The Mastercard Impact Fund (MIF), administered by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, has partnered with Akbank T.A.Ş. to expand financing for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Türkiye, with a strong focus on women-owned businesses and enterprises in earthquake-affected regions. The initiative aligns with the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) $100 million credit facility to Akbank and includes longer-term financing support.
The program will strengthen Akbank’s lending capacity to women-led MSMEs while expanding its Transformation Academy to deliver broader non-financial services, including training, mentorship, and business advisory support.
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Kaan Gür, CEO of Akbank, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to inclusive banking.
“At Akbank, inclusive banking is at the heart of our strategy, and women entrepreneurs and women-led SMEs are among our top priority segments. Over the past years, we have doubled our customer base and increased our cash loan portfolio eightfold. We support women-led SMEs not only with dedicated financing—but also with capacity-building programs, trainings, and one-to-one mentoring that help them grow and create sustainable employment. With our collaboration with ADB and Mastercard, we will further diversify our products and expand our reach to even more women-led SMEs across Türkiye.”
Established in 2022, Akbank’s Transformation Academy has reached over 21,000 businesses, offering training in foreign trade, digital marketing, e-commerce, and sustainability. Under the partnership, the Academy will deliver tailored programs informed by a gender needs assessment, helping women MSMEs strengthen financial, operational, and digital capabilities, while supporting access to domestic and export value chains.
Jon Huntsman, Vice Chairman and President of Strategic Growth at Mastercard, highlighted Türkiye’s economic momentum.
“Türkiye is at a digital and economic inflection point. Our collaboration with Akbank and ADB expands access to capital for small businesses—especially women-owned enterprises—empowering entrepreneurs to drive growth and resilience. By combining global expertise with local alignment, we’re helping foster innovation, financial health, and sustainable progress.”
Yasemin Bedir, President of Mastercard Eastern Europe Division, stressed the importance of digital inclusion.
“Women-owned MSMEs are a critical segment that needs greater access to services. By combining targeted lending with structured support and digital transformation, we can strengthen small businesses and reinforce overall market stability. Empowering women-owned enterprises with digital tools accelerates their growth and delivers long-term value.”
Isabel Chatterton, Director General of ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department, added:
“Improving financial access for women-owned MSMEs in Türkiye will enable more women entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, deepen their role in local value chains, and enhance overall economic resilience, ensuring growth is shared more widely across communities.”
The partnership underscores a shared commitment to combining capital and structured support to drive inclusive growth and strengthen the resilience of women-owned MSMEs across Türkiye.
