Turkey’s budget posts $772M surplus in Jan-April
A money changer counts U.S. dollar bills, with Turkish lira banknotes in the background, at a currency exchange office in central Istanbul, Turkey, Aug. 21, 2015. (Reuters Photo)


The Turkish government’s budget balance registered a TL 5.9 billion ($772 million) surplus from January through April, official figures revealed Monday.

The figure improved from a TL 72.8 billion deficit in the same period last year, the Treasury and Finance Ministry said.

Turkey’s budget revenues increased 36.4% year-on-year to TL 437.9 billion in the first four months while the expenditures totaled TL 432 billion, up 9.7% from a year ago.

The budget balance excluding interest payments posted a surplus of TL 73.4 billion, the data showed.

Tax revenues totaled TL 331.4 billion while interest payments were TL 67.5 billion.

One U.S. dollar traded for 8.15 Turkish liras on average in April and 7.59 in the first four months of this year.

In April, the budget registered a deficit of TL 16.9 billion, down from TL 43.2 billion in the same month of last year.

Revenues came in at TL 93.8 billion last month, jumping 44% on a yearly basis.

The expenditures increased 2.1% year-on-year to TL 110.7 billion this April.

Excluding interest payments, the budget balance registered a TL 1.7 million surplus last month.