Having risen 30% year-on-year, Turkey posted its highest-ever monthly exports figure in September with $20.8 billion, the trade minister announced on Friday.

"For the first time in our republic's history, we've exceeded the threshold level of $20 billion on a monthly basis," Mehmet Mus told reporters in the capital Ankara, citing preliminary foreign trade figures.

Turkey also achieved its 12-month rolling exports target for 2021 in the first nine months of the year, reaching $212.2 billion, Mus stressed.

As laid out in Turkey's new economic program announced by the government, the export target for this year is $211 billion, he noted.

"I believe this success story will continue to increase and maintain growth permanently," Mus said.

The country's imports totaled at $23.4 billion in September, up 12% from the same month last year, he said./aa

Fitch Ratings announced Friday it has lowered Greece's gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for 2022 to 4%, from its previous estimate of 5.3%.

The global rating agency said in a statement the downward revision is "due to a less positive carryover effect from 2021."

"Supply chain constraints in Greece’s main trading partners, and in domestic sectors more exposed to rising input costs, could constrain growth, as could an increase in coronavirus infections," the statement said.

"We have actually raised our 2021 deficit forecast to 10.0% of GDP from 9.5% at our July review due to higher estimates of the cost of the government’s support to the economy, which will outweigh the positive revenue impact from strong growth," it added.

Noting that government debt peaked last year to an estimated 205.6% of GDP, the agency warned that failure to reduce government debt to GDP ratio in the short-term could lead to a negative action in its next rating review in January 2022.

Fitch, on the other hand, said it revised up Greece's 2021 full-year GDP growth forecast to 6%, citing its economy completed four consecutive quarters of growth from second half of 2021 through first half of 2022.

"Annual growth was about 7% in first half of 2021 and real GDP returned to its pre-pandemic level in the second quarter," the statement said, adding "The GDP forecast change does not lower our 2021 fiscal deficit forecast."

"The sharp rise in exports has been offset by increasing imports," it noted.

Fitch said it expects economic growth to slow to 3.5% in 2023./agencies

China's latest regulations on cryptocurrencies aim to eliminate competition with Beijing's new digital currency, the digital yuan, an expert told Anadolu Agency on Friday.

"Making cryptocurrency transactions in China illegal is a much anticipated move to eliminate any potential competition to the government's new incoming sovereign digital currency," David Lesperance, managing director of international tax and immigration advisory firm Lesperance & Associates, said via email.

"The digital yuan is part of an all-encompassing series of actions by the Chinese government to have complete control over the lives of its citizens," he said.

China's central bank, the People's Bank of China, announced last week that it will tighten regulations on cryptocurrency activities, including trading and mining, as the government intensifies its crackdown on digital coins.

Its regulations on the crypto market include prohibiting trading, token issuance and crypto derivatives, considering overseas crypto exchanges, which offer services to domestic residents in China, an illegal activity, and banning financial institutions, non-bank payment companies and internet firms from facilitating crypto trading.

Lesperance argued that China wants to have complete control over its population, and the digital yuan, combined with currency control in China, will give Beijing total vision over the population and all their financial transactions.

What can Chinese users do?

After Beijing tightening regulations, cryptocurrency holders in China have some options – they can either get their crypto assets outside of the country or wait for the government to offer a swap for their crypto assets in exchange for digital yuan.

"China's crypto ban will effectively divide that country's crypto currencies holders," Lesperance said.

He argued that a group of crypto investors in China will act to get their crypto assets and themselves an escape plan to avoid the complete control of the government, while another group will be under the scrutiny of the government unless they act.

Central banks

Another hot topic in the crypto market lately is whether central banks around the world will issue their own digital currencies like the People's Bank of China.

"All of the world's monies and assets will be digitalized. Old paper-based solutions are not fit for a digital world, and central bank fiat currencies are no exception to this. Every central bank will be creating its own digital version of its fiat currency over the coming years," Matthew Le Merle, managing partner of San Francisco-based venture capital firm Blockchain Coinvestors, which invests in blockchain companies, told Anadolu Agency by email.

Noting that central banks around the world were in denial of cryptocurrencies three years ago when digital coins were introduced as alternative payment systems and stores of value in digital wallets, he said: "Today, there is no serious central banker in the world who doubts that the world will be going digital."

"It is notable that most of the world's banks do not have digital wallets... In the US, banks are far behind where they need to be. US lawmakers should help by providing constructive and future leaning laws to accelerate these innovations," he said.

Although US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has been critical of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said last Wednesday that the Fed is evaluating whether to implement its own digital currency and will be releasing a paper on the issue shortly.

"It all begins with a reliable, secure, compliant digital wallet and the US Treasury moving quickly to create a digital dollar," Le Merle said.

Lesperance said the move from physical to digital currency is accelerating.

"Some countries such as the US will use a central bank digital currency (CBDC) as a means of protecting its reserve currency status. Other countries such as China will be using it as a means of controlling their citizens," he said.

"Those individuals who are looking for an alternative to the former or are worried about the assault on their freedom of the latter should look seriously at cryptocurrencies," he added./aa

Major stock markets in Asia posted losses at Friday's close amid concerns over the supply chain and energy supply.

The Asia Dow, which includes blue-chip companies in the region, decreased 47.8 points, or 1.23%, to close at 3,814 points. It was down 2.99% on a weekly basis.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 stock exchange slipped 681.6 points, or 2.31%, to 28,771. The index fell 4.89% this week.

According to the Japanese statistical authority on Friday, the country's unemployment rate remained stable at 2.8% in August.

Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 51.5 in September, from 51.2 a month ago.

The Hang Seng, the benchmark for blue-chip stocks trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange, went down by 87.9 points, or 0.36%, to 24,575, while it had a weekly rise of 0.26% on Friday.


Singapore index decreased 33.9 points, or 1.10%, to 3,052, and the Indian Sensex benchmark gained 394, or 0.67%, to 58,732. While Singapore was down 0.28% this week, Sensex lost 2.14%.

Chinese financial markets are closed for a week on account of the Golden Week holiday starting on Friday./agencies

A football fan in the UK was sentenced Thursday to two months in prison for cyber racism against West Bromwich Albion midfielder Romaine Sawyers, according to media reports.

Sky News said West Brom fan Simon Silwood, 50, was jailed by Birmingham Magistrates' Court for a racist Facebook post that targeted Sawyers in early 2021.

"This is, Mr. Silwood, a serious offense. There is no place for racism or racist abuse online. This clearly in my view crosses the custody threshold," said judge Briony Clarke.

Sawyers, 29, who moved from West Bromwich Albion to Stoke City on loan for this season, was aware of the post after Manchester City hammered West Brom 5-0 on Jan. 26.

Silwood denied the offense and claimed that after the defeat he meant to text that Sawyers should win the "buffoon d'Or", a sarcastic reference to the Ballon d'Or – an annual prestigious football award given to the world's best player.

He blamed it on a misspelling on his device and said his post autocorrected "buffoon" to "baboon."

West Bromwich Albion said the English club welcomed the court's sentence and banned Silwood for life after his conviction on Sept. 9.

UK-born Sawyers is a citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis -- an island nation in the West Indies.

Sawyers has made 64 appearances for West Bromwich Albion and played for the club's Under-23 team./aa

The US is "deeply saddened and disturbed" by the killing of Rohingya Muslim advocate Mohib Ullah, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday. 

"Ullah was a brave and fierce advocate for the human rights of Rohingya Muslims around the world," Blinken said in a statement.

The 48-year-old, a leader of the Rohingya Muslim community, was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen in a refugee camp in Bangladesh on Wednesday.

"We urge a full and transparent investigation into his death with the goal of holding the perpetrators of this heinous crime accountable," said Blinken.

The top diplomat said the US will honor his work "by continuing to advocate for Rohingya and lift up the voices of members of the community in decisions about their future."/aa

Hundreds gathered on Parliament Hill and thousands attended Indigenous tribal lands to mark Canada’s National Truth and Reconciliation Day, including Queen Elizabeth. 

"I join with all Canadians on this first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to reflect on the painful history that Indigenous peoples endured in residential schools in Canada," the Queen said in a statement, adding that there is more work "that remains to heal and to continue to build an inclusive society."

Sept. 30 was established by the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to honor an estimated 6,000 children who died while attending Indian Residential Schools. Also honored were 150,000 children who attended the schools from their beginning in the 1820s until the last of 139 schools was closed in the 1990s.

Some were removed from their families and forced into the schools, many of which were run by the Catholic Church. The goal was to eradicate Indigenous culture in the children. Some were subjected to physical, sexual and psychological abuse, as well as diseases like tuberculosis.

The ceremonies also commemorated the families affected by the schools and the hundreds of unmarked graves of children that have been uncovered, mostly at the schools - more than 1,000 this summer as the search continues. Some were buried and their families never informed of the deaths of the children.

On the eve of the Reconciliation Day, Trudeau participated in a ceremony on Parliament Hill and spoke of the loss to the Indigenous communities of First Nations, Inuit and Metis.

“Today, I invite everyone across the country to recognize and observe the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation," Trudeau said in a statement obtained by Anadolu Agency.

"It is a day to reflect on the painful and lasting impacts of residential schools in Canada and to honor survivors, their families, and their communities. It is also a day to remember the many children who never returned home, and an opportunity for us all to learn more, and to affirm the need for reconciliation and commit ourselves to the work ahead."

"The tragic locating of unmarked graves at former residential school sites across the country has reminded us of not only the impacts of colonialism and the harsh realities of our collective past but also the work that is paramount to advancing reconciliation in Canada."

The ceremonies were also designed to teach Canadians about the abysmal historical treatment suffered by Indigenous peoples and the discrimination that continues to this day.

Mary Simon, Canada's first Indigenous Governor General -- the Queen's representative in Canada -- said the day was a chance for Canadians to face "uncomfortable truths."

"As we strive to acknowledge the horrors of the past, the suffering inflicted on Indigenous peoples, let us all stand side-by-side with grace and humility, and work together to build a better future for all," she said in a statement.

At the ceremonies that took place across Canada, many wore orange T-shirts, a symbol that has come to be representative of the tragedy of residential schools./agencies

Suicides among US troops increased 15% in 2020 from 2019, according to a Pentagon report on Thursday.

The USA TODAY newspaper was the first to report suicide figures with congressional and Defense Department sources, which showed 580 troops took their lives compared with 504 in 2019.

They included 384 active component, 77 Reserve and 119 National Guard troops, said the 2020 Annual Suicide Report.

Most troops who committed suicide were young enlisted men, a congressional aide told the American newspaper.

In 2018, 543 troops died by suicide.

A spike has been reported in suicides among soldiers in Alaska, with six suspected suicides in nearly half of this year.

According to USA TODAY, the Army spent more than $200 million in recent years to prevent suicides on bases in Alaska.

Dr. Karin Orvis, Director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, said in the report that suicide remains a serious public health issue in the US and the military.

"Our efforts must address the many aspects of life that impact suicide," said Orvis.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin dubbed the findings "troubling."

"Suicide rates among our service members and military families are still too high, and the trends are not going in the right direction," Austin said in a statement./agencies