Turkey

Turkey, Greece accept new confidence building measures

Turkey and Greece on Thursday announced a series of measures to build confidence between the two neighbors. The deal was reached in the course of the meeting between Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas and Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. The five measures include joint educational programs

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US welcomes progress in Cyprus talks

US State Department spokesperson Philip Crowley on Friday hailed progress made in the Cypriot reunification talks and promised Washington’s support for a “just and lasting” settlement. Crowley said the US was “encouraged” by a statement of progress following the latest meeting of Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader …

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Participants see progress in Cypriot reunification talks

Progress has been made in talks to reunify Cyprus, leaders of the two communities on the divided island said after meeting Tuesday (March 30th). The session was the last ahead of a break for presidential elections in the Turkish-dominated north, scheduled for April 18th. “After many meetings … we are …

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Merkel urges Turkey to open ports to Cyprus

German Chancellor Angela Merkel s Monday aid that in order to achieve progress in its EU accession talks Turkey should open its ports to ships and planes from Cyprus and help press Iran to stop its controversial nuclear program.

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Turkey rejects privileged EU partnership idea

Turkey’s chief negotiator with the EU, Egemen Bagis, has rejected Germany’s idea of privileged partnership for Turkey, instead of full membership. After talks with EU officials in Brussels on Friday (March 26th), he told reporters that there is no such term in the EU acquis. “The privileged partnership just does …

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Nabucco Pipeline ‘Likely Operational in 2018’

The European Union-backed gas pipeline Nabucco is likely to begin operations in 2018, European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said, a statement which was later denied by the consortium behind the project. “I hope we will make the final decision in 2010 to build the pipeline,” he said. The odds of …

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