Istanbul, March 1, 2026, 12:22 TRT — The market has closed.
- Turkish shares slipped for the week, with traders bracing for a packed run of domestic data.
- February inflation figures arrive Tuesday. The central bank’s next meeting lands on March 12.
- Banks and other stocks tied to interest rates look set to take the lead.
Borsa Istanbul’s BIST 100 index slipped 1.17% on Friday, settling at 13,717.81 points. Market capitalization for the BIST 100 came to 13.59 trillion lira ($310.2 billion), according to Anadolu Agency figures. During the session, the benchmark moved between 13,552.80 and 13,967.19, with turnover reaching 191 billion lira.
After kicking off the year on a high note, the BIST 100 has given up some ground late in the week. The index is still up 21.81% since Jan. 1, though it’s lost momentum since touching a peak close to 14,532.67 back in February, according to MarketScreener data.
March kicks off with inflation and rates once again coming to the forefront. Garanti BBVA Securities put the spotlight on Turkey’s CPI out March 3, with the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee set for March 12—those are the big dates they’re watching. On the technical side, the firm called out 13,800-13,700 as support, while a move above 13,900 could spark what it called “reactionary buying.” Elsewhere, Sisecam wrapped up a $171.5 million land sale, and TSKB has plans for its first dividend since 2021, Garanti noted.
The pattern in Istanbul barely budged on Friday. Banks lagged, with the BIST Banks index down 1.71%. Tech names, on the other hand, found buyers—BIST Technology index climbed 3.08%, per Investing.com data.
Plenty hits the local agenda ahead of the inflation release. According to Trading Economics, markets will digest fourth-quarter GDP and the manufacturing PMI on Monday; inflation lands Tuesday, then trade data Wednesday, FX reserves Thursday, and treasury cash balance wraps up Friday.
Gedik Investment is sticking with a 3.0% month-on-month call for February CPI, matching the median market forecast. That pace, the firm said, should nudge annual inflation up from 30.7% to 31.6%. “Risks to our estimate are tilted to the upside due to food prices,” wrote chief economist Serkan Gonencler, flagging that a higher-than-expected print could put early pressure on government bond yields and Borsa Istanbul — and especially on banking stocks.
The lira remains the focal point for foreign investors. On Feb. 27, USD/TRY climbed to 43.9204, edging up to a record 44.00 at some point in February, according to Trading Economics. Over the past year, the lira’s value has dropped 20.68%.
Beyond Turkey, oil and risk appetite remain the real wild cards. Friday saw global equities dip, with Brent crude closing 2.45% higher at $72.48. Traders kept a close watch on U.S.-Iran tensions and potential supply snags, according to Reuters.
But a supposedly “clean” week-ahead setup has a few potential fault lines. A stronger-than-expected CPI reading? That would shake up rate-cut wagers, and banks are typically the first hit when that repricing kicks in. Oil holding firm doesn’t do any favors either; traders tend to loop rising energy prices straight back into the inflation narrative.
Traders on Monday are eyeing the BIST 100 to see if it clings to its late-February support, with banks in focus after they stumbled on Friday. The first real test comes Tuesday, when inflation figures are due; after that, the central bank’s March 12 decision looms.
