Murat Çetinkaya

Murat Çetinkaya
Born	1976 Çorlu, Tekirdağ, Turkey
Occupation(s)	Economist, Banker, Civil servant
Years active	1998–present
Known for	Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (2016–2019)

Murat Çetinkaya (born 1976 in Tekirdağ) held the position of governor at the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) between 2016 and 2019. During his tenure, he was actively involved in Turkey’s leading economic policy bodies, such as the Economic Policies Coordination Council and the Financial Stability Committee, and acted as Turkey’s delegate to the G20. Additionally, Çetinkaya played a significant role within the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), where he served as co-chair of the FSB MENA Regional Consultative Group.

Early life

Çetinkaya was born in Çorlu, Tekirdağ, and pursued higher education at Boğaziçi University, where he completed a double major in political science and international relations alongside sociology. He further advanced his academic credentials by obtaining a PhD in international political economy from the same university.

Career

Prior to his appointment as governor, Çetinkaya acted as deputy governor of CBRT from 2012 to 2016. In this capacity, he managed areas including financial stability, macroprudential regulation, market operations, and chaired the risk committee. He also represented CBRT in various international forums such as the FSB Assessment of Vulnerabilities Working Group and the BIS Emerging Markets Group.

Çetinkaya began his banking profession in 1998 at Albaraka Turkish Participation Bank. In 2003, he transitioned to Halkbank, where he assumed the role of executive vice president responsible for international banking and investor relations, additionally serving on the board of Halk Yatırım Menkul Değerler A.S. Between 2008 and 2012, he held the position of executive vice president at Kuwait Turkish Participation Bank.