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☆ 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.

☆ Sweden extradites man with alleged terrorism links to Turkey, media report
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Sweden on Friday extradited a Kurdish man with alleged links to terrorism to Turkey as Ankara keeps up pressure on the Nordic country to meet its demands in return for NATO membership, Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported on Saturday. Mahmut Tat had sought asylum in Sweden in 2015 after being sentenced in Turkey for six years and 10 months for alleged links to the Kurdish militant group the PKK. Turkish state television TRT said Tat was sent to an Istanbul prison on Saturday. Turkey said on Wednesday that Sweden and Finland had made progress towards NATO membership but that they still needed to do more to satisfy Ankara's demands on tackling terrorism. Others wanted by Ankara are people with alleged links to Fethullah Gulen - a Turkish cleric who lives in the United States and is accused of orchestrating 2016 failed coup attempt against Erdogan.

"We have been bearing down on terrorists for a few days with our planes, cannons and guns," Erdogan said in a speech in northeastern Turkey. "God willing, we will root out all of them as soon as possible, together with our tanks, our soldiers." Turkey has mounted several major military operations against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and Islamic State militants in northern Syria in recent years. The YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said 15 civilians and fighters were killed in Turkish strikes in recent days. Turkey said its warplanes destroyed 89 targets in Syria and Iraq on Sunday, with 184 militants killed in operations targeting the YPG and PKK on Sunday and Monday.

☆ Turkey's Erdogan says Syria operations not limited to air campaign -media
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL, Nov 21 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey's military operations in northern Syria and Iraq were not limited to just an air campaign and discussions would be held on the involvement of ground forces, Turkish media reported. Speaking to reporters on his return from a trip to Qatar, Erdogan said that the Turkish general staff and defence ministry would decide together on the involvement of ground forces, broadcasters TRT and CNN Turk reported. Turkish warplanes carried out air strikes on Kurdish militant bases in Syria and Iraq on Sunday, destroying 89 targets, the defence ministry said, retaliating for a bomb attack in Istanbul that killed six people one week ago. Reporting by Daren Butler Editing by Ece ToksabayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The attack that killed six people on a busy Istanbul street on Sunday has brought national security back on the political agenda. With Turkey quick to accuse Syria-based Kurdish militants for the latest attack, analysts say Erdogan may now press for another cross-border campaign into northern Syria after three such incursions since 2016. Were Sunday's attack followed by more, Peker expected outcomes including a rapid escalation of "counter-terrorism operations, particularly against the PKK and the YPG". The YPG, espousing the same ideology as the PKK, has established control over swathes of northern Syria since war began there in 2011. In a November re-run - following that spate of violence and two major Islamic State bomb attacks - AK Party won comfortably.

☆ Istanbul police says Syrian woman main suspect, detains 46 over bombing
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Istanbul police said on Monday it had detained 46 people in relation to an attack at the heart of the city, including Syrian woman Ahlam Albashir who is suspected to have planted the bomb. In an initial questioning, the woman said she was trained by Kurdish militants in Syria and entered Turkey through northwest Syria's Afrin region, the police said. Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Jonathan SpicerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Istanbul bomber believed to have Kurdish links but Islamic State ties possible -senior official
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Turkish authorities believe the person who carried out a bomb attack in Istanbul on Sunday is linked to Kurdish militants but they are not ruling out Islamic State ties, a senior Turkish official said. The official told Reuters that initial findings pointed to the person having connections to the Kurdish militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is deemed a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union. Reporting by Orhan Coskun; Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Turkey arrests bakers' union head for calling bread-eating societies 'stupid'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Union for Bread Producers Chairman Cihan Kolivar made the comments to broadcaster Haberturk on Monday as he spoke about the rising price of bread and Turkey's soaring inflation. "Bread is the staple food for stupid societies. I speak scientifically, I am not making it up - per capita consumption is 210 kilos in Turkey; and 45-50 kilos in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England, Japan," Kolivar said. Critics blame Turkey's economic ills on Erdogan's unorthodox monetary policies, which he says are aimed at boosting exports, investment and jobs. "In addition to insulting our nation and bread, this person's statements show that he is an element of the politics of hostility, the politics of hatred," Celik said.

☆ Turkey starts paying for some Russian gas in roubles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Turkey has started paying for some its natural gas from Russia in roubles, Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said on Tuesday. In an interview with broadcaster TRT Haber, Donmez said that in the coming months the share of local currency payments in energy trade with Russia would increase. Ankara and Moscow agreed in September to start rouble payments for natural gas supplies. When asked about Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal for a natural gas hub in Turkey, Donmez said Ankara would layout a roadmap by the end of this year and may hold a conference for suppliers and buyers. "We could organise an international gas conference, perhaps in January or February, to bring together gas suppliers and importer countries to take their opinion, we will proceed according to that," Donmez said.

☆ Swedish PM vows firmer stance in search for Turkey's approval for NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Lehtikuva/Vesa Moilanen/via REUTERSANKARA, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Sweden's new prime minister vowed on Tuesday a firmer stance on fighting crime and terrorism during a visit to Turkey where he will seek the approval of President Tayyip Erdogan for his country's bid to join NATO. "I think the new government will have an even firmer approach in (relation to) the NATO application from Sweden," Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told reporters in Ankara during a visit to the Turkish parliament. "One of this government's main priorities is fighting crime, fighting organized crime, fighting the connection between organized crime and terrorism," he said. Sweden, along with the United States and several other NATO countries, has supported the YPG in its fight against Islamic State. "Sweden wants to join NATO to enhance our own security, but Sweden also wants to be a security provider for others," Kristersson said.

The headscarf was once a source of deep discord in Muslim but secular Turkey, but ceased to stir controversy after reforms by the Islamist-rooted AKP during its 20 years in power. "We are ready to take other steps including a referendum," Erdogan told AKP deputies in parliament. The AKP was to hold talks with three opposition parties, including the largest Republican People's Party (CHP), broadcaster CNN Turk said. When Leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu announced the CHP's planned legislation on the headscarf in early October, Erdogan responded by saying the issue had already been resolved. Erdogan and AKP lawmakers have toughened their rhetoric against LGBT+ people in recent years, frequently labeling them "deviants" or "perverts" and raising concerns among members of the community.

ISTANBUL, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Russia said on Saturday it was pulling out of a deal aimed at unlocking Ukrainian grain and fertiliser exports from Black Sea ports and easing global food shortages. TIME FRAMEThe deal signed on July 22 was valid for 120 days and the United Nations expected it to be renewed unless the war had ended by then. Under the deal, Ukrainian pilots guide the ships along safe channels in its territorial waters, with a minesweeper vessel on hand but no military escorts. Monitored by the JCC, the ships then transit the Black Sea to Turkey's Bosphorus strait and off to world markets. He added the deal had been successful in bringing food prices down and boosting export quantities.

☆ Meta Platforms disagrees with Turkish competition board fine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A spokesperson for Facebook-parent Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) said on Wednesday that they did not agree with the findings of Turkish competition authority, after it fined the company 346.7 million lira ($18.64 million). The spokesperson said Meta Platforms protect user privacy and provide people with transparency and control over their data, adding that the company "will consider all options." ($1 = 18.6037 liras)Reporting by Ebru Tuncay Editing by Ece ToksabayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.N. seeks 'urgent' steps to relieve backlog in Black Sea exports deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISTANBUL, Oct 24 (Reuters) - A U.N spokesperson said on Monday that "urgent" steps are needed to relieve a backlog of more than 150 ships involved in a deal which allows Ukraine to export grain from ports in the Black Sea. Reuters reported the backlog jumped last month, leaving anchored ships in the Marmara Sea stretching out beyond the horizon off Istanbul. The four parties to the deal - Russia, Ukraine and brokers Turkey and the U.N. - are currently negotiating a possible extension and expansion beyond its Nov. 19 deadline. The grains-export deal paved the way for Ukraine to resume grain exports from three ports that had been shut since the Russian invasion. Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative, told Reuters this month he had asked Russia and other parties to end "full-blown" inspections of outgoing vessels to ease the backlog.

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