US Rebukes Blame for 2016 Coup; AKP Support Slips

LOCAL NEWS

• US issues statement to rebuke comments from Turkish Interior Min blaming the US for the failed 2016 coup.
  • US says it had no involvement and labelled the assertions as unfounded & wholly false. Interior Min Soylu said "it is obvious that the US is behind the coup.
  • The attempt was carried out by the Gulen movement with US instructions." Gulen currently lives in self-imposed exile in the US and the US refuses to extradite him on grounds that Turkey lacks sufficient evidence
• AKP loses ground to opposition National Alliance in recent polls. NA is now ahead by 8% at 48.3% vs 39.6% for the AKP. Poll shows CHP's vote almost tripled in pro-Kurdish regions with 61% of Kurdish voters believing Erdogan is doing a bad job
• CBRT establishes three new divisions to adapt its organisational structure. 1) Structural Econ Dept will be charged with analysing food and agri developments and forming an early-warning system. 2) Participation banking division 3) financial control division - to increase reliability of financial reporting & control whether expenditures under the budget are in line with the bank's priorities
• EU welcomes Turkey's reform agenda - "we wish to see concrete steps in a direction leading to a window of opportunity in EU-Turkish relations".
  • Highlights judicial reforms as a crucial component - a facet many analysts believe will see limited or no tangible changes - Anadolu Agency