Turkey´s economy is performing better than expected, prompting rating agency Moody´s to revise its 2.2 percent growth forecast to 2.9 percent. Meanwhile, Russian tourist numbers visiting Antalya have climbed by thousands as tourists return following an improvement in relations between Turkey and Russia.
Reforms will help Turkey's economy continue to grow, says the Deputy PM Mehmet Simsek, who says the country's situation is not as it seems from outside. Turkey's economy has grown by six percent since the early 2000s, he added. Meanwhile, officials are wondering if the situation in Istanbul can be rectified as occupancy and hotel room revenues continue to drop.
President Erdogan's remarks about "Nazis" have done little to heighten relations between Turkey and Germany. But that shouldn't get in the way of tourism, say Turkish tourism officials, who are welcoming Germans to Turkey and especially the favourite German city of Antalya. Meanwhile, a UN official says tourism will bounce back as Turkey seeks to increase tourist share from Israel and the Ukraine.
Partnering with Sinpas at the CityScape Expo this week in Doha, Property Turkey took 37 reservations for developments in Istanbul, Bursa and Ankara. Property Turkey director Cameron Deggin said the success was down to interest from Middle Eastern buyers, who are increasingly looking to Turkey for second homes and investment properties.
A recent law change aiming to boost Turkey property sales to foreigners has eliminated the 18% VAT tax on Turkish property. If you're an overseas buyer, or a Turk living abroad, you can buy a commercial property or residential property in Turkey and avoid paying tax - as long as you hold onto the property for a year.
The overall outlook for the Turkish economy is positive, with 2.8 percent growth expected this year despite inflation reaching double digits. Analysts say measures taken by the Central Bank, as well as improved tourism and export figures, will temper inflation to 8 percent, and result in an overall growth for the economy this year.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has begun a six-week campaign ahead of a referendum in April that will ask Turks to approve constitutional changes that will allow him to wield greater presidential power. At the moment, Turks are divided on the issue, but Erdogan is a seasoned campaigner and skilled at the election rhetoric that has seen him win election after election.
A Pricewaterhouse Coopers report showing what the world's largest economies will likely be in 2050 reveals some surprising results: current powerhouses will slip from their comfortable top spots to allow for emerging markets to take prime position. Among them is Turkey, currently at 17th place, which will climb to 11th position.
President Erdogan is urging the 5.5 million Turks living outside the country to travel back to Turkey for their holidays this year. The tourist sector has taken a battering from a depressed lira and a turbulent year 2016 where security concerns deterred foreign visitors from holidaying in Turkey. Meanwhile, domestic holiday demand has soared as Turks seek to take advantage of early holiday promotions.
Fikirtepe on the city's Asian side is a notorious slum area. However, this is about to change quite dramatically as $18 billion is poured into the area to build new homes and improve local infrastructure. A government official has said Fikirtepe will become a city within a city as construction ramps up in earnest.
Last week proved fruitful for Theresa May, who visited US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a push to sew the seeds of future trade deals which will prove necessary when Britain is no longer part of the EU. May and Erdogan signed a multi-million dollar fighter jet deal. The pair agreed it would be the first of many deals which would bolster relations between the two countries.
Turkish tourism floundered last year in the face of geopolitical instability. This year, tourism officials are working hard to address visitor numbers. We examine the latest measures taken to try and bring that number back up, including using Syrian refugees to bolster the industry, as well as diversification.
