Ak Lease signs USD 100 million sustainable financing facility with IFC

Ak Lease has signed a USD 100 million loan agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The proceeds of the facility will be used to finance climate-related projects, blue finance initiatives including water conservation and waste management, renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) established or owned by women entrepreneurs.

Ak Lease, a leading provider of specialised leasing solutions supporting investments across a wide range of industries, has entered into a USD 100 million financing transaction with IFC. ICBC Dubai (DIFC) Branch participated in the transaction as a B1 Loan participant, with ICBC Turkey Bank A.Ş. acting as coordinator. The financing, launched at a signing ceremony held at Sabancı Center, will support investments in climate projects, blue finance initiatives focusing on water conservation and waste management, as well as renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The proceeds from Ak Lease's inaugural transaction with IFC will also contribute to improving access to finance for SMEs established or owned by women entrepreneurs. Through this transaction, Ak Lease will further strengthen its commitment to financing environmentally and socially impactful investments that contribute to sustainable development.

"We will continue contributing to the transformation of the Turkish economy"

Commenting on the transaction, Eser Okyay, General Manager of Ak Lease said:

“This transaction, our first with IFC, is an important demonstration of our commitment to sustainable finance. We view our partnerships with international financial institutions not only as a source of long-term funding, but also as strategic collaborations that help bring global best practices and sustainability standards to Türkiye. We believe the investment-oriented nature of the leasing sector plays a vital role in transforming the real economy. Accordingly, financing investments that enhance competitiveness, improve efficiency and create long-term value remains one of our key priorities. As Ak Lease, we will continue to act as a trusted financing partner for our customers in environmentally and socially impactful investments that support sustainable development while contributing to the transformation of the Turkish economy.”

Commenting on the partnership, Momina Aijazuddin, IFC Regional Director for Financial Institutions in the Middle East and Central Asia, said:

“IFC's partnership with Ak Lease demonstrates our commitment to working with strong local financial institutions to expand access to long-term finance in Türkiye. By increasing access to long-term leasing finance, this partnership will enable businesses to invest in the equipment and technologies they need to improve productivity, strengthen resilience and create jobs. It will also support eligible investments in water conservation, waste management, renewable energy and energy efficiency, while expanding access to finance for women-owned SMEs. We look forward to further strengthening this partnership to enable more businesses to access long-term financing that creates lasting value for the Turkish economy.”

Hatice Korkmaz, Senior Executive Director of ICBC Turkey Bank, added:

“We are pleased to contribute to this significant financing transaction between Ak Lease and IFC by leveraging our group's international network and strong intra-group cooperation. Throughout the transaction, ICBC Turkey acted as coordinator, bringing together our client's financing needs with our group's global resources and facilitating the participation of ICBC Dubai (DIFC) Branch in the financing. We believe it is particularly valuable that the proceeds of this transaction will be directed towards high-impact areas such as sustainability-focused projects and the financing of women entrepreneurs.”