ISTANBUL: Turkiye current account balance turned to a larger-than-expected deficit of $2.72 billion in November after two months of surpluses, central bank data showed on Friday.

In a Reuters poll, the median estimate for the November current account deficit was $1.7 billion, with forecasts ranging from $1 billion to $2 billion.

The trade deficit, a major component of the current account, declined 32.6% year-on-year in November to $5.92 billion, from earlier average levels around $10 billion.

Excluding gold and energy, the current account showed a surplus of $2.2 billion in November, data also showed.

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The current account balance recorded surpluses of $1.88 billion and $186 million in September and October respectively due to stronger tourism revenues and a narrower trade deficit.

The current account deficit for the Jan-Nov period stood at $43.61 billion, according to the data.