Geopolitical Tensions Trigger Sharp Sell-off in Borsa Istanbul: BIST 100 Drops 3.20%

Sharp Losses in BIST 100 Index The BIST 100 index on Borsa Istanbul completed trading on February 19, 2026, with a significant decline.
The index fell by 455.69 points compared to the previous close, ending the day at 13,804.21 points.
Total trading volume reached 221.9 billion lira.
Insurance and investment trust indices also saw declines of 4.57%.
The financial leasing and factoring sector was the only one to close in positive territory, with a slight increase of 0.32%.
Geopolitical Risks Trigger Sell-off The negative sentiment in the markets was primarily driven by news regarding global geopolitical risks.
Reports of the United States deploying fighter jets to its bases in the region and the commencement of joint naval exercises by Iran and Russia in the Sea of Oman suppressed risk appetite.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called for restraint, emphasizing that issues should be resolved through diplomatic channels.
Economic Data and Technical Outlook On the domestic front, housing sales in January decreased by 4.7% compared to the same period last year, falling to 111,480 units.
The consumer confidence index rose by 2.3% in February to 85.7, while the short-term external debt stock was recorded at $165.7 billion as of the fourth quarter of 2025.
Analysts noted that from a technical perspective, the 13,600 and 13,500 point levels will be monitored as support for the BIST 100 index, while 13,900 and 14,000 points will serve as resistance.
In the coming period, markets will focus on the domestic real sector confidence index, as well as international PMI data and U.S.
growth figures.