Assessing consumer behavior and expectations in Turkey for the month of August, the TurkStat report said the consumer confidence index, which stood at 81.30 in August, increased by 0.77 percent to 81.92 in September.
The index had been declining since July, the first decline of the year in the index following a continuous recovery since December 2008. The latest figures also indicated a rise in consumer expectations for a recovery in the Turkish economy. When the index is above 100, it indicates an optimistic outlook; when it is equal to 100, it refers to neither an optimistic nor pessimistic outlook; when it is below 100, it indicates a pessimistic outlook.
The survey cited the improvements in consumers' assessments concerning their purchasing power in the present and coming periods, the general economic situation in the next period and the buying time condition of durable goods in the present period as the most important factors leading to an increase in consumer confidence.
