BANKING - Bank Asya campaign to support 1,000 students

www.todayszaman.com - Turkey's leading Islamic participation bank, Bank Asya, has announced that it will provide a monthly stipend to 1,000 students as part of its corporate social responsibility.

The project, called “I'm schooling a child,” was promoted at a press conference at the bank's headquarters in İstanbul on Tuesday. Students from primary to university level will be paid a monthly stipend of between TL 100 and TL 250 in the first year of the campaign, and the bank hopes that the project will continue into the future.(source)

BANKING - 2.5 tons of gold move from ‘under the pillow' to Bank Asya accounts

www.todayszaman.com -Turkey's leading participation bank Bank Asya's General Manager Abdullah Çelik has said that they have taken in 2.5 tons of gold since March as a result of a campaign to transfer what is called the "under-the-pillow" precious metals as functioning assets to the national economy.

Offering customers a chance to open a time deposit gold account in Bank Asya, the "golden account" program was first introduced on March 19.  (source)

FINANCE - Bank Asya acquired GFC General Finance Securities

www.finansglobal.com - Bank of Asia, on behalf of the company will participate as the main shareholder, the GFC General Finance Securities' Capital Markets Intermediary has signed a contract regarding the purchase of Certificates of Operating Authority.
Prices were not included in the bank statement.
Bank of Asia, using established securities company, the certificate of competence will enable customers to trade capital Piyasaları'nda.
Bank of Asia, the Danube REIT, its subsidiaries, such as light next to the Insurance and Pensions has added a new Asia. GFC Financial Securities Authority documents the purchase of Capital Market Intermediary, stepped into the most important was the company's securities will be established. (source)

BANKING - Turkish banks eye their customers' $270b pot of gold

www.gulfnews.com - Istanbul: Turkish banks are seeking to boost the lowest savings rate among major emerging markets and allay a concern of credit rating companies by persuading customers to deposit gold.

Turks have about 5,000 tonnes of gold "stashed under their pillows", Ozcan Halac, the head of the Istanbul Gold Exchange, said in a Bloomberg interview on March 7. That's equivalent to $270 billion (Dh991.7 billion), or more than a third of Turkey's $772 billion economy.

 Akbank TAS, the lender part-owned by Citigroup Inc, said on April 5 it was offering a new gold deposit account to spur savings. (source)

BANKING - Turkiye Finans enters into USD 350 mio Murabaha Syndication

www.finansglobal.com - Turkey Finance, the total participation of 15 countries, 29 international markets, the bank provided 350 million U.S. dollars Murabaha syndication.

provided by financial markets syndicate finansUluslararası turkey Murabaha Finance General Manager of Turkey Derya Gürer Speaking at the signing ceremony, the consortium led ABC Islamic Bank, HSBC, said Noor Islamic Bank and Standard Chartered Bank undertook.  (source)

BANKING - Bank Asya introduces interest-free private pension plans

www.todayszaman.com -Bank Asya will begin collecting interest-free funds through its newly established firm to provide private pension plans, also known as Bireysel Emeklilik Sistemi (BES), in Turkey.

Bank Asya, one of the participation banks in Turkey, will be introducing the option of private pension plans to its customers in the near future. General Manager Abdullah Çelik called the service a new development for participation banks and said, “By adding BES to our services, we have expanded our reach.” (source)

BANKING - Bank of Asia for the first quarter 2012 net profit of 50 million pounds

www.finansglobal.com - Bank of Asia, has announced the financial statements for the first quarter of 2012.

Bank-Asia (Finansglobal) - 4 percent of its net profit in the first three months of increases solo Asian grossed over 50 million 72 thousand TL. Bank during the same period last year announced a net profit of 48 million 42 thousand TL.

Bank Asia's net profit share revenues rose by 34 percent the first three months of 2011 over the same period was 143 million TL to TL 192 million. £ 66 million as the bank announced a net commission income.

Bank of Asia increased by 23 percent in the last one year period 14:07 billion cash loans, collects funds through current and participation accounts increased by 19 percent and reached TL 13:16 billion. According to the same period in 2011 increased 11 percent equity of the Bank amounted to £ 2.2 billion. (source)

CAPITAL MARKETS - Turkey Stocks: Asya Katilim, Otokar, Vestel Elektronik Move

www.bloomberg.com - Turkey’s benchmark ISE National 100 Index (XU100) fell 1.7 percent to 57,853.86 at the close in Istanbul, declining for the first time in three days. The following shares were active. Stock symbols are in parentheses.

Asya Katilim Bankasi AS (ASYAB) , an Islamic bank, slid 5.1 percent to 1.69 liras, its biggest loss since Nov. 21. The bank is waiting for “the right market conditions” to issue $300 million of sukuk bonds as “unfortunately things are not good abroad,” Chief Executive Abdullah Celik said in an interview today. (source)

BANKING - Bank Asya Expects to Double Gold Deposits, Haberturk Reports

www.bloomberg.com - Asya Katilim Bankasi AS (ASYAB), an Istanbul-based Islamic bank, expects its gold deposit accounts to double by the end of this year, Haberturk newspaper reported, citing Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Celik.

The bank, also known as Bank Asya, currently has 1 ton of gold stored in such accounts and plans to pay a profit-share to attract more customers, Celik said, according to Haberturk. Profit share is a mechanism used by Islamic lenders that corresponds to interest payments.  (source)

BANKING - Foreseeing quick profits, Bank Asya decides to open 15 new branches

www.sundayszaman .com - Bank Asya General Manager Abdullah Çelik has said Turkey's largest Islamic participation bank will significantly increase the number of new branches to be opened this year.
 

Speaking to a group of reporters on the sidelines of a luncheon conference in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Çelik said the bank is set to open 40 new branches -- equal to 20 percent growth -- by the end of 2012. The bank earlier said it planned to open 25 new branches this year. “We trust in Turkey,” he said, when asked to name the motive for the change.  (source)

BANKING - Becoming finance base a hard task for Istanbul - Celik (Bank Asya) predicts growth for participation banking

www.hurriyetdailynews.com - Professionals from Turkey’s biggest lenders, participating in the 1st Uludağ Economy Summit, expressed their support for Turkey’s bid to make Istanbul into a regional finance center, while saying that the task will not be an easy one.

While London tops the list of world finance centers, Istanbul remains at number 62 out of 75, said Faik Açıkalın, general manager of Yapı Kredi Bank, speaking at the summit, held in the northwestern province Bursa. Since the start of the economic crisis in 2008, many foreign investors and financial institutions have left Dubai, Açıkalın added. “This is a chance for Turkey.” However, according to Açıkalın, Turkey’s dream will not be easy to realize, due to Istanbul’s current performance compared to its competitors across the world. “Despite the crisis, the list of Europe’s Top 20 finance centers includes Athens, but Istanbul does not appear on the list. Seoul, Shanghai and Singapore are in the list of possible candidates as global finance centers, but Istanbul is not.”  (source)

INSURANCE - TAKAFUL - Turkey's Bank Asya in talks on sale of insurance unit Isik Sigorta

www.reuters.com - Feb 8 (Reuters) - Turkish lender Bank Asya , which offers non-interest banking services that comply with Islamic law, said on Wednesday it was in talks with investors on the sale of its insurance unit Isik Sigorta.  (source)

BANKING - Bank Asya predicts 15 pct growth for 2012

www.hurriyetdailynews.com - Turkey’s Bank Asya foresees 15 percent growth in 2012, especially in private banking and Small Medium Enterprises (SME), according to Bank Asya General Manager Abdullah Çelik.

The bank also wants to open 25 new branches this year, to reach 300 branches by 2015, and wants to expand its operations to India, Northern Iraq, Africa and the Balkans. (source)

BANKING - Bank Asya 164 million TL profit in first 9 months

ISTANBUL - Bank of Asia, the 9-month period, has achieved a net profit of 164 million pounds.

Joined Bank of Asia Inc. Announced non-consolidated financial statements dated September 30, 2011. Total assets of Bank of Asia takes place at the level of 17 billion 212 million pounds in cash and cash loans through the financial support provided by the real economy has reached 22 billion 684 million TL.

9-month net profit of Bank of Asia in the year 2011 amounted to 164 million pounds. (source)

BANKING - Turkey's Bank Asya to buy a brokerage house

TODAYSZAMAN.COM - Turkey's Bank Asya, which offers non-interest banking services conforming with Islamic law, is about to acquire a brokerage house, its chief executive Abdullah Çelik said on Thursday.

Çelik said in August the bank plans a small acquisition of between $10-20 million in a Balkan country in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank.  (source)

BANKING - Bank Asya ISO 10002 and EN 15838

Bank of Asia Customer Satisfaction Management (ISO 10002) and Call Center Certificate (EN 15838) quality certificates received at the same time.

ISTANBUL - Bank of Asia, Customer Satisfaction Management (ISO 10002) and Call Center Certificate (EN 15838) quality certificates in Europe at the same time taking a "policy" reportedly made ​​by a signature.

Bank Asya General Manager, Abdullah Celik, a written statement, the next targets of Turkey's best call center award, and then to Europe, said that the best call center award. (source)

BANKING - Bank Asya plans small Balkan buy, subject to bid offers itself - USD 300 million sukuk planned by end of this year

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Turkey's Bank Asya, which offers non-interest banking services adhering to Islamic law, plans a small acquisition of between $10-20 million in a Balkan country in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank, its chief executive said on Wednesday. (source)

BANKING - Turkey’s Bank Asya considers acquiring a Balkan bank

Turkey’s leading participation bank, Bank Asya, is considering acquiring a bank in the Balkans, bank General Manager Abdullah Çelik told Reuters Wednesday in İstanbul. (source)

BANKING - Bank Asya Selected as "Best Commercial Bank" of Turkey

World Finance magazine selected Bank Asya as "the Best Commercial Bank in Turkey in 2011" within the scope of the awards given to successful institutions in finance and business world.

Bank Asya released a statement and said Bank Asya was selected as the best commercial bank with the votes of 40,000 active members subscribed to web page ''www.worldfinance.com''. (source)

BANKING - Bank Asya: Global crisis contributed to participation banks’ prestige

Bank Asya General Manager Abdullah Çelik

The global financial crisis, which has troubled almost all nations around the world for the past two years, has helped Islamic participation banking gain more prestige worldwide, the top executive of Bank Asya, Turkey’s leading participation bank, said on Thursday. (full story - todays zaman)