Türkiye raises policy rate 250 points, in line with forecasts

By Tuba Ongun

ANKARA (AA) – The Central Bank of Türkiye on Thursday hiked its policy rate, also known as the one-week repo rate, by 250 basis points to 45%, in line with market expectations.

Economists polled by Anadolu in a survey last week projected the bank would hike interest rates by 250 basis points.

The bank will maintain the current level of the policy rate until there is a significant drop in monthly inflation and until inflation expectations converge to the projected forecast range, it said in a statement following its first Monetary Policy Committee meeting of the year.

Türkiye's annual inflation reached a 13-month high of 64.77% in December 2023, according to TurkStat, the country’s statistical authority.

Last year, the bank raised its policy rate a total 3,400 basis points from just 8.5% to 42.5%.