Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Might be looking for a

Any recommendations for a Turkish mainland bank based in TRNC?(needs to have an IBAN for transfers)

Looking for low or no monthly fees on current accounts, good internet banking, low cost foreign currency transfers in/out and good customer service.

Istisbank KARAKUM
Ask for Nesrin she’ll give you all the information
Uk Sterling transfer £1 per thousand in your account between 2 and 4 hours

Thanks for your reply poppy. I've banked with the Iktisatbank since 2005 but they are a local bank and therefore transfers have to be done via an intermediary bank in Turkey. I'm looking for recommendations for a Turkish bank where I can get an account with an IBAN for direct transfers.

come_on_aylin wrote: ↑

Tue 23 Jun 2026 6:41 pm

Thanks for your reply poppy. I've banked with the Iktisatbank since 2005 but they are a local bank and therefore transfers have to be done via an intermediary bank in Turkey. I'm looking for recommendations for a Turkish bank where I can get an account with an IBAN for direct transfers.

Sorry didn’t realise they were local they have IBAN ETC
What’s the difference with Turkish bank ???
Only other is TEB maybe but don’t find them as efficient recently
Good luck

Garanti bank.

Im at garanti.

Local banks do a lot of lending to the kktc government.

A factual statement....

The last money i sent offshore arrived in minutes...i was amazed..it wasnt cheap though..

Thanks for all the replies. Will have a look at Garanti, being Scottish I object to paying high fees

mrsgee wrote: ↑

Wed 24 Jun 2026 6:07 am

Garanti bank.

Left Garanti .after a few months .. didn't seem interested in our small amount of TL money….and dont use Sterling or didn't

There's also TEB and Isbank. Have no connections with either.

poppy++1 wrote: ↑

Wed 24 Jun 2026 3:42 pm

mrsgee wrote: ↑

Wed 24 Jun 2026 6:07 am

Garanti bank.

Left Garanti .after a few months .. didn't seem interested in our small amount of TL money….and dont use Sterling or didn't

Garanti do deal in sterling, offer sterling investment accounts, transfers from uk bank account using wise in minutes, absolutely no problems at all.

mrsgee wrote: ↑

Wed 24 Jun 2026 8:09 pm

poppy++1 wrote: ↑

Wed 24 Jun 2026 3:42 pm

mrsgee wrote: ↑

Wed 24 Jun 2026 6:07 am

Garanti bank.

Left Garanti .after a few months .. didn't seem interested in our small amount of TL money….and dont use Sterling or didn't

Garanti do deal in sterling, offer sterling investment accounts, transfers from uk bank account using wise in minutes, absolutely no problems at all.

We were advised they didn’t another reason we left
Happy with our bank now

mrsgee wrote: ↑

Wed 24 Jun 2026 8:09 pm

Garanti do deal in sterling, offer sterling investment accounts, transfers from uk bank account using wise in minutes, absolutely no problems at all.

Useful to know, have you ever tried transferring money from here to UK banks? That's more likely to be the direction we'll be using.

ISBANK WITHOUT A DOUBT. Am impressed, particularly with their branch in Alsancak. Have some sterling in Garantee but moving it out because of lack of car parking plus they are slow and grumpy if you want to close an account and few English speakers.

Turkiye Bankasi karakum very helpful today, email confirming money arrived within 10 mins

My wifes in isbank. The worst thing about garanti is the waiting system...business customers get priority and then it depends how much money you have got in the bank..if you get a duff number you can wait 1 hour..whilst a guy with a business a count walks in and gets to the cash desk in minutes.

Also the exchange rates are naff compared to the money exchanges..any significant amounts i withdraw & take the exchange

The oniline is excellent & extensive & there are overnight daily market funds for cash that pay very good rates on tl &£...tl can be withdrawn immediately & £ 1 day notice .interest calculated daily.

They also have fixed tl savings accounts which you can do all online again competitive. You can get 42.5% for 32 day or 92 day on 100000 tl for example. You dont need to go a branch and start negotiating like most of the others...i hate having to do that...begging for a higher rate. I mostly use the daily funds the rate.isnt guaranteed but for £ ive been getting c 3% i dont believe theres higher in trnc. For the daily rates you.have to open an investment account.

Some pros & cons anyway. You wont get a personal banker unless you have a few quid but the online means you shouldnt need one. Garanti dont need to employ people to fawn over customers..id be careful of banking at a small local bank because theres a nice lady...theres a reason they employ these charismatic helpful people...

Garanti or Deniz Bank.

Tried Isbank, not rich enough they did not want to know me. Took my Turkish friend with me in case I needed a translator, lucky I did as the guy I talked to started in English then when my friend asked him a question in Turkish, suddenly that was all he could speak - lol. Tried Garanti - waited about 90 minutes, could not get to talk to anyone, left. Started life here with Credit West - impressive to start with but swiftly fell out of favour as not rich enough and could not be persuaded by the lowest of necklines. Ended up with Turk Bankasi, not very much English, slow and steady, helpful once they understand what we needed and wanted, stuck with them and they were close but then they shut the branch down and now the only one we can get at is near Georges in Kyrenia. Slow internet service but it does the job and the manageress speaks perfect English and is the most helpful person I have ever found in any bank out here. They have two branches in London as well which makes transfer of funds easy.

We were with Creditwest for years…excellant to start change of staff not so good…so changed to Garanti you have to have money and a lot or you wait and wait to be seen….we left…...TEB, ALbank all went same way…good to start then change of staff


Iktisatbank by far the best we have used good rates…daily interest all sorts of accounts to suit….
Always had the most helpful smiling staff both in front, and behind the counter…
As they say horses for courses

waddo wrote: ↑

Fri 26 Jun 2026 3:29 pm

Tried Isbank, not rich enough they did not want to know me. Took my Turkish friend with me in case I needed a translator, lucky I did as the guy I talked to started in English then when my friend asked him a question in Turkish, suddenly that was all he could speak - lol. Tried Garanti - waited about 90 minutes, could not get to talk to anyone, left. Started life here with Credit West - impressive to start with but swiftly fell out of favour as not rich enough and could not be persuaded by the lowest of necklines. Ended up with Turk Bankasi, not very much English, slow and steady, helpful once they understand what we needed and wanted, stuck with them and they were close but then they shut the branch down and now the only one we can get at is near Georges in Kyrenia. Slow internet service but it does the job and the manageress speaks perfect English and is the most helpful person I have ever found in any bank out here. They have two branches in London as well which makes transfer of funds easy.

I'm really interested in your comment about transfer of funds. Do you have a Turk Bankasi account in the UK? We are looking at the best way to transfer funds to the UK from here when the time comes.

I've just found out about HSBC expat accounts and they accept Turkish addresses but want a TIN (tax number they give in Turkey). Wondering if there's a way around that.

You can transfer funds from UK to bank here…
Uk Sterling transfer £1 per thousand in your account between 2 and 4 hours with Istikbank
Watch out for transfer fee’s in other Banks which can be extremely high

Sorry, I don’t have a Turk bank account in the UK. It looks like you are interested in finding a way to transfer funds from here to UK? Can I suggest that you visit with the manager in Girne and ask her advice. I have a UK bank and when I move funds from there to here it first goes to the Turk Bank UK - free - then onwards to here @ a cost! I think that if I had a UK Turk bank account it would be easier/cheaper . Worth a question!

Today's Daily Sabah newspaper reports that Kazakh financial services firm Freedom Holding Corp. have been given clearance to buy a 99.32% stake in Turkish Bank's domestic ops. Cyprus and UK businesses are excluded and will carry on as at present.
Not sure if this would influence anyone looking for a "Turkish Bank" but thought I would report it anyway.

Thanks for that, will see what happens but it might just push me into taking all our ill gotten gains out of Turk Bank and secreting it in a coffee tin in the back garden - only be a small tin so would not have to work to hard to bury it! Even in the tin it will still gain as much interest as it does in the bank so it's a kind of no loss venture for us - lol.

You are so right Waddo, there is not much interest gained in Sterling in bank accounts here, that I am aware of anyway.