The banking sector assumes a strategic role for industrial manufacturers who continue their production in the shadow of high costs and tight financial conditions. Albaraka Türk Deputy General Manager of Corporate Banking Serhan Akyıldız spoke to PLASFED Magazine about the solutions they have developed with an interest-free finance approach and their perspective on the real sector. Akyıldız pointed out that the financial sector should be not only a provider of resources, but also a business partner that guides the industry through its growth and transformation process.
For Turkish industrial manufacturers trying to maintain production in the shadow of high costs, global uncertainties, and tightening financial conditions, the financing models offered by the banking sector carry more strategic importance than ever before. Offering a wide range of products from working capital to foreign trade financing, and from investment loans to digital cash management solutions, banks today are not just institutions that provide resources, but are also companions on the growth journey of the real sector.
Serhan Akyıldız, Deputy General Manager of Corporate Banking at one of the leading institutions of participation banking in Turkey, answered our questions on many topics ranging from the processes of manufacturers' access to finance to the current structure of the banking sector, and from special solutions for firms engaged in foreign trade to production-oriented long-term financing models. Akyıldız shared with PLASFED Magazine readers Albaraka Türk's approach, which aims to provide sustainable support to the real sector with an interest-free finance perspective and positions the industrialist as a strategic business partner.
What kind of portfolios does the banking sector offer to industrialists?
The banking sector offers industrialists a broad portfolio, not only in finance but also in working capital management, foreign trade financing, investment consulting, and digital solutions. These services, structured according to the needs of industrialists, contribute to growth, export, and productivity targets.
So, which financing models do you support industrialists with as Albaraka Türk?
As Albaraka Türk Participation Bank, we provide participation finance solutions to our industrialists in line with the principles of interest-free banking. With our cash management products such as the Practical SME Card, Jet Finance, Jet Letter of Guarantee, and Early Payment Supplier Financing, we digitize the collection and payment processes of firms, providing savings in cost and time.
What are your special solutions for industrialists engaged in foreign trade?
We facilitate industrialists' access to international markets with murabaha solutions such as Non-Waiting Export Finance and Term Export Finance, which we offer in foreign trade financing. To support the growth strategies of businesses, we provide services with our long-term investment finance products and leasing solutions.
How do you generally evaluate the banking sector in Turkey? What is the position of the Turkish banking sector globally?
The banking sector in Turkey stands out with its high-tech adaptation, strong capital structure, and rapid compliance with regulations. The sector has reached a level that can compete with the world, especially in the field of digitalization, surpassed many developed countries in the use of mobile and internet banking, and the branch service experience has reached a position that sets an example in world literature, also influenced by Turkish hospitality. Furthermore, participation banking has begun to take an increasing share within this dynamic structure.
What are the challenges it faces and the advantages it possesses?
Of course, the sector also faces certain challenges. Factors such as global inflation, geopolitical uncertainties, fluctuations in interest rates, local regulations, and the management of credit risks require banks to act more cautiously. On the other hand, the sector's strong infrastructure, technological capability, and experienced human resources offer significant advantages in overcoming these challenges.
Could you provide information about your bank's asset size and the credit opportunities it offers to industrialists?
As of the end of 2025, our asset size as Albaraka Türk has exceeded the 450 billion TL level, and in the same period, our total loan volume has also risen above 220 billion TL. A significant portion of this growth stems from the financing we provide to the real sector. The solutions we offer to industrialists are not limited to short-term financing but are in an integrated structure with investment finance, export supports, and digital payment systems.
How do you develop models specifically for manufacturing firms?
Our long-term financing models, especially for manufacturing businesses, have been developed based on the profit-loss sharing principle and include flexibility in line with the industrialist's growth targets. In addition, we help industrialists manage their financial processes effectively and in an integrated manner with our collection systems, check and promissory note tracking platforms, integrations, and digital POS solutions.
Finally, what is your message to PLASFED members and Turkish industrialists?
Industry is the cornerstone of a country's economic independence. The investments made by Turkish industrialists in high technology, innovation, and branding, as well as the production, sales, and marketing policies determined within the framework of the national customs duty walls that have become widespread recently, make our country more competitive on a global scale.
How do you define the role of the finance sector in the transformation process?
In this transformation process, as the finance sector, we aim to be not just a provider of resources, but also a strategic business partner. Our message to PLASFED members and all Turkish industrialists is: let us strengthen our collaborations, let us invest in digitalization and sustainability together. As Albaraka Türk, we will continue to stand by our industrialists with the alternatives offered by interest-free finance, without compromising on ethical values.
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.