Turkey

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 …

A majority of Turks support their government’s bid to join the European Union, but most say the bloc views it with prejudice because Turkey is a Muslim nation, a new study showed. Three out of four Turks believe the EU is trying to divide Turkey and 81 percent believe the …

NICOSIA, Cyprus Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said on Friday (May 29th) chances are “quite high” for settling the Cyprus problem by the end of this year or early next. In an interview with Reuters, however, he warned that the current process may be the last chance to reunify …

NICOSIA, Cyprus Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou said on Wednesday (May 27th) that UN forces in the country, known as UNFICYP, are still necessary despite the ongoing reunification talks between leaders of the two communities on the divided island. The forces, deployed in 1964, consist of over 900 UN staff based …

ANKARA, Turkey The newly elected Turkish Cypriot government said Friday (May 22nd) that it sees little hope that ongoing talks will lead to the reunification of the divided island. “The Greek Cypriot side is creating problems even on smaller issues. I am not optimistic for a solution, though I want …

ANKARA, Turkey A court ruled on Monday (May 18th) that President Abdullah Gul should stand trial in a fraud case involving missing party funds, despite his immunity as a head of state. The alleged fraud case dates back to the late 1990s, when the Welfare Party, a predecessor of the …

NICOSIA, Cyprus The new government in the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus won a confidence vote in parliament Monday (May 18th), media reported. The government won support from 26 of the 50 lawmakers, while 23 voted “against”, allowing the National Unity Party’s (UBP) cabinet to formally assume office.

Thirty-two companies represented Turkey in an international construction fair in Georgia. Turkish companies manufacturing construction materials, window-door systems, bath-kitchen equipment, roof systems, paint and construction chemicals, joined the 14th International Fair for the Building and Interiors (Caucasus Build 2009) in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

NICOSIA, Cyprus Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou said on Friday (May 15th) Nicosia does not intend to veto Turkey’s EU accession process, “either on its own or with another country”.

NKARA, Turkey Tens of thousands of people marched in Ankara on Sunday (May 17th) in support of secularism and against the scores of recent arrests stemming from the controversial Ergenekon probe.