While many tourism authorities agree that the financial crisis, still prevailing especially in Europe, continues to badly affect Turkish tourism, an 11 percent increase in the number of tourists visiting the southern city of Antalya in 2010 is a positive sign for sector representatives.

Turkey is stepping up its role in Iraq, vying with Iran as a regional power. These powerful neighbors use investments and building projects to ensure long-term influence. The competition is heating up as the U.S. prepares to withdraw troops from Iraq by the end of next year. Northern Iraq is the staging ground for Turkey's bid for economic dominance, and the Marina restaurant in Irbil is the kind of place that businessmen come to make deals. The food is pricey, and the live entertainment is in Turkish, a sign of Turkey's growing role. In the central market, Turkish products are available in every shop stall. (A scene at shopping mall in Erbil)

• December 28, 2010
• Published in Turkey

Turkey’s top four banks play a very prominent role in the sector. State-owned Ziraat and three private banks, Garanti, Is and Akbank, have the lyon’s share in assets, deposits and profits.

According to the latest report from the Union of Banks, TBB for short, as of end September, the country’s largest lenders accounted for 54.2 percent of assets, 57.3 percent of deposits and 59.7 percent of net earnings with Ziraat leading in all three categories.

By end September, the banking sector’s combined assets stood at TL 886.1bn and deposits at TL 569.3bn. As for after-tax profits, they reached TL 16.3bn in nine months.