Muammer Kömürcüo

Turkey's annual inflation slowed in April to its lowest level since May 2013, as hikes in food prices lost pace.

The consumer inflation rate dropped to 6.57 percent from 7.46 percent, data from the Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜ?K) showed on May 3. Consumer prices in April rose 0.78 percent from the previous month, significantly below forecasts, according to the TÜ?K data. 

Annual inflation in Turkey fell unexpectedly in March, mainly due to a sharp decline in food prices, according to official data released on April 4.  

The Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜ?K) said the annual consumer price index fell to 7.46 percent in March. February's rate stood at 8.78 percent.

Turkey's foreign trade deficit declined 13.4 percent year-on-year in January, in line with the oil plunge and the decreasing trend in imports. 

In January, the deficit fell to $3.76 billion, down from $4.34 billion from same month last year, plummeting 13.4 percent, according to data released by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜ?K) on Feb. 29. 

Turkish unemployment rose to double digits in August after months of slow economic activity and unregistered Syrian migrants entering the workforce in Turkey. 

Turkey?s unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent in the June period, which includes May, June and July, up 0.5 percent year-on-year and 0.2 percent over May, according to data released by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜ?K) on Sept. 15.

The seasonally adjusted jobless rate came in at 10.4 percent in June, up slightly from 10.2 percent a month ago.

Turkish industrial production rose a calendar-adjusted 0.3 percent year-on-year in July, data showed on Sept. 8, far below forecasts for a 3.4 percent rise and reinforcing the view that growth momentum is weakening.

On a month-on-month basis, calendar- and seasonally-adjusted industrial production fell 1.5 percent, the Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜ?K) said.

Turkey's unemployment rate hit 11.2 percent in the February period, according to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜ?K) on May 15.

The number of unemployed people aged 15 years old and over increased by 401,000 to 3.2 million in the February period, which included December 2014 and January and February 2015, from the same period a year previous. 

Turkish inflation rose slightly less than expected in February but remained significantly above the Central Bank?s target, limiting its room to make the deep interest rate cuts demanded by President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an.