Türkiye 'important partner around world': Pentagon
Türkiye has an important partnership with the US on the global stage, a spokesman for the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder responded to a question on the Pentagon's possible message to Congress on the conclusion of a deal to sell F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye.
Ryder said it is a Congressional decision to make, adding "the United States and Turkey share an alliance and they're an important partner, not only in the region but around the world."
Asked by Anadolu how important this potential sale is for military relations, which have been strained over the years due to several issues, he stressed that the US views Türkiye as "an important ally."
"Certainly when it comes to the bilateral relationship between the United States and Turkey, we've always said that Turkey is an important partner and important ally.
"And so we'll continue to work closely with Turkey's leaders on how we can bolster that relationship and insure that our mutual defense needs are considered," he added.
The US State Department sent Congress its decision on the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye for a tiered review last week, sources told Anadolu on Friday.
Global stocks mostly rose as investors digested data showing a softening of US consumer inflation, potentially giving the Federal Reserve room to slow its interest rate hikes. Equities also found support for growing optimism over China's economic reopening. Europe's main bourses surpassed levels not seen in months.
Paris closed 0.7 percent higher after briefly rising past the 7,000-point mark for the first time since February last year, while Frankfurt ended above 15,000 points for the first time since the same month.
Shares in London were 0.9 percent higher. On Wall Street, major indices shook off early weakness and also finished higher. Both the Dow and Nasdaq ended the session up 0.6 percent.
After inflation soared to decades-high levels in the last year, investors had been keenly awaiting the latest US consumer price index (CPI) reading for an indication of the Fed's next move.
It showed consumer inflation in the United States slipped in December to the lowest level in over a year-rising 6.5 percent from a year ago, the smallest increase since October 2021, the Labor Department said. The annual figure was also down from November's 7.1-percent spike.
Between November and December, CPI dipped 0.1 percent, the first time in around two years it logged a month-on-month contraction.
"While the job picture remains strong, the Fed will be pleased to see that the inflation outlook is getting better too," Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, said.
Several analysts issued reports predicting the Fed would raise interest rates by a quarter percentage point in February, down from the half percentage point hike in December.
But Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said Fed officials still faced "a super-tricky balancing act."
"Expectations remain that the Fed will opt for a 0.25-percent hike at the next meeting, but a steeper 0.5-percent jump still can't be ruled out as core inflation which strips out volatile energy and food prices is still proving a much tougher nut to crack," she said.
Investors are also keeping tabs on developments in China as it emerges from years of strict zero-Covid containment measures.
While the long-term outlook remains positive, soaring infections across the country are leading to worries about the effect on economic activity.