Turkey
ISTANBUL BLOG: Revisiting jihadism and why it’s ‘next stop, China’
US exit from Afghanistan is brewing up a Salafi storm in which Turkey’s Syria militants could play a role.
ISTANBUL BLOG: Turkey ups growth forecasts to more than 8%
The Turkish authorities' predictions for growth are becoming more and more bullish and unbelievable.
Erdogan warns Turkey won’t be ‘Europe’s refugee storehouse’
Performing poorly in the opinion polls, Turkish president is under pressure not to allow a wave of refugees from crisis-torn Afghanistan to settle in Turkey.
Kazakhstan set to lose quarter of grain crop as drought hammers Eurasia
Drought hits main grain-producing regions, pushing up food prices and forcing Iran to import wheat for first time in five years.
ISTANBUL BLOG: Erdogan’s field is economics. All bets on Turkish inflation are off
It may have been irresistible market realities that prevented the central bank from fulfilling the president’s idiosyncratic demands for summer rate cuts. But will the dam break?
$6bn of IMF SDRs will hardly dent Turkey’s net reserves deficit of $41bn
A $2bn swap deal with Korea also provides little but make-up. Turkish central bank has no competitor worldwide in carrying such a huge short FX position.
ASH: US pulls out of Afghanistan to focus on China problem, but that is harder now
The fact the Biden administration pulled the plug on allies and friends in Afghanistan, and against the advice of allies in Nato, just affirms its all encompassing focus on China in foreign policy.
ISTANBUL BLOG: Nato training for Afghans in Turkey gives off a “Syria” odour
Fresh wave of migrants from Afghanistan crossing Turkish border will, meanwhile, only add grist to the mill of Europe’s populists.
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No surprises as Turkey’s central bank again holds policy rate
Prior to rates meeting president Erdogan was pushing for summer easing.
Turkey suspends Antalya health workers’ leave ‘as Russian tourist influx drives up Covid infections’
Number of cases in country’s most visited tourist destination at least three or four times greater than official data shows, claims head of local medical association.
Turkish forestry agency’s firefighting spending ‘was one tenth of its outlay on basketball teams’
Budget was “planned as though there weren’t going to be any fires”, opposition lawmaker protests.
Turkish fintech Odeal among top fundraisers in Q2
Total of 63 Turkish start-ups raised $746mn in Q2, bringing H1 figures to 129 deals worth $1.26bn, says Startups.watch. Country has several enterprises that look set to become unicorns waiting in the wings.
Perspectives | Augmented Azerbaijan? The return of Azerbaijani irredentism
For decades Azerbaijan denounced Armenian irredentism. Now it is advancing expansionary territorial claims of its own as it seeks to impose peace on its terms.
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Erdogan lashes out at ‘terror of lies’ as criticism mounts over Turkey’s wildfire disaster response
Ankara prosecutor investigating social media postings. Broadcasting watchdog warns TV stations about airing reports impacting morale of firefighters and public.
Turkey’s Getir in partnership talks with local car rental app MOOV
Online groceries delivery player has followed an aggressive expansion strategy that has this year taken it to London, Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris.
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Turkey’s central bank in a bind as official inflation moves to 5 bps below policy rate
Some analysts now see prospect of rate cuts during remainder of year as off the table.
ISTANBUL BLOG: Reduced to tossing bags of tea, Erdogan’s having a bad wildfire crisis
Turks stunned to find country has no firefighting planes. Presidential aide appears tone deaf as he gripes #HelpTurkey campaign is meant to make the state look “incapable”.
Turkey’s manufacturing PMI hits six month high in July as virus brake removed
Coronavirus cases are, however, again on the rise. Analysts fear growth plans could once more be hindered.
Turks left with only poor second-hand car choices amid realities of country’s economic crisis
More than half of 2.3mn used cars that changed hands in January to June were more than 10 years-old, while 82% were older than five years-old.
Turkey evacuates thousands of tourists amid hellish wildfire scenes
Heat intensity of infernos measured with satellite data reportedly four times higher than anything on record for the nation.
