ISTANBUL – Chairman of the Türkiye Bankalar Birliği (TBB) Alpaslan Çakar announced that 33% of commercial loans provided by the banking sector have been directed to the manufacturing industry, emphasizing the sector’s strategic importance for Türkiye’s economy.
Speaking at the signing ceremony of the “Manufacturing Industry Financing and Employment Protection Program,” Çakar stated, “We are entering a period in which global competition will intensify further, and productivity and technological activities will be decisive. As the banking sector, we will have allocated 33% of our commercial loans to the manufacturing industry as of today.”
The signing ceremony was held at the conference hall of the Küçük ve Orta Ölçekli İşletmeleri Geliştirme ve Destekleme İdaresi Başkanlığı (KOSGEB) with the participation of Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır and Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan.
Çakar described the manufacturing industry as the locomotive of exports, the driver of technological transformation, and the foundation of sustainable development. He noted that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 99% of all businesses and three-quarters of total employment in Türkiye, highlighting their economic and social significance.
He pointed out that global fluctuations, rising costs, and uncertainties in demand conditions have placed pressure on production and employment-oriented firms. “At this critical juncture, it is our foremost responsibility to protect production, investment, and employment and to take timely and effective steps. This package is a concrete example of such efforts,” he said.
Under the program, companies operating in the manufacturing sector will receive support to meet their working capital needs, easing access to finance and relieving cash flow pressures. The initiative also aims to reduce cost burdens on SMEs, protect existing employment, and prevent capacity losses.
Çakar added that through the guarantee mechanism of the Kredi Garanti Fonu (KGF), a strong support chain has been established for firms facing collateral shortages. “We stand by the real sector in challenging times and support investments during growth periods. The manufacturing industry is the backbone of a country and the main force in external market competition. As the banking sector, we will continue to finance the real sector,” he said.
Participation Banks Highlight Sector Growth
Chairman of the Türkiye Katılım Bankaları Birliği (TKBB), Mehmet Ali Akben, stated that the participation banking sector’s total asset size reached 2.222 trillion Turkish lira by the end of 2025, accounting for 9.2% of total banking assets.
Akben emphasized that beyond asset growth, the sector’s real-economy-oriented expansion reflects the strength of the participation banking model. “Our participation banks are not only financing institutions but also solution-oriented business partners,” he said.
He noted that cooperation with Türk Eximbank has enabled the development of participation-based products and services to strengthen exporters’ global presence. As part of this collaboration, export financing sourced from the Türkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankası (TCMB) has been made available to the real sector.
Akben also highlighted the role of Katılım Finans Sektörü Kefalet AŞ (KFK), established with the sector’s own resources, in addressing collateral barriers faced by SMEs and manufacturers. Since its establishment, KFK has reached a total guarantee volume of 14 billion Turkish lira through equity and Treasury-backed guarantees, with a target of 55 billion lira by the end of 2026.
Following the speeches, representatives of banks and relevant institutions signed the protocol for the “Manufacturing Industry Financing and Employment Protection Program,” marking a new step in supporting production, employment, and export capacity in Türkiye’s manufacturing sector.
Source: Patronlar Dünyası/ Prepared by: İlayda Gök