Denizbank is aiming for higher growth than the Turkish banking sector as a whole in 2013, driven by its expansion in agriculture, tourism and energy financing, its Chief Executive Officer Hakan Ates said. Denizbank, Turkey's eighth-largest bank by asset size, will focus more on growth following a tough year in which the former unit of failed Franco-Belgian lender Dexia was acquired by Russia's Sberbank.

Denizbank is targeting asset growth of around 22 percent next year, higher than the 15 percent expected in the Turkish banking sector, as well as 25 percent cash loan growth, 20 percent deposit growth and 23 percent profit growth. "We expect loans, deposits and profit to grow by 15 percent in the Turkish banking sector in 2013, and we will achieve better in all three," Ates said. "According to the signals sent out by the central bank, higher loan growth for the Turkish banking sector will be allowed this year," he added.

Copyright Reuters, 2012