Despite persistently high inflation and international
financial turmoil, the Turkish economy continues to defy gravity.
The country's banks lend to the treasury in lira at high interest
rates. As a result, they can offer attractive interest rates on
foreign currency deposits too. Armed with a fictitious $50,000,
Metin Munir finds out just how good these rates can be and explores
the role played by the banks in propping up Turkey's
"unsustainable" economy
April 01, 1998