Turkey

09 Jan 2023; MEMO: Turkiye's defence industry has exceeded its export target in 2022 and is looking forward to reaching $6 billion (TL 112.53 billion) in 2023, Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), Ismail Demir, said at the "Defence Industry 2023 Goals" news conference held in Teknopark, Istanbul.

According to the report, Turkiye is set to see important milestones in defence production in 2023, the 100th anniversary of the Republic.

09 Jan 2023; MEMO: The Turkish Foreign Minister, on Monday, said Turkiye "works hard" to strengthen its ties with all African countries, stressing in particular, South Africa, his first stop on a five-nation African tour, Anadolu News Agency reports.

"Today, we maintain strong ties with the descendants of Abu Bakr Effendi, who laid the foundation of our friendship with South Africa," said Mevlut Cavusoglu at the inauguration of a new chancellery building at the Turkish Consulate in Cape Town, South Africa.

08 Jan 2023; MEMO: Turkiye's Consulate General in Marseille on Friday was attacked with Molotov cocktails by unidentified people, reports Anadolu Agency.

Some six people wearing masks threw Molotov cocktails at the consulate's building, the Turkish Consul General in Marseille Arda Ulutas told Anadolu Agency.

Ulutas said French police quickly arrived at the scene after the security personnel pressed the alarm button.

08 Jan 2023; MEMO: Turkish officials on Sunday commemorated the martyrs of the Battle of Sarikamis during World War I, reports Anadolu Agency.

Tens of thousands of Ottoman soldiers, led by Enver Pasha, died during the Battle of Sarikamis from December 1914 to January 1915, when they launched an attack near the eastern city of Kars to liberate Ottoman territories under Russian occupation.

ISTANBUL, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Insufficient rainfall has caused severe drought throughout Türkiye, especially in the highly populated western and northwestern regions, according to data released Thursday.

Rainfall during the Oct. 1, 2022-Jan. 3, 2023 period dropped 31 percent compared to the previous same period across the country, the Turkish State Meteorological Service said.

With a 51.8 percent drop in rainfall compared to seasonal norms, Istanbul, a city of over 16 million residents, was hit the worst among Türkiye's major urban centers.

05 Jan 2023; MEMO: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu yesterday called his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, and conveyed Ankara's protest and rejection of the Israeli National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, provocative act of breaking into Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday, according to a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

05 Jan 2023; MEMO: Sales of Turkish exports hit a record high last year as the country also benefitted from closer economic ties to Russia, the Financial Times reports.

According to the report, Turkiye recorded a 13 per cent rise in exports by value, with sales hitting $254bn in 2022, said Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country's President, in a televised speech on Monday.

Last December, Turkiye's inflation slowed sharply.

ANKARA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to take "concrete steps" against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, Türkiye's presidential office said in a statement.

Erdogan told Putin in a phone call that "concrete steps should now be taken to eradicate the terrorist organization YPG from Türkiye's border regions, especially from Tal Rifaat and Manbij" in northern Syria, the statement said.

04 Jan 2023; MEMO: Bulgaria has signed a deal for gas imports via Turkiye, opening a new gas corridor from Turkish territory to Balkan countries and European Union member states.

ANKARA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- "We expect the return of the Chinese visitors to be in a gradual manner, especially with a dynamic after the first half of this year, thus we can reach pre-pandemic levels," said Irfan Karsli, head of the Istanbul-based Ligarba Travel Agency.

As China is expected to orderly resume outbound tourism amidst the optimization of COVID-19 response, Turkish tourism industry players are eager to welcome back Chinese travelers.