Real Estate Housing market in Turkey bounces back to 2022 levels Cooling prices and increased potential for strong returns on investment have fuelled a rebound in the Turkish housing market, with sales hitting heights not seen in almost two years. Just under 141,000 residential properties were sold in September, a 37 percent year-on-year improvement, and the best result since December 2022, data from the state statistics […] October 21, 2024
Finance High interest rates cause slump in Turkish VC startup funding Turkey has recorded a sharp drop off in venture capital activity so far in 2024, and a leading analyst says investors are exercising patience and being selective in the startups they buy into. There has been a general slowing of funding for new projects and deals being done in emerging markets in the region, Dubai-based […] October 17, 2024
Economy Turkey ramps up taxes to spend on defence tech Turkey’s government has proposed a raft of taxes on everything from credit cards to watches in order to fund increased spending on defence research and development. The ruling Justice and Development Party tabled draft legislation for the levies with parliament’s finance committee on October 11. In recent years Turkey has made a priority of developing its […] October 15, 2024
Economy Turkey using AI in crackdown on corporate tax evaders Turkey is to unleash hundreds of auditors and artificial intelligence technology on the country’s leading companies to identify those that are avoiding paying tax on earnings or that are downplaying their revenue to escape higher payouts. Up to 500 inspectors will be deployed in the first stage of a long term programme to stamp out […] October 15, 2024
Manufacturing Turkey hits major Asian steel exporters with tariffs Turkey’s decision to introduce tariffs on cheap foreign imports of steel has been welcomed by domestic industry experts. Ankara last week moved to protect its domestic steel industry against cheap imports from Asia by imposing taxes on hot rolled steel (HRS) produced in China, India, Japan and the Russian Federation. The tariffs range from 6 […] October 14, 2024
Trade China files trade complaint against Turkey over EV tariffs Beijing has lodged a trade dispute complaint against Turkey at the World Trade Organisation over Ankara’s efforts to stem a potential tide of imported Chinese electric vehicles. China’s launching the first stage of the dispute mechanism (termed a request for consultations) comes more than two years after Turkey first imposed tariffs on Chinese made-EVs, with […] October 9, 2024
Real Estate Turkey’s real estate proposal: turn gold into bricks A senior business leader in Turkey has proposed a radical plan to encourage Turks to take the gold bullion hidden under their mattresses and convert it into real estate. However, many people may be wary of exchanging a solid gold asset for the uncertainty of the country’s property market. With the precious metal appreciating strongly […] October 9, 2024
Oil & Gas Search for oil off Somalia has double motive for Turkey Turkey’s search for oil and gas off the coast of Somalia is not just a bid to free it from a dependence on imports, observers say – the move has a geopolitical aspect, too. On October 5 the 4,800-tonne energy research vessel Oruç Reis sailed through Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait on the first leg of its […] October 7, 2024
Cybersecurity Turkey aims for higher level of cybersecurity Turkey has outlined plans for a new cybersecurity directorate to encourage private sector research and new startups. Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said last week that the directorate would be established in the autumn as part of a campaign to strengthen the state’s defences against all forms of cyber attack. “We have more or less completed […] October 1, 2024
Economy Turkey U-turns on taxing crypto and stock market earnings Turkey’s government has scrapped plans to tax profits from trading in cryptocurrency and on the stock market. Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said on September 24 that the proposal to impose a levy on stock market and crypto trading profits had been shelved. “The stock market tax is not on our agenda. It was discussed for […] September 25, 2024
Analysis Tech Ankara’s twin tech challenge to woo foreign experts and keep its own Turkey wants to persuade foreign tech entrepreneurs and innovators to move to the country with a scheme providing a fast-tracked business permit and residency visa, as it seeks to position itself as a leading international technology hub. Ankara has already made a call to tech-savvy travellers through a programme launched in April offering an easy […] September 19, 2024
Manufacturing Turkey’s automotive sector is decelerating sharply Output in Turkey’s powerful automotive sector decelerated sharply in August, in a year-long trend that has seen domestic production fall and exports slow. Local manufacturers say they are facing competition from imports and grappling with sky-high interest rates. Total vehicle production in August was 53,000, down 27 percent compared to the same month last year, […] September 17, 2024
Tech Shortage of IT specialists slows Turkish business growth A shortage of trained IT specialists is slowing Turkish companies’ growth and their development of artificial intelligence applications, according to a new report. The report, issued by Turkey’s state statistics agency Turkstat, found some sectors had a strong uptake of ecommerce sales and services. Almost half of all accommodation and food service providers took advantage […] September 17, 2024
Analysis Economy Hard-pressed Turks must wait longer for inflation to drop Turkey’s main inflation rate may have fallen from the 75 percent-plus high seen earlier this year, but the latest forecasts suggest Turks will have to live with a rising cost of living for some time to come, maintaining pressure on consumers and producers alike. On September 5, the Turkish government released revised medium-term economic projections, […] September 16, 2024
Retail Turkish ecommerce growing faster than wider economy Turks are embracing online life in ever growing numbers, both as users and as service providers, with ecommerce gaining a strong foothold in the domestic economy and scaling up in overseas markets. Turkish ecommerce is expanding at a rate far faster than the general economy, Ömer Bolat, the trade minister, told delegates at a summit […] September 10, 2024
Trade Turkey and Egypt mend relationship with state visit Turkey and Egypt have moved closer to rapprochement after a decade of strained ties. Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Egypt’s president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi signed 17 memorandums of understanding during the latter’s one-day visit to Ankara on Wednesday. Among the agreements signed were commitments to boost cooperation in finance, energy, defence and tourism. NewsletterGet […] September 5, 2024
Trade Doubts grow over Turkey’s Brics application A report that Turkey has formally applied to join the non-Western aligned Brics bloc is looking premature, with a Turkish government spokesman refusing to confirm the claim. Bloomberg reported that Turkey had submitted its application to join the bloc that consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, plus more recent members, the United […] September 4, 2024
Manufacturing Cooling inflation little help for Turkey’s struggling manufacturers Although Turkey’s consumer inflation slowed in August to the lowest rate for nearly a year, analysts say it was not enough to help the country’s struggling manufacturing sector. Consumer inflation in Turkey dropped almost 10 percentage points to an annualised 52 percent in August, the smallest figure since mid-2023, state statistics agency Turkstat said on […] September 4, 2024
Trade Services upturn eases Turkey’s trade deficit woe Exports by Turkey’s services sector are helping trim the country’s trade deficit, with growth in overseas sales the best in the G20 and far outstripping other segments of the economy. Though narrowing, Turkey still has a wide trade deficit, with imports totalling almost $199 billion for the first seven months of 2024, against exports of […] September 3, 2024
Analysis Economy IMF says Turkey is making progress on inflation Turkey is on the right track to curb inflation and realign the economy for growth, the International Monetary Fund says in a report issued late last week. However, the IMF says even more stringent measures are needed. The IMF acknowledges the Turkish government’s tightening of fiscal policy, but says it should do more to meet disinflation […] September 2, 2024
Markets Economic woes force investors to dump Turkish stocks The Borsa Istanbul was the worst performing stock exchange globally in August, with investors large and small heading for the exit as Turkey’s economy slows and returns wither. After hitting an all-time high of 11,173 points on July 22, the exchange’s key BIST100 index has dropped steadily. It fell 13 percent to 9,724 at one […] August 30, 2024
Trade Turkish trade gap narrows as imports drop A sharp drop in imports, combined with a solid rise in outbound shipments, led Turkey’s trade deficit to narrow in July This aligned with government efforts to curb domestic demand while looking to exports to sustain growth. Turkey’s exports jumped 13.8 percent in July to a total value of $22.5 billion, according to data issued […] August 29, 2024
