Turkey

06 April 2022; MEMO: Turkey is to appoint a new ambassador to Egypt, after leaving the position vacant for almost nine years, as the two countries approach closer reconciliation.

According to an anonymous senior Turkish official who spoke to the news organisation, Middle East Eye, the diplomat to be appointed as ambassador to Cairo will be Salih Mutlu Sen, Ankara's former representative to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

06 April 2022; MEMO: Turkish exports to Saudi Arabia spiked by 25 percent in the first quarter of 2022, as the two countries continue to make efforts to reconcile and improve relations after years of tension.

According to data released by the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM) this week, Turkiye's exports increased from around $55 million in the first three months of last year to almost $70 million during the same period this year.

ANKARA, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's annual inflation hit a new record high at 61.14 percent in March, featuring rising energy and food prices, the Turkish Statistical Institute announced on Monday.

The country's consumer prices rose by 5.46 percent month on month in March, according to the data released by the institute.

The highest annual price increase was in transport with 99.12 percent, followed by foods and non-alcoholic beverages with 70.33 percent, and furnishings and household equipment with 69.26 percent, respectively.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, that synergy in the field of energy was mutually beneficial for their countries and that he hoped the momentum built in recent talks would continue, his office said on Friday and Reuters reports.

02 April 2022; MEMO: Turkey and Israel have in recent weeks been working to mend their long-strained ties, and energy has emerged as a potential area of cooperation.

01 April 2022; MEMO: Turkey's Justice Minister said on Friday his Ministry would approve a request to transfer a trial over the killing of journalist,Jamal Khashoggi, to Saudi Arabia, as Ankara seeks to mend ties with Riyadh, Reuters reports.

Khashoggi's fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, and rights groups condemned the move, saying Saudi Arabia could not be expected to hold a fair trial.

31 March 2022; MEMO: The longest suspension bridge in the world (the '1915 Canakkale Bridge') in Turkey will save £348 million ($457 million) a year in fuel consumption and emissions, local Turkish media reports.

According to the report, the bridge, with a two-kilometre (2,023m, 6,637ft) span between its towers, will connect Europe and Asia.

The '1915 Canakkale Bridge' cost 2.5 billion Euros ($2.7billion/£2.1billion) to build.

The bridge's toll fee will be 200 Turkish liras ($13.60/£10.30).

ISTANBUL, March 31 (Reuters) - A Turkish prosecutor called on Thursday for the trial in Istanbul of Saudi suspects over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to be halted and transferred to Saudi authorities, a move which comes as Turkey seeks to mend ties with Riyadh.

Khashoggi's killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul four years ago triggered a global outcry and put pressure on Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

31 March 2022; MEMO: Turkey's Presidential Spokesperson, Ibrahim Kalin, has said that the purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia is a "closed issue" as he stressed that his country, which has the second largest army within NATO, needs such a system. Kalin made the comment earlier this week to CNN's Becky Anderson.

"We have told the Americans and others, that the whole S-400 file is closed," he explained. "We are not thinking of sending it anywhere."

ISTANBUL, March 29. /TASS/: The Russian Defense Ministry has decided to cardinally decrease the military activity in the direction of Kiev and Chernigov, according to the military agency’s statement following Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul read out by Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.

ISTANBUL/KYIV OUTSKIRTS/MARIUPOL, Ukraine, March 29 (Reuters) - Russia promised on Tuesday to scale down military operations around Ukraine's capital and north, while Kyiv proposed adopting neutral status, in confidence-building steps that were the first signs of progress towards negotiating peace.