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The lira hit a record low of 26.9 against the U.S. currency, sliding from Monday's close of 26.3505. The central bank will announce its rate decision at 1100 GMT on Thursday. "News saying that the central bank's interest rate hike will be below market expectations is triggering the lira depreciation," said one trader. But June's hike was below expectations, with economists saying Erdogan's influence over the central bank limits how far they can go in tightening policy. Turkey's annual inflation surged to a 24-year high of 85.51% last October, mainly due to lira depreciation because of Erdogan's policy of low rates.

Persons: Abdulkadir Selvi, Tayyip Erdogan, Nevzat Devranoglu, Daren Butler, Christina Fincher Organizations: Hurriyet, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL

☆ Saudi drone deal entails technology transfer, joint production -Baykar
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, July 18 (Reuters) - An accord which Saudi Arabia signed to buy Turkish drones entails cooperation in technology transfer and joint production, the Turkish company Baykar said on Tuesday in a statement. "With the comprehensive agreement, there will cooperation on technology transfer and joint production in order to advance the high technology development capability of the two countries," the statement said. Baykar said 75% of its revenues had come from exports since it began drone research and development in 2003. It said it had signed export agreements with 30 countries for its Bayraktar TB2 combat drone and with six countries for the larger Bayraktar Akinci combat drone. Reporting by Can Sezer; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Huseyin Hayatsever and Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Baykar, Tayyip Erdogan's, Daren Butler, Huseyin Hayatsever, Alison Williams Organizations: Turkish, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Saudi Arabia, Turkish

☆ Saudi Arabia buys Turkish drones during Erdogan's visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the signing ceremony between Turkish defence firm Baykar and the Saudi defence ministry, Saudi state news agency SPA reported. Erdogan arrived in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah on Monday for the first stop of a Gulf tour. Saudi Arabia will acquire the drones "with the aim of enhancing the readiness of the kingdom's armed forces and bolstering its defense and manufacturing capabilities," Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said in a tweet on Tuesday. SPA said Erdogan and Prince Mohammed attended the signing of a defense cooperation plan by Prince Khalid and Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler. Developing a local military industry has been part of an ambitious plan by Prince Mohammed to diversify the kingdom's economy away from oil.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Baykar, Prince Khalid bin Salman, Haluk Bayraktar, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed, Prince Khalid, Yasar Guler, Cevdet Yilmaz, Mehmet Simsek, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Enas Alashray, Daren Butler, Jamie Freed, Lincoln, Tomasz Janowski, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Saudi Crown, Defence, Investments, United, United Arab Emirates, Turkish Defence, Turkish, Thomson Locations: RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Saudi Red Sea, Jeddah, Ankara, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, East, North Africa, Istanbul, Qatar, United Arab, Riyadh, UAE, Nahyan, Cairo

MV Lara Cruise Ship Courtesy: Miray CruisesA unique offer to cruise around the world for three years — which appeared at risk of running aground earlier this year — now is boasting of a bigger ship. Such bonds reimburse U.S.-boarding passengers if cruise operators fail to complete the booked trips. In March, Life at Sea originally offered what it called the "world's first — and only — three-year cruise" aboard the prior ship, MV Gemini. View of a cabin onboard the MV Lara cruise ship. While she almost pulled out of the trip after controversy over the initial plan to use the Gemini for the cruise, Thomas is now committed to the voyage.

Persons: Cruise, Gemini, Mikael Petterson, Petterson, Petterson's, Barbara, Lara, Kendra Holmes, Miray, Holmes, Thomas, Shirene Thomas, They've, people's Organizations: CNBC, Sea Cruises, Miray Cruises, Federal Maritime Commission, U.S, Gemini, Facebook, Victoria Cruises, [, Miray Locations: —, United States, Florida, North Carolina, Wilmington , North Carolina, U.S, Miami, Istanbul

☆ How the Black Sea grain deal collapse could impact global food prices and hunger
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

London CNN —Wheat and corn prices on global commodities markets jumped Monday after Russia pulled out of a crucial deal allowing the export of grain from Ukraine. The collapse of the pact threatens to push up food prices for consumers worldwide and tip millions into hunger. The White House said the deal had been “critical” to bringing down food prices around the globe, which spiked after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. Food pricesThe global food price index complied by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization hit an all-time high in March 2022, but has fallen steadily since then. “A renewed rise in agricultural commodity prices would obviously push up retail food prices but perhaps not by as much as you think, particularly in developed economies,” she said.

Persons: “, ” Adam Hodge, —, Vladimir Putin, General Antonio Guterres, Shashwat, ” Saraf, Richer, Caroline Bain, ”, Rob Picheta, Hanna Ziady, Mick Krever, Anna Chernova, Priscilla Alvarez Organizations: London CNN —, US National Security Council, Chicago Board of Trade, United Nations, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Gro Intelligence, Food Security Information Network, European Union, Rescue, East, Agriculture Organization, Capital Economics, CNN Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Istanbul, Kyiv, Moscow, United States, Sevastopol, Russian, Crimea, East Africa, East, Africa

Saudi state-run al-Ekhbariya television showed several Saudi officials welcoming Erdogan as he arrived at the venue of a Saudi-Turkish business forum in the Red Sea city of Jeddah. Erdogan is expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, later on Monday. "Turkey will have a serious investment opportunity in the defence industry, infrastructure and superstructure investments in the three countries," he said. Ekhbaria carried live footage showing Saudi Investment Minister Khaled al-Falih addressing dozens of businessmen from both sides at the Saudi-Turkish business forum in Jeddah. Turkey's budget deficit surged to 219.6 billion lira ($8.37 billion) in June, seven times the deficit a year earlier, data showed on Monday.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ekhbaria, Khaled al, Cevdet Yilmaz, Mehmet Simsek, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Yilmaz, Huseyin Hayatsever, Ali Kucukgocmen, Daren Butler, Aziz El Yaakoubi, William Maclean Organizations: Saudi Crown, . Investments, United, Turkish, Saudi Investment, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Saudi, Turkish, Red Sea, Jeddah, Ankara, United Arab Emirates, Istanbul, Qatar, UAE, Nahyan

CNN —Russia said Monday it was suspending its participation in a crucial deal that allowed the export of Ukrainian grain, once again raising fears over global food supplies and scuppering a rare diplomatic breakthrough to emerge from Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Peskov left the door open to reviving the deal in the future, saying that Russia will comply “as soon as the Russian part (of the deal) is completed.”A ship carries grain from Ukraine last week. Mehmet Emin Caliskan/ReutersUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week accused Russia of using the grain deal “as a weapon.”The deal allowed Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports and and navigate safe passage through the waterway to Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait. It proved vital for stabilizing global food prices and bringing relief to the developing countries which rely on Ukrainian exports. There are alternative routes for Ukrainian grain and oilseed exports by rail through eastern Europe, but they can’t readily cope with the volume that Ukraine wants to export.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, “, Peskov, ”, Vladimir Putin, Mehmet Emin Caliskan, Antony Blinken, Ukraine’s Organizations: CNN, United Nations, ”, Reuters, Food Programme, European Commission, Agriculture Organization, FAO, UN Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Istanbul, Kyiv, Moscow, ” Russia, Russian, Crimea, Sevastopol, Europe

☆ Russia axes landmark Ukraine grain deal just hours before deadline
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

First inked in July 2022, the U.N.-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative has been repeatedly elongated in short increments, amid increasing discontent from Russia over perceived restrictions that limit the full dispatch of its own grain and fertilizer exports. The Black Sea grain initiative was set up to abate a global food crisis, after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of fellow key grain exporter and neighbor Ukraine. "The Black Sea agreements ceased to be valid today. Unfortunately, the part relating to Russia in this Black Sea agreement has not been implemented so far. "I strongly condemn Russia's cynical move to terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative, despite UN & Türkiye's efforts," European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen said on Twitter on Monday.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Cyril Ramaphosa, Dmitry Peskov, Maria Zakharova, Peskov, Ursula van der Leyen Organizations: Initiative, South, Russian Federation, Google, Foreign Ministry, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Facebook, European, UN, Twitter Locations: Odessa, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Istanbul, Ankara, Kyiv

CNN —A crucial deal allowing the export of grain from Ukraine is set to expire Monday unless Russia agrees to an extension. The last ship to travel under the Black Sea deal left the port of Odesa early on Sunday, Reuters reported. “Moreover, the main goal of the deal, namely the supply of grain to countries in need, including those on the African continent, has not been realized,” it said. Saint-Kitts-and-Nevis-flagged bulker TK Majestic, carrying grain under the UN's Black Sea Grain Initiative, waits in the southern anchorage of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey. Mehmet Emin Caliskan/ReutersThe deal, which was first brokered by Turkey and the United Nations following the outbreak of Russia’s war on Ukraine in July 2022, creates procedures to ensure the safe export of grain from Ukrainian ports.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Cyril Ramaphosa, Putin, “, Mehmet Emin Caliskan Organizations: CNN, Sunday, Reuters, South, UN, United Nations, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Saint, Kitts, Nevis, Bosphorus, Istanbul, Turkey, Black, Moscow, Sevastopol, Crimea

☆ In Switzerland, an artist uses mountain slopes as his canvas
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Denis Balibouse | Thomson Reuters | Award Winning Photographer Based In Switzerland With Over Years Of Experience In Coverage Of Local | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Swiss- French artist SAYPE poses next to his land art painting representing a pet bottle left on the grass as littering in the Parc Bourget in Lausanne, Switzerland, June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File PhotoVILLARS-SUR-OLLON, Switzerland, July 14 (Reuters) - On mountain slopes in the Swiss village of Villars-sur-Ollon, an artist has used chalk and charcoal to paint two giant frescos of children sketching how they see the vast world around them. Swiss-French artist SAYPE said his frescos -- which at around 3,000 square metres (3,590 square yards) can be seen from the mountaintop and nearby pastures -- symbolize the need to reject uniformity and embrace different perspectives. "The children are on different altitudes, so they are drawing different things," SAYPE said. "Even if they are at different altitudes, the two worlds they are drawing complement each other."

Persons: SAYPE, Denis Balibouse, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Cape Town, Thomson Locations: Swiss, Parc Bourget, Lausanne, Switzerland, Villars, Berlin, Paris, Istanbul, Cape

☆ Erdogan says he is in agreement with Putin that grain deal should be extended
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, July 14 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that he is in agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin that a deal allowing the Black Sea export of Ukraine grain should be extended. Speaking to reporters, Erdogan said that the deal will hopefully be extended from its current July 17 deadline as results of the efforts by the United Nations and Turkey. The European Commission is helping the United Nations and Turkey try to extend the grain deal and is open to "explore all solutions", a European Union spokesperson said on Thursday. The U.N. and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Russia and Ukraine in July 2022 to help alleviate a global food crisis worsened by Moscow's invasion and blockade of Ukrainian ports. Ukraine and Russia are among the world's leading grain exporters.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Erdogan, Huseyin Hayatsever, Ali Kucukgocmen, Alison Williams Organizations: Black, United, European Commission, European Union, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Ukraine, United Nations, Turkey, Russia, Ukrainian

☆ Turkey’s Double Dealing in the Ukraine War
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Michael Kimmage | Hanna Notte | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (left) with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after their meeting in Istanbul on July 7. Photo: Tolga Bozoglu/Zuma PressAt the last minute, Turkey gave a gift to NATO, whose members gathered in Vilnius this week for a much-anticipated summit. It dropped its objections to Sweden’s entry into the alliance, confirming NATO’s transformation after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Not only have NATO member states given a remarkable amount of military aid to Ukraine. The alliance itself has grown to include Finland and will soon include Sweden, two affluent democracies that will strengthen NATO.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Tolga Bozoglu Organizations: Zuma Press, NATO Locations: Istanbul, Turkey, Vilnius, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden

Those export controls, which "were imposed for important reasons," remain in place, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office said in statement. "The Prime Minister discussed Sweden's accession to NATO with our partners in Vilnius, including with President Erdogan," the statement said. Ahead of the NATO summit, Turkey, already seeking assurances over the F-16s in talks with Washington, asked that Canada's export controls also be rolled in to the final discussion, the person familiar with the talks said. At Vilnius, Canada outlined its position to Turkey on rules regarding uses of any exported technologies, and was awaiting a response. This means the talks on export controls are no longer frozen, a move that helped play a role sealing Erdogan's pledge over Sweden, the person said.

Persons: Erdogan, Tayyip Erdogan's greenlight, Justin Trudeau's, Joe Biden, Devlet Bahceli, We've, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, Steve Scherer, John Irish, Tom Perry, Jamie Freed Organizations: NATO, Atlantic, Organization, Canada, Canadian, Washington, U.S, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Nationalist Movement Party, Erdogan's, Thomson Locations: Turkey, Erdogan, ANKARA, Canada, Ankara, Sweden, Stockholm, Vilnius, Washington, United States, Armenia, Nagorno, Karabakh, Finland, Turkish, Ukraine, Turkey's, Helsinki, European, Istanbul, Ottawa

☆ Opinion: As NATO shows unity, Putin has himself to thank
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

One was taking control of Ukraine, which he claimed has no right to exist; the other was weakening NATO. Russia’s unprovoked invasion of its neighbor strengthened Ukrainians’ sense of nationhood and led to the expansion of NATO on Russia’s border. Putin can still take some solace in the intense disagreements inside NATO prior to the summit over whether or not Ukraine should be granted membership. There’s a strong case to be made that if Ukraine joins while Russia’s invasion continues, NATO allies could be required to enter the war. The argument that Ukraine should not be allowed into NATO because it would provoke Putin holds little sway.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Putin, Jens Stoltenberg, Ukraine “, Volodymyr Zelensky’s, “ We’re, Joe Biden, ”, Zelensky, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Biden, That’s, outlast Putin, “ Putin, Erdogan’s, Erdogan, Turkey’s, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, NATO, Frida Ghitis CNN, Nordic, European, Kremlin, Kyiv, US, Zelensky, Twitter, Azov Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Turkish, Sweden, Ukraine, Finland, Russia, Russia’s, Ukrainian, Russian, Kyiv, Moscow, Central Europe, Kremlin, Istanbul, Turkey, Mariupol

☆ How 'Birkin Bandit' George Mickum Infiltrated NYC Society
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Kate Taylor | Anna Silman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +52 min

"He would know people's weaknesses and what they wanted and somehow always have something to offer," a former close friend said. Another close friend said Mickum once gave her a $1,000 loan "within minutes" when she needed it because of a credit-card crisis. He never "let the truth get in the way of a good story," a former close friend said. Hermès bags, like the Birkin and the Kelly, have always been symbols of unattainable luxury. There wasn't even a dust bag; Mickum claimed his mom's assistant would drop it off later.

Persons: George Mickum strode, Carlyle, Patty Hearst, He'd, Mickum, Birkin, swilling, Patty's, Gillian Hearst, Mr, George Mickum, Gillian Hearst's, George, Sally Painter, who'd, Peter Davis, Jackie O, Barbara Walters, Alessia Fendi, influencer Hannah Stella, Nick Hissom, Steve Wynn, Hearst, they'd, Prince Charles, Anna Delvey, Patty Hearst's, Rumor, he'd, wasn't, Met Breuer, Peter Poopat, George Santos, Trinity, Elisabeth Thieriot, Thieriot, Hermes, —, Painter, Paul Mickum, George Mickum III, Sally, Painter's, Poopat, PJ Pascual, Patrick McMullan, Ramona Singer, Lauren Lawrence, Lawrence, Van Cleef, Nicole Salmasi, Trudy, Mike Vitelli, Eric Schmidt, Schmidt, Eric, R, Couri Hay, They're, Astor, William Randolph Hearst, Orson Welles, Kane, Gillian's, Bill Clinton, Patty, Bernard Shaw, Gillian, Lydia —, Shaw, Maxim, Lydia, Kane we're, Christian Simonds, Pierre, Krista Corl, Dee Dee, Scott Buccheit, Naeem Delbridge, Pascual, who's, We're, buttering, Simonds, Matthew Kehoe, England, — Hearst, Delbridge, Hearst's, Mario Glen Coco, Hearsts, Astrid Stawiarz, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Justin Timberlake, Joe Lewis, Buccheit, Mary McCarthy, Lillian Hellman, Mickum's, Christie Grimm, Steve, Kameron Ramirez, Hissom, Ramirez, Nick, Hunt, Damien Hirst, Douglas Elliman, Harry Winston, David Fiszel, invitees, Fiszel, Darian, Winston, Martha Stewart's, Mendel minks, Vacheron Constantin, Tao, Melinda French Gates, Shawn Mendes, Bill, Hillary Clinton, Neiman Marcus, Damien Hirst's, Damien, weren't, Kelly, Alexis Clarbour, Clarbour, Paul Wharton, you've, Wharton, Sean Zanni, Michael Coste, Hannah Stella, Coste's, Stella, Scott Fitzgerald, Coste, Goodman, Courroies Birkin, didn't, Aman, Cartier, Mickum's bluster, skeptically, satchel, Clarbour's, He's, We've, Sider, Philippe, Buccheit texted Pascual, he's, Hay, Café Carlyle, Alexander Hankin, Burisma, Hunter Biden, Mickum hasn't, There's, They've, Amy X, Wang, King Charles, Tracey Amon, Amon, GEORGE MICKUM Organizations: Hearst, Blue, Potomac, Hamptons, East, Met, University of Delaware, Southampton Bathing Corporation, Fields School, Georgetown Law, DC, Town &, New York Daily News, The New York Times, Google, Carnegie, Rockefeller, Cosmopolitan, Symbionese Liberation Army, Hearst Corporation, Vogue, Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering, Stockbridge Golf, New, Tiger, Tottenham, Douglas, Martha Stewart's Hamptons, Mickum, Projects, Madison, Getty, Antibes, Nike, Rue du Faubourg Saint, Couture, US, UN, New Yorkers, Avenue Couture, Hermès, Republican, Justice Department, Blue Star, Town, New York Times Magazine Locations: Bemelmans, Clinton, York, Palm, New, London, Manhattan, Dalton, Bay, Windsor Castle, Haute, Washington , DC, New York, Baccarat, The, San Francisco, Wilton , Connecticut, Side, Wyntoon, California, Buccheit, woodsy Stockbridge , Massachusetts, Stockbridge, Bahamas, Albany, Nobu, Martha, Peking, Paris, Istanbul, St, Georgetown, China, Italy, Hermès, Amalfi Coast, du, Midtown, brunch, Rue, Central Park, Mickum, Turkey, La, Café, Ukrainian, Ukraine

☆ Turkey eyes recalibration with the West as Russia’s isolation grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Zeena Saifi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

His delicate balancing act has given Turkey a unique position of being the only NATO nation whose ear Russia has. “By backing Sweden’s NATO bid…Ankara is signaling a recalibration in ties with the West, which have been strained for a while now,” said Memet Celik, editorial coordinator for the pro-government Daily Sabah newspaper. “In a larger sense, Russia’s unjustified war against Ukraine reminded the West of the importance of geography, hard military power, and alliance commitments – and thus the value of Turkey,” he said. Turkey, however, is likely to continue to be relevant to both Russia and the West. “Due to proximity, power, and relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, Turkey will be a key player in conflict resolution and whatever peace deal ultimately emerges,” said Outzen.

Persons: CNN —, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, ”, Memet Celik, Joe Biden, Washington, Biden, Tuesday’s, ” Erdogan, Rich Outzen, –, “, ” Viktor Bondarev, Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia’s ‘, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Putin’s, Outzen, Russia’s “, Ukraine ”, Sinan Ulgen, Erdogan’s, Russia aren’t Organizations: CNN, Nordic, European Union, NATO, …, Daily, West, White House, Atlantic Council, Ukraine, “, Ankara, Russia’s Federation, Committee, Defense, Security, Putin, Kyiv Locations: NATO, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Turkey, Turkish, … Ankara, Daily Sabah, Vilnius, Lithuania, Ankara, “, “ Ankara, Istanbul, “ Turkey, Celik

Erdogan's ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin have weighed on Turkey's relations with its traditional Western allies for years, along with other factors including concern over his increasingly autocratic rule. "Turkey doesn't want the Turkish-Russian relationship to be badly hurt, but this will inevitably have an impact on relations. Ankara has been important to Moscow as Erdogan has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine invasion. 'ROSE-TINTED SPECTACLES'The Kremlin said it intended to develop relations with Turkey "despite all the disagreements". In 2009, Cyprus blocked six out of the 35 chapters Turkey must conclude as part of its EU accession negotiations.

Persons: Erdogan, Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Dalay, Washington, Biden, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Evren Balta, Orhan Coskun, Tom Perry, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: NATO Russian, NATO, Western, Analysts, Ukraine, Chatham, VISA, Turkish, Reuters, Kremlin, Russia, European Union, EU, Union, Ozyegin University, Thomson Locations: Sweden, Turkey, Washington, ANKARA, ISTANBUL, U.S, Russia, Ukraine, Ankara, Moscow, Turkish, NATO, Republic of Turkey, Europe, Cyprus

☆ Erdogan’s U-turn on Sweden could signal a warming of ties with the West.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Ben Hubbard | More About Ben Hubbard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL — Over the past year, the leaders of many NATO countries have viewed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey as an in-house spoiler. While they were trying to isolate President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for his invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Erdogan referred to Mr. Putin as “my friend.” While other leaders worked to enlarge the alliance, Mr. Erdogan held up the process by seeking concessions for Turkey. Then on Monday, suddenly, Mr. Erdogan flipped, dropping his objections to Sweden joining NATO and allowing the alliance’s summit to convene on Tuesday with a new sense of strength and unity. Mr. Erdogan’s about-face is consistent with his political style: He often doubles down on policies he expects to strengthen him, and then unapologetically throws them out once their worth has diminished, analysts said.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir V, Putin, Russia, Erdogan, Mr, ”, Erdogan’s Organizations: NATO Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkey, Ukraine, Sweden

☆ Erdogan links Sweden's NATO membership to Turkey's EU accession
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey's bid to join the EU has been frozen for years after membership talks were launched in 2005 under Erdogan's first term as prime minister. In a surprise change of tack, Erdogan on Monday linked Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO bid to Turkey finally joining the EU. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, abandoning policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the decades of the Cold War in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While Finland's NATO membership was green-lighted in April, Turkey and Hungary have yet to clear Sweden's bid. Erdogan also said that an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia would ease Kyiv's NATO membership process.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's, Erdogan's, Erdogan, Huseyin Hayatsever, Ali Kucukgocmen, Toby Chopra, Alex Richardson Organizations: Union, NATO, EU, European Union, Kurdistan Workers Party, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Ankara, Turkey, Vilnius, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary, Stockholm, Madrid, United States, Russia

☆ Erdogan Says E.U. Must ‘Clear the Way’ for Turkey Before It Will Support Sweden’s NATO Bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Ben Hubbard | More About Ben Hubbard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said on Monday that the European Union should open the way for Turkey to join the bloc before Turkey allows Sweden to join NATO, adding a surprising new condition that could further stall the military alliance’s efforts to expand. Mr. Erdogan’s latest demand came a day before the opening of NATO’s two-day annual summit, where leaders, including President Biden, had hoped to secure unanimous approval from member states to allow Sweden to become the 32nd member. That outcome now appears increasingly unlikely, with Mr. Erdogan posing the main obstacle to Sweden’s membership. “First, clear the way for Turkey in the European Union, then we will clear the way for Sweden as we did for Finland,” Mr. Erdogan told reporters before traveling to the NATO summit.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Biden, Erdogan, ” Mr Organizations: European Union, NATO Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkey, European, Sweden, Finland

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, abandoning their policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the decades of the Cold War in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While Finland's NATO membership was green-lighted in April, Turkey and Hungary have yet to clear Sweden's bid. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson react during a meeting, on the eve of a NATO summit, in Vilnius, Lithuania July 10, 2023. "This has been a good day for Sweden," Kristersson told reporters, saying the joint statement on Monday represented "a very big step" toward the final ratification of Sweden's membership of NATO. After Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Thursday that Budapest would now no longer block Sweden's NATO membership ratification, Turkish approval would remove the last hurdle for Swedish accession to NATO, applications for which must be approved by all members.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Sweden's, Erdogan, Jens Stoltenberg, Ulf Kristersson, Yves Herman / Pool Erdogan, Kristersson, Monday, Stoltenberg, Viktor Orban's, Joe Biden, Niklas Pollard, Andrius, Anna Ringstrom, Johan Ahlander, Ezgi, John Irish, William Maclean, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NATO, Kurdistan Workers Party, EU, REUTERS, European Union, Finland's, Hungarian, Lockheed Martin Corp, Pawlak, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Ukraine, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, Hungary, Stockholm, Lithuanian, Vilnius, Swedish, Madrid, Ankara, United States, Lithuania, Turkey's, European, Budapest, Washington, Istanbul

☆ Erdogan says Turkey could approve Sweden’s NATO membership if Europeans ‘open way’ to EU membership
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday introduced a new condition for approving Sweden's membership in NATO, calling on European countries to "open the way" for Turkey to join the European Union. It was the first time that Erdogan linked his country's ambition to join the EU with Sweden's efforts to become a NATO member. The White House readout of the Biden-Erdogan call did not mention the issue of Turkish membership in the EU. Sullivan didn't mention the EU membership issue. Previously non-aligned Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Jens Stoltenberg, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Joe Biden, Stoltenberg, Dana Spinant, Jake Sullivan, Biden, Sullivan, Vilnius —, Paul Levin, Levin, Tobias Billström, Billström Organizations: Swedish, NATO, Monday, European Union, U.S, EU, Biden, Institute for Turkish Studies, Stockholm University, SVT, Kurdistan Workers ' Party Locations: Vilnius, VILNIUS, Lithuania, Turkey, Lithuania's, Sweden, Ankara, Istanbul, Finland, Swedish, NATO, Madrid, Cyprus, Stockholm, Sweden's, United States, Turkish, Kurdistan, Hungary, Ukraine

☆ Exclusive: Wagner fighters neared Russian nuclear base during revolt
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +20 min

Reuters GraphicsOnce the Wagner fighters reach more rural regions, the surveillance trail goes cold – about 100 km from the nuclear base, Voronezh-45. But in an exclusive interview, Ukraine's head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said that the Wagner fighters went far further. The only barrier between the Wagner fighters and nuclear weapons, Budanov said, were the doors to the nuclear storage facility. It is one of Russia's 12 "national-level storage facilities" for nuclear weapons, according to a report by U.N. scientists. Another female resident also said Wagner had widespread support in the town, and that many Wagner fighters are from Boguchar.

Persons: Wagner, Ukraine's, Kyrylo Budanov, Budanov, Alexander Lukashenko, Adam Hodge, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Matt Korda, Vladimir Putin's, Hans Kristensen, David Jonas, Amy Woolf, Jonas, Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Shoigu, Oleksiy Danilov, Don, Anna Sandrakova, Maxim Yantsov, Mikhail Vedernikov, Talovaya, Alexei Yablokov, Kristensen, Alexsandr Lukashenko, Dmitry Peskov, Lukashenko, he's, Mari Saito, Tom Balmforth, John Shiffman, Phil Stewart, Polina, Maria Tsvetkova, Anton Zverev, Christian Lowe, David Gauthier, Stephen Grey, Reade Levinson, Eleanor Whalley, Milan Pavicic, Daria Shamonova, Janet McBride Organizations: Reuters, Kremlin, Belarusian, U.S, White, National Security, Nuclear, Federation of American, Federation of American Scientists, U.S . National Nuclear Security Administration, Library, Congress, Wagner, State, Staff, Russian, Defence Ministry, Defence Council, Main, Russian Defence, U.S . Congress, Telegram, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russian, Voronezh, United States, Ukraine, Russia, Rostov, Talovaya, Soviet, Washington, dabble, Syria, Libya, Mali, ., Pavlovsk, Elizavetovka, Vorontsovka, Buturlinovka, Talovaya district, Pskov, Soviet Union, Belarus, Minsk, he's, St Petersburg, Kyiv, London, New York, Paris, Villars, Istanbul, Gdansk

CNN —Ukrainian commanders who were captured by Russia after leading the defense of Mariupol from the Azovstal steel plant have vowed to return to the battle field following a prisoner swap. The commanders announced their intentions at a press conference held shortly after arriving in Lviv, Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday. Zelensky thanked his team and President Erdogan in particular for helping to bring the Azovstal leaders home. Zelensky pictured with Azovstal commanders as they return to Ukraine from Istanbul. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout/ReutersThe Ukrainian president also announced his appointment of Oleksandr Pivnenko as new commander of the National Guard.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Denys Prokopenko, ” Prokopenko, Zelensky, Roman Baluk, Svyatoslav Palamar, Lesya Ukrainka, ”, ” Palamar, Erdogan, Oleksandr Pivnenko, …, Bakhmut ” Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Presidential Press Service, National Guard, Ukraine’s National Guard Locations: Russia, Mariupol, Lviv, Ukraine, Turkey, Ukrainian, Azovstal, Azov, Roman, Reuters Azov, Istanbul

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