Non-bank Financial Institutions and Capital Markets in Turkey

Currently, Turkey's financial services industry is in an early stage of development with credit markets dominated by banking and capital markets dominated by government securities. Longstanding macroeconomic instability and inflation have discouraged investment in financial assets and crowded out funding for the private sector. The resulting lack of depth and breadth has made the financial sector in Turkey vulnerable to shocks resulting in repeated crises and has diminshed its intermediation efficiency. This study analyses the state of development and prospects for future growth of Turkish non-bank financial institutions and capital markets. It identifies the key policy issues that should be addressed in order to develop non-bank financial institutions in Turkey. Some of the themes included in the discussion and policy recommendations are: mobilizing savings; building an institutional investor base comprising insurance companies, private pension funds and mutual funds; developing equity markets, debt markets and deriviative markets; developing leasing, factoring and venture capital companies; and strengthening confidence in financial markets through improved corporate governance.