Turkey's banking regulator, BDDK, has changed two everyday consumer-finance rules. The limit separating the 20% and 40% credit-card minimum-payment ratios rose from TRY 50,000 to TRY 100,000. Separate rules reset the maximum maturity of consumer loans used to buy mobile phones. The decisions matter to foreign residents who hold Turkish cards or seek local financing, but they do not guarantee a loan, remove interest or restore instalments for every phone purchase.
The card threshold doubled, not the payment percentage
For a card with a total limit of TRY 100,000 or less, the minimum due is 20% of the statement balance. When the card limit is above TRY 100,000, the minimum is 40%. The change moves the dividing line from TRY 50,000 to TRY 100,000; it does not make every minimum payment 100,000 lira and does not reduce the outstanding principal.
A minimum payment is not a debt payoff
Paying the minimum on time avoids underpayment, but the remaining statement balance can continue to accrue contractual interest and taxes. Card limit, statement balance and minimum due are different figures. Residents comparing household costs should therefore calculate the full repayment path, not only the amount needed to keep the account current for one month.
New phones use a TRY 40,000 loan threshold
For consumer loans used to buy a non-refurbished mobile phone, the maximum maturity is 12 months when the sales price is TRY 40,000 or less and three months when it is above TRY 40,000. These are maximum regulatory maturities. A bank or finance company can still offer a shorter term, refuse the application or set its own price after assessing income, credit history and internal policy.
Certified refurbished phones have a separate TRY 50,000 line
When a refurbished phone is sold by a refurbishment centre or authorised dealer, the maximum consumer-loan maturity is 12 months up to and including TRY 50,000, and three months above that price. Buyers should verify the seller's status, warranty and invoice rather than relying on the word refurbished in an advertisement.
Credit-card instalments for new phones remain restricted
The BDDK decision did not reopen ordinary credit-card instalments for non-refurbished mobile phones. The existing ban continues. Certified refurbished phones can continue to be bought by credit card in up to 12 instalments without a price ceiling. A consumer loan, a credit-card instalment and a mobile-operator device plan are different products and should not be described as the same facility.
Checklist for international residents
Check the card's total limit, not only its available limit, and read the bank's statement after the rule appears in its systems. For a phone purchase, confirm whether the device is new or certified refurbished, the cash price, financing cost, maximum maturity and early-payment terms. Foreign status does not create an exemption: approval still depends on the lender's customer, residence, income and risk requirements. Turkey Compass provides general information, not individual financial advice.
Anadolu Agency — BDDK changes for phone loans and credit cards, 2 October 2026 →