Central Bank of Türkiye raises policy interest rate to 45 percent

The Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (TCMB) has raised its policy interest rate to 45 percent, exceeding market expectations. Prior to the announcement, economists surveyed by AA Finance and Reuters had largely anticipated the rate would remain steady at 42.5 percent.

The bank stated the decision was made to establish a disinflation process and ensure price stability, citing persistent service inflation and ongoing geopolitical risks. The TCMB noted that if a significant and permanent deterioration in the inflation outlook is observed, monetary policy will be tightened further.

Following the announcement, Borsa Istanbul (BIST 100) saw an immediate rise of 1.5 percent, led by banking stocks, while the US Dollar/TL exchange rate experienced a limited initial decline.

In related economic activity, weekly bank and credit card expenditures in Türkiye rose by 2.8 percent to 680.1 billion TL for the week ending September 18, 2026. This increase was primarily driven by spending in the supermarket/shopping mall and fuel categories, which together accounted for approximately 65 percent of the total weekly rise.