Turkiye boosts trade in national currency

by Alimat Aliyeva

Between January and September 2026, the total volume of foreign trade transactions conducted in Turkish lira reached 1.2 trillion lira, marking a 13% increase compared with the same period last year.

According to Turkiye’s Ministry of Trade, exports denominated in the national currency exceeded 300 billion lira during the first nine months of the year, up 22.4% year on year. Imports, meanwhile, reached approximately 900 billion lira, representing a 9.8% increase.

The highest levels of trade activity involving the Turkish lira were recorded in April and September, when companies carried out a particularly large volume of transactions in the national currency.

The Turkish Ministry of Trade views the growing use of the lira in international trade as a sign of increasing confidence in the national currency. It also reflects Turkiye’s efforts to expand the use of the lira in cross-border transactions and reduce reliance on foreign currencies.

The increase is particularly notable on the export side, where transactions in lira grew more than twice as fast as imports during the period. This suggests that Turkish companies are increasingly willing to price and settle international sales in their own currency.

The trend is also part of a broader push by Turkiye to strengthen the role of the lira in international commerce. Expanding the use of the national currency in foreign trade could help Turkish businesses reduce their exposure to fluctuations in major foreign currencies such as the US dollar and euro.

At the same time, the figures show that foreign trade in Turkiye remains heavily weighted toward imports, with import transactions in lira accounting for roughly three-quarters of the total volume during the first nine months of 2026.

If the current trend continues, the use of the Turkish lira in international trade could become an increasingly important part of Turkiye’s efforts to promote its national currency beyond the domestic market.