According to data announced by the Borsa Istanbul stock exchange, foreign investors purchased shares worth more than $100 million in January, signaling that the selling trend observed in November and December 2015 might have come to an end.

Foreign investors completed 2015 with strong net sales totaling $2.5 billion, especially in November and December. The BIST 100 index, including the 100 most traded companies in Turkey, had depreciated more than 33 percent in 2015 due to the sales.

In January, however, the index appreciated 2.45 percent in Turkish lira and 1.24 percent in dollars with foreign investor purchases.

Foreign investors purchased the most share certificates of Garanti Bank, amounting to approximately $123 billion, followed by Akbank with $60.9 million, Emlak Kont GYO with $24.8 million, Turkcell with $15.6 million and VakıfBank with $13.8 million.

In equity markets, foreign investors purchased the most shares of İş Bank, amounting to $35.2 million in net sales, followed by BİM Mağazalar with $18 million, Sabancı Holding with $17.8 million, Turkish Airlines with $14.5 million and Coca-Cola İçecek with $8.7 million.