BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 5. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has extended a 75 million euro loan to Türkiye Sınai Kalkınma Bankası (TSKB) to expand financial access for women, young people, and businesses recovering from the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye, Trend reports.
Under the agreement, at least 15% of the loan will support companies promoting youth employment, and another 15% will go to businesses in earthquake-affected areas. The remainder will back inclusive companies advancing women’s participation and leadership in the workforce.
The initiative comes as Türkiye continues to face persistent gaps in youth and female labour force participation, particularly in regions hit hardest by the earthquakes. The funding aims to address labour market disruptions and promote long-term social inclusion and economic resilience.
Marking TSKB’s 75th anniversary, the loan deepens a longstanding partnership between the two institutions. Since 2011, the EBRD has worked with TSKB on multiple projects, primarily focused on green financing.
“This time we’re joining forces to support employment for women and youth, and finance businesses in earthquake-hit areas,” said Oksana Yavorskaya, EBRD Deputy Head for Türkiye. TSKB CEO Murat Bilgiç added, “We are proud to break new ground by launching our first loan with a youth employment theme.”
To date, the EBRD has invested nearly 22 billion euros in Türkiye across 484 projects, with a focus on the private sector.