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Turkiye’s economy slowed more than expected in the third quarter, providing fuel for the central bank to further cut interest rates.Gross domestic product expanded by 3.7% on an annualised basis, compared with the 4.2% expected by economists surveyed by Bloomberg and 4.9% growth in the second quarter.Turkiye’s $1.5tn economy still performed better than anticipated on a quarterly basis, growing 1.1% in the three months through September, compared with 1.6% in the previous quarter, according to data announced by the national statistics agency Monday. Analysts were expecting the economy to grow 0.5% quarter-on-quarter, based on a separate Bloomberg poll.“We expect the central bank to read the overall slowdown in activity as support for its easing cycle, despite the strength over the quarter,” Bloomberg Economics’ Selva Bahar Baziki said in a note.The central bank resumed interest-rate cuts in July, after a two-month pause. In September, the bank slowed the pace of easing slightly in response to higher inflation — though still imposed a more severe cut than Wall Street expected. Some analysts are forecasting more sizeable reductions based on price data for November, which is scheduled for release on Wednesday.“While a slowdown in the pace of growth was expected, annual growth came below forecasts,” said Yasemin Basyigit, economist at Turk Ekonomi Bankasi, adding that contribution from inventory dragged down the figure. However, she added that an expected slowdown in domestic demand had not yet materialised.“We expect the central bank to preserve its tight stance,” Basyigit said.Annual inflation slowed to 32.9% in October and is seen ending the year at between 31% and 33% — above the central bank’s target — according to monetary policymakers.Central bank Governor Fatih Karahan said last week he expects an improvement in inflation readings from prior months. The monetary policy committee last lowered official borrowing costs in October to 39.5%.The International Monetary Fund said in a statement after an official staff visit last month that falling interest rates will support demand in 2026.Still “an economy operating close to full capacity” could mean inflation not falling as quickly as desired — applying brakes to the central bank as it weighs the pace of further cuts. 

Turkiye trimmed its forecasts for gross domestic product, signalling the government is prioritising price stability over rapid growth.The government’s new Medium-Term Program unveiled late Sunday sees the economy expanding 3.3% this year and 3.8% next, down from previous projections of 4% and 4.5%.The estimate for next year is above the 3.5% median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists but remains well below Turkiye’s average pace of about 5% over the past two decades. That suggests the finance ministry’s focus is on lowering inflation, which is running at over six times the official target of 5%.Authorities will gradually increase the potential for growth through structural transformation while bringing inflation down to single-digit levels, Vice-President Cevdet Yilmaz said in a press conference as he presented the program.Turkiye has sustained GDP increases “without creating inflationary pressures,” he added, noting that growth has been below potential, keeping the economy from overheating.The cautious approach will likely require a gradual easing of monetary conditions by the nation’s central bank, which resumed cutting interest rates in July. Inflation is projected to finish the year at 28.5%, slowing to 16% in 2026, a sharp revision from last year’s estimates. The central bank’s August guidance estimated end-2025 inflation at a range of 25%-29%.Containing inflation without pushing the $1.4tn economy into a recession has proved to be a challenging task for Turkiye. Businesses complain that higher borrowing costs have eaten into their profits, while households still expect inflation to remain at elevated levels and continue to spend at a higher pace than expected.Turkiye’s national income is projected to exceed $1.5tn by the end of 2025 for the first time, with per-capita income rising above $17,000.The government also raised its estimated budget deficit, expecting the shortfall to be 3.6% of GDP, half of a percentage point higher than its previous projection. Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek has introduced new taxes on households and businesses to keep up with higher spending, which is partly driven by a massive reconstruction campaign in the country’s southeast after two devastating earthquakes in early 2023.Simsek said the total spending in provinces affected by 2023 earthquakes was $90bn.

Qatar's economy recorded strong growth in 2024, with gross domestic product (GDP) reaching $196bn, supported by the expansion of non-hydrocarbon sectors and an increase in foreign direct investment, which exceeded $2.7bn.This was disclosed by HE the Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari, at a dedicated session on Qatar National Vision 2030, held as part of the Asia Leaders Conference organised by Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong.In his opening remarks, HE al-Kuwari reviewed the progress Qatar has made in implementing the National Vision 2030, emphasising that the vision serves as an ambitious national roadmap for building a diversified and sustainable economy based on knowledge and innovation.The event brought together an elite group of decision-makers, business leaders, and investors from across Asia and around the world. Affirming that Asia remains a key strategic partner for Qatar, accounting for the largest share of the country's trade, which exceeded $80bn annually; he indicated that this figure is expected to grow further in light of the ongoing North Field Expansion and the anticipated rise in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, as well as long-term partnerships secured with several Asian countries.He also highlighted that the next phase of co-operation with Asia will focus on expanding trade opportunities, strengthening public-private partnerships particularly in healthcare and tourism and boosting investment in clean energy, digital technologies, and advanced industries.

Turkiye’s economic growth remained resilient in the second quarter despite an emergency interest-rate hike by the central bank in March.Gross domestic product expanded 1.6% on a quarterly basis, up from a revised 0.7% in the preceding three-month period when adjusted for seasonality and working days, Turkiye’s statistics office said on Monday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists projected an expansion of 0.6%.The economy grew 4.8% annually, compared with the median estimate of 4.1% in the survey and a revised 2.3% in the preceding quarter. The acceleration was largely down to the higher number of working days Turkiye had this year compared to 2024, QNB Turkiye economists led by Erkin Isik said in a research note ahead of the data release.The surprise boost came after the Turkish central bank raised interest rates in an unscheduled meeting in March to mitigate the market fallout following the jailing of a prominent opposition politician, reversing a cycle of rate cuts it had just begun. Even so, domestic demand climbed at the fastest pace in more than a year, leading the surge in annual growth. The central bank resumed its cuts in July, lowering the main policy rate to 43% from 46%.Spending by households, which is the main driver of Turkiye’s economy, rose 5.1%, the highest rate since the first quarter of 2024, Turkstat said.“On the surface, Turkiye’s especially strong growth data for the second quarter could be seen as reason to derail the central bank’s easing path. But activity is likely to post slower gains ahead and we maintain our call for rate cuts at all remaining meetings this year amid falling inflation,” says Selva Bahar Baziki, economist, Bloomberg Economics.“Today’s figures provide worrying evidence that domestic demand is too strong, which may prevent the current account deficit from narrowing further and inflation from falling as quickly as policymakers want,” Capital Economics’ chief emerging markets economist William Jackson said in a note. Though August inflation figures, which will be released on Wednesday, will give a better sense of that, Monday’s GDP report suggests the central bank “will not lower interest rates as quickly as we currently expect,” he said. Jackson currently sees the main policy rate reduced to 37% at the end of the year.Gross fixed capital formation, a measure of investments by businesses, soared by nearly 9% in the second quarter from a year earlier, while exports of goods and services increased by 1.7% from a year earlier, and up from 0.1% the prior quarter.The lira was little changed after the data release, trading 0.1% higher at 41.1182 per the US dollar at 10.57am in Istanbul.Monday’s release marks the first time Turkstat published revised growth data, which the agency said was carried out for better compliance with international peers.

Turkiye’s economic growth remained resilient in the second quarter despite an emergency interest-rate hike by the central bank in March.Gross domestic product expanded 1.6% on a quarterly basis, up from a revised 0.7% in the preceding three-month period when adjusted for seasonality and working days, Turkiye’s statistics office said on Monday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists projected an expansion of 0.6%.The economy grew 4.8% annually, compared with the median estimate of 4.1% in the survey and a revised 2.3% in the preceding quarter. The acceleration was largely down to the higher number of working days Turkiye had this year compared to 2024, QNB Turkiye economists led by Erkin Isik said in a research note ahead of the data release.The surprise boost came after the Turkish central bank raised interest rates in an unscheduled meeting in March to mitigate the market fallout following the jailing of a prominent opposition politician, reversing a cycle of rate cuts it had just begun. Even so, domestic demand climbed at the fastest pace in more than a year, leading the surge in annual growth. The central bank resumed its cuts in July, lowering the main policy rate to 43% from 46%.Spending by households, which is the main driver of Turkiye’s economy, rose 5.1%, the highest rate since the first quarter of 2024, Turkstat said.“On the surface, Turkiye’s especially strong growth data for the second quarter could be seen as reason to derail the central bank’s easing path. But activity is likely to post slower gains ahead and we maintain our call for rate cuts at all remaining meetings this year amid falling inflation,” says Selva Bahar Baziki, economist, Bloomberg Economics.“Today’s figures provide worrying evidence that domestic demand is too strong, which may prevent the current account deficit from narrowing further and inflation from falling as quickly as policymakers want,” Capital Economics’ chief emerging markets economist William Jackson said in a note. Though August inflation figures, which will be released on Wednesday, will give a better sense of that, Monday’s GDP report suggests the central bank “will not lower interest rates as quickly as we currently expect,” he said. Jackson currently sees the main policy rate reduced to 37% at the end of the year.Gross fixed capital formation, a measure of investments by businesses, soared by nearly 9% in the second quarter from a year earlier, while exports of goods and services increased by 1.7% from a year earlier, and up from 0.1% the prior quarter.The lira was little changed after the data release, trading 0.1% higher at 41.1182 per the US dollar at 10.57am in Istanbul.Monday’s release marks the first time Turkstat published revised growth data, which the agency said was carried out for better compliance with international peers.