Page 3 - Turkey

Turkish court orders ban on Musk's AI chatbot Grok for offensive content

A Turkish court ordered Wednesday a ban on access to Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot Grok from Turkiye, after the platform allegedly disseminated content insulting to Turkey's president and others. The chatbot, developed by Musk's company xAI, posted vulgarities against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his late mother and personalities, while responding to users' questions on the X social media platform, the pro-government A Haber news channel reported. Offensive responses were also directed toward modern Turkiye's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatrk, other media outlets said. That prompted the Ankara public to file for the imposition of restrictions under Turkiye's internet law, citing a threat to public order. A criminal court approved the request early on Wednesday, ordering the country's telecommunications authority to enforce the ban. The incident is part of a broader controversy surrounding a recent update to Grok, which resulted in more politically incorrect and

Turkish FM, defence minister to meet Pak PM, look to boost defence ties

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defence Minister Yasir Guler are in Pakistan to hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on issues of mutual interest, including defence industry cooperation. The two arrived here on Wednesday on an official visit. Radio Pakistan reported that during their official engagements, important issues of mutual interest will be discussed. The visit reflects the close and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, rooted in shared history, culture, and mutual trust, it reported. Sources said that among other engagements, the two would also hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on bilateral ties, regional issues, and defence industry cooperation. Turkiye has strong ties with Pakistan and expressed solidarity with it during the military conflict with India in May, which angered India but Istanbul has continued efforts to bolster ties with Islamabad.

Delhi High Court rejects Celebi's plea against revoked security permit

Delhi High Court upholds government's revocation of Celebi's security clearance, citing espionage concerns and the risk of dual-use logistics amid geopolitical tensions

Delhi HC rejects Çelebi's plea against revoked security clearance

Çelebi's counsel had argued that the action was taken without adhering to due process

Turkey sends aircraft to Syria as wildfires rage across border areas

Turkiye sent two firefighting aircraft Saturday to help battle wildfires in neighbouring Syria as Turkish firefighters battled a blaze on their side of the border and one person was reported dead in the country's west. Eleven fire trucks and water support vehicles were also dispatched to help beat back flames in Syria's northwest Latakia region, according to Raed Al Saleh, the Syrian minister of emergency and disaster management. He posted on X, saying sudden wildfires in Turkiye delayed their arrival by almost a day. Turkiye has been battling wildfires since June 26. Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said Saturday that firefighters successfully controlled 10 major fires in western Turkiye, but an injured forestry worker had died, the third in the municipality of Odemis in Izmir province. Authorities said most of the fires in Izmir were caused by faulty power lines. Meanwhile, in Hatay province, which borders Syria, emergency crews continued fighting a blaze that broke out Friday

China used India-Pak conflict as 'live lab' to test weapons: Lt Gen Singh

Lt Gen Rahul Singh reveals China backed Pakistan during May conflict, calling it a 'live lab' for weapons. He urges stronger air defence, noting support from Turkiye and China's key military role

India planning ₹2,000 crore drone incentive after Pakistan conflict

India's push to build more home-grown drones stems from the four-day clash with Pakistan in May that marked the first time New Delhi and Islamabad utilized UAVs at scale against each other

Heatwaves grip Europe: Red alerts, wildfires, Eiffel Tower closed

Spain sees hottest June in a century; more than 50,000 people evacuated amid wildfires in Turkiye and the Balkans

Turkish police detain cartoonist over Prophet sketch, sparks protests

Turkish police on Monday detained a cartoonist over a caricature depicting the Prophet Muhammad, an act that also sparked an angry protest outside the Istanbul office of his satirical magazine, officials and reports said. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on X that Leman magazine's cartoonist was taken under custody for questioning. The minister also shared a video of the cartoonist identified only by his initials DP being taken into custody on a stairwell, with hands cuffed behind the back. Earlier, the country's justice minister said an investigation was launched into the magazine, citing possible charges of publicly insulting religious values". A group of youths, reportedly belonging to an Islamist group, hurled stones at Leman's headquarters after it published a cartoon depicting Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses exchanging greetings in mid-air as missiles rain down from the sky. Yilmaz Tunc, the justice minister, said that cartoons or drawings depicting the Prophet

India rejects OIC remarks as 'unwarranted', slams Pakistan's influence

India on Monday slammed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for making "unwarranted" and "factually incorrect" references to it while coming under influence of Pakistan, which turned terrorism into "statecraft". India's strong reactions came after a two-day foreign ministerial conclave of the OIC in Turkiye criticised New Delhi on a range of issues including what it said is "social marginalisation" of Indian Muslims. The OIC also called for strict adherence to bilateral pacts between India and Pakistan, including the Indus Waters Treaty and stressed the need for a broad-based dialogue for peaceful settlement of all outstanding disputes. "India categorically rejects the unwarranted and factually incorrect references to India at the OIC council of foreign ministers' meeting," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. "These statements, driven by Pakistan, which has turned terrorism into statecraft, reflect the continued misuse of the OIC platform for narro

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

At least 1 killed,19 injured as hot air balloons crash in central Turkey

Two hot air balloons crashed in central Turkey on Sunday, leaving one person dead and 19 injured, according to local media reports. The accident occurred near the Ihlara Valley in Aksaray province, the private Ilhas News Agency and other outlets said. It was not immediately clear why the hot air balloons crashed. Hot air ballooning is a popular tourist activity over the rugged landscape of central Turkey, which is dotted with ancient churches hewn into cliff faces. The attractions include the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia, tall, cone-shaped rock formations created by natural erosion over thousands of years that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Video from Ilhas showed one deflated balloon, its passenger basket lying on its side, as emergency services tended to injured people.

Turkiye govt denies involvement of Turkish Technic in Air India crash

The govt said under 2024 and 2025 deals with Air India, Turkish Technic maintains only B777 aircraft. The crashed Boeing 787-8 is not covered under these agreements

Turkey to sell 48 Kaan fighter jets to Indonesia in major defence deal

The agreement to sell the Kaan fifth-generation planes, which Turkey is still developing, is a "record-breaking" military deal for the country, Erdogan said

Madras HC allows AAI to float tender to replace Çelebi, but with riders

The AAI also gave an undertaking that the equipment left behind by Çelebi will not be used by the other ground operators

Gujarat HC declines Celebi's plea in Ahmedabad airport ground handling case

The court refused to restrain Adani Group from appointing a new ground handler after Celebi lost security clearance due to geopolitical tensions

Aviation regulator finds safety lapses in Turkish Airlines ops in India

DGCA detects procedural violations in Turkish Airlines' cargo and passenger services at four Indian airports; Civil Aviation Ministry orders full compliance with safety norms

'Business as usual': Indian firms brush off Türkiye tensions

None of the Indian firms - including Jubilant FoodWorks, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Dabur India - responded to emailed requests for comment

5.8-magnitude earthquake shakes Turkish Mediterranean coast; 7 injured

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake shook the Mediterranean coastal town of Marmaris on Tuesday, Turkey's disaster management agency said. At least seven people were injured while trying to escape homes in panic. The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency said the earthquake was centred in the Mediterranean Sea and struck at 02:17 am. It was felt in neighbouring regions, including in the Greek island of Rhodes, waking many from their sleep, Turkey's NTV television reported. Marmaris' governor, Idris Akbiyik, told the station that seven people were being treated for injuries after jumping from windows or balconies in panic, but there was no immediate report of any serious damage. Turkey sits on top of major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent. In 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed more than 53,000 people in Turkey and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and southeastern provinces. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of ..

Ukraine, Russia meet in Turkiye for peace talks amid heightened tensions

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine gathered in Turkiye on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, although expectations were low for any significant progress on ending the three-year war. The Ukrainian delegation led Defence Minister Rustem Umerov was in Istanbul for the meeting, Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said in a message posted on the Ukrainian Embassy Whatsapp group. The Russian delegation headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, arrived Sunday evening, Russian state media reported. Turkish officials said the meeting would start at 1 pm local time, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan presiding over the talks and officials from the Turkish intelligence agency also present. However, Ukrainian spokesperson Tykhyi said the start would be at midday local time. It was not immediately possible to clarify the discrepancy. Recent comments by senior officials in both countries