GLOBAL MARKETS Asian stock markets were pinned near seven-week lows on Thursday while the dollar stood at multi-week peaks, as a run of strong economic data had investors worrying interest rates will need to keep rising and stay high to put the brakes on inflation. CENTRAL BANK RATES DECISION The central bank will hold its monthly monetary policy committee and announce its decision on interest rates (1100 GMT). A Reuters poll forecast that it would cut its policy rate by 50 basis points to 8.5% in the wake of this month's earthquakes. ERDOGAN PROGRAMME President Tayyip Erdogan will meet the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili at the presidential palace (1100 GMT). No news conference is scheduled. EARTHQUAKE
The number of people killed in Turkey in this month's devastating earthquakes has risen to 43,556, the country's Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said overnight. The Environment and Urbanisation Minister Murat Kurum will give an interview to state-owned Anadolu news agency (1300 GMT). CENTRAL BANK WEEKLY DATA The central bank will announce its weekly foreign exchange reserves data (1130 GMT). NATO Sweden's prime minister said on Wednesday talks with Turkey regarding NATO membership will resume in mid-March after stalling in January in the wake of a Koran-burning protest. Finland and Sweden are proceeding "hand-in-hand" towards NATO membership but that the decision to ratify the applications for the two Nordic countries lies with Turkey, Finnish president Sauli Niinisto said on Wednesday. For other related news, double click on: Turkish politics Turkish equities Turkish money Turkish debt Turkish hot stocks Forex news All emerging market news All Turkish news For real-time quotes, double click on: Istanbul National-100 stock index , interbank lira trading , lira bond trading (Compiled by Daren Butler)
