BANKING - Turkey Hires Ex-Islamic Banker Oztekin as Chief Regulator

www.businessweek.com -Turkey appointed Mukim Oztekin, formerly of Islamic banks Albaraka Turk Katilim Bankasi AS (ALBRK) and Asya Katilim Bankasi AS (ASYAB), chief of the country’s banking regulator.

The decision to hire Oztekin for five years was published in the Ankara-based Official Gazette today. He last worked as a board member of the Savings and Deposits Insurance Fund, which manages the assets of failed banks, according to state-run Anatolia news agency. He also worked at Turkiye Garanti Bankasi AS (GARAN), the country’s biggest bank by market value. (source)

BANKING - NFC first for Turkcell with contactless road toll payment application

www.gomenews.com - Turkcell is claiming an industry first by introducing an application which enables Android handset users to pay the tolls when crossing bridges and passing motorway toll-booths contactlessly via NFC (Near Field Technology) technology. Currently the app is only applicable to Turkcell’s own-branded T11 Android handset. The handset is believed to be made for Turkcell by China’s ZTE and is therefore ZTE’s first released NFC-enabled handset. The system has been created in collaboration with Bank Asya and entirely eliminates the need to carry an NFC compatible plastic transmission card (KGS). (source)