Latest News from Turkey
Balkan Insight’s Week in Pictures
Kielce head coach, Talant Dujshebaev, reacts during the EHF Champions League handball match between CS Dinamo Bucharest and Lomza Vive Kielce in the Romanian captial on September 16 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE/Robert Ghement.
Interim Bulgarian Prime Minister Stefan Yanev during an official ceremony in the capital of Sofia on September 16, 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE/Vassil Donev.
Erdoğan vows to win polls with People’s Alliance in 2023
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sept. 17 reiterated his party's intention to win upcoming elections in 2023 as the People's Alliance with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
SpaceX to launch Turkey's 1st indigenous communications satellite
Turkey's first indigenous communications satellite Turksat 6A, which is planned to be completed in 2022, will be launched by the U.S.-based space firm SpaceX.
President reappoints Erbaş as head of Presidency of Religious Affairs
Ali Erbaş was reappointed as the head of the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) with a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on Sept. 17.
"I would like to thank our president, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who appreciated reappointing us to this noble task," Erbaş said.
Turkey's short-term external debt stock at $125.3 bln in July
Turkey's short-term external debt stock stood at $125.3 billion at the end July, according to data released on Sept. 17.
The debt that must be paid in a year or less climbed 9.7% in July compared to the end of 2020, according to the Turkish Central Bank.
A total of 40.7% of the debt stock is in U.S. dollars, 25.8% in euros, 13.3% Turkish liras, and 20.2% in other currencies.
Central Bank reserves top $120 bln, 1st time since November 2016
The Turkish Central Bank's total reserves rose by $944 million to hit $120.1 billion last week, for the first time since November 2016.
According to weekly money and bank statistics published by the bank, the gross foreign exchange reserves increased by $1.6 billion to $79.6 billion on Sept. 10, from $78.5 billion on Sept. 3.
Galatasaray defeat Lazio 1-0 in Europa League
Galatasaray beat Lazio 1-0 in the UEFA Europa League Group E match on Sept. 16.
Lazio's Albanian goalie Thomas Strakosha scored an own goal in the 67th minute at Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex (Turk Telekom Stadium), Istanbul.
Galatasaray took the top spot with three points, while Marseille placed 2nd with one point in Group E.
Fitch revises up Turkey's growth forecast to 9.2% this year
Fitch Ratings has revised up Turkey's 2021 economic growth forecast to 9.2%, according to the rating agency's Global Economic Outlook for September, released on Sept. 16.
The new figure is a massive upward revision from the agency's previous upgrade made on Aug. 13 when it revised up Turkey's growth forecast to 7.9%, from 6.3%.
EU, Turkey to work together on climate crisis
The European Commission's executive vice president for the European Green Deal and Turkish minister of environment and urbanization on Sept. 16 held the first EU-Turkey high-level dialogue on climate change.
The officials discussed the necessary steps to fight the devastating effects of climate change and to significantly cut emissions by 2050.
Only 20 decks of Çanakkale Bridge left to be united
Officials have placed the 67th deck of all 87 decks of the Çanakkale Bridge, aiming to finish joining the bridge road that will connect the European and the Asian sides of the strait by the end of September.
The bridge, nicknamed "neckband of Çanakkale Strait," will be opened to public service on the 107th anniversary of the Çanakkale Victory on March 18, 2022.
Medical student studies at library he once worked as laborer
A medical student is now studying in the very same university's library where he once worked as a construction worker in 2017 in the eastern province of Elazığ.
"I have gained success after real hard work. I am happy, and this is a fantastic feeling," 23-year-old Hasan Coşkun told the Demirören News Agency.
Turkish amputee team eyes trophy in Euro champ
Turkish national amputee football team is playing against Ireland on Sept. 17 in the quarterfinal match at the European Championship in Krakow, Poland, eyeing to regain the success of 2017 and become the champion.
Turkish capital to be mesmerized by Latin music
With Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, and Peru preparing to celebrate 200 years of independence, and Brazil commemorating the same occasion in 2022, the seven Latin American countries along with Turkey will mark the special day with a symphonic music concert in Ankara.
Turkey’s Getir launches in Spain’s Madrid, Barcelona
Turkey's on-demand delivery pioneer Getir announced on Sept. 15 it has launched in the Spanish cities of Madrid and Barcelona.
In a statement, Getir said the move comes after acquiring BLOK, a similar rapid delivery service from Spain.
Court Asks Serbia to Delay Extraditing Wanted Kurd to Turkey
The European Court for Human Rights, in an interim measure adopted on Wednesday, asked Serbia not to extradite S.O, a Turkish citizen of Kurdish origin, sentenced to life in Turkey for membership of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, BIRN has learned.