Turkish economy grows by 2.5% in the first quarter

The Turkish economy grew by 2.5% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year. This was announced by the Turkish Statistical Institute TÜİK (TurkStat) on June 1. By comparison, the official gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 3.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025 and by 3.7% in the third quarter of 2025. On a seasonally and calendar-adjusted basis, the economy grew by 0.1% in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter. In the fourth quarter of 2025, growth was still 0.4% compared to the previous quarter. Growth remains below previous levels The current result continues the slowdown in economic growth. In its medium-term economic program (OVP) presented in September, the Turkish government had forecast growth of 3.8% for 2026 as a whole. Growth of 3.6% had been expected for 2025. Before the realignment of economic policy in 2023, Turkey had regularly reported growth rates of between 5% and 10%. However, since the appointment of a more price stability-oriented economic management in June 2023, growth has slowed significantly. Debate about the validity of the data The official economic data from the statistics office is viewed critically by some analysts and market observers. In particular, the reliability of individual data series has been the subject of debate for years. Observers also point out that the initially published GDP data is often adjusted in subsequent revisions. While the initial publications receive a great deal of media attention, subsequent corrections are often less noticed. Outlook for the second quarter Whether the Turkish economy regains momentum over the remainder of the year is likely to depend largely on inflation, monetary policy and the development of private consumption and investment. TÜİK plans to publish the figures for the second quarter of 2026 on September 1. The post Turkish economy grows by 2.5% in the first quarter appeared first on ostwirtschaft.de.