Turkey to Pilot Digital Currency in 2021 Published December 30th, 2020 - 01:00 GMT The rollout of a CBDC comes after President Recep Erdogan previously announced that trials for a digital currency system would be finalised by the end of 2020. (Shutterstock) Turkey will embark on the pilot phase of a sovereign-backed digital currency next year, according to a statement made by Central Bank President Naci Agbal in parliament on Friday. “There is an R&D project initiated on digital money. Currently the conceptual phase of this project has been completed,” Agbal said while answering questions on the activities of the Central Bank at the TBMM Plan and Budget Committee.