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[1/8] Seho Uyan, who survived a deadly earthquake, but lost his four relatives, sits in front of a collapsed building in Adiyaman, Turkey February 11, 2023. Turkey said about 80,000 people were in hospital, with more than 1 million in temporary shelters. U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths described the earthquake as the region's worst event in 100 years, predicting the death toll would at least double. He praised Turkey's response, saying his experience was that disaster victims were always disappointed by early relief efforts. It has killed 24,617 inside Turkey, and more than 3,500 in Syria, where tolls have not been updated since Friday.

☆ In a quake-hit Turkish town, one survivor just wants help to leave
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Ali Kucukgocmen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Now all she wants to do is to leave her quake-devastated hometown. Boxes of food and water bottles line the entrance of the park, as well as clothing donated from around the country. We saw the reality in the morning but we only received help three days later," Taha said. "Nobody wants to leave their hometown. I wouldn't leave my hometown but I will do it for my family."

[1/6] Rescue workers try to rescue a 15-year-old girl trapped under the rubble, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey February 10, 2023. The death toll exceeded 24,150 across southern Turkey and northwest Syria a day after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said authorities should have reacted faster to Monday's huge earthquake. Earlier, the World Food Programme said it was running out of stocks in rebel-held northwest Syria as the state of war complicated relief efforts. A similarly powerful earthquake in northwest Turkey in 1999 killed more than 17,000 killed in 1999. In the Samandag district of Turkey, rescuers crouched under concrete slabs and whispered "Inshallah" - "God willing" - as they carefully reached into the rubble and plucked out a 10-day-old newborn.

[1/4] Survivors rest while a woman reacts at a hospital in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey February 10, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem 1 2 3 4Authorities say some 6,500 buildings in Turkey collapsed and countless more were damaged. The U.S. Agency for International Development will provide $85 million in urgent humanitarian assistance to Turkey and Syria. SYRIA OVERWHELMEDIn Syria, relief efforts are complicated by a conflict that has partitioned the country and wrecked its infrastructure. The Syrian government views the delivery of aid to rebel-held areas from Turkey as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

☆ Amid rows of bodies, Turks check for relatives one by one after earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANTAKYA/KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Turks stepped over hundreds of bodies in stadiums and parking lots on Wednesday, carefully lifting blankets from their faces to try to identify dead relatives after a once-in-a-generation earthquake devastated the region. "My wife doesn't speak Turkish, and I can't see very well," said the husband, who did not give a name. One woman who could not find her sister yelled: "My God, look how we are, we will be thankful if we find dead bodies of our people." To the north in Kahramanmaras, near the earthquake epicentre, at least another 100 bodies were assembled on the floor of an athletics stadium, where residents sought to identify them. Along the red-padded wall and underneath rows of empty spectator seating, three smaller bodies were wrapped in sheets on child-sized stretchers.

[1/9] Rescuers work at the site of a damaged building in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 8, 2023. said Melek, 64, in the southern city of Antakya, adding that she had not seen any rescue teams. With the scale of the disaster becoming ever more apparent, the death toll - now 6,234 in Turkey - looks likely to keep on rising. In neighbouring Syria, already devastated by 11 years of war, the death toll climbed to more than 2,500 overnight, according to the Syrian government and a rescue service operating in the rebel-held northwest. The initial quake struck just after 4 a.m. on Monday, the dead of night in the dead of winter, giving the sleeping population little chance to react.

☆ Large fire, plume of smoke at Turkey's Iskenderun port -witnesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ISKENDERUN, Turkey, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A large fire burned and a plume of black smoke drifted high into the air on Monday above Turkey's southern Iskenderun port, in the Mediterranean Sea-side province of Hatay, according to Reuters witnesses and footage. The region was hit by two major earthquakes earlier in the day, leaving widespread damage and loss of life. It was not immediately clear what was burning. Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Jonathan SpicerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ At least 10 killed in Turkey earthquake, dozens trapped under rubble
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed in Turkey after an earthquake shook the country's south and also northern Syria, two local Turkish officials said. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said the quake struck at a depth of 10 km (6 miles) near the southern Turkish city of Kahramanmaras, while the EMSC monitoring service said the chance of a tsunami risk was being evaluated. read moreReporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/4] Cennet Sucu is rescued from the rubble of collapsed hospital, following an earthquake in Iskenderun, Turkey February 6, 2023. REUTERS/Umit BektasISKENDERUN, Turkey, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Rescue teams on Monday were searching through the wreckage of the state hospital in Iskenderun, Turkey, that was partly flattened by a huge earthquake that has already claimed almost 3,000 lives. The rescuers climbed up the enormous pile of debris that was once the part of the Iskenderun Hospital that provided intensive care. My friends and I did not try to leave the building, we didn't leave our patients. More than 1,200 buildings were destroyed by the quake in Hatay province alone, where Iskenderun is located.

[1/2] A man stands near a damaged vehicle, following an earthquake, in rebel-held Azaz, Syria February 6, 2023. REUTERS/Mahmoud HassanoSummary Quake strikes central Turkey, northwest SyriaHundreds of buildings across the region brought downRescuers begin hunt for untold numbers trapped in rubbleDIYARBAKIR/ANKARA, Turkey, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A major earthquake of magnitude 7.9 struck central Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday, killing about 200 people as buildings collapsed across the snowy region, and triggering a search for survivors trapped in rubble. "I have never felt anything like it in the 40 years I've lived," said Erdem, a resident of the Turkish city of Gaziantep, near the quake's epicentre, who declined to give his surname. The United States was "profoundly concerned" about the quake in Turkey and Syria and was monitoring events closely, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Twitter. More than 17,000 people were killed in 1999 when a 7.6-magnitude quake struck Izmit, a city southeast of Istanbul.

☆ Turkey says it is "meaningless" to restore NATO dialogue with Sweden, Finland
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday it was "meaningless" to hold a trilateral meeting with Sweden and Finland to discuss their NATO bids after protests this month in Stockholm. Speaking at a news conference, Cavusoglu also said there is no offer to evaluate Sweden's and Finland's NATO membership seperately. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said his country wanted to restore NATO dialogue with Turkey after Ankara indefinitely postponed trilateral talks with Sweden and Finland over their membership. Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Ali Kucukgocmen; Writing by Huseyin HayatseverOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Court rejects Kurdish party bid to delay closure ruling till after Turkey elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A supporter of Turkey's main pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) holds a mask of their jailed former leader and presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtas during a rally in Ankara, Turkey, June 19, 2018. The case against the HDP, Turkey's third-biggest party, comes ahead of elections that pose the biggest test for President Tayyip Erdogan's 20 years in power. Polls show he and his ruling AK Party could lose, especially if the HDP cooperates with an opposition alliance. Earlier this month, the court froze the HDP's bank accounts holding Treasury aid during the course of the trial. But it remains unclear when the court will deliver its final ruling on the party closure case.

☆ Erdogan to Sweden: Don't expect Turkish support for NATO bid after Stockholm protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Sweden should not expect Turkey's support for its NATO membership after a protest near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm at the weekend including the burning of a copy of the Koran, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday. "Those who allow such blasphemy in front of our embassy (in Stockholm) can no longer expect our support for their NATO membership," Erdogan said in a speech after a cabinet meeting. "But Sweden will respect the agreement that exists between Sweden, Finland and Turkey regarding our NATO membership," he added. Sweden and Finland applied last year to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but all 30 member states must approve their bids. Turkey had already summoned Sweden's ambassador about the incident, cancelled a planned visit by Swedish defence minister to Ankara and strongly condemned the event.

☆ Sweden, Finland must send up to 130 "terrorists" to Turkey for NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Sweden and Finland must deport or extradite up to 130 "terrorists" to Turkey before the Turkish parliament will approve their bids to join NATO, President Tayyip Erdogan said. The two Nordic states applied last year to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but their bids must be approved by all 30 NATO member states. Turkey has said Sweden in particular must first take a clearer stance against what it sees as terrorists, mainly Kurdish militants and a group it blames for a 2016 coup attempt. "For this to pass the parliament, first of all you have to hand more than 100, around 130 of these terrorists to us," Erdogan said. Separately on Monday Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson said that his country was in a "good position" to secure Turkey's ratification of its NATO bid.

☆ Erdogan aide says time running out to ratify Sweden, Finland NATO bids
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Turkish flag flies next to NATO logo at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, November 26, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File PhotoANKARA, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Turkey is running out of time to ratify NATO membership bids by Sweden and Finland before it holds elections expected in May, a Turkish presidential spokesman said on Saturday. President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said Turkish ratification of the countries' bids depended on how quickly Stockholm fulfils counter-terrorism promises made as part of a deal with Ankara, warning that could take months. Along with Finland, Sweden signed an agreement with Turkey last year aimed at overcoming Ankara's objections to their NATO bids, which were made in May last year and require the approval of all 30 NATO member states. "We have a time issue if they want to join NATO before the NATO summit in June," Kalin added, referring to the Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections, expected in May.

☆ Turkey's current account deficit at $4.1 bln in November; $48 billion in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Turkey is expected to record a current account deficit of $4.1 billion in November, a Reuters poll showed on Friday, while the deficit was seen at $48 billion in 2022, after soaring energy prices derailed Ankara's plans to shore up the shortfall. In a Reuters poll, the median estimate of 11 economists for the current account deficit (TRCURA=ECI) in November was $4.1 billion, with forecasts ranging from $1.4 billion to $4.75 billion. The median forecast for the deficit in 2022 stood at $48 billion, down slightly from a previous poll, with estimates ranging between $43 billion and $49 billion. Global energy prices have made that goal all but unattainable in 2022 though authorities say a surplus will be achieved when energy prices normalise. Turkey's central bank is scheduled to announce the November current account data at 0700 GMT on Jan 11.

☆ Erdogan tells Putin ceasefire needed in Ukraine peace efforts -presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Vladimir Putin in a phone call that peace efforts in the Russia-Ukraine war should be supported by a unilateral ceasefire and a "vision for a fair solution", the Turkish presidency said on Thursday. Erdogan and the Russian president have spoken repeatedly since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February. "President Erdogan said calls for peace and negotiations should be supported by a unilateral ceasefire and a vision for a fair solution," the readout said, adding that Erdogan reminded Putin of the positive outcomes of the grains corridor deal. Ukraine is a major global grain producer and exporter, but production and exports have fallen since Russia invaded and started blockading its seaports. The two leaders also discussed Syria, with Erdogan telling Putin that concrete steps needed to be taken to clear Kurdish militants from the Syrian border region, the readout said.

☆ Turkish 2022 trade deficit leaps 138% to $110.2 billion -ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The Turkish trade deficit widened 138.4% from the previous year to $110.19 billion in 2022, the Trade Ministry said on Monday, with exports rising 12.9% to $254.2 billion and imports jumping 34.3% to $364.4 billion. In December, the trade deficit widened 52% from a year earlier to $10.381 billion, with exports up 3.1% to $22.92 billion and imports rising 14.6% to $33.30 billion. Reporting by Daren Butler and Ebru Tuncay; Editing by Ece ToksabayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Turkey cenbank targets 60% lira deposits in banks in H1
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Turkey's central bank said on Friday it aims to lift the share of lira deposits to 60% of all deposits in the banking system over the next six months, and vowed to continue using regulations to support access to credit. In its annual monetary policy report, the central bank said it was maintaining its long-held 5% medium-term inflation target, as the annual inflation rate begins edging down from a 24-year high above 85% in October. The central bank, which has undertaken an "liraization" policy of stabilizing the currency as it has slashed interest rates, repeated it had no forex target level and would not buy or sell hard currencies to direct the lira. Reporting by Nevzat Devranoglu Ezgi Erkoyun; Writing by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Ece ToksabayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Turkey eliminates age requirement for retirement
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan eliminated the retirement age requirement on Wednesday in a move that allows more than 2 million workers to retire immediately, less than six months before an election. Previously, the retirement age was set at 58 years for women and at 60 years for men. It wasn't yet clear how much the new system would cost, but Erdogan said 2.25 million people were eligible to retire immediately. Labour groups had been protesting the minimum age requirement for several years, asking that instead workers should just be required to complete the mandatory number of work days to retire. Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Aurora EllisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Thousands protest in Turkey over Istanbul mayor's conviction
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Ezgi Erkoyun | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/15] Supporters of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu gather in front of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality during a rally to oppose the conviction and political ban of Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkey December 15, 2022. Alp Eren Kaya/CHP via REUTERSISTANBUL, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Thousands of people rallied in Turkey on Thursday to oppose the conviction and political ban of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, chanting slogans criticising President Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling AK Party before elections next year. A Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced Imamoglu, a popular rival to Erdogan, to two years and seven months in prison, which like the ban must be confirmed by an appeals court. "We are here today to protect our rights and the votes of millions of people from Istanbul. His comfortable win in the re-run vote ended the 25-year rule in Istanbul of the AKP and its Islamist predecessors.

☆ Turkish court sentences Erdogan rival to jail with political ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Ali Kucukgocmen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A six-party opposition alliance has yet to agree their presidential candidate, and Imamoglu has been mooted as a possible leading challenger to run against Erdogan. 'VERY SAD DAY'[1/5] Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and his wife Dilek sit at his office as a Turkish court sentenced Imamoglu, a popular rival of President Tayyip Erdogan, to more than two years in prison and imposed a political ban for insulting public officials, in Istanbul, Turkey, December 14, 2022. A jail sentence or political ban on Imamoglu would need to be upheld in appeals courts, potentially extending an outcome to the case beyond the elections date. "The ruling will be final only after the higher court decides whether to uphold the ruling or not. Under these circumstances, it would be wrong to say that the political ban is in place," Timucin Koprulu, professor of criminal law at Atilim University in Ankara, told Reuters after the ruling.

☆ Erdogan: Turkey's inflation will fall to 40% in months, 20% in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday it was "apparent" that inflation would fall to around 40% in a few months, and further to 20% in 2023. Turkey's annual inflation declined to 84.39% in November, data showed last week, easing from a peak of 85.51% a month earlier. Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Turkey says to continue blocking oil tankers without proper insurance
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Turkey's maritime authority said on Thursday it would continue to block the passage of oil tankers without appropriate insurance letters, adding that the insurance checks on ships in its waters was a "routine procedure." A Turkish measure in force since the start of the month has caused shipping delays. It requires vessels to provide proof of insurance covering the duration of their transit through the Bosphorus strait or when calling at Turkish ports. Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Can Sezer; Editing by Jonathan SpicerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Finland hopes for Turkish support for NATO bid soon, considers arms exports
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Huseyin Hayatsever | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Finland's defence minister Antti Kaikkonen said the sooner Turkey ratifies its NATO membership bid the better and it would consider granting arms export permits to Turkey on a case by case basis. In an interview with Reuters after meeting his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar in Ankara, Kaikkonen said he could not foresee a timetable for Turkey's ratification of his country's NATO membership application. A leading Turkish politician from Turkey's ruling AK party said however the speed of ratification lay in Finland and Sweden's hands and how swiftly they met Turkey's requests. Earlier this week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Finland must lift an arms embargo on Ankara as a condition to securing support from Turkey. "There have been some discussions with Finnish industry about exports from Finland to Turkey.

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