Erdogan

Armenian PM meets Erdogan in rare Turkey visit to reset strained ties

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday as part of the two countries' efforts to normalize ties that were strained over historic disputes and Turkey's alliance with Azerbaijan. The talks between the two countries, which have no formal diplomatic ties, were expected to centre on the possible reopening of their joint border as well as the war between Israel and Iran. Turkey, a close ally of Azerbaijan, shut down its border with Armenia in 1993 in a show of solidarity with Baku, which was locked in a conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2020, Turkey strongly backed Azerbaijan in the six-week conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, which ended with a Russia-brokered peace deal that saw Azerbaijan gain control of a significant part of the region. Turkey and Armenia also have a more than century-old dispute over the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in massacres, deportations and forced marche

India-Türkiye ties: Of Erdoğan's gambit, Kamikaze drones & diplomatic chill

India-Türkiye ties are strained over Ankara's Islamabad tilt, its arms links with Pakistan, and fallout from the Pahalgam terror attack

Turkish businesses under lens after country backs Pak in clash with India

Reservations for destinations including Turkiye and Azerbaijan have dropped by 60 per cent over the past week, while cancellation rates have surged 250 per cent

Istanbul prosecutor probes Oppn boycott calls in wake of mayor's arrest

Istanbul's public prosecutor's office Tuesday launched an investigation into recent opposition calls for a boycott of pro-government businesses following the arrest of the city's mayor. The prosecutor's office determined that divisive rhetoric" on traditional and social media aimed at hindering the economic activity of a segment of society constituted hatred and discrimination and incitement to hatred and hostility, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Anadolu added that the new investigation is to be merged with ongoing investigations into physical and verbal violence committed against certain businesses. Last month saw Turkiye's largest protests in more than a decade, following the arrest of Istanbul's opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu was jailed pending trial on corruption charges that many see as politically motivated. The government insists the judiciary is independent and free of political interference. Ozgur Ozel, the

Turkey detains journalists amid protests over jailing of key Erdogan rival

Turkish authorities detained several journalists from their homes, a media workers' union reported on Monday, in what it said was a crackdown amid escalating protests triggered by the imprisonment of the mayor of Istanbul and top rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On Sunday, a court formally arrested Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and ordered him jailed pending a trial on corruption charges. His detention on Wednesday sparked the largest wave of street demonstrations in Turkiye in more than a decade and deepened concerns over democracy and the rule of law in the country. In an apparent escalation of the government's response to the growing protests, the Disk-Basin-Is union said at least eight reporters and photojournalists were detained in what it said was an attack on press freedoms and the people's right to learn the truth. You cannot hide the truth by silencing journalists! the union wrote on the social media platform X, calling for their immediate release. There was no immediate .

Turkey voids Erdogan's main rival's degree, risking presidency bid

The mayor, one of Turkey's most popular politicians, has been widely viewed as a contender to the presidency

Turkey removes 3 pro-Kurdish mayors, replaces them with state officials

Turkiye on Monday removed three elected pro-Kurdish mayors from office over terrorism-related charges and replaced them with state-appointed officials, the Interior Ministry said. The move, which comes days after the arrest and ouster from office of a mayor from the country's main opposition party for his alleged links to a banned Kurdish militant group, is seen as a hardening of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government's policies toward the opposition. It also raises questions about the prospects of a tentative new peace effort to end a 40-year conflict between the militant group and the state that has led to tens of thousands of deaths. The mayors of the mainly Kurdish-populated provincial capitals of Mardin and Batman, as well as the district mayor for Halfeti, in Sanliurfa province, were ousted from office over their past convictions or ongoing trials and investigations for links to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, according to an Interior Ministry statement. The

Erdogan hints at leniency for imprisoned PK leader Ocalan amid peace talks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seemed to give his implicit support for an unprecedented proposal by his nationalist ally that could lead to leniency for Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. In remarks made during a ceremony marking the 101st anniversary of the Turkish Republic in Ankara, Erdogan called for an open-minded approach to recent comments by Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli, who suggested last week that Ocalan could be granted parole if he renounces violence and disbands the PKK. It was Erdogan's first response to Bahceli's surprise statement. Ocalan was convicted on charges of treason and has been serving a life term on a prison island off Istanbul since 1999. The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous state in Turkey's southeast since 1984, and the violence has claimed tens of thousands of lives. The group is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its Western allies. We believe that it

After blocking access for over a week, Turkey lifts curbs on Instagram

Turkey reinstated access to Instagram on Saturday night, after more than a week of being blocked nationwide. The Information and Communication Technologies Authority barred access to Instagram on August 2 without providing a specific reason. Government officials later said the ban was imposed because the social media platform failed to abide by Turkish laws. In our talks with Instagram officials, we were assured our requests would be met, especially those regarding criminal activity, and given a promise that we would work together on a means of censoring users, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Turkey's transportation and infrastructure minister wrote on the social media platform X Saturday. Uraloglu elaborated in a video also posted on X, saying that the platform was to establish compliance with Turkish law and that in instances where the law was violated, there would be quick and effective intervention. He added that all accounts owned by terrorist organizations would be banned and all conten

Erdogan offers to host peace summit with Russia during Zelenskyy visit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose NATO-member country has sought to balance its close relations with both Ukraine and Russia, offered during a visit Friday from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to host a peace summit between the two countries. Erdogan, who has repeatedly discussed brokering a peace deal, said at a news conference in Istanbul following his meeting with Zelenskyy that he hoped Russia would be on board with Turkey's offer. Since the beginning, we have contributed as much as we could toward ending the war through negotiations," Erdogan said. "We are also ready to host a peace summit in which Russia will also be included. Ukraine remains firm on not engaging directly with Russia on peace talks, and Zelenskyy has said multiple times the initiative in peace negotiations must belong to the country which has been invaded. Zelenskyy said any peace negotiations must align with a 10-point plan he has previously suggested, which includes food security, ...

Turkey will be proud if India becomes permanent member of UNSC: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said Turkey would be "proud" if a country like India becomes a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). At the same time, Erdogan said all non-P5 members should have an opportunity to become members of the Security Council by rotation. He was responding to question at a media briefing In a reference to the P5 or five permanent members of the Security Council -- China, France, Russia, the UK and the US, Erdogan said the "world is bigger and larger than five". "We would be proud if a country like India became a permanent member of the UN Security Council. As you know, the world is bigger and larger than five," he said. "What we mean is that it's not only about the US, the UK, France, China and Russia. We don't want to have just these five countries in the Security Council," he said.

Turkey's Erdogan urges G20 leaders to meet Russia's demands on grain deal

The US and its allies dismiss Russia's claims that the limits are restricting Moscow's farm exports and have so far resisted calls to ease the sanctions.

Ukraine port hit a day before Putin meets Erdogan for grain deal talks

Moscow says its own food exports face obstacles under the deal, and that not enough grain is going to nations in need

Erdogan visits Gulf Arab states, seeks funds for floundering economy

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travelled to Saudi Arabia on Monday in a three-stop tour of Persian Gulf states to seek trade and investment opportunities for Turkiye's floundering economy. Erdogan arrived in Jeddah accompanied by an entourage of some 200 businesspeople, according to the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkiye. He met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al Salam Palace, shaking hands and attending a welcoming ceremony where he expressed his happiness with this visit, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported early Tuesday. Business forums have been arranged in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates during Erdogan's three-day trip. We are hoping to improve our relations and cooperation in many fields. We will focus on joint investment and commercial initiatives to be realized in the upcoming period, Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul before leaving. The visit comes as Turks are hit with sales and fuel tax hikes that Finance Minister Mehmet Simse

Erdogan appoints former US bank executive as Turkish central bank chief

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday appointed a former US-based bank executive to head Turkiye's central bank, in another sign that his administration might pursue more conventional economic policies. Erdogan named Hafize Gaye Erkan, a former co-chief executive officer of the First Republic Bank, as governor, according to an announcement in the Official Gazette. The Princeton-educated Erkan, 41, becomes the Turkish central bank's first woman governor. Erdogan won a third presidential term in elections last month as the country grapples with a cost-of-living crisis fuelled by inflation that peaked at a staggering 85 per cent in October. Critics blame the turmoil on Erdogan's policy of lowering interest rates to promote growth. The approach runs contrary to conventional economic thinking that calls for rate increases to combat inflation. On Saturday, Erdogan reappointed Mehmet Simsek, a respected former banker, finance minister and deputy prime minister, to the post of .

Erdogan's poll triumph leaves Turkiye divided; Lira hits record low

But the prospect of five more years of Erdogan's rule was a harsh blow to an opposition which accused him of undermining democracy as he amassed ever more power - a charge he denies

Understanding Recep Erdogan's victory and future outlook for Turkey

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has secured another term as president amidst economic challenges and polarisation of political view in one of the largest economies of the world

Erdogan calls for 'unity, solidarity' after securing historic third term

Erdogan promised to ease economic difficulties and said healing the "wounds" of the massive earthquakes on February 6 would be his priority

Turkey election 2023: What's at stake in the runoff, how close is the race?

Erdogan and his AK Party have shifted Turkey away from Ataturk's secular blueprint

Turkey Elections: Prez Erdogan, Opposition prepare for runoff poll phase

A runoff election between Turkey's President and his rival seems possible as neither appeared likely to reach the 50% threshold required to win the presidential race