“Aviva doesn’t think a 2.5 percent market share is enough in Turkey,” Fırat, CEO of Aviva Sigorta, said on Saturday in an interview in the southern city of Antakya, near the Syrian border. “There aren’t many sellers in the market and not many options exist.”

The British insurer, based in London, is satisfied with its partnership with Sabancı Holding, Turkey’s second-biggest industrial group, Fırat said. Sabancı said in a stock-market filing on March 19 that it hired Citigroup and local broker Ak Invest to “evaluate strategic options” for its insurance unit Aksigorta.

Sabancı, based in Istanbul, wants to establish a 50-50 partnership in Aksigorta with a “big international” investor, CEO Ahmet Dördüncü said in February. Sabancı and Aviva jointly own life insurer and private pension fund company Avivasa.

Vatan newspaper reported last month that Aviva wants to buy a 50 percent stake in Aksigorta.

“Aviva thinks that they are doing the right thing in Turkey,” Fırat said. “Turkey and Russia are countries with a strategy and plan for growth, because of the demographics of both emerging markets.”