Analysis Erdogan heads home from Riyadh, hoping to have mended ties Three-and-a-half years after accusing Saudi Arabia of murder and running a sham trial over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has made a trip to the Gulf kingdom to mend ties. Turkey and Saudi Arabia have a common will to “reactivate a great economic potential” between the two countries, Erdogan said after […] May 2, 2022
Turkey, Saudi to revive great economic potential, Erdogan says Turkey and Saudi Arabia have a common will to “reactivate a great economic potential” between the two countries, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, after his first trip to the kingdom since 2017. Speaking to reporters on a flight back from Saudi Arabia, where he sought to mend frayed ties, Erdogan said the sides […] April 30, 2022
Energy Turkey hikes gas prices, as inflation tops 60% in March Turkish state-owned energy importer BOTAS said it had raised natural gas prices for industrial facilities by 50 percent and those for households by 35 percent, raising the prospect of further stoking inflation, which is expected to top 60 percent in March. BOTAS also said natural gas prices for electricity production were going up by 44.3 […] April 29, 2022
Tunisia’s dinar hits record low versus dollar Tunisia’s dinar currency has fallen to record lows versus the dollar, driven down by high inflation, a worsening trade deficit and the severe impact of the Ukraine crisis on public finances. It traded at 3.074 against the dollar on Thursday, central bank data showed on Friday. Earlier this month, the state statistics institute said Tunisia’s […] April 29, 2022
Energy Oil will cushion Middle East from economic impact of Ukraine war The war in Ukraine will sharply reduce economic growth in the Central Asian region in 2022, but higher oil prices will partly cushion the blow for the Middle East and North Africa, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday. Both regions, however, will feel the impact of surging commodity prices, the IMF said, warning higher […] April 29, 2022
Real Estate Turks “bewildered” as rents outpace rampant inflation Undeterred by industry figures showing rents in Istanbul have doubled inside a year, yoga instructor Ceren Tabak was fully prepared to spend most of her salary on housing costs when she decided last month to look for a home of her own. But she says real estate agents laughed when she quoted them the 6,000 […] April 29, 2022
Banking & Finance Sterling set for biggest drop in six years against dollar Sterling rose against the dollar on Friday but was still set for its sharpest monthly drop since October 2016, while edging higher against the euro. The dollar dropped from its recent 20-year high while still on track for its best month since 2015, bolstered by a combination of expectations for US rate hikes and growth […] April 29, 2022
Turkish central bank nearly doubles inflation forecast Turkey’s annual inflation will peak at around 70 percent by June before declining to near 43 percent by year-end, the central bank has forecast. The central bank slashed its policy rate by 500 basis points to 14 percent last year as part of President Tayyip Erdogan’s new economic plan. The cuts sparked a currency crisis […] April 29, 2022
Dollar hits five-year high, growth concerns dent euro The dollar hit a five-year high ahead of the expected rate hike by Federal Reserve, while the euro weakened on growth concerns after Russia cut off gas supplies to parts of the region. The dollar has gained on expectations that the US central bank will be more hawkish than peers. The Fed is expected to increase rates by 50 basis […] April 27, 2022
Lebanon rejects latest financial recovery plan The Association of Banks in Lebanon said on Saturday it “completely rejects” the government’s latest draft of a financial recovery plan meant to pull the country out of an economic meltdown. In a statement shared with Reuters, the ABL called the plan “disastrous” and said it would leave banks and depositors shouldering the “major portion” […] April 23, 2022
Egypt’s urban inflation accelerates to 10.5% Egypt’s annual urban consumer price inflation accelerated in March to 10.5 percent, its highest in nearly three years and faster than analysts had expected, data from the state statistics agency CAPMAS showed on Sunday. The inflation figure, up from 8.8 percent in February, was greater than a median forecast of 10 percent in a Reuters […] April 10, 2022