* Group sales down 33 percent
* Shares up 2 percent
(Adds more detail, comment, background)
ISTANBUL, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Conglomerate Koc Holding, Turkey's biggest company by sales, said on Friday second-quarter net profit fell 60 percent to 664 million lira ($444 million), as sales fell 33 percent to 9.71 billion.
Turkey has been hard hit by the global economic crisis and slumped deep into recession this year. The economy contracted almost 14 percent during the first quarter, when Koc saw net profit fall 94 percent on the year.
Koc shares opened 2.0 percent higher at 4.00 lira, outperforming the index of leading Turkish shares which rose 1.2 percent.
Chief executive Bulent Bulgurlu blamed the financial crisis for the profit slump and said he hoped Turkey and the International Monetary Fund would strike a new loan deal soon.
He said he hoped the Turkish Central Bank would continue cutting interest rates as it bids to revive the economy.
Koc has interests in energy, automotive, retail and banking, and has stressed this year it would focus on risk management, cost cuts and efficiency gains.
Shares in Koc Holding have risen 82 percent since the start of the year, in line with increases in Turkish equities. (Writing by Ayla Jean Yackley and Alexandra Hudson; Editing by Dan Lalor) ($1 = 1.497 Turkish lira)