ISTANBUL: The Turkish lira weakened to a record low beyond 4.55 to the dollar on Monday, hit by a surging greenback and concerns about the central bank's ability to rein in double-digit inflation and President Tayyip Erdogan's influence over monetary policy.
The lira has lost 16.5 percent so far this year, making it one of the worst-performing emerging market currencies.
Investors have been particularly unnerved by Erdogan's comments last week, made during a visit to London, that he wants greater control over monetary policy after presidential and parliamentary elections due on June 24.
A self-described "enemy of interest rates", Erdogan wants to see lower borrowing costs to fuel credit. Investors want decisive interest rate increases. The central bank's reluctance to hike aggressively has sparked worries it is not independent.
"This is driven by a global environment that is continuing to deteriorate, characterised by higher US Treasury yields and a stronger dollar," said Inan Demir, senior emerging economist at Nomura International.
"The situation was exacerbated by the Erdogan speech last week in London and the fact that the central bank seems unable to act to stop the currency weakness."
The lira stood at 4.5435 against the dollar at 0824 GMT, having touched a low of 4.5693 earlier in the session.
The strengthening dollar also did not help. The greenback touched its highest against a basket of currencies in some five months.
Investors have been waiting to see whether the sell-off in the lira could prompt the central bank to take early action and hike rates before its next scheduled meeting, set for June 7.
The bank said last week it was closely monitoring "unhealthy price formations" and would take necessary steps, considering the impact of these developments on the inflation outlook.
Nomura's Demir said that an aggressive interest rate increase would be needed to support the currency. The central bank lifted its late liquidity window by 75 basis points, to 13.5 percent at its last meeting.
"The focus has been around figures like 200 basis points but as the lira has continued to deteriorate I think what would be necessary is more likely to be in the order of 300 basis points or so," he said.
Annual inflation stood at 10.85 percent in April, and it has been as high as 12.98 percent in recent months.
Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for nearly two decades, is expected to win next month's presidential election. Constitutional amendments that give the head of state much greater powers are due to take effect after the election.
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