Both sides are NATO members and came close to armed conflict last year but have been trying to lower tensions since. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will meet at this month’s NATO summit as both sides pledge to smooth their differences. The two rivals …
Read More »With ties with West strained, Turkey gets lifeline from Poland
Drawing on his rapport with the Polish president and a landmark drone deal with Warsaw, Erdogan seems to be aiming at two goals — strengthening his hand in NATO and having a close ally within the European Union. For those familiar with why Istanbul happens to have a “Polish village,” …
Read More »Turkey Nabs Gülen’s Fleeing Nephew: Report
Turkey has abducted the nephew of exiled religious leader Fethullah Gülen, a prominent preacher and outspoken critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s state-run news agency revealed Monday. According to the report, Selahaddin Gülen was captured in an undisclosed overseas location, thought to be Kenya, by intelligence agents. He is …
Read More »Turkey’s Currency Hits Record Low As World Inflation Looms
Turkey’s lira tumbled to a record low of 8.6 versus the dollar on Friday as it took a hit from global inflation concerns, expectations that the central bank will soon cut interest rates and worries over possible early elections. The lira — by far the weakest performer in emerging markets …
Read More »Mobster’s claims turn spotlight to new cocaine route via Turkey
A spree of rattling allegations by a Turkish mobster has brought into focus the increase in cocaine trafficking in Turkey and its domestic and international ramifications. Long a major route of heroin smuggling from Afghanistan to Europe, Turkey in recent years has seen an increase in cocaine trafficking as well, …
Read More »Erdogan in hot spot as Turks question ‘mafiazation’ of politics
Erdogan risks a major political setback unless he manages to contain an unprecedented scandal sparked by a mobster claiming close links with government figures. A Turkish mobster who until recently organized rallies in support of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and enjoyed favor with pro-government circles has been rattling Turkey since …
Read More »Turkish Anti-Semites Celebrate Rockets against Israel
According to Hamas’s charter and statements by its leaders, its aim is the destruction of Israel, genocide of the Jewish people, and replacing the state with an Islamist one. This, a religious war, is the real reason Hamas and its enablers are conducting an unprovoked, jihadist assault against Israel. The …
Read More »Little-known groups target Turkish military presence in Syria
Two little-known groups in northwest Syria are claiming responsibility for attacks against Turkish troops in the area, which some say may benefit al-Qaeda against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. A group that goes by the name of Ansar Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Brigade has claimed responsibility for an attack against Turkish forces as …
Read More »Montenegro Not Actively Seeking Return of Fighters’ Families in Syria
A handful of wives and children of Montenegrins who joined Islamic State remain in camps in Syria, with no official requests made for their repatriation.Authorities in Montenegro say they have not received any requests for the repatriation of the wives and children of Montenegrin citizens who fought with Islamic State …
Read More »Further depreciation of Turkish lira appears inevitable
The surprise US inflation data last week could be the omen of deepening troubles for the Turkish economy. Turkey’s embattled currency appears on course to tumble further in the coming months, as external headwinds threaten to aggravate the country’s entangled economic woes. The Turkish lira — in a fresh downward …
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