Turkey Letter: 7 January 2019

Foreign Policy:

  • Erdogan: Turkey has a plan to restore peace in Syria
  • John Bolton, in Turkey, set to navigate tough diplomatic terrain
  • Erdogan spokesman says irrational to claim Turkey targets Kurds
  • Turkey seeks major U.S. military support to adopt fight in Syria
  • US makes an offer to Turkey for the sale of Patriot missiles
  • U.S. team to visit Turkey over Gulen extradition demand, officials say

Economy and Energy:

  • Turkish exports falter as lira boost dented by global worries
  • Turkey’s lira slides, hit by global sell-off, cenbank worries
  • Turkey’s lira kicks off 2019 on the wrong foot

Domestic Politics:

  • Former CHP MP Eren Erdem released from prison pending trial
  • Countdown begins for Turkey’s local elections
  • Erdogan announces Yildirim as ruling party’s mayoral candidate for Istanbul

Foreign Policy

Erdogan: Turkey has a plan to restore peace in Syria A comprehensive strategy to promote long-term peace and stability in Syria can be achieved through Turkey’s leadership, the president of Turkey writes.
The New York Times, Erdogan: Turkey has a plan to restore peace in Syria, 7 January 2019


John Bolton, in Turkey, set to navigate tough diplomatic terrain
President Trump’s national security adviser is likely to face an icy reception in Ankara on Tuesday over his remarks that a U.S. withdrawal from Syria is contingent on whether Turkey can guarantee the safety of the Kurdish forces across its border.
The Wall Street Journal, John Bolton, in Turkey, set to navigate tough diplomatic terrain, 7 January 2019


Erdogan spokesman says irrational to claim Turkey targets Kurds
President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said on Sunday it was irrational to claim Turkey targets Kurds, saying Ankara’s targets were the militants of Islamic State and the Kurdish groups YPG and PKK, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.
Reuters, Erdogan spokesman says irrational to claim Turkey targets Kurds, 6 January 2019


Turkey seeks major U.S. military support to adopt fight in Syria
Turkey is asking the U.S. to provide substantial military support, including airstrikes, transport and logistics, to allow Turkish forces to assume the main responsibility for fighting Islamic State militants in Syria, senior U.S. officials say.
The Wall Street Journal, Turkey seeks major U.S. military support to adopt fight in Syria, 4 January 2019


US makes an offer to Turkey for the sale of Patriot missiles
The United States has formally made an offer to Turkey for the sale of multibillion dollar Patriot air defense systems, the Anadolu Agency has reported, in a bid to increase its pressure on the latter’s purchase of Russian-made S-400 systems.
Hurriyet, US makes an offer to Turkey for the sale of Patriot missiles, 3 January 2019


U.S. team to visit Turkey over Gulen extradition demand, officials say
A U.S. delegation is scheduled to visit Ankara this week to discuss Turkey’s request for the extradition of a self-exiled cleric it says instigated a 2016 coup attempt, according to two Turkish officials.
Bloomberg, U.S. team to visit Turkey over Gulen extradition demand, officials say, 2 January 2019


Economy and Energy

Turkish exports falter as lira boost dented by global worries
Turkish exports grew at the slowest pace in four months in December, a sign that concerns over slowing global growth threaten efforts to improve the country’s trade imbalance.
Bloomberg, Turkish exports falter as lira boost dented by global worries, 4 January 2019 


Turkey’s lira slides, hit by global sell-off, cenbank worries
Turkey’s lira slid more than 3 percent against the dollar on Thursday, swept up in a global market sell-off and investor worries that lower-than-expected inflation data could prompt the central bank to make a premature rate cut.
Reuters, Turkey’s lira slides, hit by global sell-off, cenbank worries, 3 January 2019


Turkey’s lira kicks off 2019 on the wrong foot
The Turkish lira is off to a bad start to the year. The currency has shed more than 3.5 percent of its value against the dollar in the first three days of 2019. Not only is that the most in the world, it’s also almost twice as much as the runner up, the Swedish krona.
Bloomberg, Turkey’s lira kicks off 2019 on the wrong foot, 3 January 2019


Domestic Politics

Former CHP MP Eren Erdem released from prison pending trial
An Istanbul court has ruled for the release of Eren Erdem, a former lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), under judicial control.
Hurriyet, Former CHP MP Eren Erdem released from prison pending trial, 7 January 2019


Countdown begins for Turkey’s local elections
The countdown for Turkey’s local polls – set to be held on March 31 – kicked off on Jan. 1, according to an electoral calendar released by the Supreme Election Council. On Jan. 2, the council will disclose the political parties that will run in the polls.
Hurriyet, Countdown begins for Turkey’s local elections, 1 January 2019


 Erdogan announces Yildirim as ruling party’s mayoral candidate for Istanbul
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced the ruling Justice and Development Party’s mayoral candidates for Istanbul for March 31 local elections with a list headed by Parliament Speaker Binali Yıldırım.
Hurriyet, Erdogan announces Yildirim as ruling party’s mayoral candidate for Istanbul, 29 December 2018