Executive Summary

Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes.

Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter

Here is your 15 minutes wrap-up for the highlights from Turkey and all around the World.

1. CORONA CASES IN TURKEY AND IN THE WORLD Turkey •

Turkey's Coronavirus Death Toll Up To 1,403 o Turkey on Tuesday confirmed 107 more deaths from the novel coronavirus in the country over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 1,403. The total number of registered coronavirus cases surged to 65,111 as 4,062 more people tested positive for the virus, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told a news conference following the virtual meeting of Coronavirus Science Board. (English)

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Independent Turkey Party Chair Haydar Bas Passes Away o Haydar Bas, Independent Turkey Party (BTP) Chairperson, has died of COVID-19 at the age of 73, reports said Tuesday. He was receiving treatment at a private hospital for the last four days and then he was transferred to the Trabzon Kanuni Research and Education Hospital after his condition deteriorated. (Turkish)

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Coronavirus Treatment Is Cost-Free o Yet another new decision has been taken in order to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. As per the decision published on the Official Gazette, all people in Turkey regardless of whether they have social security or not will be able to benefit from the equipment provided by the Health Ministry. (Turkish)

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Erciyes University Draws the Gene Map of Covıd-19 o Prof. Dr. Aykut Ozdarendeli, Erciyes University Vaccine Research and Development Centre Director, has revealed that they drew the gene map of the isolated SARS-CoV-2 virus by arranging genome of the virus in a row. (Turkish)

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Turkish Armed Forces Takes Measure Against Covıd-19: Summons and Discharges Delayed o Hulusi Akar, National Defense Minister, has reported that they decided to delay the date of summons and discharges at the Turkish Armed Forces due to the coronavirus pandemic. Outcomes of the relevant study carried out by the National Defense Ministry shall be submitted to the President Tayyip Erdogan for the final decision. (Turkish)

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Thy Cancels International Flights Until May 20th o Turkish Airlines (THY) said on Tuesday that it has decided to extend the cancellation of international flights until May 20 over the coronavirus crisis. The airliner had previously cancelled flights until May 1. (Turkish)

World •

More Than 2000 Deaths Linked to Coronavirus In UK, Older People Airbrushed, Claimed Ventilators Not Available o There were 2,100 more deaths linked to coronavirus in England and Wales by 3 April than reported by the government, new official figures have revealed.

(English)

Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes.

Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter

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Many older people are being "airbrushed" out of coronavirus figures in the UK, charities have warned. The official death toll has been criticized for only covering people who die in hospital - but not those in care homes or in their own houses.

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey told the BBC the daily figure was based on hospital deaths because "it's accurate and quick". (English) Ministers have increased the number of life-saving ventilators available to NHS patients by just 200 in one week, despite the health secretary insisting seven days ago there would be “another 15 hundred” available. (English)

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Scotland’s Covid-19 Death toll o The latest daily figures show there have been 615 deaths of people after a positive test for Covid-19. There have been 6,358 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Scotland, but the Scottish government has talked about this being a massive underestimate. (English)

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Trump Claims Total Power Over Lockdown, Governor Says “We Don’t Have A King” o President Donald Trump has claimed "total" power to lift the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, contradicting governors and legal experts. "The president of the United States calls the shots," Mr Trump said during a combative press conference in which he feuded with reporters. But the US Constitution says the states maintain public order and safety. (English) o New York governor Andrew Cuomo warned Donald Trump that the US did not have a “king” but a constitution after the president claimed his “authority is total”. The president said on Monday that he had absolute power over states when it comes to ending the coronavirus shutdown. Governors and legal experts dismissed the president’s claim overnight as a misreading of the US constitution at best. (English) o US President Donald Trump says he has instructed his administration to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO). He said the WHO had "failed in its basic duty" in its response to the coronavirus outbreak. He accused the UN body of mismanaging and covering up the spread of the virus after it emerged in China and said it must be held accountable. (English)

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N.Y.C. Death Toll Soars Past 10,000 in Revised Virus Count o New York City, already a world epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, sharply increased its death toll by more than 3,700 victims on Tuesday, after officials said they were now including people who had never tested positive for the virus but were presumed to have died of it. (English)

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South Korea Is Holding an Election During the Coronavirus Crisis o Pink is the color of the country's main opposition party, the conservative United Future Party, and this crowd of supporters is staging a legal campaign rally ahead of Wednesday's election of 300 members of the National Assembly. Large public gatherings are a jarring sight during a pandemic. But South Korea has never postponed an election before -- and the coronavirus is not stopping this one.

(English)

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China Tightens Russia Border Checks, Approves Coronavirus Vaccine Trials o China has approved early-stage human tests of two experimental vaccines to combat the new coronavirus as the country where the virus was first detected battles to contain imported cases, especially from Russia. (English)

Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes.

Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter

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Virtual summit: SE Asia leaders meet by video on pandemic o Forced apart by the coronavirus pandemic, Southeast Asian leaders linked up by video Tuesday to plot a strategy to overcome a crisis that has threatened their economies and kept millions of people in their homes under lockdowns. (English)

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Athens Signals Intent Raise Capital With 7-Year Bond Issue o Greece reported a total of 2,170 cases of confirmed coronavirus infections and 101 fatalities. (Greek) o Greece will proceed with a new loan through a 7-year bond. The Greek state wants to take advantage of the situation to increase its already high cash availability. The amount of the issue could reach 2,5billion euros. (English) o The company Halyvourgia of Greece, which is the second largest steelmaker in Volos region, suspends operation due to lack of raw materials and reduction of orders. (Greek)

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Russia's Coronavirus Cases Surpass 20,000 o Russia confirmed 2,774 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 21,102 and marking the latest one-day record in new cases. (English) o State Council Group on the issue of Small and medium-sized enterprises asks region authorities not to stop enterprises if there is no need. (Russian) o The State Duma introduces a ban on the collection of bank commissions from utility and mandatory payments.(Russian) o The Ministry of Economic Development proposed to include museums and zoos in the list of the most affected sectors of the Russian economy. (Russian)

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The Pandemic Is Playing to Almost Every One Of Amazon's Strengths o As the coronavirus pandemic has forced people to stay inside, few companies have proven themselves as essential as Amazon. From groceries to cleaning supplies, shipments from Amazon (AMZN) have become lifelines for many who are steering clear of supermarkets and other physical retail stores. Company executives have likened the surge in demand to the annual holiday shopping crush. (English)

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China Has Been Stockpiling Oil for Years. Low Prices Give It Reason to Buy More o Oil is cheaper right now than it has been in years. That's great news for China — the world's second largest consumer of oil and its biggest importer — which has been building up huge reserves and needs energy to restart its economy. (English)

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India Has Closed Its Railways for The First Time In 167 Years. Now Trains Are Being Turned into Hospitals o When Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 25, Indian Railways took the unprecedented move of suspending passenger trains across the country until April 14. It was the first time in 167 years that Asia's oldest rail network had been suspended. Now the railway network has decided to convert as many as 20,000 old train carriages into isolation wards for patients as the virus spreads. (English)

2. MARKETS

Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes.

Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter

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Support from The IMF To Help The 25 Poorest Countries Deal with Pandemic o The International Monetary Fund said on Monday it would provide immediate debt relief to 25 member countries under its Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT) to allow them to focus more financial resources on fighting the coronavirus pandemic. (English)

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Global Stocks and US Futures Move Higher on Signs of Pickup in China's Economy o Global markets and US stocks futures moved higher Tuesday after trade data suggested that China's economy is performing better than expected as the country recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. Japan's Nikkei 225 (N225) added 3.1% and South Korea's Kospi (KOSPI) gained 1.7%. The Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP) rose 1.6%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng (HSI) added 0.6%.

Most European markets gained as traders returned from the Easter holiday, with Germany's DAX (DAX) adding 1% and France's CAC 40 (CAC40) up 0.2%. (English)

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IMF: Worst Economic Downturn Since the Great Depression o Under the assumption that the pandemic and required containment peaks in the second quarter for most countries in the world, and recedes in the second half of this year, in the April World Economic Outlook we project global growth in 2020 to fall to -3 percent. This is a downgrade of 6.3 percentage points from January 2020, a major revision over a very short period. This makes the Great Lockdown the worst recession since the Great Depression, and far worse than the Global Financial Crisis. (English)

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Ten U.S. States Developing 'Reopening' Plans o On Monday, three states on the U.S. West Coast, led by California Governor Gavin Newsom, and seven on the East Coast, led by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, said they will develop coordinated regional plans. Except for Massachusetts, all are led by Democratic governors. Collectively the ten states generated 38.3% of the total U.S. economic output in the fourth quarter of 2019, highlighting how much of the U.S. economy depends on its most populous states. (English)

3. BUSINESS WORLD •

China Is Giving Cash to Car Buyers to Revive Sales Crushed by The Pandemic o In a normal year, China would have sold more than 6 million new cars by now.

This year, the number is closer to 3.7 million, and now the government is handing out cash to help the world's biggest auto market get back on its feet after the coronavirus pandemic. (English)

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Japanese Softbank Warns of Historic Loss as Value of Tech Startups Collapses o SoftBank warned Monday that it expected to post its first operating loss in 15 years because of a collapse in the value of its flagship tech investments. The Japanese company said it expected an operating loss of 1.35 trillion yen ($12.5 billion) in its fiscal year through March 31, 2020. That compares with an operating profit of more than 2 trillion yen the previous year. (English)

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Boeing Customers Cancel Staggering 150 Max Plane Orders o Boeing customers canceled a staggering number of 737 Max orders last month, deepening the crisis the company faces amid the coronavirus pandemic and the continued grounding of its bestselling plane after two fatal crashes. The Chicago-

Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes.

Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter

based manufacturer on Tuesday posted 150 cancellations of its beleaguered 737 Max jets in March, the most in decades, the company said. Boeing shares were down 1% in late-morning trading, up from the session lows hit after the company released the dismal figures. (English) •

Michelin Will Manufacture Millions Of masks o In this case, Michelin has expertise in textiles. Indeed, the tires incorporate highly technological textiles. "We have agreed to manufacture 16 million masks with suppliers" said Eric Vinesse. (French)

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Sanofi And GSK Together Try to Develop A Vaccine o The two pharmaceutical giants are trying to "combine their technology" to develop a vaccine against Covid-19. This vaccine would enter clinical trials in the second half of 2020 and would be available in the second quarter of 2021, if it proved to be effective. (French)

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Virus Closes Some Meat Plants, Raising Fears of Shortages o In the US, some massive meat processing plants have closed at least temporarily because their workers were sickened by the coronavirus, raising concerns that there could soon be shortages of meet. Because especially the meat supply chain is carried out in large facilities, butchering tens of thousands of animals that are processed every day, and even the closure of several large facilities can be felt quickly by customers. (English)

4. TECHNOLOGY & STARTUPS •

MIT Developed a Wireless Box That Can Detect COVID-19 Patients’ Movement and Breathing at Home o MIT’s CSAIL this week shed some light on ongoing trials it has been conducting on a new device designed to keep tabs on patients in their home. The opt-in system superficially resembles a Wi-Fi router, mounted to the patient’s wall. It utilizes wireless signals to detect a wide range of different activities, including patient movements, sleep patterns and even — most crucially — breathing.

“Emerald” is able to distinguish between different people, using artificial intelligence to track movement. The system is currently being tested at the Heritage Assisted Living facility outside of Boston. (English)

5. ARTS & CULTURE & LIFESTYLE •

48th Istanbul Music Festival is Postponed o Istanbul Foundation For Culture and Arts (IKSV) announced that 48th Istanbul Music Fest, planned to be held on June 2-25th, is postponed due to coronavirus.

The festival, which always takes place in June annually, will take place in the second half of September. (Turkish)

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Pera Museum Brings Back Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera Exhibition o Pera Museum offered Home Alone Online Short Film Selection to the audience on its website. You may reach the selection through this link. (Turkish) o Pera Museum is bringing back Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibition, which took place on November 2010 - March 2011 in Pera, to online platform this time! This video not only takes you to a journey of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera

Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes.

Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter

exhibition, but also makes you acquainted with the most striking figures of 20th century art in Mexico. (Turkish) •

#ArtOfQuarantine o During the current coronavirus pandemic, many people still ignore the basic rules of quarantine and personal security. We can say that the ability to preserve the quarantine – is a kind of art. This is how we came up with idea of “Art of Quarantine” campaign, launched in association with Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. Classic art pieces get a new look and teach how to stop the spread of COVID-19 and stay safe. As a part of global campaign #FlattenTheCurve, we aim to stop the spread of the disease and share this message to the maximum number of people all over the world. (English)

6. SPORTS •

Formula 1: UK-Based Teams Receive More Than 20,000 Orders From NHS o The seven UK-based Formula 1 teams have contributed to the supply of more than 20,000 orders from the NHS for devices to treat coronavirus patients. This is as well as 10,000 breathing-aid devices being produced to a new design invented by the Mercedes team and University College London Hospital.

(English)

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Formula 1: Renault Is Also Working on Respirators o Mercedes was the first team to communicate on the help of its engineers for the British hospital system during the coronavirus pandemic. Renault is also working on a project. In Britain as in France. (French)

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“The Amstel Gold Race” Organized in A Virtual Way o Two weeks after the "Tour of Flanders", the "Amstel Gold Race" will also have a virtual edition. Postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, professional and amateur athletes will be able to compete in the last 26 kilometers of the route, virtually. (French)

7. SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE •

Call of European Politicians, CEOs, Lawmakers and Activists o 180 political decision-makers, business leaders, non-governmental organizations, think tanks and trade unions have signed a joint letter defending the green incentive package for growth. The letter contained this statement: “The transition to a climate-neutral economy, the protection of biodiversity and the transformation of agri-food systems have the potential to rapidly deliver jobs, growth and to contribute to building more resilient societies.”. (English)

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117 Million Children Are at Risk o Around 117 million children worldwide could be affected by diseases such as measles because at least 24 countries are suspending their vaccination programs as they battle Covid-19, the United Nations warned Tuesday. (English) o The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday that Hundreds of thousands of children in detention around the world are at “grave risk” of contracting Covid-19, calling for their urgent release. UNICEF Executive Director

Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes.

Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter

Henrietta Fore stated that the areas in which the detainees are located have highly conducive conditions to spread disease. (English) •

Coronavirus Put the Arctic Climate Change Research In The Freezer o Every year 150 climate scientists fly far into the wilderness and bore deep into Greenland's largest glacier. An important and complicated study called The EastGRIP Project is trying to understand how ice streams underneath the glacier are pushing vast amounts of ice into the ocean, and how this contributes to rising sea levels. However, this year, due to Covid-19, this study will not be conducted, and the ice streams will go unmeasured. With these developments, the scientists are missing out on a lot, the data will be lost when the team returns to work next year. (English)

8. REGULATORY UPDATES •

Curious About Current Regulation Updates? Follow Our Tax Circulars: o Click the link for our Tax Circulars. (English)

Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes.

Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter

Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes.

Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter