Dutch ING group sponsors Turkish basketball league

Dutch ING group backed Turkey's top-tier basketball league for three seasons on Friday.

The Turkish Basketball Federation (TBF) and ING Bank's Turkey branch inked a deal in Istanbul to name the division ING Basketball Super Lig for three seasons.

TBF chief Hidayet Turkoglu and ING Turkey's deputy director general Alper Gokgoz signed the contract.

Following the signing ceremony, Gokgoz said work towards this sponsorship had been ongoing since 2014.

Turkoglu said the TBF was happy for the support to basketball.

Headquartered in the Dutch capital Amsterdam, ING has 53,000 employees around the globe serving approximately 38.4 million customers in at least 40 countries.

ING's total end-2018 assets amounted to €887 billion ($987.1 billion), according to its website.

Separately, Turkoglu voiced his sincere feelings and support for the Turkish army amid an anti-terror operation in northern Syria.

Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria on Oct. 9 in order to secure Turkey’s borders, aid the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.

Ankara wants to clear the region east of the Euphrates River of the terrorist PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the YPG.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the European Union -- has been responsible for deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.