Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - Dec. 22, 2021

ISTANBUL (AA) - Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments in Turkey, around the world, and the coronavirus pandemic.

- World

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that omicron has become the dominant variant of the coronavirus, accounting for 73% of cases in the country.

Germany’s disease control agency on Tuesday called for tougher restrictions to prevent a new surge in coronavirus infections.

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued an emergency use listing Tuesday for the Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine following its assessment and approval earlier by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a phone conversation Tuesday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to congratulate him on his new post. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional issues, according to a statement by Turkey’s Directorate of Communications.

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday discussed Russia’s proposal on security guarantees with the leaders of France and Germany.

The US has indicated its readiness to start a dialogue with Russia on security guarantees, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday.

NATO rejected a compromise with Russia on Tuesday concerning prospects for Ukraine’s membership in the alliance. In a joint news conference following his meeting with Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg underlined the consensus among NATO members with regards to Russia and asserted that the alliance is ready for meaningful dialogue.

Hundreds of Afghans protested in Kabul on Tuesday against the US for freezing Afghanistan's central bank reserves of over $9 billion and cutting international assistance to the impoverished country, which has been embroiled in a nearly 20-year war.

Following interviews with migrants and refugees in Poland fleeing Belarus after being forced to cross the border, the UN Human Rights office on Tuesday called on both countries to urgently address the "appalling situation."

Turkey has supported its allies, primarily Poland, during the migrant crisis with Belarus, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in Budapest at the sixth meeting between foreign ministers of Turkey and the Visegrad Group of four Central European nations on Tuesday.

India has begun deploying the Russian S-400 air defense missile system in the northwestern state of Punjab, local media reported Tuesday.

- Developments in Turkey

Under a new measure, Turkey will compensate lira depositors for foreign currency fluctuations while encouraging citizens to move towards Turkish lira-based assets, according to details of the mechanism released Tuesday.

The Turkish lira is moving towards a level where it will find its true balance, Treasury and Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati said Tuesday.

"We have a strong economic model. The basis of our model is high growth and a low current account deficit," he said in a live interview with the TRT Haber news channel.

Turkey has administered more than 125.76 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since it launched an immunization drive this January, according to official figures released Tuesday.

More than 65.7 million people have received a first vaccine shot, while over 51.24 million are fully vaccinated, the Health Ministry said.

Archeologists in western Turkey have discovered an altar side for the Greek goddess Demeter during excavations of the ancient Roman city of Blaundus.