By Dilara Sarı

Representatives of the EBRD Board of Directors will visit Türkiye between 15 and 20 September as part of a regular series of consultations in the economies where the Bank operates.

The five-day visit will give shareholder representatives the opportunity to meet with senior government officials and members of the business community, as well as representatives of international partners and civil-society organisations (CSOs).

The EBRD Board will be represented by:

·         Director for Türkiye, Romania, Azerbaijan, Moldova, the Kyrgyz Republic and Algeria, Yasemin Girici 

·         Director for Belgium, Luxembourg and Slovenia, David Avarello,  

·         Director for Germany, Michael Offer 

·         Director for France, Yann Pouëzat  

·         Director for the European Investment Bank, Maria Shaw-Barragan

·         Director for Sweden, Iceland and Estonia, Kristina Akesson  

·         Director for Spain, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, Enrique Alejo

·         Director for Portugal, Greece, San Marino and India, Carlos Domingues  

·         Director for the United Kingdom, Mark Paskins, 

·         Alternate Director for Australia, Korea, New Zealand and Egypt Sean Lee.

In addition to meetings with CSOs and private-sector representatives, the Directors will also meet with key government officials, including Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz and Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Simsek.

The Directors will also visit cities in the country’s southeastern region, which was hit by a series of devastating earthquakes in 2023, causing more than 50,000 fatalities and widespread damage to the affected cities.

Following the earthquake, the EBRD announced a €1.5 billion(US$1.7billion) response package, including credit lines for companies and individuals, support for small and medium-sized enterprises, and infrastructure investments in the region. Over €1 billion of this package has already been distributed.

In Türkiye, the EBRD focuses on bolstering green investments, increasing financial resilience, fostering the knowledge economy and promoting inclusion. In 2023, the Bank invested a record €2.5 billion in the country, boosted by its swift earthquake response and climate-driven investments.

The last visit by the Board of Directors to the country took place in 2017.

The EBRD is among Türkiye’s key investors, with more than €20 billion invested through 451 projects and trade finance limits since 2009, most of it in the private sector.