Halkbank

Halkbank () or officially Türkiye Halk Bankası is a Turkish bank, first incorporated in 8 June 1933 as a public bank. After growing throughout much of the twentieth century, it began absorbing smaller-sized public banks around the turn of the millennium. Halkbank is now a publicly traded company, although the majority stakeholder remains the Turkish government. Halkbank is a bank that offers vehicle loans, housing loans, consumer loans and commercial loans. A number of scandals and controversies involving the bank emerged in the 2010s, some of which culminated in arrests of its executives.

== History == Halkbank was incorporated in 1933 and began offering services in 1938. Between 1938 and 1950, it operated as a credit union whose purpose was to provide tradesmen and artisans with loans on favorable terms to promote economic growth in Turkey. In 1950, it began opening branches and granting loans to customers. By 1964, Halkbank embarked on an ambitious program that increased its capital and established a nationwide network of branches. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Halkbank absorbed several smaller failed public banks, including Töbank in 1992, Sümerbank in 1993, Etibank in 1998, and Emlakbank in 2001. A significant turning point for Halkbank occurred with the acquisition of Pamukbank in 2004. Following this, the bank underwent a substantial restructuring process in preparation for privatization. On 10 May 2007, 24.98% of Halkbank's shares were sold in a public offering and listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange. By 16 November 2012, the percentage of listed shares increased to 48.9%. Halkbank's head office was moved from Ankara to Istanbul in June 2015. On 24 February 2017, publicly owned shares of Halkbank were transferred to the Turkey Wealth Fund. thumb|Halkbank's former headquarters in Ankara