Turkey’s external assets at over $240B in Jan.

ANKARA

Turkey's external assets totaled $240.1 billion as of January this year, the country's central bank (CBRT) announced Monday.

From the end of 2018, external assets went up 2.5 percent while liabilities against non-residents also surged 3.1 percent.

According to the official figures, the country's liabilities against non-residents amounted to $607.6 billion.

"The NIIP [net international investment position], defined as the difference between Turkey’s external assets and liabilities, posted minus $367.5 billion at the end of January 2019, in comparison to minus $355.3 billion observed at the end of 2018," the CBRT said.

The NIIP was minus $367.5 billion in January versus minus $355.3 billion at the end of last year.

Showing a snapshot in time, the NIIP -- which can be either positive or negative -- is the value of overseas assets owned by a nation, minus the value of domestic assets owned by foreigners, including overseas assets and liabilities held by a nation’s government, the private sector, and its citizens.

Reserve assets, a sub-item under assets, were $96.8 billion at the end of January, going up four percent from the end of 2018.

Other investments, another sub-item under assets, totaled $91.1 billion with a 2.3 percent hike in the same period.

"Currency and deposits of banks, one of the sub-items of other investment, recorded $47.7 billion, indicating an increase of 6.7 percent compared to the end of 2018," the CBRT said.

On the liabilities side, direct investment -- equity capital plus other capital -- as of the end of January was $143.3 billion.

The figure climbed 5.4 percent compared to the end of last year "with the contribution of the changes in the market value and foreign exchange rates."

In 2018, the average USD/Turkish lira rate was around 4.82, as one dollar was exchanged for 5.38 on average this January.

"Foreign exchange deposits of non-residents held within the resident banks recorded $32.4 billion at the end of January 2019, reflecting an increase of 1.9 percent compared to the end of 2018.

"And Turkish lira deposits increased by 11.8 percent -- recording $15.7 billion," the bank said.

The CBRT said that total external loan stock of the banks amounted to $79.1 billion -- down 2.7 percent -- and total external loan stock of the other sectors was $106.5 billion with a 0.3 percent decline in the same period.