Message from Hakan Ateş, General Manager of DenizBank on October 29

DenizBank General Manager Hakan Ateş published a message on the occasion of the Republic Day on October 29. Ateş stated, “As an institution that sees the Republic not just as a form of governance but as a way of life, we will continue to put our hands under the stone, as we have done so far, in every area that supports development, growth, and equal opportunities in Turkey.”

DenizBank Financial Services Group CEO Hakan Ateş issued a message for Republic Day on October 29. Ateş said, “As DenizBank, we stepped into the sector in 1997 with a handful of people who devoted themselves to bringing services to every corner of our country through banking. As of today, we have achieved four shareholder changes in our 26-year story, including going public, and we have become one of the two banks with branches in all 81 provinces, continuing our journey as Turkey’s 5th largest private bank with nearly 15,000 employees.”

“We work with all our strength to keep the values of our Republic alive”
Ateş continued his remarks: “As a large family that knows its duty to repay its debt to this land, we see our profession as our mission and work with all our strength to keep the values of our Republic alive and to support development and change in every matter that will elevate Turkey to the level of contemporary civilizations. With this approach, in 2002, we pioneered the financing of agriculture among private banks for the first time, creating a model for this sector. We provided vital support to SMEs, which are the backbone of our economy, whenever they were in distress. We financed municipalities, and stood by tourism, which plays a vital role in our country’s development strategy, as well as maritime activities, due to our transitional economy. We have been among the biggest financiers of many significant projects, including the 3rd Bridge, the 3rd Airport, the Cyprus Peace Water, and the Ankara Train Station.”

Ateş emphasized that they have embraced various branches of culture and arts, especially polyphonic music, as one of the important pillars of social development from day one, stating, “For 20 years, as the main supporter of the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra (IDSO), we have been naming concerts that have gained a privileged place in Istanbul’s cultural and artistic life, featuring world-renowned conductors and soloists. We have also taken on the main sponsorship of the half-century-old İzmir State Symphony Orchestra (IZDSO), one of the largest music institutions in our country, since 2023. Starting in 2024, we will become the main sponsor of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, the first music institution in the history of the Republic and one of the oldest orchestras in the world that has continuously existed since its establishment, as well as Turkey’s largest professional acapella group, the State Polyphonic Chorus. We are also pleased to have our share in the efforts to ensure that polyphonic music reaches every point of our country, including the least populated villages, through the Anatolian tours and mobilization projects conducted by our symphony orchestras and to be embraced from an early age.”

Ateş stated, “While doing all this, we do not forget our responsibilities to create a world where future generations can live safely. We are aware of the guiding role that the financial sector plays in our country’s transition to a green economy and decarbonization process. Therefore, we evaluate all our work with a perspective that encompasses environmental and social impact and dimensions as well as financial aspects; we fully adopt a sustainability perspective in various criteria such as our credit processes, our investments, and the performance targets we set for ourselves in the syndicated loans we provide. We also support initiatives that serve sustainability on the technology side. Recently, in collaboration with our subsidiary NEOHUB and Oxentia operating in the United Kingdom, we launched our TRUK Acceleration Program, which provides consultancy to start-ups focused on sustainability themes to help them expand abroad.”

Ateş concluded his remarks by saying, “As an institution that sees the Republic not merely as a form of governance but as a way of life, we will continue to put our hands under the stone in every area that supports development, growth, and equal opportunities in Turkey, just as we have done so far.”