Türkiye advances digital lira project | The Paypers
The Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye has moved forward with preparations for a digital form of its national currency, as outlined in the 2026 Presidential Annual Programme.
The initiative focuses on establishing a legal and technical framework for the Digital Turkish Lira before its potential rollout. The Central Bank is set to conduct detailed simulations of the digital currency throughout next year to evaluate its potential economic and financial effects. These simulations are a part of the project’s wider impact analysis, which aims to assess how a digital lira could integrate with existing payment systems and affect monetary policy.

Regulatory groundwork and ecosystem participation

Alongside technical testing, the Central Bank plans to define the regulatory framework and technical standards required for the exchange of tokenised securities using the digital lira. Officials have indicated that proof-of-concept studies will examine the feasibility of using the currency in digital securities transactions.

Earlier in September 2025, the Central Bank issued an open call for participants to join the digital lira ecosystem project. The invitation extends to banks, payment service providers, electronic money institutions and technology firms interested in developing applications and infrastructure to support the currency’s potential use cases.

A progress report outlining the outcomes of the project’s second phase is expected in the coming months. Central Bank representatives have stated that the digital lira is envisioned as an integral component of Türkiye’s general financial innovation agenda, supporting the development of new payment models and digital finance solutions.