Turkey’s Halkbank to open its first digital branch in Serbia
BELGRADE - Anadolu Agency
Turkish lender Halkbank is set to add a new branch to its network in Serbia, where it already has a widespread presence.
On Oct. 29, the bank will open its very first digital branch in the heart of the capital Belgrade. The first branch in Serbia was opened in October 2015.
Halkbank is one of Turkey’s biggest banks and a state-run lender. It bought a 76.76 percent stake in Serbia’s local lender Cacanska Banka on May 20, 2015.
This will be Halkbank’s 33rd branch in the country, while the number of employees will be increased to 500.
The bank will also provide credit cards and POS (point-of-service machines) in December for its Serbian clients, as well as for international businesspeople operating in Serbia.
Kenan Bozkurt, CEO of the bank in Serbia, told state-run Anadolu Agency that Halkbank made great progress since its entrance into the Serbian market in 2015.
“Halkbank widened its network throughout Serbia and grew by more than 70 percent in three years and we have reached more than 450 million euros [$515.86 million] in size of assets,” he said.
“The bank’s profit is also increasing year-by-year,” added Bozkurt.
Focusing mainly on the real sector with a strong presence in retail banking, Halkbank also began giving agricultural loans since April 2018, according to Bozkurt.
“Our client base is increasing every day and other cities ask us to open new branches. That’s why new branches in other major cities are also planned to be opened in 2019,” he said.
He also said that Halkbank aims to improve the trade volume between Turkey and Serbia, while their other mission was to serve as a commercial bridge between the two countries.
