Last Updated : Aug 20, 2018 09:20 AM IST | Source: Reuters

S&P lowers Turkey's credit rating deeper into junk territory

The rating agency downgraded the rating by one notch to B+ from BB- and kept Turkey's outlook at stable in a move which came after the lira lost some 40 percent of its value against the dollar this year.

The imposition of trade tariffs on Turkish goods by US President Donald Trump sparked a sharp decline in the Turkish Lira. The currency fell by a fifth of its value against the dollar in the past week, and almost 50 percent in the last year alone. The fall has been creating ripples across market around the world, particularly in economies that are exposed to the Lira. Its drop has also been accounted for a high current account deficit, debt and inflation, which was at 15.9 percent in July. (Image: Reuters)
The imposition of trade tariffs on Turkish goods by US President Donald Trump sparked a sharp decline in the Turkish Lira. The currency fell by a fifth of its value against the dollar in the past week, and almost 50 percent in the last year alone. The fall has been creating ripples across market around the world, particularly in economies that are exposed to the Lira. Its drop has also been accounted for a high current account deficit, debt and inflation, which was at 15.9 percent in July. (Image: Reuters)

Standard & Poor's said on Friday it had cut Turkey's sovereign credit rating deeper into "junk" territory, citing extreme lira volatility and forecasting a recession next year, adding to the country's woes as it deals with a currency crisis.

The rating agency downgraded the rating by one notch to B+ from BB- and kept Turkey's outlook at stable in a move which came after the lira lost some 40 percent of its value against the dollar this year.

"The downgrade reflects our expectation that the extreme volatility of the Turkish lira and the resulting projected sharp balance of payments adjustment will undermine Turkey's economy. We forecast a recession next year," S&P said.

It also forecast that inflation will peak at 22 percent over the next four months and said the weakening lira was putting pressure on the indebted corporate sector and had considerably increased the funding risk for Turkey's banks.

"Despite heightened economic risks, we believe the policy response from Turkey's monetary and fiscal authorities has so far been limited," the statement added.

The currency crisis has been precipitated by investor alarm about President Tayyip Erdogan's influence over monetary policy and fuelled by a deepening row between Turkey and the United States.
First Published on Aug 20, 2018 09:19 am