Short-term external debt stock at $118 bln in December

Turkey's short-term external debt stock amounted to $118.2 billion as of the end of December, fresh data showed on Feb. 20.

The country's external debt stock - maturing within one year or less - soared by 4.3 percent in December versus the end of 2018, according to the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT).

Official data revealed that the currency breakdown of the debt stock was composed of 48.1 percent U.S. dollars, 30.9 percent euros, 13.3 percent Turkish liras and 7.7 percent other currencies.

Banks' short-term external debt stock posted a decrease of 1.7 percent to $56.2 billion and other sectors' short-term external debt stock rose by 6.6 percent to $53.6 billion during the same period.

The rest of the amount - some $8.4 billion - belonged to the CBRT.

"From the borrowers side, the short-term debt of public sector, which consists of public banks, decreased by 3.1 percent to $21.8 billion.''

"And the short-term debt of private sector increased by 3.6 percent to $88 billion compared to the end of 2018," the bank said.

Short-term foreign exchange (FX) loans the banks received from foreign countries fell by 29.7 percent to $7.8 billion, the data showed.

Foreign exchange deposits of non-residents - except in the banking sector - in resident banks rose by 11 percent in December versus the end of 2018, recording $21.1 billion.

"And FX deposits of non-resident banks recorded $13.7 billion increasing by 5 percent," it added.

The CBRT also noted that non-residents' Turkish lira deposits decreased by 2.9 percent and was recorded as $13.6 billion in the same period.