The Impact of Financial Crisis on the Commercial Bank Net Interest Margins: Evidence from the Turkish Banking Industry

This paper investigates the impact of financial crisis on the determinants of bank interest rate margin (NIM) in Turkey over the period 1995-2017. The sample period is divided into two sub-periods: Pre-crisis period (1995-2000) and post-crisis period (2002-2017). The NIMs are specified as a function of bank and market-specific variables, such as operating cost, liquidity, credit risk, implicit interest payments, size, managerial efficiency, and concentration. The differences between two time periods could be explained by the differences in the legal, financial and macroeconomic environment. Competition seems to be more intense in the post-crisis period. The new regulatory and macroeconomic environment has enhanced the level of bank competition. Particularly, competitive pressure from foreign banks will lead domestic banks to enhance the quality and range of financial products offered in near future. Policy makers should promote mergers and acquisitions in order to increase scale of banks operating in the sector. Exploitation of the scale economics seems to be important in decreasing interest rate spread in the Turkish banking sector.&nbsp