At Akbank we started our operations in Adana on January 30, 1948, with the authorization granted by the Council of Ministers with the decision dated 12.12.1947 and numbered 3/6710, authorizing us to carry out all kinds of banking transactions. Initially, our aim was to provide resources and support to cotton producers in Adana, as a private-equity commercial bank We opened our first branch in Istanbul in Sirkeci on July 14, 1950. After the relocation of our Head Office to Istanbul in 1954, the number of our branches increased rapidly.
We transitioned to automated systems in all banking transactions in 1963. After the IPO that took place in 1990 and the secondary public offering in 1998, we also started to operate through American Depository Receipts (ADR) on international markets.
We provide services to our customers in a wide range of activities including corporate and investment banking, commercial banking, SME banking, retail banking, payment systems, private banking, wealth management, and treasury operations. We also carry out activities in the insurance sector through our branches and act as an insurance agent on behalf of Aksigorta Co. And AgeSA Pension and Life Insurance Co.
Our subsidiaries include Akbank AG, AKLease, Ak Investment, Ak Asset Management, AkÖde and Akbank Ventures. Through these subsidiaries, we offer innovative product solutions for various financial needs of our customers. In addition, Akbank has noteworthy products and services that stand out in the national and international banking sector, such as Axess, Wings, and Private Banking.
With our wide service network and technological infrastructure, our bank provides services to more than 14 million active customers through our General Directorate in Istanbul, our Data and Life Center, 19 Regional Directorates across Türkiye, 694 branches, and 12,778 employees. In addition to providing in-person services at our branches, we also offer added value to our customers through Akbank Internet, Akbank Mobile, our Call Center, 6,210 ATMs, and 803,588 POS terminals (including virtual POS solutions). Our branch in Malta and our subsidiary Akbank AG in Germany also contribute to our international operations.
In 2020, we have identified four key focus areas: sustainable financing, people & community, ecosystem management, and climate change apart of our sustainability strategy. In 2023, we realized our commitment we made at the beginning of 2021 to provide TRY 200 billion sustainable loan financing to our country by 2030.
In 2024, we increased our lending portfolio to TRY 1 trillion 728 billion, with TRY 1.376 billion provided in cash, to support national economy. Our total deposits reached TRY 1 trillion 633 billion, and our assets reached TRY 2 trillion 653 billion. Maintaining a strong capital position with a strong consolidated capital adequacy ratio of 20.2%, we continue to support the revitalization and development of the real economy. This year, our bank allocated TRY 9 billion 490 million in tax provisions while achieving a consolidated net profit of TRY 42 billion 362 million.
With the goal of leaving future generations with a more sustainable world, we are integrating sustainability into our operations and banking processes by developing our Environmental and Social Risk Framework.
We build our corporate culture on the principles of diversity and inclusion. While supporting the participation of individuals with disabilities in the workforce, we carry out projects in areas such as gender equality, women's economic empowerment, volunteerism, and equal opportunities in education. As the first Turkish bank to join the global “The Valuable 500” initiative, we are proud to be part of this movement. We aspire to reach all segments of society with the financial inclusion products and services we provide, ensuring the engagemen of all our stakeholders in the economy, including underprivileged groups. At the same time, as a founding member of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative’s Financial Health and Inclusion Commitment, we contribute to the work carried out in this area.
We continue to strengthen our pioneering role in the banking sector by investing in innovation and start-ups through “Akbank LAB.” By continuously improving our Akbank Mobile application, we maintain our leadership in the digital transformation of banking. With an open Corporate culture that embraces change and innovation, we quickly respond to the changing needs of our customers.
In 2021, we added a new initiative to our social investments by establishing the Akbank Youth Academy. In this context, we embrace the mission of “starting the transformation together with the youth” and offed a range of trainings to equip the younger generation with the skills they will need in the future.
As Akbank, we take on a pioneering role in the global banking sector in terms of gender equality and women's empowerment, being the only Turkish bank participating in the UNEP FI & UN Women’s Working Group on Gender Equality 2024.
We are delighted to be included in the guide for setting targets for the advancement of gender equality and women's empowerment, developed in collaboration with the banks participating in this working group.
We are one of the four Turkish Companies recognized in the “World’s Best Companies 2024” ranking published by TIME Magazine and Statista. We are the only Turkish bank on this list. Performance ranking is based on a formula of employee-satisfaction surveys; revenue growth; and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) data for the years between 2021 and 2023.
We focus on reducing the environmental impact of our operations in the fight against climate change. By 2050, we aim to be a Net Zero bank and are committed to reducing both our operational emissions and the climate change impact of our loan portfolio to zero.
As part of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), we assess both the qualitative and quantitative impacts of climate change and identify potential vulnerabilities in our loan portfolio. By implementing our net zero carbon roadmap, we support our customers in seizing market opportunities and managing transition risks.