Minister Kemal Unakitan said that budget surplus was 3.3 billion new Turkish liras (YTL) in May 2008. (One USD is equal to 1.2580 YTL.)

"Budget figures in May were in line with economic program targets," he told reporters.

The budget surplus was 2.3 billion YTL in May 2007. It went 66.4 percent up in the same month of this year.

Unakitan announced that expenditures in May were 15.8 billion YTL and budget revenues 19.2 bn YTL.

"The primary surplus was 5,070 million YTL in May," he also told reporters.

Talking about budget figures corresponding January-May 2008 period, Unakitan said that budget revenues were around 86.2 billion YTL and expenditures 83.9 billion YTL.

The finance minister declared the budget deficit in January-May 2008 as 2,060 million YTL.

"The year-end budget deficit target was 18 billion YTL, however the figure was announced as 2 billion YTL at the end of the first five months of the year," he also said.

The budget deficit dropped 38.4 percent in January-May 2008 over the same period of 2007.

AA