Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The beleaguered Turkish currency reached another record low against the U.S. dollar Monday, a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stood firm on his policy to lower interest rates despite rising consumer prices and slammed business groups that called for a change of course.

The lira tumbled to an all-time low of 17.97 against the dollar — some 9% weaker from Friday’s close. The Turkish currency has depreciated by more than 55% against the dollar since the start of the year.

ISTANBUL, Dec 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit to provide concrete support to defeat terrorism and insurgency in Africa.

Buhari was speaking on Saturday in Istanbul at the third edition of the Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit.

This is according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, titled, ‘Turkey-Africa Summit: President Buhari calls for concrete support to defeat terrorism in Africa.’

18 Dec 2021; MEMO: Ankara stated on Friday that the US State Department's Country Report on Terrorism for 2020 "reflects an incomplete and biased approach" regarding Turkish efforts to fight terrorist groups.

17 Dec 2021; MEMO: Turkey's minimum wage has been increased by a massive 50% for 2022, Anadolu News Agency reports.

According to the news wire, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday announced that by 2022 the minimum wage will rise from 2,826 lira ($172.90) to 4,250 ($274).

Following the decision, the Turkish lira hit a record low plunging as much as 5.2 per cent to 15.595 against the US dollar.

ISTANBUL, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkey aims to carry its cooperation with African nations to a higher level, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday.

Speaking at the Third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul, Cavusoglu pointed out that the three-day event focuses on the fields of healthcare, agriculture, and education, which are defined as the fundamental components of the summit, and the ministers of the relevant areas have been holding meetings.

ISTANBUL, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces detained Thursday 14 suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) in Turkey's financial and cultural hub Istanbul.

The Ihlas news agency said police units carried out simultaneous operations in nine districts and captured 14 suspects, including 13 foreigners whose identities were not immediately clear.

The suspects have been allegedly active in Istanbul, recruiting members for the group in Istanbul, spreading propaganda through social media, and providing financial and logistical support.

15 Dec 2021; MEMO: Questions persist over which air defence system is more capable of fulfilling a country's national security objectives, with the Russian S-400, US Patriot, and Israeli Iron Dome systems the focus of the ongoing debates.

Although several countries trust these systems, especially those located in conflict zones, some conditions bring their reliability up for discussion, Anadolu News Agency reports.

16 Dec 2021; MEMO: Turkey rescued 115 asylum seekers, Wednesday, from the Aegean Sea off the coast of the Izmir, Aydin and Mugla provinces, according to the Turkish Coast Guard Command, Anadolu News Agency reports.

The asylum seekers included 77 irregular migrants who were illegally pushed back by Greece into Turkish waters, and 38 others in two separate boats which were detected by mobile radar, said statements.

All of the asylum seekers were taken to provincial migration offices.

11 Dec 2021; MEMO: Marking Human Rights Day, Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) sent 200 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Syria on Friday, Anadolu Agency reported.

The aid is part of a campaign launched by IHH in November, named "Winter at the door! Don't leave them alone."

The mayor of Istanbul's Umraniye district, Ismet Yildirim, stated: "Turkey is at the top of the countries that provide humanitarian aid."

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described social media Saturday as one of the main threats to democracy.

Erdogan’s government plans to pursue legislation to criminalize spreading fake news and disinformation online, but critics say the proposed changes would tighten restrictions on free speech.

“Social media, which was described as a symbol of freedom when it first appeared, has turned into one of the main sources of threat to today’s democracy,” Erdogan said in a video message to a government-organized communications conference in Istanbul.