The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey saw its foreign currency reserves dwindle by $9.5 billion from 1 April through 12 May and its gold stores shrink by $7.9 billion ahead of mid-May’s first-round presidential election, the Financial Times calculated from the bank’s data.
As inflation crashed Turkey’s economy over the past year and shredded the value of its lira currency, president Recep Erdogan insisted the country was pioneering a “new economic model” in which rock-bottom interest rates and a near-worthless currency would create an economic boom driven by exports.
With inflation in Turkey galloping at 83 percent in September, the country’s central bank cut its key interest rate from 12 percent to 10.5, adhering to Turkish president Recep Erdogan’s insistence that low interest rates reduce inflation.
Despite inflation edging above 80 percent in August, Turkey’s central bank cut its benchmark one-week repo rate last week from 13 percent to 12. The country’s lira currency took yet another step down after the announcement, to 18.387 against the dollar. The lira has lost almost a third its value against the greenback so far...