Turkey's central government budget balance posted a deficit of TL 56.7 billion ($12.35 billion) from January to September, the Treasury and Finance Ministry announced yesterday.

The country's budget revenues totaled TL 546.8 billion in the first nine months of this year, up nearly 20 percent year-on-year, data showed.

During the same period, budget expenditures rose 23.6 percent to TL 603.5 billion - marking a TL 56.7 billion deficit. The budget balance, excluding interest payments, saw a surplus of TL 3.7 billion from January to September.

Official figures showed that tax revenues rose 19.2 percent to reach nearly TL 459.4 billion, while interest payments were TL 60.4 billion over the same period.

In September, the budget balance also saw a deficit of TL 5.96 billion.

Last month Turkey's budget revenues totaled TL 61.08 billion, up nearly 27.5 percent on a yearly basis, according to official data.

Budget expenditures in September were TL 67 billion, a rise of 23.3 percent annually. Excluding interest payments, the central government budget balance saw a surplus of TL 4.25 billion last month.