Turkey

NICOSIA, Cyprus The two Cypriot communities are close to reaching an agreement on a new border crossing between the Greek and Turkish-run parts of the divided island, Cypriot President Demetris Christofias said on Thursday (June 11th) after his latest round of reunification talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat.

ANKARA, Turkey Turkey and Iraq signed a military co-operation agreement Wednesday (June 10th), further boosting efforts against the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Deputy Chief of the Iraqi Army General Staff, Nasier Abadi, and his Turkish counterpart, Hassan Igsiz, signed the agreement in Ankara.

ANKARA, Turkey The prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday (June 9th) it has asked the justice ministry to dismiss a fraud case against President Abdullah Gul, over missing party funds, media reported.

YEREVAN, Armenia US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon urged Armenia and Turkey on Tuesday (June 9th) to make progress in ongoing talks aimed at normalising relations and re-opening their border. Reconciliation negotiations should be concluded within “a reasonable time frame,” he told reporters during a visit to Yerevan. Ankara …

PRISTINA, Kosovo As of Saturday (June 6th), Turkey lifted its visa regime for Kosovo citizens holding newer passports, not those with older ones issued by UNMIK. Foreign ministry officials say it reflects a new phase of bilateral co-operation.

ANKARA, Turkey Warplanes have bombed hideouts of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, media reported on Sunday (June 7th), citing military sources. Turkish military jets conducted the bombings on Saturday evening after PKK militants were spotted on Iraqi territory, as ground forces shelled PKK targets near the …

Armenia’s prime minister Tigran Sargsyan made a speech in support to opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. Delivering a lecture “Crisis as an opportunity” to young professionals in Yerevan, he particularly mentioned, that Armenia currently is too dependent on Georgia. “2/3 of our foreign turnover is carried out via Georgia, transit …

NICOSIA, Cyprus The UN is not working on any plan to reunify the divided island of Cyprus, nor attempting to interfere in the negotiating process between the Greek and Turkish communities, UN envoy to Cyprus Alexander Downer said on Wednesday (June 3rd).

NICOSIA, Cyprus President Demetris Christofias said on Tuesday (June 2nd) he has made no concessions in the ongoing reunification talks, and has no intention of doing so. “Any such move would harm Greek Cypriots’ interests and efforts to find a solution to the island’s political problem,” he stressed.

Serbia and Turkey have signed a bilateral economic free trade agreement at the annual economic summit in Istanbul, which will take effect on January 1, 2010. Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic and Turkish Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan signed a free trade …