ANKARA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's current account balance posted a deficit of 5.15 billion U.S. dollars in February, the fourth consecutive month running a deficit because of increasing energy costs, according to official data released by the Turkish Central Bank on Monday.

       The 12-month rolling current deficit of Turkey rose to 21.85 billion dollars, the bank said.

       The current account, if gold and energy are excluded, actually recorded a surplus of 2.17 billion dollars in February, down significantly from a surplus of 624 billion dollars in the same month last year.

       Net inflows from the services item increased by 874 million dollars year on year to 1.61 billion dollars, while travel items under services posted a net inflow of 1.24 billion dollars, up by 737 million dollars year on year.

       In February, the foreign trade deficit of Turkey widened by 135.5 percent compared to the same month of the previous year, mainly because of energy imports.

       More than 70 percent of Turkey's energy needs rely on imports, making the country vulnerable to fluctuating energy prices.