TUR ETF Explained: Returns, Expense Ratio, Holdings, and Alternative ETFs
The iShares MSCI Turkey ETF (TUR) is a single-country emerging-market fund that tracks the MSCI Turkey Index and is heavily weighted toward financials and industrials. Key factors to check are the lira exchange rate, political and policy risk, the management fee, and dividends. Investors should also weigh how its diversification differs from that of broad emerging-market ETFs.
What Is the iShares MSCI Turkey ETF?
This single-country ETF tracks the MSCI Turkey Index and holds companies listed on the Turkish stock market, weighted by market capitalization. Among emerging-market exposures, it offers targeted exposure to Turkey alone.
It is suited to investors who want to bet directly on the Turkish market among emerging economies, and it is a single-country ETF worth considering only if you can tolerate high volatility.
It is a passive (index-tracking) ETF managed by iShares.
How Does the iShares MSCI Turkey ETF Invest?
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Tracked Index | MSCI Turkey Index |
| Management Style | Passive (index-tracking) |
| Rebalancing Frequency | Semiannual |
| Dividend Frequency | Semiannual |
| Issuer | iShares |
| Expense Ratio | 0.59% |
The fund holds the constituents of the MSCI Turkey Index in proportion to their market-cap weights, tracking the performance of the Turkish equity market as a whole. It carries heavy weightings in sectors that represent the Turkish economy, such as financials, industrials, and materials, and is rebalanced periodically to reflect changes in the index composition.
- Targeted exposure concentrated in a single country, Turkey
- Access to the Turkish market through a US-listed ETF
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF Size and Costs (AUM and Expense Ratio)
Assets under management (AUM) stand at $148.4M, and the expense ratio is 0.59% per year.
As a single-country emerging-market ETF, it is more volatile than broad emerging-market ETFs, and currency effects feed directly into returns.
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF Performance and Fund Flows
The Turkish stock market has been heavily influenced by currency movements and by domestic inflation and interest-rate policy, and its dollar-denominated returns have tended to become more volatile during periods of lira weakness.
Fund flows are highly sensitive to the global liquidity environment: money comes in when appetite for emerging-market risk rises, and outflows become pronounced when investors turn risk-averse.
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF Pros and Cons
Its strength is that it offers easy, targeted exposure to the Turkish market; its drawbacks are single-country concentration and currency and political risk.
💪 Key Strengths
⚠️ Points to Watch
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF Alternatives and Related Products
The three funds shown in the table, EWG, EWP, and EWU, are all European single-country ETFs managed by iShares. Their fee levels are similar, but they track different countries and therefore offer different types of exposure. Compared with them, this ETF is concentrated in Turkey, an emerging market, and tends to be more volatile. Meanwhile, to spread out the concentration risk of a single country like Turkey, investors can also consider EEM and VWO, which invest broadly in emerging markets.
| Ticker | Name | Price | Change | AUM | Total Expense Ratio | Dividend Yield | 1Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShares MSCI Canada ETF | $60.21 | -1.0% | $7.6B | 0.50% | 1.25% | +18.8% | |
| iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF | $47.30 | -1.5% | $3.7B | 0.50% | 3.16% | +11.2% | |
| iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF | $64.31 | -1.1% | $3.1B | 0.50% | 1.69% | +16.7% | |
| iShares MSCI Spain ETF | $56.91 | -0.4% | $2.0B | 0.50% | 2.92% | +13.5% | |
| iShares MSCI Germany ETF | $42.06 | -0.2% | $1.6B | 0.49% | 1.98% | +2.8% |
| Ticker | Name | Weight | Price | Change | Market Cap | P/E | Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S ADR | 0.09% | $4.67 | +1.1% | $4.1B | 9.0 | 4.38% |
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF Investor Checkpoints
Here are the points to review before investing in TUR. Because it is a single-country emerging-market ETF, it is wise to calmly check the currency exposure, volatility, country concentration, and expense ratio before buying, and to consider whether it fits your investment goals and risk tolerance.
| Checkpoint | What to Check | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| 💱 Currency | Check the impact on lira-converted returns | No currency hedge |
| 📊 Country Concentration | Weighting of single-country exposure | Concentrated solely in Turkey |
| 💵 Expense Ratio | Cumulative cost impact over long-term holding | Annual fee applies |
| 📉 Volatility | Volatility of a single emerging-market country | High |
Currency and political and policy shifts are the main drivers of short-term returns, and because of the single-country concentration, losses can be large when the market is hit by a shock. Investors should keep in mind that it is more volatile than broad emerging-market ETFs.
It is a targeted tool suited to investors who want to bet directly on the Turkish market. If diversification is the priority, broad emerging-market ETFs such as EEM and VWO are options; if you want concentrated exposure to Turkey, TUR is a choice.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. All investment responsibility lies with the investor.
This article reflects information as of June 18, 2026.