Advertising budget explodes: Were public funds funneled to pro-government media?

The financial statements of public banks for the first quarter of 2025 have once again brought controversial expenditure items to the agenda. It has been revealed that Ziraat Bank, Halkbank, and VakıfBank spent a total of 1 billion 378 million 626 thousand TL on advertising and announcements in the January-March 2025 period alone.

The remarkable increase in the advertising budget has brought back allegations that public resources are being directed to media groups close to the government. Advertising expenditures, which were 923 million 828 thousand TL in the same period of 2024, showed an increase of 49.2 percent in just one year.

HALKBANK MADE THE HIGHEST EXPENDITURE

According to the report in BirGün, among the three public banks, the institution that allocated the most budget for advertising and announcements was Halkbank. The bank, which spent 479 million 732 thousand TL in the first quarter of 2024, increased this figure to 694 million 626 thousand TL in the same period of 2025.

VakıfBank's advertising expenditures also increased at a significant rate. The bank announced 325 million 337 thousand TL in advertising expenses for the first quarter of 2025. This figure was 235 million 840 thousand TL in the same period of 2024.

Ziraat Bank also showed a similar trend, increasing its advertising expenditure from 208 million 256 thousand TL in 2024 to 356 million 663 thousand TL in the first quarter of 2025.

DEBATES ARE GROWING

Allegations that the majority of advertising expenditures are transferred to media outlets close to the government have brought with them criticisms regarding the way public resources are used. 

News Source: 12punto