Binali Yıldırım

Turkey's plan to stick with summer time all year round may have some unforeseen costs - increasing the time difference with European trading partners and crimping exports and domestic equity trading. 

The leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, voiced the most crucial sentence at the end of a speech that he delivered on the party's parliamentary group meeting on Oct. 18.

"I truly believe that a moderate and appropriate outcome can be reached if our principles and sensitivities are taken into consideration."

U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is due to visit Turkey on Oct. 21, after Ankara and Washington agreed on Turkey's participation in coalition forces' aerial campaign in the Mosul offensive against the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL).  

Carter will travel to Ankara as part of a weeklong Middle East and Europe trip, according to the Pentagon.   

Turkey and the United States have reached an agreement in which Turkish warplanes will join an ongoing operation to capture Mosul, the prime minister has said, adding that Turkey's F-16 Fighting Falcons would be called for duty by the Kuwait-based command center if required.

In the last two days, I have attended a number of meetings in Brussels concerning the state of Turkey after the bloody coup attempt on July 15.

"Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has accused international media outlets of launching a "black propaganda" campaign against Turkey," said the state news agency's story (in English). 

Main opposition leader Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has slammed the government for seeking "regime change by using the state of emergency," while also blasting the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) for "supporting the government" by reviving the debate over the presidential system.

Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr staged a protest in front of the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad on Oct. 17 after the cleric called for protests to demand that Turkish troops leave the Bashiqa camp in northern Iraq, which has caused a row between the two countries. 

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has said it will submit its own constitutional draft imposing a shift to a presidential system to parliament as soon as possible after the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) again said such a bid should be taken to the public.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has said his party could support the parliamentary vote to refer the constitutional amendment for a presidential regime change to the public if the government prepares the charter "in line with the MHP's sensitivities."