The Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) is developing a digital Turkish lira as a central bank digital currency (CBDC), building on its existing FAST real-time payment infrastructure. The digital lira pilot aims to provide a state-backed digital currency that can serve as an alternative to private cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, which have gained significant traction in Turkey due to lira depreciation and inflation concerns.
Turkey faces one of the most acute monetary sovereignty challenges among G20 economies. Years of high inflation and currency depreciation have driven significant cryptocurrency adoption (Turkey has one of the world's highest crypto ownership rates) and informal dollarization. A CBDC could help the central bank maintain monetary policy effectiveness, improve financial inclusion, reduce cash-handling costs, and provide transaction transparency for tax collection — all while offering citizens a digital payment option that doesn't depend on private (often foreign) technology providers.
The digital lira program aligns with Turkey's broader digital sovereignty agenda that includes the indigenous FAST payment system, open banking mandates, and data localization policies. If successfully deployed, it would make Turkey one of the first G20 nations to operate a retail CBDC, potentially providing a model for other emerging economies facing similar monetary sovereignty challenges.