Turkey

Israel man arrested in Turkiye on suspicion of stealing ancient bell

16 August 2023; MEMO: An Israeli citizen was arrested on Sunday at the Antalya Airport in the Turkish city on suspicion he had stolen an ancient bell from a museum, as per Turkish authorities, local Turkish media reports.

According to the report, the Israeli, who was on his way back to Israel, denied it and claimed that he purchased the bell in good faith and had a receipt for it.

He was held for questioning by Turkish officials as of Sunday night.

Qatar Post buys stake in Turkiye Souq

15 August 2023; MEMO: Qatar Postal has secured a 40 per cent stake in prominent Turkish e-commerce platform, Turkish Souq, Hurriyet daily reports.

According to the report, serving as an international e-commerce hub, Turkish Souq offers consumers high-quality products from leading brands, combining an international shopping experience with competitive pricing.

Türkiye's current account balance posts $674M surplus in June

11 August 2023; AA: Türkiye's current account balance posted a net surplus of $674 million in June, the country's central bank announced on Friday.

Gold and energy excluded current account balance saw a net surplus of $5.58 billion in the month, the Turkish Central Bank said.

In June, the goods deficit was at $3.69 billion, while services posted a net surplus of $5.02 billion. Travel item, under services, recorded a net inflow of $4.2 billion.

3,800-year-old cuneiform clay tablet unearthed in ancient tumulus in southern Türkiye

11 August 2023; AA: Archeologists have discovered a 3,800-year-old cuneiform clay tablet in southern Türkiye during restoration work after the massive earthquakes in the region earlier this year.

Murat Akar, an archeology professor at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, told Anadolu that a 25-member team found the clay tablet with cuneiform inscription in Akkadian language in nearly 4,000-year-old Accana tumulus in the southern Hatay province.

Iraq Premier inaugurates Turkiye-built hospital

10 August 2023; MEMO: Iraq's Prime Minister, on Thursday, inaugurated a hospital that was built by a Turkish construction company in the south-eastern Maysan province, Anadolu Agency reports.

Premier Mohammed Shia Al-Sudan participated in the opening of Al-Hekim Training and Research Hospital, which was constructed by the Turkish company, Universal Acarsan, and has a capacity of 600 beds.

Türkiye's tourism on track but faces challenges from inflations

ANKARA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye is poised for a good tourism season, but meeting the targets for 2023 will be challenging due to the country's high inflation and lack of affordable options for budget-conscious foreign travelers, said industry insiders.

The number of tourists visiting Türkiye in the first half of this year increased by 17 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 22.9 million, Tourism and Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said on July 31 in Istanbul.

Türkiye imposes extra charge for gold products imports

ANKARA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye has introduced a 20 percent additional charge on imports of some gold jewelry to reduce gold imports, according to a decision published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday.

The decision states that an additional 20 percent will be added to the price of all gold jewelry and metal products with precious metal plating, with the exception of those from the European Union and countries that have signed free trade agreements with Türkiye.

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