Turkey is a microcosm of the global gold market – a country which is home to the entire gold value chain from mining and refining, to jewellery design and investment. Its long tradition of gold demand, underpinned by a deep cultural heritage, strong fabrication capacity and a substantial coin market has resulted in households accumulating an estimated 3,500 tonnes (t) (US$145.3bn) of gold tucked “under-the-pillow”, a term used in Turkey to refer to physical gold stored by the general population.
Turkey: gold in action assesses the role that gold plays in consumers’ lives, examines the economic contribution of the entire supply chain and explores how the metal has been monetised to support the national economy. In 2012 alone, gold fabrication, consumption and recycling added at least US$3.8bn to Turkey’s economy. An innovative central bank policy introduced in 2011 incentivised commercial banks to create a range of gold-backed banking products to mobilise Turkey’s stock of gold. This improved the health of the banking sector by reducing costs and improving liquidity, as well as ensuring commercial banks boost their gold reserves. Policymakers have now successfully seen around 250t of gold (US$10.4bn) drawn into the financial system and put to work supporting Turkey’s economy.
Alistair Hewitt, Head of Market Intelligence at the World Gold Council said: Amid a challenging global economic climate, Turkey faces ongoing political and social pressures to ensure that it steers a steady economic course. Gold represents many things in this society – from employment for over a quarter of a million people in the gold industry, to an investment protecting people’s wealth against the ravages of inflation and currency weakness. It is also a unique example to the rest of the world of how gold can successfully be put to work at the core of a nation’s financial architecture.
Some of the key findings from the research include the following:
- Gold is deeply ingrained in Turkish culture. The use of gold coins as a medium of exchange was pioneered by merchants in Lydia – the precursor of modern Turkey - as far back as 700BC and continues to be one of the world’s largest official coin fabricators.
- Turkey’s long-standing desire for gold has resulted in households accumulating a large stock of gold tucked “under-the-pillow”. An estimated 3,500t of gold has been collected by households.
- Gold makes a significant contribution to Turkey’s economy. Gold fabrication, consumption and recycling added at least US$3.8bn to Turkey’s economy in 2012 alone.
- Gold is a small, but important cog in Turkey’s financial system. By the end of 2013, commercial banks held around 250t, equivalent to US$10.4bn, which had been put to work supporting Turkey’s economy. This includes 40t - about US$1.7bn - of Turkey’s “under-the-pillow” stock, which has been mobilised since mid-2012.
- With a well-developed post-production supply chain, Turkey has ambitions to become a regional refining and recycling hub. Turkey has a number of large-scale refiners which refine doré to internationally accepted LBMA standards as well as processing or recycling gold.
- Its gold mining industry is small, but growing quickly. Gold production has increased in almost every year since 2001, growing from 2t to 33.5t in 2013
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Ends
For further information please contact:
Fiona Fieldhouse
World Gold Council
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M +44 (0) 7850 307 612
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Felicity Sincock
Edelman
T +44 (0) 20 3047 2442
M +44(0) 7890 054 317
E [email protected]
Notes to Editors
World Gold Council
The World Gold Council is the market development organisation for the gold industry. Working within the investment, jewellery and technology sectors, as well as engaging in government affairs, our purpose is to provide industry leadership, whilst stimulating and sustaining demand for gold.
We develop gold-backed solutions, services and markets, based on true market insight.
As a result, we create structural shifts in demand for gold across key market sectors. We provide insights into the international gold markets, helping people to better understand the wealth preservation qualities of gold and its role in meeting the social and environmental needs of society. Based in the UK, with operations in India, the Far East, Europe and the US, the World Gold Council is an association whose members include the world’s leading and most forward thinking gold mining companies.
