Türkiye's largest lender, Ziraat Bank, will soon open a branch in Albania, raising the number of countries in which it operates to 21, it said on Friday.

In a statement, the public bank said it had obtained establishment approval from the Bank of Albania after successfully completing the required procedures.

Aiming to expand its presence in the Balkans, "Ziraat Bank is preparing to begin operations shortly and offer services in Albania," it noted.

The branch will be located in the capital, Tirana.

With the addition of Albania, Ziraat Bank will expand its footprint in the Balkans to six countries, alongside Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Montenegro and Greece.

"We continue to strengthen our international network day by day, providing strategic support to our country's foreign trade and mutual investments. More than 20% of Türkiye's foreign trade volume is conducted through Ziraat Bank" said Ziraat Bank CEO Alpaslan Çakar.

Çakar said the lender's total asset size has approached $200 billion, including domestic and international subsidiaries.

"We believe that our branch in Albania, which has strong economic potential and is in the process of joining the European Union, will support trade and investment between Türkiye and the Western Balkans."