Seray İmer, Head of Sustainability at Garanti BBVA, recently took part in a ‘Sustainable Future’ show on Bloomberg HT TV, where she outlined Garanti BBVA’s key commitments and targets for a less polluted world.

Garanti BBVA received 10 different awards at the EMEA Finance Achievement and Project Finance Awards. EMEA Finance is one of the leading financial publications in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Garanti BBVA announced the renewal of its sustainable syndicated loan. The bank plans to use the loan to finance foreign trade, for general corporate purposes, and to further its commitment to finance investments that support the transition to a low carbon economy.   Indexed to sustainable criteria, Garanti BBVA was the first bank in the world to launch a syndicated sustainable loan in 2020.

Garanti BBVA now offers end-to-end online loans for 40 automotive brands. In July 2023, the bank became the first to offer this service, starting with two brands. The loans for zero-kilometer vehicles are available for the bank’s corporate clients, small businesses and self-employed on the Garanti BBVA Mobile app and website.

Garanti BBVA continues to enhance its offerings, simplifying life for customers by integrating vehicle-related products and services into a single platform with the "My Vehicle" feature on Garanti BBVA Mobile, the most widely used banking app in Türkiye. Customers can add their license plate information to Garanti BBVA Mobile to track all transactions, expenditures, and campaigns related to their vehicles in one place.

Garanti BBVA’s mobile platform for cryptocurrencies now offers Avalanche c-chain support for AVAX coins, an asset in high demand in Türkiye.

In a bid to protect its customers from telephone scams, Garanti BBVA has launched a new  feature in its mobile app to reassure customers that the calls they receive from the bank are being made via the bank’s secure channels. When taking a call from somebody claiming to represent the bank, the customer can track whether the caller is genuinely from Garanti BBVA and can see the name of the caller on the alerts screen in the mobile app.

Garanti BBVA recently held its fifth ‘Sustainable Future in Exports’ meeting in Adana, Türkiye, a hub for Turkish exports. The bank is organizing the series of meetings to encourage foreign investment in the country and boost Türkiye’s export sector in the framework of the European Green Deal.  The event brought together renowned leaders and experts in the field who offered their economic analysis and insights on possible sustainable solutions.

Garanti BBVA, a leader in digital payment innovation in Türkiye, has introduced the country's first biometric verification card, the Bonus Platinum Biometric Card. This groundbreaking product, described as a "game-changing technology" in payment systems, enables users to make quick, unencrypted, and secure payments by scanning their fingerprints. It also allows for limitless secure contactless payments, setting a new standard in the industry.

The new Salt exhibition, ‘Hava Dair’ (About the Air)  aims to give life to the social and environmental aspects of air pollution through a series of different experiments. The exhibition, which is sponsored by Garanti BBVA, was designed by the Milan-based design studio 2050+ for Salt's Beyoğlu location. It can be visited free of charge until August 18th.

Garanti BBVA International, a Garanti BBVA subsidiary known for its ongoing sustainable financing initiatives, has reached an agreement with Kordsa Teknik Tekstil A.Ş. (Kordsa) for a $50 million sustainable loan.

Garanti BBVA announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2024. The bank’s net income for the first three months of the year stood at TL 22.48 billion; total  assets were TL 2.46 trillion; and cash and non-cash loans reached TL 1.85 trillion. Customer deposits represented 71 percent of assets - the main source of funding. The total deposit base reached TL 1.75 trillion, up 9.3 percent this quarter.  Garanti BBVA’s capital adequacy ratio was 15.4 percent,*  its return on average equity (ROAE) was 36 percent, and return on average assets (ROAA) was 3.9 percent.

*Does not include  the forbearance introduced by BRSA

Bonus, Garanti BBVA’s most popular credit card, is now celebrating its 24th anniversary. Bonus also happens to be a credit card platform, having amassed some 18 million users and eight partner banks.

Garanti BBVA Digital Asset’s crypto app, ‘Garanti BBVA Crypto’ was recently presented the award for ‘Pioneers of Digital Finance’ by KPMG Turkey and the Financial Innovation and Technology Association (FINTR).

The BBVA Foundation and Salt, a non-profit cultural institution founded by Garanti BBVA, are joining forces to launch a grant program for Turkish artists, which includes a two-week residency in Spain and the opportunity to show the work produced in Türkiye and Spain.

SALT, Garanti BBVA’s cultural organization, is presenting ‘Is this Our Last Chance?’, a series of documentaries on the effects of climate change. It will be running at the walk-in cinema in SALT’s Beyoğlu facilities and can also be watched online at saltonline.org between February 29 and March 24.

Türkiye’s 17th Women Entrepreneur Awards, organized by Garanti BBVA alongside ‘The Ekonomist’ and the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Türkiye (KAGIDER) was recently held on February 27, 2024.

Garanti BBVA continues to make its clients' lives easier with its digital products and services. The bank’s commercial banking clients are now able to apply for credit limits for loans online - without having to set foot in a  branch thanks to Garanti BBVA's "Commercial Credit Limit Application".

The future of the banking industry is shaped by technology and Garanti BBVA is working hard to design the banking model of the future. Garanti BBVA Technology is the bank’s latest and most disruptive initiative yet so it can continue to lead digital banking in Türkiye.

BBVA’s Turkish unit has successfully issued a $500 million 10-year bond, with a coupon rate of 8.375 percent. The 10-year Tier 2 subordinated debt has a call option on the fifth year.

Students from the ‘5 Pebbles’ program visited 21 Garanti BBVA branches across Türkiye to learn firsthand about the different transactions that take place at banks. Garanti BBVA is a founding member of the Teachers Academy Foundation (ÖRAV) and has been collaborating with them to run this program since 2016.

BBVA’s Turkish unit is launching another pioneering solution, the Bonus Platinum Biometric Card, allowing users to make payments in a secure manner by simply scanning their fingerprint.  The innovative new card will be available shortly.

The Turkish central bank recently granted Garanti BBVA an operating license for its new subsidiary, Garanti Payment and Electronic Money Service, Inc., effective February 15, 2024. The innovative new company will begin offering a selected group of customers a beta version of its digital payment solutions under the TAMİ brand in March.

Garanti BBVA CEO Recep Baştuğ has secured the top spot among finance executives and seventh place overall in the latest annual "Türkiye’s Sustainability Leaders" ranking, published by the Turkish franchise of leading business magazine Fast Company.

Garanti BBVA announced its 2023 earnings. The bank’s net income for the year stood at TL 86.91 billion, total assets reached TL 2.20 trillion and the loan portfolio of cash and non-cash loans was TL 1.61 trillion. Deposits remained the main source of funding, representing 73 percent of the bank’s total assets with TL 1.6 trillion. This represents an increase of 77 percent in 2023. Garanti BBVA’s capital adequacy ratio was 16.5 percent,* return on average equity (ROAE) was 44.5 percent and return on average assets (ROAA) was 4.9 percent.

Following the efforts made by the Interbank Card Center (BKM) in Türkiye to simplify payments among individual and self-employed customers, Garanti BBVA has now launched the ‘Request Payment’ feature via its mobile and online banking services.

As part of its strategic commitment to sustainability and inclusive growth, Garanti BBVA continues to host its series of events around the theme 'Sustainable Future in Exports.' The fourth installment of the series—previously held in Istanbul, Gaziantep, and İzmir—unfolded this year in Bursa.

Garanti BBVA is streamlining the loan approval process for retail customers seeking vehicle finance. Utilizing the Instant Loan from Dealer (BAK) feature, customers can swiftly complete transactions with digital document approval through Garanti BBVA Mobile app, ensuring an efficient and seamless experience.

BBVA´s CEO in Türkiye, Recep Baştuğ, spoke recently to national news outlet Anadolu Agency on the country’s economy, the banking industry, his own bank’s performance in 2023 and what he expects for next year.

Entrepreneurs with promising business ideas in data, cyber security, payment systems or sustainability may now seek support under the Garanti BBVA Partners Tech Program (https://www.garantibbvapartners.com), with applications to be received by January 31, 2024.

Garanti BBVA is in the process of installing solar panels on buildings at its Pendik Campus, on the Güneşli Service Building and on top of the bank’s ATMs. The solar energy project is part of Garanti BBVA’s commitment to fight the climate crisis and support renewable energy.

The Bank received three awards at the Bonds, Loans & ESG Capital Markets CEE, CIS & Türkiye Awards 2023, one of the most prestigious events to be held in the Turkish capital markets and finance industry.

BBVA’s Turkish unit has just renewed its $415 million syndicated loan based on environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) criteria.

NGO Aflatoun International presented the Teachers Academy Foundation (ÖRAV) the ‘Teacher Professional Development’ award for its social and financial leadership program  ‘5 Pebbles,’ a project supported by Garanti BBVA. The awards ceremony took place at the 6th Global Social and Financial Skills Conference, in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

As part of its efforts to further increase financing for renewable energy projects, Garanti BBVA recently announced an agreement to provide €36.1 million in financing to Galatya Energy Production Inc. for the Işıklar Wind Power Plant.

BBVA’s Turkish franchise is strategically reinforcing its commitment to enhance customer accessibility by extending remote banking services to corporate clients.

Garanti BBVA has signed a further agreement with Beyçelik Elawan Renewables Renewable Energy Production Inc. to finance a series of upgrades to the Yahyali Wind Power Plant, bringing the Turkish bank’s total investment to USD 145 million.

BBVA’s Turkish franchise, Garanti BBVA has released its financial statements through September 30, 2023. The bank’s net income for the first nine months of the year was TL 57.6 billion, while assets stood at TL 1.97 trillion. Garanti BBVA’s support for the economy in the form of cash and non-cash loans now stands at TL 1.45 trillion.