AKP Denies Claims Erdogan Too Unwell to Run for 2023 Presidency

LOCAL NEWS

• AKP Deputy Chair refutes claims if Erdogan's illness and inability to lead Turkey in 2023 made by US journalist and Turkey Expert Stephen Cook.
  • Cook says Erdogan's health is in fast decline – showing video footage of Erdogan shuffling, struggling to walk and even slurring his words. Here, he argued that Erdogan would be unable to run for the presidency in 2023, and that Defense Min Halusi Akar would step in instead
• Over 70% of Turkey's population is now fully vaccinated with two jabs (72.54%) with the country fast approaching the 75% threshold. The majority of jabs have been administered with the supposedly less effective Sinovac & Sinopharm vaccines, however
• Greek migration & Asylum minister Matarachi calls on the EU to keep its promise on visa-free travel to Turkey as part of its 2016 agreements to take on migrants in exchange for monetary & travel concessions as the threat of higher migrant flows from Afghanistan looms.
  • Matarachi says the EU need to work more closely with international agencies to deal with the Afghan migration crisis
• Moscow urges Ankara to implement Idlib ceasefire agreement in line with the "escalating terror threat" in some areas following Lavrov's talks with Egyptian FM Shoukry. Both sides have complained in recent weeks about violations from the other sides but relations remain measured at this juncture

Data:

• Effective Exchange Rate Sep, prior at 62.89