Şimşek: Türkiye sees strongest foreign investor interest since 2013

2026-02-20 - 20:52

Türkiye has experienced a massive surge in foreign investor interest, creating what Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek described as "the most intense investment climate since 2013." Speaking during a live broadcast, Şimşek said he recently met around 800 investors in London, New York, and Hong Kong over a week and a half, reflecting growing confidence in Türkiye's economic program. Macroeconomic Fundamentals Şimşek noted that while the global economy grew 3.3% last year, Türkiye's EU and Middle East trading partners saw limited recovery. He highlighted Türkiye's fiscal discipline contrasts sharply with peers: public debt-to-GDP fell below 25% versus a 74% average for developing countries. Household debt stands at only 10% of GDP, and the budget deficit was reduced to 2.9% of GDP—well below the 6.3% developing country average—despite massive earthquake reconstruction spending and early retirement costs. External Balances and Reserves Şimşek expects a near-zero current account deficit of 0.3% in 2025 excluding gold (1.6% including gold), calling it "highly manageable." Gross reserves more than doubled from $98 billion to over $200 billion, with net reserves around $80 billion. The $143 billion foreign exchange-protected deposit (KKM) stocks from mid-2023 have been mostly eliminated. Energy and Investment Outlook Global oil prices may fall below $60 per barrel if geopolitical uncertainties in Iran continue, Şimşek noted, which would support Türkiye's current account and disinflation goals. Investors are attracted to Türkiye's strategic NATO position and defense sector appeal, viewing the country as a normalized market focused on technical macroeconomic issues. Şimşek will visit Japan in early March to attract direct real-sector investments as Ankara maintains its anti-inflation focus.