Frequently Asked Questions
The duties and powers of the Banks Association of Turkey, which is a professional organization in the nature of a public institution, are determined in the 80th article of the Banking Law No. 5411, in the 9th chapter titled "Organizational Associations", and in the Association Statute. It is possible to access the specified article of the Law and the Statute of the Union on our website.
The provisions of the Banking Law No. 5411 prohibit banks from disclosing customer secret information to anyone other than the authorities expressly authorized by law in this regard. The Banks Association of Türkiye is not among the authorities expressly authorized by law. In order to access the deceased's bank accounts, it is necessary to apply to the bank branches that are thought to be directly relevant, along with documents showing that the heir or his representative is authorized in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Code. However, if the requests of the authorities are sent to the general directorates of the banks and an investigation is requested at all branches; Considering that not all of our banks have yet become fully automated, and that fully automated banks are also exposed to investment and transaction costs, the research will cover hundreds of branches of each bank, and since this will cause a huge financial burden and loss of time for the banks, these demands can be fulfilled by the banks for a fee. Knowing that, requests to investigate information within the scope of customer secrets must be made to the bank branches that are considered directly relevant. If you wish to apply to the headquarters of the banks, it is possible to access the list containing the headquarters address information of the member banks of our Association on our Association's website.
In Turkish Lira, foreign currency and precious metals, which are opened in the name of real persons in the domestic branches of a credit institution operating in Turkey and which are not subject to commercial transactions other than the issuance of checks exclusively;
a) The sum of the principals of savings deposit accounts and interest accruals related to these accounts,
b) Participation accounts unit account values and special current accounts
Up to 100 thousand Turkish Liras for each real person is covered by insurance.
Deposits and participation funds in credit institutions established exclusively for off-shore banking activities in Turkey are not subject to insurance.
For more details: www.tmsf.org.tr
4a- I have repaid the loan I used from a bank in the past, albeit late, but despite this, my name appears on the list of negatively qualified customers (black list), I request that my name be deleted from this list. I request a check / loan from the bank or banks, I cannot get it, the reason is not explained. I request the reason to be explained.
There is no information or document regarding the customers of the banks at the Banks Association of Türkiye. In addition, our Association does not have the authority to intervene in banks' commercial decisions, which may differ depending on their risk perception. For this reason, our Union cannot take any action regarding such applications. However, it is thought that it would be appropriate to know the following evaluation regarding the subject:
A "Negative Personal Loan and Credit Card Risks" list has been created at the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) to ensure that the basic identity information of real person debtors subject to information exchange by banks is monitored centrally for intelligence purposes only. The information of bank customers whose identity information has been reported to the CBRT due to non-payment of the debt on maturity, and the information of those customers who have subsequently paid their debts, is centralized by the CBRT and transferred to the banks participating in the system on a monthly basis. This information is kept in the databases of banks as a reference source in order to be evaluated during the credit process of individuals. Entry into the system is made by notification of the banks and this information is shared with other banks by the CBRT.
Deletion of negative personal loan and credit card records at the CBRT; Although there is a schedule for records for which a collection notification has been made or for which a collection notification has not been made, it is at the discretion of the banks participating in the system whether to delete the files and their contents created on their computers.
I request information regarding the Law No. 5834 on the Disregard of Records Concerning Bad Checks, Protested Promissory Notes and Loan and Credit Card Debts, which is also known as the Record Amnesty Law in public, and the implementation of the Law.
8- I would like to learn about the activities carried out by the Banks Association of Turkey in relation to frauds committed via the Internet.
Our Association approaches the issue sensitively and works are carried out to raise the awareness of bank customers and increase security. It is possible to access the studies and public announcements made by the Banks Association of Turkey regarding the subject under the "Technology and Security" heading on our Association's website.
The Banks Association of Turkey does not have the authority to audit and examine its members, nor does it have the authority to intervene in personnel policies. Our Association cannot make an evaluation regarding complaints regarding banking services and banks' personnel. On the other hand, it should be known that every bank pays special attention to customer satisfaction due to competition concerns, and for this purpose, they have created mechanisms within their structure through which customers can convey their complaints. Therefore, it is thought that it would be appropriate to report complaints directly to the relevant bank.
It is not possible for the Banks Association of Turkey to make an evaluation about the financial strength of member banks. Banks are under the supervision of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency. It is possible to access the financial statements of our association's member banks under the heading "Statistical Reports/Financial Statements within the Scope of Communiqué 17" in the main menu of the website.
I make a transaction at the bank, a fee and/or commission is requested. Fee and/or commission rates for the same banking transaction vary between banks. I want to know the legal basis for this.
There is no regulation made by the Banks Association of Turkey regarding the fees, commissions and expenses that banks will collect from their customers. Benefits other than interest provided by banks to their customers, as well as fees, commissions and expenses collected, are determined freely between banks and their customers, within the freedom of contract stipulated in Article 19 of the Code of Obligations. It would be appropriate to make applications regarding fees, commissions and expenses determined by banks, which are not among the duties and powers of the Union, directly to the relevant banks.
It is possible to access information about banks that have ceased operations, changed their names or merged, in the files under the headings "Bank Information" and "Historical Information", respectively, under "Bank and Sector Information" in the main menu of our Association's website.
It is possible to access the relevant legal regulations under the heading "TBB Opinions" and the subheading "Draft Bank Cards and Credit Cards Law" in the main menu of our association's website.
There is no information or documentation regarding the interest rates applied by banks in deposit and loan transactions at the Banks Association of Turkey. It would be appropriate to know the following evaluation regarding the interest rates applied by banks.
The principles and procedures regarding the interest rates to be applied by banks in deposit and loan transactions are specified in the Council of Ministers Decision No. 2006/11118 and the Communiqué No. 2006/1 published by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey regarding the said Decision. Within the scope of the regulations mentioned within the freedom of contract stipulated in the Code of Obligations, deposit and loan interest rates can be freely determined between banks and their customers. Banks announce the interest rates they will apply in deposit and loan transactions in a way that the public can see in bank branches. The mentioned regulations can be accessed on our Association's website.
