Central Bank of Türkiye reserves rise to 188.45 billion dollars

The Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye reported that gross reserves increased by 2.7 percent in one week, reaching 188.45 billion dollars as of August 21, 2026. This represents a weekly increase of 4.95 billion dollars compared to the 183.50 billion dollars recorded during the week of August 14.

The growth was primarily driven by gold assets, which rose by 5.89 billion dollars to reach 114.22 billion dollars. Gold now accounts for approximately 61 percent of total gross reserves. In contrast, foreign exchange assets saw a weekly decline of 1.5 percent, falling by 984 million dollars to 66.46 billion dollars.

Economist Mahfi Eğilmez commented on the reserve increase, noting that the mechanism behind the accumulation is as important as the total amount. He suggested that the rise may be linked to a cycle involving a suppressed exchange rate and high TL interest rates, which encourages the conversion of foreign currency into TL, subsequently allowing the Central Bank to purchase those funds.