Turkey

21 June 2023; MEMO: Turkiye's Central Bank is expected to raise its benchmark policy rate sharply on Thursday, in a strong signal that re-elected President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accepted some steps toward monetary tightening to combat inflation, Daily Sabah reports.

18 June 2023; MEMO: Turkish Customs officials seized 76 tarantulas in a cargo sent from Poland to Marmaris, southwestern Turkey, Ministry of Commerce reported on Sunday, reports Anadolu Agency.

Security teams found large and hairy spiders after examining the cargo, a statement by the ministry said.

Declared as "aquarium plant" in documents, the cargo was found "suspicious" and subjected to examination.

17 June 2023; MEMO: The Turkish national defense minister said Saturday that if Sweden fulfills its commitments it can become a NATO member like Finland, Anadolu reports.

Meeting reporters in Brussels after the NATO defense ministers meeting, Yasar Guler expressed support for the military alliance's "open door" policy.

17 June 2023; MEMO: Turkiye is looking to increase its exports to $265 billion by the end of 2023, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, Anadolu reports.

"Despite the negative global economic outlook, we want to increase our exports to $265 billion at the end of this year and $285 billion next year," Erdogan said addressing the 30th Ordinary General Assembly of Turkish Exporters Assembly and Export Champions Award Ceremony in Ankara.

ISTANBUL, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that his government would focus on reducing inflation to single digits from the current nearly 40 percent.

"The uncertainty of the election time is now over. Our hand is stronger," Erdogan told Turkish exporters during a meeting of the Turkish Exporters Assembly in Istanbul.

"We will reduce the inflation, which has been a headache also for the world, to single digits... Our new economic leadership will prioritize this issue," he said.

ISTANBUL, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police seized the head of a 2,000-year-old statue in the western city of Izmir as part of a crackdown on a ring of historical artifact smugglers, the state-run Anadolu agency reported Saturday.

The police raided the house of a suspect believed to be involved in the smuggling of ancient treasures in the Karabaglar district of Izmir and found the head of the statue in a dishwasher.

The head is believed to be part of a marble statue depicting a goddess or a noble dating back to the Hellenistic period.

14 June 2023; MEMO: Turkiye's President has dashed Sweden's hopes for NATO membership, saying that it should not expect any positive results until it prevents anti-Turkiye protests from taking place on Swedish soil.

ISTANBUL (AP) — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in comments published Wednesday he remains firm on his unconventional approach to Turkey’s economy, but suggested his recently appointed finance minister will have leeway to move away from policies many have blamed for a worsening cost-of-living crisis.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that NATO should not bet on his country approving Sweden’s application to join the Western military alliance before a July summit because the Nordic nation has not fully addressed his security concerns.

Sweden and Finland applied for membership together following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Finland became NATO’s 31st member in April after the Turkish parliament ratified its request, but Turkey has held off approving Sweden’s bid.

13 June 2023; MEMO: Turkiye's state aid agency, on Monday, said it delivered medical equipment to a children's hospital in war-torn Ukraine, Anadolu Agency reports.

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) provided medical equipment assistance to the Rivne Regional Children's Hospital, which has recently been seeing an increase in the number of patients.