Turkey

Cavusoglu says Peshmerga forces are not entering Ayn al-Arab from Turkey

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday that Peshmerga forces of Iraqi Kurdish Government have not entered Syrian town of Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobane, through Turkey. “The talks about the issue are still ongoing,” he said in a televised interview, giving no further details. It has been reported that …

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New US Ambassador to Turkey presents credentials

The new U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, John Bass, presented his credentials to PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan on Oct. 20. Ambassador Bass also paid a courtesy visit to Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinilirlioğlu on the same day, two days after his arrival to Ankara.

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NATO drills to kick off in Turkey

NATO war games started in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Monday, with the armies of 13 countries participating, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement. NATO drills are mainly meant to develop enhance the capacity of the NATO countries to work together and cooperate, it said, adding that …

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Turkey to adopt new strategy for EU membership

Turkey is launching a new communication strategy to support its bid for EU membership. The new strategy, intended to reverse the decline in public opinion support for Turkey’s membership in the EU, the country, will reinforce the value of Turkey’s participation, according to the country’s ministry of EU Affairs.

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Kurdish forces manage to push IS from part of Kobane

Kurdish forces have managed to repel Islamic State militants from part of the besieged Syrian town of Kobane, various Kurdish sources said on Thursday. A Kurdish official in Kobane said that US-led airstrikes had successfully pushed back Islamic State insurgents from parts of the town and had allowed Kurdish fighters to …

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Turkey will not intervene in Syria without international community

Turkey will not embark on an “adventure” in Syria without certain agreements from the international community, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said, reiterating Ankaradeems establishing safe havens and no-fly zones in northern Syria as a must for Turkish participation in the international coalition. “Turkey will not embark on an adventure [in Syria] at the …

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Turkey says it won’t accept security threats

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said here on Thursday that his country would not tolerate the undermining of peace, stability and peaceful coexistence. “Turkey will never tolerate any traps against our peace, stability or sense of brotherhood,” Erdogan said in a statement published by the presidential information center.

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France says all options should be considered in Kobani situation

While expressing support for a Turkish suggestion to set up a buffer zone on the Syrian-Turkish border near the embattled Kurdish town of Kobane, France said on Thursday that the situation was urgent and fraught with risks and all options must be examined concerning Kobane and the advance of Islamic …

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French, Turkish FMs to discuss strategic cooperation

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will meet with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Kuwait Friday to discuss strategic cooperation between the two nations but the talks are certain to mainly focus on the ongoing struggle against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (IS) which is threatening security in the Middle East region …

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US worried about Turkey, Kurd tensions amid Kobani

Even as it prods Turkey to step up in the global fight against Islamic State militants, the United States is worried that Ankara might use military action to target Kurdish fighters who are the last line of defence against extremists trying to take over the Syrian border town of Kobani. …

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