ADDS TREASURY AND FINANCE MINISTER'S COMMENTS; REVISES DECK
By Mucahithan Avcioglu
ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye’s current account balance saw a deficit of $25.2 billion last year, the Turkish Central Bank announced on Friday.
Last year's deficit was higher than the $10.4 billion deficit in 2024, according to the data.
The balance saw a surplus in four of the 12 months last year.
In 2025, the goods deficit amounted to $69.7 billion, while services saw a net surplus of $63.5 billion.
Primary and secondary income realized a net deficit of $18.5 billion and $528 million, respectively.
In December 2025 alone, the account posted a deficit of $7.25 billion.
The current account excluding gold and energy indicated a net deficit of $691 million in December.
The goods posted a deficit of $7.44 billion, while services saw a surplus of $2.65 billion in December.
***Commenting on the data, Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said despite challenging global conditions, sustainable levels of current account balance are being maintained.
*** "The annual current account deficit as a percentage of national income, which reached 5% in mid-2023, decreased to 0.8% in 2024. We expect this ratio to be 1.6% in 2025," Simsek wrote on Turkish social media platform NSosyal.
*** He stated that excluding gold, which holds a significant place in savings preferences, the average deficit as a percentage of national income was 3% during the 2003-2023 period, while the country had a surplus of 0.2% in 2024, adding that once the GDP data is in hand, they foresee a limited deficit of around 0.3% in 2025.
***"Confidence in our program has strengthened access to external financing while costs have decreased. The external debt rollover ratios of the real sector and banks reached 221% and 218% respectively in 2025," Simsek said.
*** Direct investment inflows, excluding real estate, which improved financing quality and increased production capacity, reached their highest level in the last 10 years at $10.7 billion, according to Simsek.
*** "We anticipate that the moderate trend in energy prices in 2026, the improving outlook in our main trading partners, and the supportive euro/dollar exchange rate will positively contribute to our sustainable current account balance target," he emphasized.
*** "We continue to implement structural steps that will make our gains in the current account balance permanent," Simsek added.