Business · Economy · 16 hrs ago
Turkey forecasts current-account deficit at 2.2% of GDP this year
Turkey’s Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek expects the current-account deficit to be about 2.2% of GDP this year.
That would be a limited rise from 1.9% in 2025 and below the government’s medium-term programme forecast.
The forecast comes despite the war and higher energy prices, which have put pressure on Turkey’s external accounts.
In September, the country recorded a 2.7 billion dollar current-account surplus, while the annualized deficit fell to 39.2 billion dollars.
Annualized exports of goods and services topped 410 billion dollars, supported by goods exports and tourism.
Şimşek said the figures reflect policies aimed at financial stability and stronger economic resilience.
The government plans to keep boosting exports through more varied products and markets, higher-value production, green and digital changes, and a wider range of services.
Turkey’s Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek forecasts the current-account deficit at about 2.2% of GDP this year.
He said the estimate is below the government’s Medium-Term Program forecast and reflects only a limited increase despite the war.
The deficit was 1.9% of GDP in 2025, according to Şimşek.
He cited September’s $2.7 billion current-account surplus and a decline in the annualized deficit to $39.2 billion.
Annualized goods and services exports exceeded $410 billion, supported by goods exports and tourism.
- Who
- Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek.
- What
- He forecast the current-account deficit at around 2.2% of GDP this year.
- When
- This year; the assessment was published on November 13, 2026.
- Where
- Turkey.
- Why
- Şimşek said resilience and policies prioritizing macro-financial stability helped contain the deficit despite rising energy prices after the Russia-Ukraine war.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Turkey’s current-account deficit was 1.9% of GDP.
Turkey recorded a current-account surplus of $2.7 billion, while the annualized deficit fell to $39.2 billion.
Şimşek assessed September balance-of-payments data and forecast this year’s deficit at around 2.2% of GDP.
- Forecast
- Around 2.2% of GDP this year
- 2025 deficit
- 1.9% of GDP
- September current-account balance
- $2.7 billion surplus
- Annualized current-account deficit
- $39.2 billion
- Annualized goods and services exports
- More than $410 billion
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What people are saying
This success is not a coincidence.
It is a concrete result of our policies that prioritize macro-financial stability.
We expect the ratio of the current-account deficit to national income, which was 1.9% in 2025, to be around 2.2% this year despite the war, with a limited increase and below our Medium-Term Program forecast.