Turkey-Qatar.

OPAP,” Damian Cope, the company’s chief executive officer, told a conference call with analysts yesterday. Under its current contract with the government, Europe’s fifth largest betting firm would operate 16,000 machines and subcontract another 18,000, expanding into a new business which is seen as a key growth driver for the firm. The Greek government tabled a draft bill in August reducing the number of machines to be deployed to 25,000 from 35,000 by the end of 2019, aiming at smaller exposure to gambling and more effective supervision by authorities. The bill also extends OPAP’s license by eight years and says the firm will not have to subcontract any of the machines. OPAP introduced the new machines earlier this year. It now operates more than 5,000 machines and plans to have a total of 10,000 machines in place by the end of the year, Cope added.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will hold talks in Ankara today with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an ally of Doha in its dispute with Gulf Arab neighbors. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic and trade links with Qatar three months ago, suspending air and shipping routes with the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas. They say Qatar supports regional foe Iran and Islamists. Qatar denies the charges and says the economic boycott aims at neutering an independent foreign policy it says promotes peaceful regional reform and fighting terrorism. Last month Turkey held joint military exercises with Qatari forces in the Gulf state.