Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK), one of Bahrain's leading banks, has recently opened a representative office in Turkey. BBK CEO Reyadh Sater talking to the Anadolu Agency (AA) said, "The Turkey office will mostly promote the bank's activities while the employees here will inform us about the level of demand, enabling the BBK to better understand the opportunities here."

Noting Turkey as a strategic point to carry the BBK outside the Gulf region, Sater said the BBK's agency in Turkey will improve the commercial relations between Bahrain and Turkey.

Stressing that Turkey's economic power is of major importance in terms of the bank's growth strategy, and the country's positive relations with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Bahrain, Sater said the relations between the BBK and Turkey goes back to some 20 years and has improved over the past six years, leading them to turn their directions to Turkey.

The BBK CEO said Turkey is now the world's 16th largest economic power and its economy will get even stronger as soon as it solves its geopolitical problems.

Pointing out the fact that many infrastructure firms and large companies from Turkey are trying to do business in GCC countries, Sater said, "Turkish companies can now compete on the global platform and in order to do more business in the GCC countries, Turkish firms need to be in touch with the local banks there."

Bilgün Gürkan, director at the BBK Turkey's Representative Office said the BBK, Bahrain's largest bank, will back Turkish firms operating in GCC countries through its office here. It will also explore other financial investment opportunities.

The 45-year-old bank, which is headquartered in Bahrain, has branches in Kuwait and India. The bank has a representative office in Dubai and recently opened its branch in Istanbul, its second representative office.