Eurasia

EU High Representative Catherine Ashton Friday expressed concern about recent military developments that took place in the locality of Anefis in northern Mali.

EU interior ministers meeting in Luxembourg Friday had an in-depth discussion on the issue of foreign fighters and returnees from a counter-terrorism perspective.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dismissed plans to build a shopping mall at the controversial Gezi Park while calling for an end to more than 10-day protests during his speech at the Ministry of European Affairs Istanbul conference on June 7.

NATO hopes that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement will soon be settled and intends to strengthen its relations with the countries of the South Caucasus, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs James Appathurai said during a teleconference Pyatigorsk – Brussels.

Excessive police force against demonstrators “has no place” in a democracy, European Union Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule told Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, urging a probe into a week of violent unrest in Turkey, a longtime EU hopeful.

Leader of National Unity Party (UBP) and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Irsen Kucuk has resigned his post as required by law in the wake of his government’s downfall on Wednesday by a motion of no confidence.

Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic met on Thursday in Belgrade with the chief of EULEX in Kosovo, Bernd Borchardt. Dacic stated during the meeting “that the role of this mission is of exceptional

Serbian Ambassador to Turkey, Dusan Spasojevic, has been recalled from the post for violating the law of diplomatic service.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is scheduled to attend an international conference that will bring together members of the European Parliament, politicians and academics on Friday in İstanbul.

Heavy fighting broke out Wednesday between the Malian army and the Tuareg separatist group MNLA (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad) near the northern town of Anefis, which is 100 kilometers from the MNLA stronghold of Kidal.