Business Turkey

*Iran imposes flight ban, Turkey threatens retaliation. *Tension simmers over vote in disputed areas like oil-rich Kirkuk. ERBIL/SULAIMANIYA, Iraq, Sept 25- Kurds voted in an independence referendum in northern Iraq on Monday, ignoring pressure from Baghdad, threats from Turkey and Iran, and international warnings that the vote may ignite yet more regional...

LONDON, Sept 25- Emerging equities hit two-week lows on Monday, weighed down by global politics, the prospect of higher U.S. interest rates, a retreat in tech stocks and weak Chinese property shares. Falls were led by bourses in Asia, where heavyweight Hong Kong tumbled 1.3 percent and Chinese mainland stocks fell 0.5 percent led by property firms after some cities...

*Iran imposes flight ban, Turkey threatens retaliation. ERBIL/SULAIMANIYA, Iraq, Sept 25- Voting began in northern Iraq on Monday in an independence referendum organised by Kurdish authorities, ignoring pressure from Baghdad, threats from neighouring Turkey and Iran, and international warnings it may ignite yet more regional conflict.

ERBIL, Iraq, Sept 25- Voting started on Monday in an independence referendum organised by the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq, ignoring the threats of the Kurds' neighbours and fears of further instability and violence across the Middle East. The vote, expected to deliver a comfortable "yes" for independence, is not binding and is meant to give...

Miss Turkey organizers said the 18- year-old Itir Esen was dethroned on Friday, a day after she won the contest and the right to represent Turkey at the Miss World contest in China. Runner-up Asli Sumen will now represent Turkey in China. But Can Sandikcioglu, who heads the Miss Turkey Organization, said the committee said it confirmed she was the author of the...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates— When Rohingya Muslims fled persecution and slaughter in Myanmar in past decades, tens of thousands found refuge in Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites. More than 500,000 people— roughly half the Rohingya Muslim population in Myanmar— have fled to neighboring Bangladesh over the past year, mostly in the last month.

*Scatec Solar also eyeing Myanmar, Bangladesh. OSLO, Sept 15- Norway's Scatec Solar is in talks to build its first solar power plants in Iran, its chief executive told Reuters, joining a wave of foreign energy firms looking to invest in the oil major. The Oslo- listed firm, which builds and operates solar power plants worldwide, wants to generate 120 megawatts of power...

LONDON, Sept 14- Disappointing Chinese data weighed on emerging market assets on Thursday, capping stocks and dragging on some currencies, while Turkey's lira touched a two-week low ahead of a central bank rate decision. Bourses across Asia painted a mixed picture with China mainland stocks and Hong Kong down 0.4 percent in the wake of China's rare data miss.

STRASBOURG, Sept 13- The president of the European Commission said on Wednesday he saw no prospect of Turkey joining the EU in "the foreseeable future" but he had a more optimistic message for six Western Balkan nations also seeking membership. "Turkey has been taking giant strides away from the European Union for some time," Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the...

BRUSSELS— The Latest on the "State of the European Union" address by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker:. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is calling for a major shake-up of European Union's institutions that could involve his job becoming redundant. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has taken a poke at...

Addressing lawmakers at the European Parliament, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the EU is "bouncing back" after a tough decade that's seen much of the 28- country mired in an economic crisis and Britain vote to leave. "The wind is back in Europe's sail," he said in an upbeat hour-long annual "State of the European Union" address in Strasbourg, France.

NAIROBI, Sept 12- When Turkish Airlines opened a direct daily route to a war-ravaged African failed state plagued by Islamist militants, industry insiders were skeptical. "Somalia is one of our most profitable destinations worldwide," Mustafa Ozkahraman, Kenya country manager for Turkish Airlines, told Reuters in an interview. The Istanbul- based carrier is...

LONDON, Sept 7- Turkish budget airline Pegasus is looking to boost its flights between Europe and Turkey following a recovery in demand this year as the security situation improved, its chief commercial officer said. After a torrid 2016 which saw Pegasus make a loss after a series of attacks in the country, tourists are returning to Turkey. "If the market demand is...

TALLINN/ PARIS, Sept 7- German Chancellor Angela Merkel's call to stop Turkey's European Union accession talks drew a mixed response from the bloc's foreign ministers on Thursday, while French President Emmanuel Macron said Ankara remained a vital partner of the EU. NATO allies Germany and Turkey have traded increasingly bitter words over the last two years.