Inflation in Turkey slowed in February for the fourth consecutive month, at 55.2% over a yearup from 57.7% in January, according to official data released today.

This decrease is explained by the fact that prices continued to increase month by month, but less strongly than a year ago.

Over the month, consumer prices rose by 3.15%.

Inflation, fueled mainly by the weakness of the Turkish lira, had reached 85.5% over a twelve-month period in October, a level not seen since June 1998, before slowing in November for the first time in 18 months.

The official figures are disputed, however, by independent economists at the Inflation Research Group (Enag), which say consumer price inflation accelerated again in February to 126.9% over twelve months, up from 121.6% the previous year. January.

The Turkish economy, which was already going through a period of turmoil, is now expected to suffer the consequences of the devastating earthquake of February 6, which claimed the lives of more than 45,000 people in the southern regions of the country.

The quake and aftershocks caused more than $34 billion in damage, equivalent to 4 percent of Turkey’s GDP, the World Bank said Monday.