Turkey

Turkish Kurds to Ask Obama to Help End PKK War

Turkey’s only legal Kurdish party will call on U.S. President Barack Obama during a rare meeting next week to help end a 25-year separatist conflict, signalling the expanded role Kurds play in Turkish politics. Obama will make his first visit as a president to a Muslim country next week, seeking …

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Two dead in clashes between Kurds, police in southeast Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey – Two people died and nine were injured in clashes between Kurdish protestors and police in southeast Turkey on Saturday (April 4th). It happened during a rally organised to mark terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan’s 60th birthday. Demonstrators threw stones at police who tried to …

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Romania, Turkey to participate in Black Sea naval operation

ANKARA, Turkey – Romania and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding in Istanbul on Friday (April 3rd) regarding Romania’s participation in the Black Sea naval operation Harmony. The two countries will take part in the exercises, along with Ukraine and Russia. Black Sea Harmony is an initiative launched by Turkey …

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Turkey to build housing for Georgian war victims

The Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA) will construct 100 residential units for Georgians displaced by the country’s most recent war. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony near the Georgian city of Gori on Saturday, TİKA head Musa Kulaklıkaya said that the construction of the units will be completed soon and …

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Turkey’s Erdogan mulls government changes

ANKARA, Turkey – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday (April 1st) that he is mulling changes in the government after his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered its worst election result in seven years. The AKP won 39% of the votes in Sunday’s local elections, falling well …

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Turkey hosts trilateral meeting with Afghanistan, Pakistan

ANKARA, Turkey – President Abdullah Gul hosted the third trilateral meeting among counterparts from Afghanistan and Pakistan on Wednesday (April 1st). Gul, Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai and Pakistan’s Asif Ali Zardari discussed ways to strengthen relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, joint economic projects, and the fight against terrorism in the context …

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Spain releases PKK suspects on bail

MADRID, Spain – A Spanish court has released on bail Remzi Kartal, a former lawmaker from Turkey’s disbanded Democracy Party and suspected former commander of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Turkish media reported on Monday (March 30th).

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Turkish opposition leader killed in helicopter crash

ANKARA, Turkey – Six people, including opposition Great Union Party (BBP) leader Muhsin Yazicioglu, died in a helicopter crash in the southern province of Kahramanmaras, Interior Minister Besir Atalay said on Friday (March 27th). Yazicioglu’s helicopter crashed Wednesday in bad weather. Searchers took two days to find the wreckage and …

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Gul says Turkey not opposed to Rasmussen’s candidacy for NATO secretary-general

BRUSSELS, Belgium/ANKARA, Turkey – Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Friday (March 27th) Ankara is not against “any candidate” for the post of NATO secretary-general. “Turkey does not have any particular objection [to Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s candidacy],” media reports quoted Gul as saying in Brussels.

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