Morning Briefing: May 28, 2023

ANKARA

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Sunday with, including Türkiye’s presidential runoff election, 'agreement in principle' between US President Joe Biden and house speaker to avert default, and election of the Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic as the new president of the Serbian Progressive Party.

TOP STORIES

• Türkiye to hold runoff vote on Sunday to elect president

Türkiye is heading to a runoff vote on Sunday to elect the president after no candidate was able to reach the 50% threshold in the first round held on May 14.

The voting began on Sunday at 8 a.m. local time (0500GMT) and will end at 5 p.m. local time (1400GMT).

More than 60 million people are registered to vote, including 4.9 million first-time voters.

• Biden, House speaker reach 'agreement in principle' to avert default

US President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced late Saturday an "agreement in principle" to raise the debt limit and avoid a “catastrophic default.”

Biden said the agreement protects his and congressional Democrats' priorities, and "is an important step forward that reduces spending while protecting critical programs for working people and growing the economy for everyone."

"The agreement represents a compromise, which means not everyone gets what they want. That’s the responsibility of governing," he said in a statement.


• Serbian defense minister replaces President Aleksandar Vucic as party leader

Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic has been elected the new president of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) after President Aleksandar Vucic stepped down.

Vucic stepped down as the party leader on Friday and Vucevic was elected as the new head in the extraordinary session of the SNS Assembly in Kragujevac city on Saturday.

Vucevic said that the policy of the SNS will not change and that it will continue to be the engine of Serbia's development.

• Türkiye’s Merve Dizdar wins best actress at Cannes Film Festival

Türkiye’s Merve Dizdar won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for About Dry Grasses, or Kuru Otlar Ustune.

The award for best director went to Vietnamese-born French film director and screenwriter Tran Anh Hung for the Pot-au-Feu (La Passion De Dodin Bouffant).

French director Justine Triet has won the Palme d'Or for Anatomy of a Fall (L'anatomie d'une chute).

The award for best screenplay went to Japanese Yuji Sakamoto for Kaibutsu (monster) directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will head to the polls on June 25 for a by-election due to the resignation of one deputy from the 50-seat parliament.

• UN aid agencies in Lebanon on Saturday announced a temporary suspension of its cash assistance program to Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

• More than a hundred German diplomats, civil servants, and teachers have to leave Russia in the coming days amid growing tensions between Berlin and Moscow, local media reported on Saturday.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday imposed sanctions against 51 individuals and 220 companies, affiliated with the transport, communication and industrial sectors of Russia and Belarus.

• Russia on Saturday launched its Condor-FKA satellite, which can take pictures of the earth's surface around the clock in any weather, including in conditions of heavy clouds.

SPORTS

• Bayern Munich sack CEO Kahn, board member Salihamidzic despite title win

Bayern Munich on Saturday sacked their CEO Oliver Kahn and board member for sport Hasan Salihamidzic after the team won the 2023 German Bundesliga title.


"Oliver Kahn is no longer CEO of FC Bayern Munchen AG. Hasan Salihamidzic will also be replaced as board member for sport. This was decided by the club’s supervisory board," Bayern Munich said in a statement.


• Bayern Munich win 11th straight German title after Borussia Dortmund fail at home

Bayern Munich won their 11th straight German Bundesliga title on Saturday after their rivals Borussia Dortmund failed to beat Mainz at home.

Before the final fixture in the Bundesliga, Dortmund were two points clear atop the league table. They needed to get a win over Mainz at Signal Iduna Park but Dortmund wasted several chances to lose the title to Bayern Munich.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

• Turkish defense firm gets multimillion-dollar contract for African country's border, security needs

A Turkish defense company has signed a multimillion-dollar contract with an African country to supply its border and internal security needs.

Asisguard, which operates in the fields of armed drones, electro-optics, and vehicle modernization, signed a contract of some $36.5 million with the country, according to data obtained by Anadolu. The country’s name was not given.

• Turkish-Russian trade volume in 2022 topped $62B: Senior Moscow diplomat

Last year the volume of trade between Türkiye and Russia topped $62 billion, said a senior Russian senior diplomat on Saturday.

Speaking to Russian news agency RIA, Yury Pilipson, director of the 4th European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said Russian-Turkish cooperation has developed "especially dynamically" in recent years.