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ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s first astronaut returned home to a hero’s welcome Monday, portrayed as a symbol of the country’s advances in technology and aerospace. Alper Gezeravci was greeted by bouquet-laden children at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport as he returned from a private three-week mission to the International Space Station. His space flight, for which Turkey paid roughly $55 million, was the third such journey organized by Houston-based Axiom Space with NASA and SpaceX. A new page has been opened in space science and technologies for Turkey.”Turkey established its own space agency in 2018, and said it will land on the moon by 2026. They enjoyed a few extra days at the space station, waiting for the weather to improve in the splashdown zone.

Persons: — Turkey’s, Gezeravci, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, “, Mehmet Fatih Kacir, Walter Villadei, Sweden’s Marcus Wandt, Michael Lopez, Alegria Organizations: Ankara’s, International Space, Turkey, NASA, SpaceX, ” Industry, Technology Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkish, Turkey, ”, Florida, Houston, ” Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s central bank raised its key interest rate by another 2.5 percentage points on Thursday, pressing ahead with a series of hikes aimed at combating inflation that reached nearly 65% in December. Erdogan is a longtime proponent of an unorthodox policy of cutting interest rates to fight inflation, which runs contrary to mainstream economic thinking. The European Central Bank is expected to keep its record-high benchmark rate steady at its meeting Thursday, following a rapid series of hikes over more than a year. Hafize Gaye Erkan, a former U.S.-based bank executive, took over as central bank governor in June, becoming the first woman to hold that position in Turkey. Previously, Erdogan had fired central governments who reportedly resisted his push to cut interest rates.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Merrill Lynch, Mehmet Simsek, Hafize Gaye Erkan, Erkan, ” Organizations: European Central Bank, Turkish Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Ukraine, U.S

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Turkey’s first astronaut along with a Swede and Italian launched Thursday to the International Space Station on a chartered SpaceX flight. Their escort on the trip: A retired NASA astronaut who now works for the company that arranged the private flight. Their capsule should reach the space station on Saturday. Russia has been welcoming paid visitors to the space station for more than two decades; NASA didn't until two years ago. With them is Michael Lopez-Alegria, who launched four times as a NASA astronaut before joining Axiom Space and escorting its first chartered flight.

Persons: — Turkey’s, NASA’s, NASA didn't, Alper, ”, Sweden’s Marcus Wandt, Walter Villadei, Michael Lopez, Alegria, “ Organizations: International, SpaceX, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, NASA, Houston, Turkish Airlines, Swedish Aeroplane Corp, European Space Agency, Italian Air Force, Virgin Galactic, Space, Control, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla, Italian, Russia, Turkey, Sweden, Italy

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s central bank delivered another huge interest rate hike on Thursday as it tries to curb double-digit inflation that has left households struggling to afford food and other basic goods. The bank pushed its policy rate up by 5 percentage points, to 40%, marking its sixth big interest rate hike in a row focused on beating down inflation that hit an eye-watering 61.36% last month. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long been a proponent of an unorthodox policy of cutting interest rates to fight inflation and had fired central bank governors who resisted his rate-slashing policies. Other central banks around the world have raised interest rates rapidly to target spikes in consumer prices tied to the rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic and then Russia's war in Ukraine. Under Erkan’s tenure, the central bank has hiked its main interest rate from 8.5% to 40%.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Merrill Lynch, Mehmet Simsek, Hafize Gaye Erkan Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Ukraine, U.S

Two and a half weeks after sending tanks and ground troops into northern Gaza, Israeli forces entered a hospital early Wednesday that they claim Hamas operates out of. The Israeli army claims the militant group uses hospitals as cover for its fighters, and has set up its main command center in and beneath Shifa Hospital, the largest in the besieged territory. Both Hamas and Shifa Hospital staff deny the Israeli allegations. Both Hamas and Shifa Hospital staff deny the Israeli allegations. ISRAEL SAYS IT'S CARRYING OUT A ‘PRECISE AND TARGETED OPERATION’ INSIDE GAZA'S SHIFA HOSPITALJERUSALEM — The Israeli military says its forces have entered Gaza’s Shifa hospital, the site of a lengthy standoff.

Persons: Mohammed Zaqout, — Israel, ‘, ’, Ahmed Mhanna, ”, Jabaliya, Mhanna, NETANYAHU, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, “, Fahrettin Koca, Koca, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Martin Griffiths, Meirav Eilon Shahar, “ Israel, ” Philippe Lazzarini, CAIRO —, Munir al, Boursh, ” Israel, Hamas ”, Paltel, Israel, ” Griffiths, Shifa, that’s, Jonas Gahr Støre, Espen Barth Eide, ” Barth Eide, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, ” Erdogan, Israel —, Daniel Hagari, Hamas’s, ” Hagari, KHAN YOUNIS, Mohammad al, Abdallah, National Security Itamar Ben, Gvir, Nasser, Khan Younis, Catherine Russell, Russell, ” Russell, ISRAEL Organizations: Hamas, Shifa, Shifa Hospital, Health Ministry, . Security, ASEAN, AS, Awda Hospital, Awda, PEACEMAKING GROUP GENEVA, Centre, Associated Press, Iran's, Iranian, ” UN, UNRWA, United Nations, OFFICIAL, International Committee, COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, UN OFFICIAL, Health Organization, ” FIRST, NTB, ISRAEL, TEL, Israeli Defense Forces, IDF, MINISTRY, Ministry of National Security, National Security, UNICEF, JERUSALEM Locations: Gaza, Israel, Shifa, Myanmar, Washington, israel, GAZA, CAIRO, Jabaliya, GAZA ZIKIM, Israeli, Gaza City, TURKEY ANKARA, Turkey, Egypt, Rafah, Geneva, Basque, Spain, Iranian, Iran, Palestine, ”, Territories, United States, JERUSALEM, Palestinian, GENEVA, what’s, GAZA COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Norwegian, Norway, ISRAEL ANKARA, Turkish, TEL AVIV, West Bank, Ben, Khan, SHIFA

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s president on Friday backpedaled after siding with a top appeals court that defied a Constitutional Court ruling calling for the release of an imprisoned opposition lawmaker. The court of appeals also took the unprecedented step of filing a criminal complaint against Constitutional Court justices, accusing them of violating the constitution. In remarks published Friday, Erdogan accused the Constitutional Court - Turkey’s highest court - of making “many mistakes one after the other” and reproached members of his own party who criticized the appeals court. On Friday, hundreds of members of the Turkish Bar Association marched to the Constitutional Court to protest the appeals court’s decision not to implement its ruling. The Constitutional Court, which reviewed his case last month, had ruled for Atalay’s release, saying his freedoms and rights to hold office were being violated.

Persons: —, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, ”, ” Erdogan, ” Atalay, Atalay Organizations: Constitutional, Turkish Bar Association, Republican People’s Party, EU Locations: ANKARA, Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s highest court on Wednesday upheld a controversial media law that mandates prison terms for people deemed to be spreading “disinformation,” rejecting the main opposition party’s request for its annulment. It was approved in parliament a year ago with the votes of legislators from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party and its nationalist allies, heightening concerns over media freedoms and free speech in the country. The main opposition party had petitioned the Constitutional Court seeking its annulment, arguing that the law would be used to further silence government critics by cracking down on social media and independent reporting. Freedom of expression and media freedoms have declined dramatically in Turkey over the years. Currently, 19 journalists or media sector workers are behind bars, according to the Journalists’ Union of Turkey.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s, Tolga Sardan, Erdogan Organizations: —, Anadolu Agency, Borders, Journalists ’ Union of Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Journalists ’ Union of Turkey

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s oldest film festival has been canceled amid controversy surrounding a politically sensitive documentary about the aftermath of a 2016 coup attempt. “Due to the mess created by their own hand,” the festival administration, artistic director and the entire artistic team were fired, he said. The documetary's director Nejla Demirci wrote on X Friday evening: “I am saddened to see, day by day, how negative attitudes have organized against a documentary film. Organizers had said they would remove “The Decree” from the film festival program. Festival director Ahmet Boyacioglu initially announced the film was removed from the national documentary category due to ongoing legal proceedings against one of the people featured.

Persons: Muhittin Bocek, ”, Fethullah Gulen, Gulen, “, Critics, terminations, Nejla Demirci, Ahmet Boyacioglu Organizations: —, Antalya, Orange, Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, Culture Ministry, Turkish, U.S, Wednesday Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkish Culture, Turkey, Antalya

Menendez, the senior Democratic senator for New Jersey, has been a vocal opponent of Turkey receiving aircraft to update its fighter fleet. “One of our most important problems regarding the F-16s were the activities of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez against our country,” Erdogan told journalists on a flight back from Azerbaijan on Monday. “Menendez’s exit gives us an advantage but the F-16 issue is not an issue that depends only on Menendez,” Erdogan added. Neither Washington nor Ankara have openly admitted a link between Sweden’s bid to the F-16 deal but it is widely acknowledged unofficially. “We will raise our voices even more for Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to be recognized by other countries,” Erdogan said.

Persons: —, Sen, Bob Menendez, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Menendez, U.S . Sen, ” Erdogan, Antony Blinken, Hakan Fidan, Erdogan, Blinken, Fidan, ”, “, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: U.S, Senate Foreign Relations, Democratic, U.S ., Turkish, NATO, Finland, Israeli, General Assembly Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkish, New Jersey, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Ankara, Greece, Sweden, Stockholm, Ukraine, Hungary, Washington, Nakhchivan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Baku, Armenia, Iran, Tehran, New York, Israel, Cyprus, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s central bank raised its key interest rate by 5 percentage points Thursday, another large but expected hike that signals a continued push toward more traditional economic policies under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish central bank started cutting rates in late 2021 under pressure from Erdogan. Before their appointments, the central bank had cut its key interest rate from around 19% in 2021 to 8.5% earlier this year. Erdogan has fired three central bank governors who resisted pressure to cut rates before appointing Erkan’s predecessor in 2021. Following Erkan’s appointment, the bank has raised its key rate a series fo time: by an aggressive 7.5 percentage points in August, 2.5 percentage points in July and 6.5 percentage points in June.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Merrill Lynch, Mehmet Simsek, Hafize Gaye Erkan, Erkan’s Organizations: U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of England, U.S Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkey, Turkish, Erdogan, Central, Ukraine

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