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☆ Nagorno-Karabakh: Nearly half of the population has fled. What happens next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Nearly half of Nagorno-Karabakh’s population has fled to Armenia, with many thousands more still scrambling to evacuate, a week after the breakaway region surrendered following a lightning Azerbaijani offensive. No Armenian will be left here within maybe two weeks,” a Karabakh resident told CNN. Nonna Poghosyan, the American University of Armenia’s program coordinator in Stepanakert, told CNN that her family realized this weekend that it was safer to leave than to stay. Residents told CNN before the latest offensive began that they would have to wait in line for hours to get their daily share of bread. Analysts told CNN before the evacuations began that they feared Azerbaijan might prevent certain members of the population from leaving.

Persons: –, Vasily Krestyaninov, Stepanakert, ”, Russia –, Olesya, “, Ilham Aliyev, Siranush Sargsyan, rakli Gedenidze, Farid Shafiyev, ” –, ” Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Poghosyan, ’ ” Poghosyan, Poghosyan's, Nonna, Pashinyan, Samantha Power, Power, ” Vartanyan, Ruben Vardanyan, Vardanyan Organizations: CNN, Wednesday, Karabakh, Soviet Union, Russia, Refugees, International Relations, Armenia’s, American University of, United States Agency for International Development, USAID, Residents, US State Department, Crisis, ICRC Locations: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan’s, Baku, ”, Soviet Union, Soviet, Turkey, Russian, South Caucasus, Stepanakert, Kornidzor, Baku –, Artsakh, Republic of Armenia, Goris

Turkey still has $2.5 billion earmarked in its budget for issuance this year - but could possibly go further than that, JPMorgan's Weiler told Reuters. Markets are expecting Turkey to come to market within days, though some are pointing to a country ratings review by S&P Global Ratings scheduled for Friday. Domestic appliance maker Arcelik last week became the first Turkish corporate to launch an international bond since January 2022. September is generally a busy month for emerging market issuers, though adding to the momentum was increasing risk appetite from investors, he said. Reporting by Karin Strohecker and Jorgelina do Rosario in London; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stefan Weiler, Tayyip Erdogan, JPMorgan's Weiler, Weiler, Erdogan, Mehmet Simsek, Hafize Gaye Erkan, Fitch, " Weiler, Karin Strohecker, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: JPMorgan, Reuters, Wall Street, Turkiye, . Treasury, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Africa, Rosario, London

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

☆ Erdogan sees advantage in U.S. senator Menendez's troubles -media
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 19, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Sept 26 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey needs to turn the legal troubles of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, a long-time critic of his government, into opportunity for its requested purchase of F-16 U.S. fighter jets, Turkish media said on Tuesday. Erdogan raised Turkey's pending ratification of Sweden's NATO membership bid and said the White House must also fulfil its promise on the F-16s. The Biden administration is linking F-16 fighter jet sales to Turkey with Ankara's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership bid, Erdogan also said.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Brendan McDermid, Bob Menendez, Menendez, Erdogan, Turkey's, Joe Biden's, Biden, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer Organizations: General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, NATO, Turkey, Lockheed Martin Corp, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Rights ANKARA, Turkey, Jersey

☆ Leader of Spanish Hells Angels Chapter Acquitted Following Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Frank Hanebuth, who rose through the Hells Angels ranks in the German city of Hanover before allegedly leading the club's Mallorca branch, was cleared of all charges. The prosecution had requested a prison sentence of up to 13 years and a 4.2 million euro ($4.45 million) fine. Khalil Youssafi was sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison, but the penalty was replaced by a fine following his plea agreement. The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, which was formed in the United States in 1948 and has some 5,000 members at about 350 branches - dubbed "chapters" - around the world, founded its Mallorca chapter in 2009, according to Spanish authorities. In 2013, Spanish police clamped down on the Mallorca chapter, which was mostly made up of German and Turkish members.

Persons: Frank Hanebuth, Khalil Youssafi, Abdelghani Youssafi, Paul Engelke, David Latona, Emma Pinedo, Timothy Gardner Organizations: Hells Angels, Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Spanish Locations: MADRID, Spain, Mallorca, German, Hanover, United States

☆ North Korea tells UN has no choice but to accelerate build-up of self-defense
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

World category · September 26, 2023 · 11:30 AM UTCPresident Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey needs to turn the legal troubles of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, a long-time critic of his government, into opportunity for its requested purchase of F-16 U.S. fighter jets, Turkish media said on Tuesday.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Bob Menendez Locations: Turkey

☆ Erdogan Sees Advantage in U.S. Senator Menendez's Troubles -Media
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey needs to turn the legal troubles of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, a long-time critic of his government, into opportunity for its requested purchase of F-16 U.S. fighter jets, Turkish media said on Tuesday. NATO member Turkey requested in October 2021 to buy 40 Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 fighters and 79 modernisation kits for its existing warplanes. The Biden administration is linking F-16 fighter jet sales to Turkey with Ankara's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership bid, Erdogan also said. Turkey will ratify Stockholm's bid if the administration keeps its promise on the F-16 sale, he added.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Bob Menendez, Menendez, Erdogan, Turkey's, Joe Biden's, Biden, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer Organizations: Democrat, Senate Foreign Relations, NATO, Turkey, Lockheed Martin Corp Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Jersey, U.S

☆ Turkey will back Sweden's NATO bid if U.S. keeps promise on F-16 sale - Erdogan
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AXEL HEIMKEN/Pool via REUTERS/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Turkey's parliament will keep its promise to ratify Sweden's NATO bid if U.S. President Joe Biden's administration paves the way for F-16 jet sales to Ankara, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, according to Turkish media. Speaking to reporters on his flight back from Azerbaijan's exclave of Nakhchivan, Erdogan said that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed Sweden's NATO membership bid last week in New York. The U.S. administration is linking F-16 fighter jet sales to Turkey with Ankara's ratification of Sweden's bid, Erdogan said. "If they (the U.S.) keep their promises, our parliament will keep its own promise as well. Turkish parliament will have the final say on Sweden's NATO membership," he said.

Persons: AXEL HEIMKEN, Joe Biden's, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Hakan Fidan, Antony Blinken, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer Organizations: US Airforce, Air, Rights, Sweden's NATO, NATO, Thomson Locations: Jagel, Germany, Rights ANKARA, Ankara, Azerbaijan's, Nakhchivan, New York, U.S, Turkey

☆ Ladbrokes owner Entain warns on online gaming revenue
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sept 25 (Reuters) - Ladbrokes owner Entain (ENT.L) warned on its online net gaming revenues for the third quarter and the full-year on Monday, as the British gambling firm grapples with ongoing regulation in the industry, particularly in the UK, and slower growth in Australia and Italy. The owner of online brands bwin and partypoker, said it expects third-quarter online net gaming revenue to be down by "high single digit percent" on a pro-forma basis. It also expects group online gaming revenue for the full year to be down "low single digit percent" on a pro-forma basis. Meanwhile, sports-betting service BetMGM, which Entain jointly owns with MGM Resorts (MGM.N) was on track to report positive core profit in the second half and full-year gaming revenues at the top end of its expectations, the British company said. ($1 = 0.8170 pounds)Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; editing by Eileen Soreng and Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Entain, Eva Mathews, Eileen Soreng, Louise Heavens Organizations: MGM Resorts, Turkish, Thomson Locations: Australia, Italy, London, Bengaluru

☆ Thirty-four years after fleeing Azerbaijan, a Karabakh Armenian is on the move again
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Hasmik Khachatryan/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsGORIS, Armenia, Sept 25 (Reuters) - For the second time in his life, Samvel Alaverdyan is fleeing Azerbaijan. Now he has escaped from Karabakh itself, where Azerbaijan mounted a lightning offensive last week to end three decades of de facto independence for the 120,000 ethnic Armenians who lived there. The 45-year-old ex-policeman, who said he had been working as a civilian on a Karabakh Armenian military base, is one of the first Armenians to escape the Karabakh capital of Stepanakert, which the Azeris call Khankendi. Samvel has previous military experience with Karabakh forces and his son Hayk was serving in the Karabakh Armenian army until last week. Russia will work on ensuring that the rights of ethnic Armenians in Karabakh are respected, Peskov added.

Persons: Hasmik, Samvel Alaverdyan, Alaverdyan, Monika, Hayk, Samvel, “, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Felix Light, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Karabakh, Nissan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Stepanakert, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Baku, Armenian, Goris, Yerevan, Soviet, Sumgait, I'm, Charentsavan, Azerbaijani, Russia, Moscow, Azeri, Turkish

☆ Turkey's Erdogan to meet Azeri's Aliyev as thousands flee Karabakh
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/David Ghahramanyan Acquire Licensing RightsSept 25 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is to meet his ally Azeri President Ilham Aliyev on Monday, as thousands of ethnic Armenians began an exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan defeated the breakaway region's fighters last week. Erdogan will pay a one-day visit to Azerbaijan's autonomous Nakhchivan exclave - a strip of Azeri territory nestled between Armenia, Iran and Turkey - to discuss with Aliyev the situation in the Karabakh region, the Turkish president's office said. The Armenians of Karabakh, a territory internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but previously beyond its control, were forced into a ceasefire last week after a 24-hour military operation by the much-larger Azerbaijani military. Erdogan, who backed the Azeris with weaponry in the 2020 conflict, said last week he supported the aims of the Azerbaijan's latest military operation but played no part in it. The Karabakh Armenians are not accepting Azerbaijan's promise to guarantee their rights as the region is integrated.

Persons: David Ghahramanyan, Tayyip Erdogan, Ilham Aliyev, Erdogan, Aliyev, David Babayan, Samvel Shahramanyan, Lidia Kelly, Michael Perry Organizations: Residents, REUTERS, Karabakh, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Stepanakert, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan, Armenia, Iran, Turkey, Turkish, Khankendi, United States, Republic of Artsakh, Melbourne

Details of how the Taliban intend to expand and manage mass surveillance, including obtaining the U.S. plan, have not been previously reported. "At the present we are working on a Kabul security map, which is (being completed) by security experts and (is taking) lots of time," he said. The Taliban strongly denies that an upgraded surveillance system would breach the rights of Afghans. A July U.N. monitoring report said there were up to 6,000 Islamic State fighters and their family members in Afghanistan. The Afghan "home base" locations of Islamic State fighters are in the eastern mountainous areas, said Schroden.

Persons: Ali Khara, Abdul Mateen Qani, Washington, didn't, Qani, Amrullah Saleh, Saleh, Jonathan Schroden, Matt Mahmoudi, ETIM, ETIM couldn't, Afghanistan Thomas West, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Charlotte, Jonathan Landay, David Kirton, Liz Lee, Katerina Ang Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Islamic, Huawei, U.S, of Interior, Reuters, U.S.A, U.S State Department, RIC, Bloomberg News, Foreign Ministry, NATO, Center for Naval, Protect Journalists, Taliban, Amnesty International, East Turkestan Islamic, Security, Special, State, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: China, Kabul, Afghanistan, Rights KABUL, Islamic State, —, Turkey, Turkish, Pakistan, United States, East Turkestan, Xinjiang, State, Russian, Charlotte Greenfield, Islamabad, Washington, Shenzhen, Beijing, Ankara

Summary Erdogan and Aliyev hold talks in Azerbaijani exclaveBoth leaders back a land corridor via ArmeniaYerevan, in turmoil over Karabakh, opposes the ideaAliyev has threatened to create corridor by forceSept 25 (Reuters) - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev hosted talks on Monday with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan at which he hinted at the prospect of creating a land corridor between their two countries via Armenia, which opposes the idea. Aliyev in 2021 threatened to create such a corridor - that would create a contiguous land bridge between close allies Turkey and Azerbaijan and deprive Armenia of a land border with Iran - "whether Armenia likes it or not." "The land link between the main part of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan (the exclave) was thus cut off," complained Aliyev. "The new target of Azerbaijan and Turkey is Syunik (a province in southern Armenia through which such a corridor would pass). "We expect a comprehensive peace agreement between the two countries (Azerbaijan and Armenia) as soon as possible and for promises to be quickly fulfilled, especially on the opening of the Zangezur (land) corridor."

Persons: Erdogan, Aliyev, Ilham Aliyev, Tayyip Erdogan, Andrew Osborn, Nailia, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Reuters, General, Azerbaijan, Thomson Locations: Armenia Yerevan, Karabakh, Armenia, Nakhchivan, Iran, Turkey, Ankara, Baku, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Azerbaijani Soviet, Armenian Soviet, Artsakh, Syunik, Russia, Yerevan, Ukraine, South Caucasus, Russian

☆ Ex-Goldman Sachs trader to lead Greece's leftist Syriza party
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Renee Maltezou | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/7] The newly elected leader of Syriza leftist party, Stefanos Kasselakis walks outside the party's headquarters in Athens, Greece, September 25, 2023. Syriza was catapulted to power at the height of Greece's debt crisis in 2015, but lost to the conservative New Democracy party in 2019 and in June 2023. Kasselakis replaces Alexis Tsipras, a firebrand leftist whose anti-austerity rhetoric rallied voters around Syriza during the debt crisis. After coming to power, Tsipras was forced to accept a third international bailout and more austerity. Since Kasselakis is not a lawmaker, he will most likely need to appoint a party deputy to lead Syriza's parliamentary group.

Persons: Stefanos, Louisa Gouliamaki, Syriza, Alexis Tsipras, Goldman Sachs, Effie Achtsioglou, Kasselakis, Joe Biden, Tsipras, Nikos Pappas, Tyler Macbeth, Renee Maltezou, Michele Kambas, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, ATHENS, Sunday, Syriza, New Democracy, ERT, Democratic, firebrand, Facebook, Kasselakis, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, Kasselakis, Achtsioglou, United States, Syriza, Cyprus, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

☆ Syrians feel growing pressure from Turkey's anti-migrant political wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Burcu Karakas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] Adem Maarastawi, a 29-year-old Syrian activist, poses after an interview with Reuters in Istanbul, Turkey September 12, 2023. Hardship caused by Turkey's rampant inflation and anti-migrant rhetoric motivated his decision. DEADLINE TO MOVEAdem Maarastawi, a 29 year-old Syrian activist working in Istanbul, is registered in central Turkey's Kirsehir province. "Anti-migrant rhetoric is likely to rise before the March elections," said Deniz Sert, associate professor of international relations at Ozyegin University. Local government expert Ali Mert Tascier said opposition parties are likely to use anti-migrant rhetoric, with municipalities being the main players in managing migrants.

Persons: Adem Maarastawi, Dilara, scapegoated, Deniz Sert, Ali Mert Tascier, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Osman Nuri Kabaktepe, Maarastawi, Burcu Karakas, Daren Butler, William Maclean Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Authorities, Ozyegin University . Local, Erdogan's AK Party, Thomson Locations: Istanbul, Turkey, Istanbul ISTANBUL, Syria, Europe, Turkish, Belgium, Sanliurfa, Turkey's Kirsehir

☆ There's still a 'big fog' in the Turkish market, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThere's still a 'big fog' in the Turkish market, economist saysArda Tunca, economist at PolitikYol, discusses the Turkish central bank's decision to hike its key interest rate to 30%.

Persons: Arda Tunca Locations: Turkish

[1/2] Vehicles of Russian peacekeepers leaving Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region for Armenia pass an Armenian checkpoint on a road near the village of Kornidzor, Armenia September 22, 2023. Images of fleeing Armenians at Russia's own peacekeeping base at an airport in Nagorno-Karabakh have been harder for them to watch. But its handling of the Karabakh crisis has forced it into a blame game with Armenia and obliged it to defend its foreign policy in the region. It now accuses him of triggering the crisis by saying - after Russian peacekeepers were deployed to Karabakh in 2020 following Armenia's defeat in a 44-day war - that he recognised Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Baku has long argued that Karabakh falls within its own borders, but Karabakh Armenians wanted Pashinyan to recognise their independence and unify them with Armenia.

Persons: Irakli, Alexander Baunov, Russia's, Sergei Markov, Pashinyan, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Margarita Simonyan, Andrew Osborn, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Armenian, Soviet, Carnegie, Karabakh, Protesters, Kremlin, Russian, Security Council, NATO, Thomson Locations: Karabakh, Armenia, Kornidzor, Russia, Azerbaijan Moscow, Kabul, U.S, Afghanistan, Nagorno, Turkish, Moscow, Azerbaijan, Soviet Union, Turkey, Iran, Ukraine, South Caucasus, Stepanakert, Russian, America, Baku ., Yerevan, Baku, Pashinyan

☆ EU antitrust regulators set Oct. 23 deadline for Arcelik, Whirlpool deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

European flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Arcelik AS FollowWhirlpool Corp FollowBRUSSELS, Sept 21 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators will decide by Oct. 23 whether to clear Turkish domestic appliances maker Arcelik's (ARCLK.IS) proposed purchase of Whirlpool's (WHR.N) European domestic appliances business, an European Commission filing showed on Thursday. Under the deal announced in January, the companies will set up a new entity made up of Arcelik's European units such as major domestic appliances, small domestic appliances and consumer electronics and Whirlpool's European business. The EU competition watchdog can either clear the deal with or without seeking remedies after its preliminary review or it can open a four-month investigation if it has serious concerns. The UK competition agency is also assessing the deal, with a decision due by Sept. 28.

Persons: Yves Herman, Arcelik, Blomberg, Foo Yun, Mark Potter Organizations: European Commission, REUTERS, Whirlpool, Commission, EU, Zenith, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, BRUSSELS, Arctic, Altus, Grundig

☆ Colors promoting UN goals or LGBTQ rights? Turkey's Erdogan complains
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsUNITED NATIONS, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan complained on Thursday that he was uncomfortable with the use of what he described as "LGBT colors" at the United Nations, which is decorated this week with bright colors promoting the Sustainable Development Goals. Erdogan said he would have liked to discuss it with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Turkish media reported on Thursday. Turkey's government - led by Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party - has toughened its stance on LGBTQ freedoms. While Guterres has been a vocal supporter of LGBTQ rights and spoken out about discrimination, there are no rainbow Pride colors at U.N. headquarters promoting LGBTQ rights. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by world leaders in 2015 with a deadline of 2030, are a global "to do" list that includes wiping out hunger, extreme poverty, battling climate change and inequality, and promoting gender equality.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Mike Segar, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Turkey's, Haberturk, Guterres, Michelle Nichols, Jonathan Oatis, Grant McCool Organizations: United Nations, Sustainable, REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, AK, United Nations General Assembly, Thomson Locations: U.N, New York City , New York, U.S, Turkey

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

☆ Guinea junta leader denounces Western democracy amid wave of coups
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Guinea's President Mamadi Doumbouya addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsDAKAR, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Guinea's military leader Mamady Doumbouya told the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday that the Western model of democracy does not work for Africa, as evidenced by a recent wave of coups. Doumbouya took power in a coup in 2021, which was one of eight in West and Central Africa in the last three years. The coups have been strongly condemned by the United Nations and Western powers such as the U.S. and France, which have urged democracy to be restored as soon as possible. Doumbouya took power by overthrowing Alpha Conde, Guinea's then 84-year-old president who had changed the constitution to run for a third term, sparking widespread protests.

Persons: Mamadi Doumbouya, Brendan McDermid, Mamady Doumbouya, Doumbouya, Alpha Conde, Guinea's, Bate Felix, Nellie Peyton, Alex Richardson Organizations: General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, General, United Nations, ECOWAS, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Africa, West, Central Africa, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Gabon, France, New York, Russia

☆ Turkey's Erdogan says he doesn't agree with others' negative approach toward Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin attend a press conference after their meeting in Sochi, Russia September 4, 2023. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he does not agree with the negative approach other leaders are showing towards his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Turkish broadcasters quoted him as saying on Thursday. I also don't find these approaches correct, because Russia is not a regular country," Erdogan was cited as saying. "Be it with its surface area or its position in the world, Russia has a clear place. NATO ally Turkey has sought to maintain good relations with both Moscow and Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Erdogan, Moscow, Putin, Chris Reese, Alistair Bell Organizations: Turkish Presidential Press, REUTERS, Rights, United Nations General Assembly, Putin, NATO, Initiative, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Sochi, Russia, Rights ANKARA, New York, Turkey, Moscow, Kyiv, Ukraine, Ankara

☆ Turkey says it played no direct role in Karabakh operation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Azerbaijan mounted a lightning offensive to retake control of its breakaway Karabakh region on Tuesday. On Wednesday, NATO ally Turkey publicly threw its support behind Baku's "steps to preserve its territorial integrity" but it had been unclear whether Ankara played any active role in the 24-hour military operation. "It was Azerbaijan army's own operation, there was no direct involvement of Turkey," a Turkish defence ministry official told reporters on Thursday. The move was condemned by Azerbaijan, Turkey and Ukraine. In a phone call with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev late on Wednesday, Erdogan reiterated Turkey's "heartfelt support" of Azerbaijan, his office said.

Persons: Siranush Sargsyan, Tayyip Erdogan, Baku's, Nikol, Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev, Erdogan, Turkey's, Huseyin Hayatsever, Gareth Jones, Alex Richardson Organizations: Rights, NATO, United Nations General Assembly, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: Stepanakert, Nagorno, Karabakh, Rights ANKARA, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkish, Ankara, Azerbaijani, Russian, Baku, Yerevan, New York, Ukraine

☆ Turkey's central bank hikes interest rate to 30%
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey's Taksim Square, with the figure of Kemal Ataturk, the first president, and the Turkish flag in the background. Turkey's central bank hiked its key interest rate to 30% on Thursday, a 500-basis point jump from 25%, as Ankara continues to battle double-digit inflation. Traditional economic orthodoxy holds that rates must be raised to cool inflation, but Erdogan — a self-declared "enemy" of interest rates who calls the tool "the mother of all evil" — vocally espoused a strategy of lowering rates instead. After starting on its hiking path, the central bank in July stated its aim to get inflation down to 5% in the medium term — an ambitious forecast, as Turkey's annual inflation jumped to near 59% in August. Ankara now expects annual inflation to reach 65% at the end of 2023, up from a forecast of 24.9% a year ago.

Persons: Turkey's, Kemal Ataturk, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan —, — Organizations: Turkish, greenback Locations: Ankara, Istanbul, Turkey

☆ Cargo ship crew evacuated after explosion near Romanian Danube port
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUCHAREST, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The crew of a Togo-flagged general cargo ship bound for one of Ukraine's Danube river ports were evacuated early on Wednesday after an explosion on board near the Romanian port of Sulina, Romanian officials said. The Seama ship reported an explosion early on Wednesday and requested the evacuation of the 12-person crew near Sulina, where the Danube flows into the Black Sea. "At the moment the causes ... are unclear, whether it was a mine or merely an explosion in the engine room," Romanian Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu told reporters. The crew were evacuated by the Romanian Agency for Saving Life at Sea (ARSVOM), which is coordinated by the transport ministry. Moscow has also been intensifying attacks on Ukraine's Danube river ports across from Romania since it abandoned a deal to lift a de facto Russian blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports.

Persons: Sorin Grindeanu, Luiza Ilie, Alex Richardson Organizations: Romanian Agency for, European Union, NATO, Thomson Locations: BUCHAREST, Togo, Romanian, Sulina, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgarian, Moscow, Romania, Ukraine's, Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey, U.S

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