HSBC opens review of Turkish retail and business banking operations

HSBC has begun a review of its retail and corporate banking activities in Türkiye as part of the group's broader global restructuring programme.

In a statement, the bank said the process would examine "all options" for the retail banking arm of HSBC Bank A.Ş. (HSBC Türkiye) as well as its portfolio serving small and medium-sized companies.

The lender said no conclusion has been reached at this stage.

The assessment does not cover wholesale banking operations, including investment banking.

"HSBC recognises the importance of Türkiye to its global network and will continue to have a strong presence in the country as it supports international companies investing in Türkiye and Turkish companies expanding overseas," the statement read.

"The bank's strategy is to increase leadership and market share in the areas where it has a clear competitive advantage and where it has the greatest opportunity to grow and support its clients."

The review comes as HSBC continues to pull back from markets where it lacks scale or sees weaker profitability, following a strategic reassessment initiated by chief executive Georges Elhedery in October 2024 aimed at reducing the bank's international footprint.

In recent years, the bank has divested retail banking businesses in markets such as Sri Lanka and France, and it is also assessing its position in Egypt.

Recently, Bloomberg citing sources reported that Emirates NBD is in talks to buy HSBC's operations in Türkiye.

In May this year, OCBC Indonesia signed a deal with PT Bank HSBC Indonesia to assume the assets and liabilities connected to HSBC Indonesia's retail banking and wealth management operations there, known as International Wealth and Premier Banking (IWPB Indonesia).

HSBC has likewise restarted a disposal process related to its Australian retail banking business, although the effort is now focused on selling the loan book rather than the entire unit in a single transaction, according to a report by The Australian in April.

In July 2025, HSBC declared its intention to withdraw from its International Wealth and Premier Banking (Retail Banking) operations in Bangladesh.

HSBC's Sri Lanka branch signed a binding agreement in September 2025, to transfer its retail banking operations to Nations Trust Bank (NTB).

"HSBC opens review of Turkish retail and business banking operations" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand.