Team size: 19

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in?

As our bank is one of the biggest players in the Turkish banking sector and has many subsidiaries both in Türkiye and abroad, we manage large and important business transactions, both financially and in terms of prestige. Besides traditional banking transactions and activities such as loans and deposits, my team of 19 employees provides legal support to both our bank’s branches and head office units for all legal topics and issues. We also prepare and review contracts signed with customers and suppliers, providing legal support to all processes and projects of our bank.

On the other hand, my team provides legal support for contracts signed by our bank or its subsidiaries with the world’s leading companies, large-scale purchasing transactions, and innovative projects that will shape the banking sector. Managing the contract process for several subjects, conducting innovative projects such as participating in the Universal Digital Payments Network studies in the field of digital banking, providing legal support for the development of processes by adapting to new payment models are just a few of the major projects that our team has been involved in recently.

What strategic priorities are guiding you and your team in 2024?

The banking sector has a faster development trajectory compared to our legal system, and innovations are continually being realised in the banking sector and payment systems ecosystem both globally and in Türkiye. In order to keep up with the innovations in this development process, it is essential to continuously monitor our bank’s compliance with regulations.

One of our top priorities for the near future is to ensure that our bank maintains its position as the leading bank in Türkiye by adapting to global innovations, while ensuring that all activities are conducted properly at both the regulatory and contractual levels. Simultaneously, as a natural consequence of the aforementioned developments, since improvements may sometimes be necessary in our country’s legal system, taking various actions to mobilise regulatory authorities and legislators to implement these improvements and revisions is also considered crucial by us.

Do you have a cause, business-related or otherwise, that you are passionate about?

Being successful in a legal career requires continuous learning and avoiding repetition. In my 18 years of experience as a lawyer, the most important aspect of my career journey has been to work in an environment that fosters this growth. In today’s conditions, banks have evolved far beyond their traditional roles of lending loans and collecting deposits; they have become major players in the financial ecosystem, both technologically and innovatively. Therefore, my greatest motivation is to stay updated and continuously learn by following both national and international developments in legislation and practices.