October, 2014

• 22 October

  Russia-Ukraine-EU gas talks kick off in Brussels

  Russia, Ukraine and the EU began crunch gas talks on Oct. 21 to resolve a bitter price dispute and end fears that Moscow could halt crucial energy supplies to Europe this winter. The high-stakes meeting between Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, his Ukrainian counterpart Yuri Prodan and European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger began as planned, a …

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• 22 October

  Cavusoglu says Peshmerga forces are not entering Ayn al-Arab from Turkey

  Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday that Peshmerga forces of Iraqi Kurdish Government have not entered Syrian town of Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobane, through Turkey. “The talks about the issue are still ongoing,” he said in a televised interview, giving no further details. It has been reported that …

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• 22 October

  Libyan tribal elders meet in Cairo to discuss unity

  The Cairo Centre for Conflict Resolution and Peace Building in Africa has hosted Libyan tribal elders and leaders in Cairo as an opportunity to “reunite and overcome the current crisis”. The tribal officials from across Libya participated in three days of talks in Cairo, which began on Sunday. The centre …

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• 22 October

  Kurdish fighters struggle in fight for Kobane

  Kurdish fighters in the battle for the Syrian town of Kobane weathered a fresh onslaught by fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant as they awaited promised reinforcements from Iraq. The Kurdish militia faced fierce attacks on Tuesday, fresh from heavy battles on Monday evening in which …

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• 22 October

  Over 15 dead after blasts near Baghdad

  Bombings in and near Baghdad killed 19 people today, the latest in near-daily attacks targeting the Iraqi capital as the country’s Shiite-led government grapples with a rampant Sunni insurgency by the Islamic State group. Police officials said the deadliest attack took place today afternoon when a double car bomb attack …

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• 20 October

  New US Ambassador to Turkey presents credentials

  The new U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, John Bass, presented his credentials to PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan on Oct. 20. Ambassador Bass also paid a courtesy visit to Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinilirlioğlu on the same day, two days after his arrival to Ankara.

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• 20 October

  EU calls for ceasfire in Libya

  The EU Monday voiced concern by the situation in Libya and said it is having a negative impact across North Africa and the Sahel region and is of concern for the EU as well. The EU Foreign Affairs Council after its meeting in Luxembourg today strongly condemned the ongoing violence, …

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• 20 October

  NATO drills to kick off in Turkey

  NATO war games started in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Monday, with the armies of 13 countries participating, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement. NATO drills are mainly meant to develop enhance the capacity of the NATO countries to work together and cooperate, it said, adding that …

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• 20 October

  Pro-government forces launch Benghazi offensive against militias

  Nine people were killed on Sunday in new violence in Benghazi where pro-government forces have launched an offensive against Islamist militias, raising the toll to 75 dead in five days, medics said. In the latest violence a woman was killed in a bomb attack that targeted the vacant house of …

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• 20 October

  Ukraine reports more deaths on east of the country, as fighting continues

  Ukrainian officials on Monday reported more deaths among government troops and independence-seeking insurgents over the past 24 hours in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Andrei Lysenko, spokesman for the National Security and Defense Council, said that two pro-government fighters from volunteer battalions and an unspecified number of Ukrainian army soldiers …

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