* Turkish stocks extend gains
* Upgrade due to resilience to crisis
* Lira, bonds strengthen
* Inflation data due at 1500 GMT
ISTANBUL, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Turkish stocks, bonds and the lira extended gains on Thursday after ratings agency Fitch upgraded Turkey to just below investment grade, citing resilience to the crisis and easing of macro-economic concerns.
The global crisis caused a 10.5 percent contraction in GDP in the first half of the year, but Fitch said it had not triggered a problem in Turkey's balance of payments or a financial crisis in the country.
Stocks on the Istanbul Stock Exchange extended gains of 1 percent before the announcement to a rise of 3.74 percent at 1339 GMT.
The lira was also nearly 1 percent stronger on the day at 1.4800 against the dollar on the interbank market, while the benchmark Aug. 3, 2010 bonds yield fell to 8.80 percent from 8.88 percent before the statement from Fitch.
Lender Garanti Bank led the Istanbul bourse in volume, rising 4.39 percent to 5.95 lira.
Turkish shares have suffered a sell-off since October, in-line with other emerging markets, curbing their gains on the year to around 70 percent. Russian stocks by contrast have gained 116 percent since the start of 2009.
"The move by Fitch is a clear message for many who had not yet ventured into the Turkish equity story due to the overall risk perception," said Simon Quijan-Evans, economist at C.A. Cheuvreux.
Turkey sentiment was also helped by comments by Economy Minister Ali Babacan on Wednesday that Turkey was still talking to the IMF, a sign that a deal could still be on the cards, which markets would welcome as diminishing the government's dependence on external financing.
Turkey's last stand-by deal with the international lender expired in May 2008 and stop-start negotiations have continued throughout this year.
Investors were also looking at November inflation data expected to be released after the market close on Thursday, though most do not expect the indicator, near a 40-year low, to influence the central bank's December meeting.
Analysts see the bank's rate cutting cycle, which has slashed rates by 10.25 percent since last November, coming to an end while economic recovery is expected to gain steam next year.
Consumer prices are expected to have risen 0.97 percent month-on-month in November, a smaller increase than a month earlier, a Reuters poll of 12 economists showed. (Writing by Thomas Grove and Alexandra Hudson; Editing by Ron Askew) ((alexandra.hudson@reuters.com; +90 212 350 7062; Reuters Messaging: alexandra.hudson.reuters.com@reuters.net))