Turkey

Turkey calls on PKK to lay down arms by March 21

The Turkish government has publicly declared its demand that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) lay down arms on the Nevruz festival, which is marked on March 21, underlining that the jailed PKK leader’s 2014 Nevruz message needed to be developed further this year. “On this Nevruz, laying down arms …

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Turkey condemns Egypt over disproportionate use of force on protesters

Turkey has strongly condemned Egypt over its disproportionate use of force on protesters wanting to mark the fourth anniversary of their Jan. 25 revolution and expressing condolences to families of those killed during the protests in 2011. “It is impossible for the Egyptian administration to provide stability and security to …

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Tension grows near Turkish border with Syria as Kurds advance in Kobane

Turkey’s border with Syria has again witnessed tension in the wake of Kurdish forces’ success in driving jihadists from Kobane, with Ankara contrastingly attracting international applause and domestic opprobrium over the affair. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, meanwhile, slammed the Kurdish parties fighting there for ruining the town, once home …

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Turkey deploys Spanish Patriot missiles in south province of Adana

Spainish Patriot air defense missiles have been deployed in the southern Turkish province of Adana, as part of Turkey’s request for NATO assistance on the country’s border with Syria, the head of the Spanish unit in Turkey said on Jan. 26. The battery commander of the Spanish Patriot air defense …

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Turkish President delays Africa tour to attend Saudi King funeral

Foreign leaders gathered in a cavernous mosque in the Saudi Arabian capital on Jan. 23 for the funeral of King Abdullah. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the leaders of Sudan and Ethiopia joined Gulf rulers for the funeral prayer at Riyadh’s Imam Turki bin …

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Pakistan, Turkey to increase parliamentary cooperation

Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Cemil ?i?ek during a meeting on Thursday agreed to further enhance interaction between the parliamentarians of the two brotherly countries and to share legislation experience. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 10th session …

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Turkish PM says closing border with Syria is not easy to achieve

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has said Turkey is unable to close its 510-mile-long border with Syria, which has been crossed by thousands of foreign terrorist volunteers. “We cannot put soldiers everywhere on the border. In any case, there isn’t any state on the other side [of the frontier],” Davutoğlu said on …

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Turkey calls for new era in relation with Armenia

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has called on all Armenians to jointly seek ways to resolve their historical differences with Turkey, stressing that it is a must for Turks and Armenians to “engage in humane relations and to recognize each other in light of 800 years of common history.” “It’s …

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Turkey to increase cooperation with EU to stop IS

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who is visiting Brussels this week, offered to cooperate more with Europe in the fight against the terrorist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Davutoğlu is currently visiting Brussels and trying to highlight common grounds with the EU and expressing Turkey’s readiness to work …

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NATO foreign ministers to meet in Turkey

Turkey will host a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in the southern province of Antalya between May 13 and 14. Turkey previously hosted meetings of NATO foreign and defense ministers in 1994 and 2010 respectively, and the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government in 2004. On the sidelines of …

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