The opening ceremony was attended by Samsun Governor Orhan Tavlı, Samsun MP and Chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s Planning and Budget Commission Mehmet Muş, AK Party Samsun MP Ersan Aksu, Deputy Minister of Trade Özgür Volkan Ağar, Samsun Metropolitan Mayor Halit Doğan, President of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TİM) and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Türk Ticaret Bankası Mustafa Gültepe, and Türk Ticaret Bankası Board Member and General Manager İlker Yeşil, as well as numerous exporters operating in the region.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s Planning and Budget Commission Mehmet Muş expressed great satisfaction and excitement regarding the opening of the Samsun Branch of the Türk Ticaret Bankası, which holds the title as Türkiye’s first privately owned bank with national capital. Muş continued: “Its central location, its strong agricultural and industrial base, and its port with advanced transportation and logistics infrastructure make Samsun extremely attractive for investment. With the establishment of three new organized industrial zones in addition to the existing 11, our city will emerge as one of the leading national and regional investment hubs. With the launch of the Central Black Sea Free Zone, our city of Samsun is growing stronger in production, investment, and exports, and is moving forward with confident strides toward becoming one of the leading cities driving regional development. At this very juncture, the launch of TürkTicaret Bankası in Samsun holds great significance. The financing opportunities our bank will provide will empower entrepreneurs seeking to invest, open new avenues for our producers, and enhance the global competitiveness of our exporters. This step will serve as a key drivercontributing to Samsun’s economic rise. With Türk Ticaret Bankası, Samsun is set to enter a new era in exports. Within this robust structure where the public and private sectors work hand in hand, we will continue to stand by everyone seeking to invest and support our business community. We invite all domestic and international investors to invest in Samsun, establish partnerships, and become part of this growth story.”

Deputy Minister of Trade Özgür Volkan Ağar stated that the Türk Ticaret Bankası is a key component of the financial infrastructure established to enable exporters to access global markets more strongly and securely. Ağar continued: “Samsun is positioned as one of the key trade and logistics hubs of the Black Sea Region. We believe that the Türk Ticaret Bankası will make significant contributions to developing our city’s export potential, facilitating access to financing for our companies, and sustainably increasing the volume of foreign trade. I hope that our Samsun Branch will bring benefits to our entire business community, particularly our exporters in the region.”

Mustafa Gültepe, President of TİM and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors at Türk Ticaret Bankası, also stated that healthy and sustainable economic growth can only be achieved through production and exports. Gültepe, noting that they are working with the vision and goal of bringing Turkey into the top 10 exporting nations, said the following: “In line with this ambitious goal, we have mobilized all our resources to connect our companies with new markets. On the other hand, we must invest more in high technology, R&D, and innovation, and turn the digital and green transitions into opportunities for our country. Access to affordable and long-termfinancing is of great importance for all these efforts. Through IGE A.Ş., the Türk Ticaret Bankası—which we have integrated into our export family—provides our companies with direct, swift, and favorable financing support, thereby serving our production capacity and our export-oriented development vision.”

İlker Yeşil, Board Member and General Manager of Türk Ticaret Bankası, recalled that they launched active banking operations in the fourth quarter of 2024 with the goal of becoming the primary bank for exporters. Noting that they have structured all their business models around this goal, Yeşil continued: “We position our bank not merely as a financial institution, but as the exporter’s partner and solution provider. We are opening our branches in the centers where production and exports are most concentrated. In 2025, we provided 76.3 billion TL in financial support to exporters. We aim to provide 110 billion TL in financial support to exporters in 2026. Within this framework, we continue to make our new branches available to companies in regions with high export activity. “We held our first branch opening of 2026 in Trabzon. We are now opening our second branch in the Black Sea region, specifically in Samsun, the region’s production and export hub. I hope this branch, which also plans to provide financial support to companies in neighboring provinces, brings prosperity and success to our exporters.”

The ceremony was attended by Canik Mayor İbrahim Sandıkçı, Samsun Chamber of Commerce and Industry Board Chairman Salih Zeki Murzioğlu, Samsun Commodity Exchange Board Chairman Sinan Çakır, and the Chairman of the Black Sea Grain, Legumes, Oilseeds and Products Exporters’ Association Chairman Eren Günhan Ulusoy, and Cement, Glass, Ceramics, and Earthenware Products Association Chairman Erdem Çenesiz, as well as numerous exporters.