Turkey Letter: April 23, 2018

Foreign Policy:

  • Turkish foreign minister to address German arson memorial
  • Turkey seeks approval for polling stations in Germany
  • Greece: No trade-off for soldiers in Turkey
  • 42 militants ‘neutralized’ over last week: Ministry
  • Turkey slams US report on human rights
  • US warns Turkey of consequences if jailed pastor isn’t freed
  • China to become ‘important’ tourism partner for Turkey

 

Economy and Energy:

  • Lira’s Fate Tops Bill in Week of Emerging-Market Rate Decisions
  • Global investors praise Turkish reforms: Deputy PM Şimşek
  • IMF ups 2018 growth forecast for Turkey, revises down 2019 figure

 

Domestic Politics:

  • CHP leader meets SP leader amid alliance talks
  • Turkish lawmakers switch parties in challenge to Erdogan
  • Chemical waste dumped in Istanbul’s Büyükçekmece Lake
  • YSK approves İYİ Party’s participation in snap elections
  • AKP, MHP slam CHP’s support for İYİ Party ahead of snap election
  • Erdoğan challenges Kılıçdaroğlu to run for presidency
  • Turkish lawmakers approve early elections called by Erdogan
  • Fiscal stability should be maintained before elections: Turkey’s top bosses group
  • Erdogan calls for early elections in Turkey, citing need to overcome ‘uncertainties’
  • Turkey seeks to extend state of emergency for 7th time

 

Foreign Policy:

 

Turkish foreign minister to address German arson memorial

Turkey’s foreign minister is planning to visit Germany for the 25th anniversary of a firebombing in which five Turks were killed. The visit comes at a sensitive time, weeks before elections in Turkey.

Washington Post, Turkish foreign minister to address German arson memorial, April 23, 2018


Turkey seeks approval for polling stations in Germany

Turkey has made a formal request to Germany to set up polling stations at Turkish consulates in the country for the June 24 early elections, officials said on April 23.

Hürriyet Daily News, Turkey seeks approval for polling stations in Germany, April 23, 2018


Greece: No trade-off for soldiers in Turkey

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on April 23 ruled out any trade off with Turkey for the release of two Greek soldiers held by Ankara, saying Athens’ NATO ally “appeared to be losing sight of moving closer to Europe.”

Hürriyet Daily News, Greece: No trade-off for soldiers in Turkey, April 23, 2018


42 militants ‘neutralized’ over last week: Ministry

A total of 42 militants were “neutralized” as part of counter-terror operations across Turkey over the past week, the Interior Ministry said on April 23.

Hürriyet Daily News, 42 militants ‘neutralized’ over last week: Ministry, April 23, 2018


Turkey slams US report on human rights

Turkey on April 22 criticized the recent U.S. State Department Human Rights Report on Turkey, saying it “privileged the views of terrorist-linked sources” and “ignored the facts.”

Hürriyet Daily News, Turkey slams US report on human rights, April 22, 2018


US warns Turkey of consequences if jailed pastor isn’t freed

The Trump administration warned Turkey on Wednesday that it is considering punitive “consequences” if the NATO ally does not throw out the charges or acquit an American pastor accused of espionage and aiding terrorist groups.

Washington Post, US warns Turkey of consequences if jailed pastor isn’t freed, April 18, 2018


China to become ‘important’ tourism partner for Turkey

China will soon become one of Ankara’s “most important” tourism partners, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on the 17th.

Anadolu Agency, China to become ‘important’ tourism partner for Turkey, April 17, 2018


Economy and Energy:

 

Lira’s Fate Tops Bill in Week of Emerging-Market Rate Decisions

As Turkey gears up for a key interest-rate decision this week, options traders remain more bearish on the lira than every other emerging-market currency except the ruble.

Bloomberg, Lira’s Fate Tops Bill in Week of Emerging-Market Rate Decisions, April 22, 2018


Global investors praise Turkish reforms: Deputy PM Şimşek

Global investors see Ankara’s economic reforms as positive and the “reform package aimed at improving Turkey’s investment climate shines out as first class,” Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Şimşek has told state-run Anadolu Agency.

Hürriyet Daily News, Global investors praise Turkish reforms: Deputy PM Şimşek, April 22, 2018


IMF ups 2018 growth forecast for Turkey, revises down 2019 figure

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised up its forecast for the 2018 Turkish economic growth to 4.4 percent, but its 2019 forecast was down to 4 percent for 2019 in its latest World Economic Outlook.

Hürriyet Daily News, IMF ups 2018 growth forecast for Turkey, revises down 2019 figure, April 17, 2018


Domestic Politics:

 

CHP leader meets SP leader amid alliance talks

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu met Felicity Party (SP) leader Temel Karamollaoğlu on April 23, amid a tight snap election schedule in which opposition parties are working to find strategies for possible alliances.

Hürriyet Daily News, CHP leader meets SP leader amid alliance talks, April 23, 2018


Turkish lawmakers switch parties in challenge to Erdogan

More than a dozen Turkish opposition lawmakers switched parties Sunday in a show of solidarity as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rivals scramble to challenge him in a surprise snap election that could solidify his rule.

Washington Post, Turkish lawmakers switch parties in challenge to Erdogan, April 22, 2018


Chemical waste dumped in Istanbul’s Büyükçekmece Lake

Chemical waste was dumped into a lake basin in Istanbul’s Büyükçekmece district by an unidentified truck early on April 22.

Hürriyet Daily News, Chemical waste dumped in Istanbul’s Büyükçekmece Lake, April 22, 2018


YSK approves İYİ Party’s participation in snap elections

The Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) has approved the participation of the İYİ (Good) Party in the upcoming elections after 15 main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmakers joined the party in order to ensure its entrance to the elections.

Hürriyet Daily News, YSK approves İYİ Party’s participation in snap elections, April 22, 2018


AKP, MHP slam CHP’s support for İYİ Party ahead of snap election

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have blasted the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) over its decision to send 15 lawmakers to the İYİ (Good) Party in order to make it eligible for early elections.

Hürriyet Daily News, AKP, MHP slam CHP’s support for İYİ Party ahead of snap election, April 22, 2018


Erdoğan challenges Kılıçdaroğlu to run for presidency

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called on main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to take part in the snap presidential election scheduled for June 24.

Hürriyet Daily News, Erdoğan challenges Kılıçdaroğlu to run for presidency, April 22, 2018


Turkish lawmakers approve early elections called by Erdogan

Turkey’s parliament has approved holding the country’s presidential and parliamentary elections a year-and-half early, a change President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said is needed because of uncertainties over Syria.

Washington Post, Turkish lawmakers approve early elections called by Erdogan, April 20, 2018


Fiscal stability should be maintained before elections: Turkey’s top bosses group

Turkey’s top business organization has called for the avoidance of moves that may hurt Turkey’s fiscal stability before early elections are held on June 24, also voicing its members’ hopes about an election period in a free, democratic and fair climate.

Hürriyet Daily News, Fiscal stability should be maintained before elections: Turkey’s top bosses group, April 19, 2018


Erdogan calls for early elections in Turkey, citing need to overcome ‘uncertainties’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Wednesday for presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in June, more than a year ahead of schedule, clearing his path to assume sweeping new powers in a matter of months.

Washington Post, Erdogan calls for early elections in Turkey, citing need to overcome ‘uncertainties’, April 18, 2018


Turkey seeks to extend state of emergency for 7th time

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government is seeking an extension of the state of emergency it declared following a failed coup in 2016.

Washington Post, Turkey seeks to extend state of emergency for 7th time, April 17, 2018