Vakıfbank

Vakıfbank Istanbul has defended its CEV Volleyball Champions League title, adding an overall fourth gold medal from the most prestigious women's club competition in Europe to its record.

Turkish women's volleyball team Vakıfbank advanced to the final of the CEV Champions League for the seventh time on May 5, after beating the Italian team Imoco.

Turkey’s Vakıfbank said that the transfer of a majority of its shares to the Turkish treasury will not change its status as a state bank or its strategy and business plan.

Turkey’s Vakıfbank said on Dec. 1 that it had never had any interest or involvement whatsoever in any of the processes mentioned in the U.S. trial of a Turkish bank executive accused of helping to launder money for Iran.

Vakıfbank beat Brazilian club Rexona-Sesc 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25, 21) on May 14 to clinch the title in the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship in Kobe, Japan.

It was the second Club World Championship title for Vakıfbank, which also won the tournament in 2013.

Turkey's Vakıfbank women's volleyball team clinched its third 2017 CEV Volleyball Champions League title after a straight sets victory against home side Imoco Volley Conegliano in the Italian city of Treviso on April 23.

The home team made a good start, but the Turkish visitors soon found their stride, going into the first technical with an 8-6 lead before seeing out the set 25-19.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's (EBRD) support for Turkish agriculture has now exceeded 1 billion euros, the bank announced in a press statement April 12. 

The EBRD, a leading institutional investor in Turkey, has financed over 32,000 agricultural businesses across the country, according to the statement. 

Turkey's economy grew a faster-than-expected 3.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016, mainly due to a significant rise in consumption, data showed on March 31, bouncing back after last July's coup attempt and underpinning hopes of a recovery less than three weeks ahead of a referendum. 

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has questioned why all general board meetings of Turkey's state-run lenders have been postponed until after the referendum, speculating that the government may be "afraid of something in their balance sheets." 

In a move to enhance reforms in the Turkish electricity sector, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has said it is financing electricity companies operating in the north west of the country, in a written statement.