Middle East

The Turkish lira sank to another all-time low after the central bank pushed forward with an interest rate cut.
Currencies

Turkish lira nosedives after rate cut sought by Erdogan

Rising prices hit consumers while government remains bullish on growth

19 November 2021
Iranian composer and producer Mehdi Rajabian has been banned, imprisoned, tortured and thrown into solitary confinement, becoming one of the most discussed Middle Eastern musicians of the past decade. (Courtesy of Mehdi Rajabian)
Arts

Iranian musical rebel risks prison (again) over new album

Mehdi Rajabian's 'Coup of Gods' competes for 2022 Grammy Award

17 November 2021
A train leaves Kars train station on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway connecting Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Turkey looks to access Azerbaijan through a shorter route that cuts across Armenia. (Anadolu Agency)
Transportation

All-Turkic corridor heralds rise of new Eurasian political bloc

Turkey-led group has potential to disrupt Russia-China power balance

17 November 2021
The leaders of the Organization of Turkic States (formerly the Turkic Council) begin discussions in Istanbul on Nov. 12. 
International relations

'Turkic world' wants a voice in the new global order

Erdogan-led bloc vies for influence with China and Russia in Central Asia

13 November 2021
Armenian kids walk the dusty backstreets of Yeraskh. (Photo by Hugh Bohane)
International relations

Nagorno-Karabakh war wounds still open a year after ceasefire

Armenians say small arms fire still the norm near Azerbaijan border

10 November 2021
Baykar showcases its armed drone Bayraktar TB2 during TEKNOFEST in Istanbul in September.
Politics

Turkey unleashes hard power wave in Africa with drone sales

Requests flow in for game-changing devices after Azerbaijan victory

3 November 2021
Investors mingle at Future Initiative Investment Summit Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. (Photo by Nesreen Bakheit)
Economy

Saudi Arabia tries to lure foreign companies away from UAE

Top oil exporter licenses 44 global firms in bid to become regional business hub

1 November 2021
U.S. President Joe Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet on the sidelines of the Group of 20 gathering in Rome on Oct. 31, accompanied by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. (Photo courtesy of the Turkish Presidency)
G20 Summit

Biden expresses concern over Turkey's acquisition of Russian arms

On sale of F-16s, U.S. president says 'procedures' are needed

1 November 2021
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan heads a cabinet meeting in Ankara on Oct. 25. "No one, whatever their title is, can stay here if they do not respect our country’s independence and our nation's sensitivities," he told reporters afterward.
International relations

Erdogan lets envoys stay after embassies affirm noninterference

Turkish lira rebounds from record lows after a week of diplomatic tumult

26 October 2021
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi, Russia, on Sept. 29. On Saturday, he ordered 10 foreign ambassadors who called for the release of a jailed philanthropist to be declared persona non grata.
International relations

Turkey's Erdogan orders 10 ambassadors to get out, including U.S. envoy

President's black list includes 7 NATO allies and further risks lira stability

24 October 2021
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ramped up pressure on the central bank to stimulate the economy.
Economy

Turkey cuts interest rates again despite calls for course change

Business leaders issue rare critique of Erdogan on inflation and currency

22 October 2021
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority sees promise in Indonesia's GoTo. (Source photos by GoTo Group/AFP/Jiji and screenshot from ADIA's website) 
IPO

Indonesia's GoTo bags $400 million from Abu Dhabi ahead of IPO

Investment part of fundraising round said to be targeting total of $1.5bn

20 October 2021
This illustration shows commercial vans that Ford Otosan of Turkey plans to manufacture. (Image courtesy of Ford Otosan)
Automobiles

Turkish auto industry shifts to EVs as EU tightens CO2 rules

State-owned group to enter growing market for electrics with own brand in 2022

15 October 2021
Women stand in front of a currency exchange office in Istanbul. The Turkish lira depreciated by 8% since the end of August.
Currencies

From Turkey to South Korea, strong dollar squeezes the energy-poor

Higher U.S. interest rates drive investors to greenback

14 October 2021
The former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn speaks during an online interview. (Screenshot from video) 
Interview

Ghosn vows to 'get back my rights' since escape from Japan

Ex-Nissan Motor chief who fled to Lebanon remains defiant of charges against him

12 October 2021
While Western countries were initially reluctant to share limited supplies of coronavirus vaccines made with cutting-edge technology, China relied on a conventional production method and was able to rapidly scale up capacity. 
COVID vaccines

China's global vaccine gambit: Production, politics and propaganda

How Beijing has shaped the world's COVID immunization drive

12 October 2021
Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and terminal. The state-owned company plans to increase output capacity by 1 million barrels a day by 2027 despite the global decarbonization movement.
Markets

Aramco closes in on Apple, Microsoft as pricey oil lifts valuation

Saudi oil major climbs back to crown prince's target of $2tn

8 October 2021
Hitachi will adopt high-voltage direct current equipment to develop the cross-border grid connecting Egypt with Saudi Arabia.
Energy

Hitachi-ABB wins $900m order for Egypt-Saudi power link

Countries will exchange excess renewable energy via 1,350 km cable

6 October 2021
Migrants are seen after they were detained by Turkish security forces during an operation in the border city of Van in late August.
Afghanistan turmoil

Afghan refugees get cold welcome in Turkey after perilous journey

Turkey building wall on Iran border as Erdogan cornered by new arrivals

1 October 2021
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, visits Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Sept. 29. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
International relations

Turkey keen to deepen ties with Russia, from submarines to space

Amid tensions with Biden, Erdogan defends missile deal after talks with Putin

1 October 2021
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses participants at TEKNOFEST, overlooking the new Akinci armed drone, developed by Baykar on Sept. 25. (Anadolu Agency) 
Aerospace & Defense Industries

Turkey plans drone-heavy roadshow in display of future warfare

From Indonesia to Azerbaijan, Ankara eyes new power projection

29 September 2021
The S-400 Triumph surface-to-air missile system is seen at a military base outside the town of Gvardeysk near Kaliningrad, Russia. Turkey's acquisition of the system has created a rift between the country and its NATO allies.
International relations

Erdogan: Turkey intends to buy 2nd batch of Russian S-400s

Country was unable to purchase defense systems from NATO, president says

27 September 2021
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept.21.
Economy

Turkey's surprise rate cut plunges lira to new lows

Move follows Erdogan's assurance inflation is under control

23 September 2021
Taliban fighters patrol a market in Kabul's Old City on Sept. 14.
Afghanistan turmoil

Iran joy at U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan fades quickly

Taliban's takeover of Kabul creates economic and security conundrum for Tehran

22 September 2021
SoftBank Robotics and Keenon Robotics are keen to roll out their service bots to the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. (Photo by Mayuko Tani)
Technology

SoftBank-powered robots to help Grab with meal deliveries

Singapore and Japan to use the droids jointly developed by China's Keenon

21 September 2021