Turkey’s external assets total $238.3B in April

By Muhammed Ali Gurtas

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's external assets totaled $238.3 billion as of April this year, the country's central bank reported on Friday.

From the end of 2018, external assets climbed 4% while liabilities against non-residents fell 4.1%.

Official data revealed that the country's liabilities against non-residents amounted to $571.1 billion.

"The NIIP [net international investment position], defined as the difference between Turkey’s external assets and liabilities, posted minus $332.8 billion at the end of April," said the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT).

The NIIP was minus $366.5 billion at the end of last year.

Showing a snapshot in time, the NIIP -- which can be either positive or negative -- is the value of overseas assets owned by a nation, minus the value of domestic assets owned by foreigners, including overseas assets and liabilities held by a nation’s government, the private sector, and its citizens.

Reserve assets, a sub-item under assets, were $92.8 billion at the end of April, declining 0.3% from the end of 2018.

Other investments, another sub-item under assets, totaled $97.3 billion with a 9.7% hike over the same period.

"Currency and deposits of banks, one of the sub-items of other investment, recorded $53.6 billion, indicating an increase of 19.9% compared to the end of 2018," the CBRT said.

On the liabilities side, direct investment -- equity capital plus other capital -- as of the end of April amounted to $122.4 billion.

The figure rose by 14.8% in the same period "with the contribution of the changes in the market value and foreign exchange rates."

In 2018, the average USD/Turkish lira rate was around 4.82, as one dollar was exchanged for 5.75 liras on average this April.

"Foreign exchange deposits of non-residents held within the resident banks recorded $34.3 billion at the end of April, reflecting an increase of 7% compared to the end of 2018.

"And Turkish lira deposits decreased by 3.5% -- recording $13.5 billion," the bank said.

The CBRT added that total external loan stock of the banks amounted to $76.8 billion -- down 5.8% -- and total external loan stock of the other sectors was $103.8 billion with a 2.9% fall over the same period.