April, 2009

• 6 April

  Albania, Croatia officially join NATO

  STRASBOURG, France – Albania and Croatia officially became members of NATO at the Alliance’s summit in Strasbourg on Saturday (April 4th), after US President Barack Obama handed leaders of the two countries copies of the Washington Agreement that established the organisation. It was signed exactly 60 years ago, on April …

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• 6 April

  Turkey agrees to Rasmussen’s appointment as new NATO secretary-general

  ANKARA, Turkey – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Saturday (April 4th) that Turkey approved the appointment of Anders Fogh Rasmussen as NATO’s new secretary-general after US President Barack Obama addressed Ankara’s concerns.

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• 6 April

  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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• 6 April

  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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• 6 April

  Croatian police bust Balkan-based human trafficking gang

  ZAGREB, Croatia – Police announced on Saturday (April 4th) that they have busted a group that trafficked people from Asia, the Middle East and the former Yugoslav republics to EU countries. The investigation was a joint one involving the police services of Slovenia, Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina. At a …

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• 6 April

  Hague tribunal rejects Croatian generals’ request to drop charges

  THE HAGUE, The Netherlands – The Hague war crimes tribunal on Friday (April 3rd) rejected a request by lawyers representing Croatian generals Ante Govotina, Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac to drop charges stemming from 1995’s Operation Storm.

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• 6 April

  BiH to seek 1 billion euros from IMF

  SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) – Central Bank Governor Kemal Kozaric says that since BiH has a 200m-euro quota in the IMF, the country can request up to 1 billion euros an assistance. Speaking on Friday (April 3rd), he acknowledged that BiH will slip into recession this year, since the …

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• 6 April

  UN’s Zerihoun says Cyprus buffer zone should be cleared of mines by 2011

  NICOSIA, Cyprus – UN Special Representative in Cyprus Taye Brook Zerihoun said on Friday (April 3rd) that concrete efforts should be made to establish a mine-free buffer zone by 2011.

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• 6 April

  NATO leaders say they will try again with Russia

  NATO leaders have agreed to re-start direct talks with Russia, while simultaneously condemning the country’s military build-up in Georgia’s breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. “Despite our current disagreements, Russia is of particular importance to us as a partner and neighbour,” NATO heads of state and government said in …

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• 6 April

  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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