... Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) of Turkiye Halk Bankasi A.S. (Halk) are driven by its standalone creditworthiness, reflected in its Viability Rating (VR). The VR reflects Halk's strong franchise, reasonable asset quality and sufficient liquidity, notwithstanding recent rapid growth and a challenging Turkish operating environment. The ratings also reflects Halk's only adequate capitalisation. Halk was the sixth-largest Turkish bank at end-3Q16, with shares of 9.1%, 10.2% and 8.8% in loans, deposits and total assets, respectively, on an unconsolidated basis. It has a strong franchise in the SME segment (13% share of SME loans at end-3Q16) due to its policy role. Sovereign Support Underpins Ratings: Halk's IDRs and Support Rating Floor (SRF) are aligned with the Long-Term IDRs of the Turkish sovereign. This reflects Fitch Ratings' view that there is a high probability that the Turkish authorities would provide support to the bank if needed, based...
