Turkish Lira Hits Record Low as Political Turmoil Intensifies

The Turkish lira hit a record low amid rising political turmoil, with markets reacting to Imamoglu’s detention and further central bank rate cuts.

1 min Reading in — Economy Geopolitics

Ekrem Imamoglu

Ekrem Imamoglu

The Turkish lira plunged as much as 12% to 41 per USD before recovering slightly to trade above 38 per USD, still marking a new record low amid escalating political tensions. 

The currency’s sharp decline follows the detention of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu—President Erdogan’s main rival—on allegations of fraud and terror, after authorities revoked his university diploma, potentially barring him from running in future elections.

The lira has been under pressure as the central bank continues its foreign exchange interventions while maintaining a cautious policy approach.

Policymakers implemented a 25bps rate cut in March, lowering the benchmark rate to 42.5% as expected.

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