Page 11 - Turkey

Blinken opens West Asian tour in Turkiye amid fears of war engulfing region

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has kicked off his latest urgent Middle East diplomatic mission in Turkiye, as fears mount that Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza may explode into a broader conflict. Blinken's fourth visit in three months comes amid worrying developments outside of Gaza, including in Lebanon, northern Israel, the Red Sea and Iraq, that have put intense strains on what had been a modestly successful US push to prevent a regional conflagration in the weeks after the war began, and growing international criticism of Israel's military operation. Blinken was meeting on Saturday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss what Turkiye and others can do to exert influence, particularly on Iran and its proxies, to ease soaring tensions, speed up humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and begin in earnest to plan for reconstruction and governance of postwar Gaza, much of which has been reduced to rubble by three months of intense

Turkey 'detains 32 IS militants, foils attack bid' on synagogues, churches

Turkish security forces have detained 32 people suspected of links to the Islamic State extremist group who were allegedly planning to carry out attacks on synagogues and churches as well as the Iraqi Embassy, Turkey's state-run news agency reported Friday. The suspects, including three alleged senior IS militants, were detained in raids carried out at dawn in nine provinces across Turkey, Anadolu Agency reported, citing unnamed security sources. They were detained in a joint operation by the country's intelligence agency and police, the agency said. The arrests come a week after police rounded up 304 suspected IS militants in simultaneous raids across Turkey in what appeared to be a security sweep leading up to the New Year festivities. The Islamic State group has carried out a string of deadly attacks in Turkey, including a shooting at an Istanbul night club on January 1, 2017, that killed 39 people during New Year celebrations.

US imposes more sanctions on money lending network tied to Houthi rebels

The U.S. on Thursday imposed sanctions on a group of money exchange services from Yemen and Turkey alleged to help provide funding to Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who have been launching attacks on commercial shipping vessels in the southern Red Sea. Included in the sanctions are the head of a financial intermediary in Sana'a, Yemen, along with three exchange houses in Yemen and Turkey. U.S. Treasury alleges that the people and firms helped transfer millions of dollars to the Houthis at the direction of sanctioned Iranian financial facilitator Sa'id al-Jamal. The sanctions block access to U.S. property and bank accounts and prevent the targeted people and companies from doing business with Americans. Thursday's action is the latest round of financial penalties meant to punish the Houthis. Earlier this month, the U.S. announced sanctions against 13 people and firms alleged to be providing tens of millions of dollars from the sale and shipment of Iranian commodities to the Houthis in

12 Turkish soldiers killed over 2 days in clashes with Kurdish militants

Six Turkish soldiers were killed on Saturday in clashes with Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, a day after another six were also killed. The six soldiers slain on Saturday died in a firefight when militants attempted to infiltrate a Turkish base, according to a statement by the Turkish Defense Ministry. The statement said 13 militants had been neutralized. In addition to the six Turkish soldiers killed on Friday, four militants were slain, authorities said. Turkey conducts operations and airstrikes against targets in Syria and Iraq that it believes to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, a banned Kurdish separatist group that has waged an insurgency against Turkey since the 1980s. Ankara maintains that PKK has sanctuaries in northern Iraq, where its leadership is also purportedly based. The PKK is considered a terror organisation by the United States and the European Union. Tens of thousands of people have died since the start of the conflict in 1984.

Turkish soccer team president gets permanent ban for punching referee

The former president of a Turkish soccer team who punched a referee on the field moments after a game has been permanently banned by the Turkish Football Federation. The federation late on Thursday said that it banned Faruk Koca, who has resigned as president of MKE Ankaragucu, for punching referee Halil Umut Meler on Monday night. Meler, who was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday with a small fracture near his eye, was attacked shortly after the final whistle of a 1-1 draw between Ankaragucu and Caykur Rizespor in Turkey's top league. Koca was arrested for causing injury to a public official, and two other people face charges for kicking the referee. The federation had initially suspended all league games in response to the incident before announcing that matches will resume next Tuesday in Turkey, which has been selected to co-host the 2032 European Championship with Italy. Koca's resignation was announced on Ankaragucu's website. The federation also said Ankaragucu has

Armenia and Azerbaijan announce deal to exchange POWs, work toward peace

Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to exchange prisoners of war and work toward signing a peace treaty in what the European Union hailed as a major step toward peace in the long-troubled region. The two countries said in a joint statement on Thursday they share the view that there is a historical chance to achieve a long-awaited peace. They said they intend "to normalize relations and to reach the peace treaty on the basis of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Azerbaijan waged a lightning military campaign in September in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The offensive ended three decades of rule there by ethnic Armenians and resulted in the vast majority of the 120,000 residents fleeing the region, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. Until Thursday's announcement, the two countries had bitterly argued on the outline of a peace process amid mutual distrust. As part of the deal, Armenia agreed to lift its objections t

Magnitude 5.1 earthquake shakes Turkey; No damage, injuries reported

A moderately strong earthquake struck northwest Turkiye on Monday, sending people out into the streets in fear. There was no immediate report of injuries or damage. The magnitude 5.1 earthquake was centred in the Sea of Marmara, off the town of Gemlik in Bursa province, according to the disaster management agency, AFAD. It struck at 10:42 a.m. local time (07:42 GMT), at a depth of some 9 kilometres. HaberTurk television said it was felt in Istanbul and other nearby regions where people left homes and offices in fear. In February, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake devastated 11 southern and southeastern Turkish provinces as well as part of northern Syria. More than 50,000 people were killed in Turkiye.

NATO chief tells Erdogan 'time has come' to let Sweden join the alliance

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he has told Turkiye's president that the time has come to let Sweden become a member of the military alliance. Turkiye and Hungary are the only NATO countries that have not yet formally approved Sweden's accession bid. Stoltenberg told The Associated Press that he urged Turkiye to finalise the process as he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. I met with President Erdogan this morning and I reiterated my message that the time has come to finalise the accession process for Sweden, he said. Turkiye has delayed ratification for more than a year, accusing Sweden of not taking Turkiye's security concerns seriously enough, including its fight against Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers to be security threats. An apparent breakthrough happened at a NATO summit in July when Erdogan said he would submit accession documents to Parliament, but a debate on the

Turkey delivers 500 tonne aid for Herat earthquake victims in Afghanistan

The provided assistance includes essential items such as food, clothing, spices, hygiene products, blankets, and tents, Khaama Press reported

Turkey's central bank hikes rates again to tame eye-watering inflation

Turkey's central bank delivered another huge interest rate hike on Thursday as it tries to curb double-digit inflation that has left households struggling to afford food and other basic goods. The bank pushed its policy rate up by 5 percentage points, to 40 per cent, marking its sixth big interest rate hike in a row focused on beating down inflation that hit an eye-watering 61.36 per cent last month. However, the bank said its rate hikes would soon end. The current level of monetary tightness is significantly close to the level required to establish the disinflation course, the bank said. Accordingly, the pace of monetary tightening will slow down and the tightening cycle will be completed in a short period of time. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long been a proponent of an unorthodox policy of cutting interest rates to fight inflation and had fired central bank governors who resisted his rate-slashing policies. That runs counter to traditional economic thinking, and many blam

1 dead, 11 missing after Turkish ship sinks in Black Sea in severe storms

Severe storms have delayed a search-and-rescue operation for 12 crew members of a cargo ship that sank off Turkiye's Black Sea coast, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Monday. The Turkish-flagged Kafkametler sank on Sunday after hitting a breakwater outside the harbor off the town of Eregli, some 200 kilometers (124 miles) east of Istanbul, Yerlikaya told reporters. He said rescue crews were on standby waiting for the weather conditions to ease to begin a rescue mission. Unfortunately, we could not carry out search-and-rescue activities for the 12 Turkish crew members, Yerlikaya said. As soon as conditions improve the search-and-rescue operations will begin immediately. The severe storms that hit northwestern Turkiye caused widespread damage and disruption on Sunday, including the breakup of another cargo ship and the evacuation of a prison. The Cameroon-flagged Pallada broke into two due to heavy weather conditions after running aground amid 5-metre (16-foot) waves off Eregl

Turkish President labels Israel a 'terrorist state', Netanyahu hits back

Erdogan said, "Israel is implementing a strategy of total annihilation of a city and its people. I say very clearly and frankly that Israel is a terrorist state."

Turkish President Erdogan calls Israel terrorist state; Netanyahu hits back

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also vowed to take steps to ensure that Israel's political and military leaders face trial in international courts for their actions in Gaza.

Over 3,000 migrants return to Afghanistan from Turkey in last 20 days

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has provided monetary support to 3,083 of these persons, with a total aid of 36,996,000 Afghanis, reported Khaama Press

Blinken arrives in Turkey for another key meeting amid Israel-Hamas war

Turkey happens to be his last stop in the region before heading to Asia

Turkey's president submits protocol for Sweden's admission into Nato

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has submitted a protocol for Sweden's admission into NATO to Turkiye's parliament for ratification, his office said on Monday, bringing the Nordic country a step closer to membership in the military alliance. Erdogan had been delaying ratification of Sweden's membership, accusing Stockholm of being too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups his country considers to be security threats. Turkiye also was angered by a series of Quran-burning protests in Sweden. All 31 NATO allies must endorse Sweden's membership. Turkiye and Hungary are the only two allies that have yet to ratify it. A brief statement from the presidential communications directorate said Erdogan had signed the protocol on Sweden's NATO accession, which was then submitted to the Turkish Grand National Assembly. It was not immediately known when Sweden's membership would come to the floor. Sweden welcomed the move. Glad to hear that Turkish President Erdogan has now handed o

NATO chief presses Turkey to advance Sweden's membership application

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday pressed Turkey to quickly ratify Sweden's membership in the military organisation, three months after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would help hasten the process in the Turkish parliament. Many allies would like to see speedy progress on this ratification," Stoltenberg told The Associated Press after chairing a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. Sweden has delivered on what they promised, and now we need the ratification of Swedish membership. Sweden and its neighbor Finland turned their backs on decades of military non-alignment after President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia troops to invade Ukraine in February 2022. Their aim was to seek protection under NATO's security umbrella, and Finland joined in April. All 31 NATO allies must endorse Sweden's membership. Turkey and Hungary are dragging their feet. Erdogan spent months publicly saying he was withholding his country's approval because he believed that Swed

Turkey ready for any kind of mediation: Erdogan on Israel-Hamas conflict

Erdogan said, "I would like to state that Turkey is ready for any kind of mediation, including prisoner exchanges, if the parties request it"

Turkish warplanes hit US-backed Kurdish militia targets in northern Syria

Turkish warplanes have carried out airstrikes on sites believed to be used by US-backed Kurdish militant groups in northern Syria after the US military shot down an armed Turkish drone that came within 500 metres of American troops. A Turkish defence ministry statement said the Turkish jets targeted some 30 sites in the Tal Rifat, Jazeera and Derik regions, destroying caves, bunkers, shelters and warehouses used by Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, or its affiliated Kurdish militia group in Syria, which is known as People's Defence Units, or YPG. Turkiye has been carrying out strikes on Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria following a suicide attack outside the Interior Ministry building in the Turkish capital earlier this week. The PKK claimed the attack in which one attacker blew himself up and another would-be bomber was killed in a shootout with police. Two police officers were wounded. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the two assailants had arrived from Syria, wher

Nagorno-Karabakh will cease to exist from 2024: What is at stake?

The self-declared republic of Nagorno-Karabakh will cease to exist in 2024. President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree dissolving state institutions after a swift defeat by Azerbaijan >