Anatolian News Agency
The head of Turkey’s biggest state lender says Greek politics are not ready to welcome a Turkish bank acquiring a Greek lender despite the fact that the National Bank of Greece has been continuing operations in Turkey with its Finansbank subsidiary and more that 500 branches. Ziraat Bank will choose to grow with new branches on the other side of the Aegean, instead of acquiring a bank, the general manager says
The head of Turkey’s biggest state lender says Greek politics are not ready to welcome a Turkish bank acquiring a Greek lender despite the fact that the National Bank of Greece has been continuing operations in Turkey with its Finansbank subsidiary and more that 500 branches. Ziraat Bank will choose to grow with new branches on the other side of the Aegean, instead of acquiring a bank, the general manager says
Turkish banks in Greece do not enjoy the “kind reception” that the National Bank of Greece, or NBG, experiences in Turkey, according to Can Akın Çağlar, the general manager of Ziraat Bank, the state-run Turkish lender that also has operations in the neighboring country.
“Our existence in Greece is questioned at the Greek parliament almost every day,” he told the Anatolia news agency during his visit to northern Iraq’s Arbil, where he went for an opening ceremony of a new branch last week. “We are worried that if we go and buy a Greek bank, we will not receive the kind reception seen when Finansbank was sold to NBG.”
“Our existence in Greece is questioned at the Greek parliament almost every day,” he told the Anatolia news agency during his visit to northern Iraq’s Arbil, where he went for an opening ceremony of a new branch last week. “We are worried that if we go and buy a Greek bank, we will not receive the kind reception seen when Finansbank was sold to NBG.”
