Turkey 2015 growth seen around 4%

People walk on Istiklal Street on a rainy day in Istanbul (file). Turkey’s economy will grow some 4% in 2015 and inflation will fall “comfortably” to a central bank forecast of 6.1%, Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said yesterday, pledging continued fiscal discipline ahead of a June election. Simsek said the economy was expected to have grown about 3% in 2014. He also forecast that the current account deficit would fall to 3-4% of output if oil prices stay at their current levels. Announcing budget figures for 2014, Simsek said he would maintain strict control on public spending as Turkey approaches a parliamentary election scheduled for early June. Data out yesterday showed unemployment dipping to 10.4% in the three months to November, compared to 10.5% between August and October.