Turkish state lender Ziraat Bank has told Syria’s central bank that it wants to start banking operations in Syria, Ziraat Chief Executive Officer Alpaslan Çakar told Reuters on Wednesday.
Syria’s interim authorities have been trying to stabilize the economy and restore payment systems since former president Bashar al-Assad was ousted a little more than a year ago, after 13 years of conflict.
Turkey is the interim government’s main foreign backer and has expanded trade and business ties with Syria.
“We have presented our intention to commence banking operations in Syria to the Central Bank of Syria and are closely monitoring the process in coordination with the relevant authorities,” Çakar said in written responses to Reuters questions.
Çakar is also chairman of the Banks Association of Turkey, a group that represents Turkish banks.
He said Ziraat is in talks with Syrian banks to strengthen correspondent banking ties and explore cooperation.
Reuters said Syrian Central Bank Governor Abdelkader Husrieh did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Çakar said the steps aim to support the restoration of Syria’s banking sector, align regulations with international standards and support reconstruction after the lifting of international sanctions.
Ziraat was Turkey’s largest bank by assets in 2025, with about 7.9 trillion Turkish lira, or $184 billion, in assets as of September.