Turkish economy seen slowing

Turkey's economy has shown signs of slowing since April and will decelerate further in the second half, with the government ready to do what is needed to ensure a soft landing, Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Wednesday. Speaking just days before a parliamentary election, Simsek said the government could tighten fiscal policy further to counter a growing current account deficit.
Investors see victory for Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's AK party in Sunday's vote as virtually a foregone conclusion, leaving only the size of the majority in question. Growth notched 8.9 percent in 2010 and was running at 9 percent year on year in the first quarter.