Turkey

Turkey and India on Monday signed 11 agreements to enhance cooperation during a visit by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee to Ankara. Mukherjee, the first Indian head of state to visit Turkey in 15 years, met with top Turkish officials, including President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The head of NATO expressed concern Oct.7 over Turkey’s decision to co-produce a missile defense system with a Chinese firm, saying he expected Ankara to choose a system that was compatible with those of other allies. Turkey has said it is likely to sign a $3.4 billion missile defense deal with a Chinese firm …

China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed concerns about Turkey’s decision to co-produce a missile defense system with a Chinese firm, saying on Tuesday that the United States and others were needlessly politicising a purely commercial deal.

The Turkish army has started building a wall alongside the Nusaybin district, bordering Syria, to prevent the illegal passing of immigrants, according to Turkish media. Construction vehicles are currently continuing the work at the border by Nusaybin, which is located right across from Syria’s Qamishli. The wall is set to be two-meters high, and will have barbed wire …

Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić said Friday that Serbia has a genuine intention to develop good and friendly relations with Turkey in all fields. According to him, that it is important for the stability of the region.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has dismissed accusations by embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that the Turkish government has been supporting “terrorists” to carry out attacks on the Syrian army and civilians, saying that the allegations are “false and meaningless.”

Turkey denied Sunday that its forces were involved in an assault in Somalia by US commandos against a suspected military leader of the Islamist Shebab group. “We deny these allegations completely,” a foreign ministry spokesman said.

Bulgarian MEP Evgeni Kirilov has informed Turkish Minister for European Affairs Egemen Bagis about the serious difficulties Bulgaria is experiencing in relation with the illegal immigration of Syrian refugees, announced the MEP’s office.

The upcoming annual Progress Report from the European Union for Turkey is expected to be the “toughest” yet, but the bloc remains eager to launch talks for a new negotiation chapter. The bloc feels that a new negotiation chapter would help keep Ankara anchored to the union and its values, the diplomat said. The …

Ankara will not share military secrets with Beijing, Deputy Minister of Defence Industry of Turkey Murat Bayar said. According to him, in the case of ratification of the contract with China, at the first stage a total of 288 long range missiles will be acquired.