices, and subsidiary banks abroad. The Bank aims to become more effective in the new markets where it operates and plans to expand, to create a dynamic international synergy within the framework of the Ziraat Finance Group approach, and to contribute to Türkiye’s economic relations with the countries where it operates abroad.
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The Bank continues its endeavors to offer universal and modern financial services to its customers abroad in the best and most profitable manner, and to reinforce its competitive advantage by expanding its product range.

Global Financial Point of Contact for its Customers

Ziraat Bank has developed its operations in the field of International Branch Banking in line with its international banking strategy and vision. The Bank undertakes successful International Branch Banking operations with the following main objectives;

• Improving commercial and economic relations between Türkiye and the countries where it operates, and playing a significant role in financing foreign trade and capturing a substantial market share,

• In alignment with Ziraat Finance Group’s vision, establishing a dynamic and effective synergy between its strong parent Bank and complementary domestic subsidiaries and its extensive international network,

• Offering its customers time and cost advantages at a global level, along with a diverse range of products and services, by leveraging effective communication and rapid business processes,

• Converting buyers and/or sellers of Turkish customers abroad into clients of overseas branches and subsidiary banks, being their global financial contact point, and ultimately adding value to the Ziraat Finance Group,

• Making the Bank profitable in its overseas operations with a healthy and efficient balance sheet structure and ensuring the sustainability of profitability; ensuring the development of foreign branches and subsidiary banks in line with the Bank’s main strategy through effective balance sheet management; increasing their contribution to Ziraat Finance Group’s balance sheet by channeling resources to the right areas.

The Bank launched its representative offices in Dubai and Egypt in the third quarter of 2024, reaching Ziraat customers in 125 locations in 19 countries as of year-end.
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As of year-end 2024, Ziraat Bank Overseas Branch Banking provides services to 268,757 customers in total, including 245,106 individual and 23,651 corporate customers, through its overseas branches.
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According to data from the Banks Association of Türkiye, Turkish banks have a total of 78 branches and 8 representative offices abroad, and Ziraat Bank has a 35% share in the market with 28 branches abroad. According to the annual reports, Turkish banks operate in 31 different countries, and the number of countries in which Ziraat Bank operates has reached 19.

“Ziraat Is Always with You Wherever You Are in the World”

Under the banner of “Ziraat is always with you, wherever you are in the world,” Ziraat Bank meticulously considers existing and potential business opportunities in all of the regions it serves from an integrated perspective. Boasting the widest international network of any Turkish bank, the Bank has proven itself in the international arena in all fields.
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Ziraat Bank aims to be the strongest and most effective bank in the regions where it operates, as well as in Türkiye. The Bank’s achievements in the field of overseas banking in 2024 are summarized below.

• The London Branch provides corporate-commercial banking, project finance, foreign trade finance, and treasury services to customers based outside Türkiye, primarily in the United Kingdom and Europe. Operating in London, one of the global financial centers and strategically located to access international financial markets, the Branch also conducts financial institution transactions and money market operations.

• In Greece, Ziraat Bank plays an active role in the development of trade with Türkiye by focusing on banking services such as corporate banking and foreign trade financing, providing services from 3 branches in the country, in Athens, Komotini and Xanthi.

• Operating in Bulgaria, Ziraat Bank provides services through a total of 6 branches in Sofia, Plovdiv, Kardzhali, Varna, Burgas, which opened in 2023, and Shumen, which opened in 2024, under the Bank’s Bulgarian Directorate. In 2024, the Bank continued to provide its corporate and retail customers with various banking services and solutions such as corporate banking and foreign trade financing through branch and non-branch channels.

• In Kosova, services are provided in the corporate and individual segments with 5 branches operating in Pristina, Prizren, Peja, Ferizaj, and Gjilan under the Bank’s Kosovo Country Directorate.
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  In 2024, Ziraat Bank continued to provide financial services and solutions to corporate and individual customers through the branches and digital channels.
  

• The Bank’s Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Directorate offers corporate and individual banking products to its customers to Turkish standards from its 9 branches throughout the territory, and continues to provide a significant contribution to Northern Cyprus’s economic development.

• In Iraq, the Baghdad and Erbil branches provide support to the development of economic and commercial relations between Türkiye and Iraq. Ziraat Bank’s branches in Iraq play an important role in meeting the letter of guarantee and foreign trade transfer requirements of companies operating in the country and remain the financial solution point for international companies, institutions, and organizations, especially corporate customers based in Türkiye and Iraq.

• Operating in Saudi Arabia, the Jeddah Branch focuses on meeting the letter of guarantee and letter of credit requirements of Turkish companies, providing banking services to Turkish and Saudi corporate customers operating in the country and acting as an intermediary to promote Turkish-Saudi foreign trade. The branch continues its endeavors to expand its product and service range.

• The Ziraat Bank Branch in Bahrain plays an important role in accessing international financial markets as the second service point in the Gulf Region.

• With Ziraat Finance Group’s strong international network and prestige in the sector, the Dubai Representative Office in the United Arab Emirates serves as an effective bridge between the Turkish and UAE business worlds, leading the way in strengthening regional and global trade relations. This office supports the growth of Turkish companies in the UAE and Gulf countries, while providing UAE entrepreneurs with easy access to opportunities in Türkiye and other markets. The presence in Dubai increases Ziraat Bank’s influence in international markets and provides a strategic platform for customers to achieve their business objectives in the region.

• The Cairo Representative Office in Egypt operates with the aim of developing economic and commercial relations between Türkiye and Egypt, contributing to the increase in foreign trade between the two countries, attracting Turkish companies doing business with Egypt and having investments in the country to the Bank, and acting as an intermediary between the Turkish and Egyptian banking communities.

Sustainability and Responsible Banking

Ziraat Bank continued to expand its financial support for direct investments carried out by entrepreneurs operating in London, Greece and Bulgaria.
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Ziraat Bank played an important role in financing infrastructure investments in Kosovo, especially in transportation infrastructure and renewable energy resources, and continued to contribute to the financing needed for the development of the Kosovan economy.
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In the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the Bank maintained its financial support for the development of the territory’s economy, especially in the education and tourism sectors, which are the two leading sectors of the North Cypriot economy.
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With the mission of being an important financial solution and contact point of the Ziraat Finance Group in Iraq, the Iraq Branches has played an active role in ensuring our country’s access to international energy resources, with a high level of efficiency and speed under favorable conditions.
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In Saudi Arabia, the foreign trade taking place between the two countries continued to be supported by non-cash loans in addition to cash loans. The Jeddah Branch is actively involved in the financing of foreign trade between Turkish importers and Saudi Arabia’s leading petrochemical companies.

Digital channels

With the awareness of the increasing importance of digital channels, Ziraat Bank focused on internet and mobile banking investments in its international branches in 2024. With the Internet Branch and Mobile Banking channels, customers were provided with online access to the Bank’s financial products globally.

2025 and Beyond

Having received approval from the Central Bank of Algeria to open a branch in Algeria in 2024, Ziraat Bank plans to launch its Algeria Branch in the first months of 2025.
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Ziraat Bank will continue its activities in Kosovo as a bank as of 2025 by finalizing the transformation of its activities in the form of Bank’s Kosovo Country Directorate into the status of a “subsidiary bank.”
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Ziraat Bank, which is actively pursuing the establishment of a subsidiary bank in Romania, has submitted an application to the Central Bank of Romania for a banking license and is continuing negotiations to proceed with the licensing process.
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A license application was submitted to the Central Bank of Albania for the opening of a branch in Albania. The branch to be opened in Tirana is expected to start its operations in the 3^rd quarter of 2025.
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Ziraat Bank plans to open new branches in Nakhchivan and Neftchilar in Azerbaijan, Kostanay in Kazakhstan, and Karakum in the TRNC in order to expand its existing branch network in the countries where it operates.