Turkey to resume tight monetary policy – Central Bank governor

Governor Kavcioglu says Turkey will both make reserves permanent and implement a better system that funds production and exports.

Chief of the the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT), Sahap Kavcioglu poses for a photo in Ankara, Turkey on April 16, 2021.
AA

Chief of the the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT), Sahap Kavcioglu poses for a photo in Ankara, Turkey on April 16, 2021.

The Turkish Central Bank will continue monetary tightening until the mid-term inflation target of 5 percent is achieved, its governor has said at a joint broadcast of prominent TV channels.

Pointing to an interest rate above the inflation figure, Sahap Kavcioglu said he will focus on reducing inflation.

The central bank will take measures for credit expansion while setting a balance for household, real sector and investors, he stated late on Friday.

Over a question about the alleged $128 billion deficit in the Central Bank's foreign exchange reserves, Kavcioglu said the claim is untrue.

He recalled the coronavirus pandemic crisis appeared abruptly in 2020 and countries closed doors.

READ MORE: Erdogan: Turkish economy well-positioned to compete on world stage

Loading...

Portfolio investments decreased on a global scale and Turkey's share surely narrowed, Kavcioglu noted.

He also recalled that financial measures to fight the pandemic totalled $16 trillion and budget expansions by central banks reached $10 trillion.

As of the end of 2020, the real sector's foreign exchange position deficit was $208 billion but it decreased to $157 billion. This was met by reserves or transactions by the Central Bank, he said.

If the Central Bank had not met the foreign currency demand during the pandemic, the country would be facing difficulties, he said.

Mentioning foreigners' capital outflows, he underlined: "We may discuss various topics in Turkey, but everyone knows that they can bring their money to Turkey or withdraw from Turkey whenever they want.”

He added Turkey will both make reserves permanent and implement a better system that funds production and exports.

READ MORE: Turkey's e-commerce sector sees sharp increase of 66 percent amid pandemic

Route 6