Erdogan playing with fire, Russia’s commodity boom

After putting the final nails in the coffin of the Turkish central bank's credibility with last month's surprise interest rate cut, the grave started to be dug this week with the firing of three MPC members. Further large interest rate cuts seem increasingly likely and the lira is heading in only one direction - the risk of a balance of payments crisis akin to that in 2018 will mount. Meanwhile, Russia's balance sheets have improved markedly in recent months amid the surge in global commodity prices, but we think any additional boost from loose fiscal policy will be limited and the factors supporting the ruble are likely to turn into slight headwinds next year.