Al-Monitor Daily Briefing: Turkey grapples with big trade deficit with China

[logo]( [fb_icon]( [twitter_icon]( EDITOR'S PICKS Tuesday, May 21 | Daily Briefing [By: Mehmet Cetingulec on Tuesday, May. 21, 2019]( Turkey 1 [Turkey grapples with big trade deficit with China]( Amid Washington’s trade war on China, Ankara is also grumbling about a massive trade gap with Beijing, but a number of factors stand in Turkey's way to resolve the deficit. Palestine 2 [King Abdullah vows to complete restoration of Church of Holy Sepulchre]( Jordan’s King Abdullah shocked many when he vowed May 7 to help complete the restoration of the Christians’ most important church in Jerusalem. Iran 3 [Iran, US trade tweets as talk of war dies down]( Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded to Donald Trump’s tweets in a sign that both sides want to reduce tension. Turkey 4 [Turkey groans under economic pressure from Saudis]( Once Turkey's biggest foreign buyers of real estate, Saudis are increasingly boycotting the country as the kingdom's chamber of commerce warns citizens away. Syria 5 [Afrin musician teaches region's musical heritage to children]( Mostafa Bakr has opened a music school in downtown Afrin where he teaches children and adults to play the string instruments of the region, from buzuq to tanbur. Iran 6 [What to do about Iran’s expected budget deficit]( The impact of US sanctions on Iranian energy exports is bound to cause a budget deficit in Iran, with the Rouhani administration facing tough choices ahead. Palestine 7 [How will Israel protect its vehicles on Gaza border?]( Three days after Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades fired a guided missile at an Israeli vehicle, the Israeli army embarked on setting up a new concrete barrier to protect its vehicles in the border areas. Palestine 8 [Gaza soda bottler opens West Bank site to deal with siege]( Pepsi Palestine, based in the Gaza Strip, has opened a new branch in the West Bank in light of the Gaza siege and Israeli restrictions, and some analysts fear such action could contribute to the collapse of the already-fragile economy in Gaza. Lebanon 9 [A century of Lebanese documents preserve shifting identities]( The exhibition “Identity Papers” uses old government documents and artworks to show how identity is created, informed and changed by official papers. STAY CONNECTED [fb_icon_footer]( [twitter_icon_footer]( [instagram_icon_footer]( [rss_icon_footer]( CONTACT US [Support & Contact]( [Advertise](mailto:advertise@al-monitor.com) NEWSLETTERS [Subscribe]( TERMS OF USE [Visitor Agreement]( [Privacy Policy]( © 2019 Al-Monitor. All Rights Reserved. If you no longer wish to receive these emails you may [unsubscribe or manage your preferences]( at any time. Al-Monitor · 1850 K St NW · Suite 1225 · Washington, DC 20006 · USA