ANKARA Turkey’s Halkbank has become the third state bank to declare a low-interest rate campaign for citizens to pay off their credit card debts. The debts of customers will be restructured with a minimum 1.1 percent interest rate and due date up to five years, a statement by the lender read on Jan. 21. “We are working on [projects] to maintain market stability and keep real economy strong, thus deserve our people’s confidence,” said the bank’s general manager, Osman Arslan. The Halk Support Credit “will give our clients a sigh of relief,” he said. Earlier this month, two other state lenders, Ziraat Bank and Vakif Bank, had announced similar campaigns as part of a government initiative announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who vowed a string of other incentives ahead of the March 31 local elections. Turkey, Halkbank, credit cards … [Read more...] about Turkey’s Halkbank offers cheap loans to pay off credit card debts
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Turkey: Arrest warrants out for 52 FETO-linked suspects
Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for 52 suspects across Turkey for their alleged links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup. According to the Chief Public Prosecutor's office in the capital Ankara, among the suspects were 30 former and three on-duty personnel of the Health Ministry, one former personnel of Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, as well as 18 so-called "covert imams" linked to Kemal Batmaz -- the accused second-in-command of the FETO terror group. Police have rounded up 27 of the suspects so far in simultaneous operations in six provinces across Turkey, including Ankara. FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup on July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured. Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and … [Read more...] about Turkey: Arrest warrants out for 52 FETO-linked suspects
FM Cavusoglu: Turkey not to normalize relations with Armenia before Karabakh conflict resolved
There can be no talk of normalizing relations between Turkey and Armenia without a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, Trend reports via the country's media. Cavusoglu noted that stability in the South Caucasus is impossible without solving the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In response to the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, Turkey keeps its borders with Armenia closed. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. News.Az … [Read more...] about FM Cavusoglu: Turkey not to normalize relations with Armenia before Karabakh conflict resolved
Turkey’s ruling party warns against creation of second Afghanistan in Mediterranean
ANKARA Policies that will lead to a second Afghanistan in the Mediterranean should be avoided, said the spokesman of Turkey’s ruling party on Syrian crisis on Jan. 21. Speaking at a news conference at the Justice and Development Party (AKP) headquarters in Ankara, Ömer Çelik said some countries used terrorist groups as proxies in Afghanistan and now it has become impossible to control them. He stated that the same thing could happen in Syria if the support to terrorist groups is not cut off, according to Anadolu Agency. Çelik said the victims of these “irrational policies which were proven to be wrong many times” hurt Afghans, Syrians, and those who want democracy and human rights. “Policies which will form a second Afghanistan in the Mediterranean should be avoided as the world is paying such a high price to maintain stability in Afghanistan,” Çelik said. “However,” Çelik said, “if you send truckloads of weapons … [Read more...] about Turkey’s ruling party warns against creation of second Afghanistan in Mediterranean
MFA: Turkey not to normalize relations with Armenia before Karabakh conflict resolved
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 22 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: There can be no talk of normalizing relations between Turkey and Armenia without a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, Trend reports via the country's media. Cavusoglu noted that stability in the South Caucasus is impossible without solving the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In response to the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, Turkey keeps its borders with Armenia closed. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the … [Read more...] about MFA: Turkey not to normalize relations with Armenia before Karabakh conflict resolved