Turkish Central Bank raises policy rate 250 basis points to 17.5%

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) — Türkiye's Central Bank raised its one-week repo rate, also known as the policy rate, by 250 basis points on Thursday to 17.5%, the highest level since October 2021.

The bank's Monetary Policy Committee decided "to continue the monetary tightening process in order to establish the disinflation course as soon as possible, to anchor inflation expectations, and to control the deterioration in pricing behavior."

In June, the bank had increased its policy rate by 650 basis points to 15% in the first hike in 27 months.

The rate had been 18% in September 2021 before being cut to 16% the next month.

According to an Anadolu survey last week, economists expected a 500-basis-point interest rate hike, with the lowest estimate at 250 basis points and the highest at 650.