Turkish banks raise credit card annual fees up to 70% to 5,000 lira

August 31, 2026 at 07:30 AM2 min

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Turkish banks have raised credit card annual fees by up to 70%, with yearly charges reaching 5,000 lira. Lawmaker Mühip Kanko said banks are demanding 108,000 lira in spending commitments from customers seeking fee refunds. Individual credit card debt has surpassed 3.3 trillion lira.

Key Facts

Annual credit card fees in Turkey now range from 2,000 to 5,000 lira after increases of up to 70%.
Turkey's total number of credit cards has reached 150 million 375 thousand.
Banks are requiring customers seeking fee refunds to commit to 108,000 lira in spending.
Individual credit card debt in Turkey has exceeded 3.3 trillion lira, with over 2 trillion lira from non-installment daily spending.
Non-performing credit card receivables reached 187.4 billion lira as of August 21.

Fee Increases

Banks raised credit card annual fees by up to 70%, pushing yearly charges to as high as 5,000 lira. The fees, collected under the name 'aidat', are reflected on cardholders' statements. Turkey's total credit card count has reached 150 million 375 thousand. Banks charge annual fees ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 lira on these cards.

Refund Conditions

YENİ Parti Kocaeli deputy Mühip Kanko said banks are imposing a 108,000 lira spending commitment on customers who request fee refunds. Kanko stated that even long-unused credit cards are being charged annual fees. He called on Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, and BDDK Chairman Şahap Kavcıoğlu to activate oversight mechanisms.

Debt Burden

Individual credit card debt in Turkey has surpassed 3.3 trillion lira. Over 2 trillion lira, or 60.6%, consists of non-installment daily spending. Total debt under legal follow-up in the banking sector has approached 839 billion lira. As of August 21, receivables slated for write-off in individual loans and cards rose 80% year-on-year to 353 billion lira, of which 187.4 billion lira are credit card receivables.