Foreign Bank Entry in the Late Ottoman Empire: The Case of the Imperial Ottoman Bank

Abstract

AbstractBefore 1900, there were few foreign banks in the Ottoman Empire. The most important foreign bank was the Imperial Ottoman Bank. Many rival foreign banks established a presence over time, which could have undermined the power of the Imperial Ottoman Bank due to greater competition. This article examines how rival foreign banks affected the Imperial Ottoman Bank branches, using data on profits of these branches between 1895 and 1914. Empirical findings do not indicate that rival bank branches were related to lower profits for Imperial Ottoman Bank branches in the respective markets.