The Dispatch

Pro-Russia Serbs protest in Belgrade to support Russia and against NATO

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Thousands of Serbs waving Russian and Serbian flags and carrying pictures of President Vladimir Putin marched through Belgrade to the Russian embassy on Friday, to protest Serbia's…

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Bulgaria eases travel rules for NATO troops, neighbouring states

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria will allow NATO troops, as well as travellers from some neigbouring countries, to arrive in the Balkan country without showing any coronavirus-related documents as of April…

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Turkish court halts Khashoggi trial, transfers it to Saudi Arabia

ISTANBUL, April 7 (Reuters) - A Turkish court ruled on Thursday to halt the trial of Saudi suspects over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and transfer it to Saudi…

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Serbia’s incumbent President Vucic set to win second term

BELGRADE, April 3 (Reuters) - Serbia's incumbent President Aleksandar Vucic is set to win the presidential vote on Sunday with 59.8% of the votes, according to a projection by pollsters Ipsos and CeSID, based…

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Russia says peace talks not ready for leaders’ meeting – chief negotiator

LONDON, April 3 (Reuters) - Russia said on Sunday that peace talks with Ukraine had not progressed enough for a leaders' meeting and that Moscow's position on the status of Crimea and…

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Serbians go to polls to pick president, parliament amid Ukraine war

BELGRADE, April 3 (Reuters) - Serbians will vote on Sunday in presidential and parliamentary elections that pit incumbent President Aleksandar Vucic and his Progressive Party (SNS) against an opposition pledging to fight…

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Turkish ministry to approve request to transfer Khashoggi case to Saudi Arabia

ISTANBUL, April 1 (Reuters) - Turkey's justice minister said on Friday his ministry would approve a request to transfer a trial over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia, as…

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Eight killed as coal mine shaft in Serbia collapses – report

BELGRADE, April 1 (Reuters) - At least eight miners were killed and about 20 were injured on Friday when a shaft collapsed in a state-owned coal mine in southern Serbia, RTS state…

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Erdogan says Turkey ready in principle to act as Ukraine’s guarantor, Abramovich was part of Russian delegation at Istanbul

ANKARA, March 31 (Reuters) - Turkey is ready, in principle, to act as a guarantor country for Ukraine, but the details of such a format need to be worked out, President Tayyip…

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Turkish prosecutor seeks to halt trial of Saudi suspects in Khashoggi killing

ISTANBUL, March 31 (Reuters) - A Turkish prosecutor asked a court on Thursday to halt the trial in absentia of 26 Saudi suspects over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018…

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Russians invest in property in Dubai and Istanbul to evade sanctions

Wealthy Russians are pouring money into real estate in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, seeking a financial haven in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions,…

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Turkey finds ‘mine-like object’ floating off Black Sea

ISTANBUL, March 26 (Reuters) - Turkish authorites have warned vessels to stay away as a dive team inspects a "mine-like object" found floating north of Istanbul near the Black Sea, days after…

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Bulgaria scraps ‘golden passports’ scheme

SOFIA, March 24 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's parliament scrapped a 'golden passports' scheme on Thursday that allowed wealthy foreigners to buy citizenship in the European Union country if they invested as little as…

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Turkey urges Libya to avoid steps that could renew clashes

ANKARA, March 24 (Reuters) - Turkey urged Libya to refrain from any steps that would lead to renewed conflict and called on authorities to follow democratic processes, amid a crisis…

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Second Abramovich superyacht docks in sanctions-free Turkey

A second superyacht linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich docked in a Turkish resort on Tuesday and sources familiar with the discussions said he and other wealthy Russians were looking…

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Turkish foreign visitor arrivals surge 186% in February

ISTANBUL, March 21 (Reuters) - The number of foreign visitors arriving in Turkey jumped 186.5% from a year earlier to 1.54 million in February, data showed on Monday, as the sector continued…

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UPDATED: Yacht linked to Russian oligarch Abramovich cruises off Turkey

ISTANBUL, March 21 (Reuters) - A superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was cruising a few kilometres (miles) off the coast of southwest Turkey on Monday, after skirting…

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U.S. suggested Turkey transfer Russian-made missile system to Ukraine

The United States has informally raised with Turkey the unlikely possibility of sending its Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems to Ukraine to help it fight invading Russian forces, according to…

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Turkey says Russia and Ukraine nearing agreement on ‘critical’ issues

ISTANBUL, March 20 (Reuters) - Turkey's foreign minister said in an interview published on Sunday that Russia and Ukraine were nearing agreement on "critical" issues and he was hopeful for a ceasefire if…

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U.S. to provide Stryker army company to NATO battlegroup in Bulgaria

SOFIA (Reuters) -The United States has agreed to provide a Stryker mechanized infantry company for Bulgaria’s battlegroup under NATO’s drive to bolster its eastern flank after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,…

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Turkey’s banks resist Russian customers, Russians arriving in Turkey with cash since invasion began

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Newly arrived Russians in Turkey are struggling to make deposits and transfers at banks that are taking a careful and sceptical approach for fear of contravening Western sanctions on…

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PHOTO STORY: From waste to art – Turkish artist aims to encourage recycling with her sustainable art

A passenger takes a picture of an artwork made by Turkish artist Deniz Sagdic using plastic bottle cap wastes, on display in Sagdic's exhibition ''O' Point Zero' at the Istanbul…

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Bulgaria’s former PM Borissov detained after EU probes

SOFIA, March 17 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's former prime minister and leader of the largest opposition GERB party, Boyko Borissov, was detained late on Thursday as part of a police operation linked to…

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Turkey’s top diplomat says in Moscow that war must stop

ANKARA, March 16 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, speaking alongside counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, said on Wednesday the war in Ukraine must stop and Ankara was to…

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Erdogan says it is unclear whether Turkey will buy more Russian arms

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday it was too early to comment on Turkey's possible purchase of more Russian weapons given Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Speaking in Ankara alongside German…

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EU to keep talking with Bulgaria until enlargement spat solved, Borrell says

March 14 (Reuters) - The European Commission will continue talking to Bulgaria to get its approval for accepting North Macedonia into the bloc, the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell…

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Turkey, Greece agree to improve ties amid Ukraine conflict

ISTANBUL, March 13 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis agreed in talks in Istanbul on Sunday to keep communication channels open and improve ties despite disagreements,…

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Turkey, Armenia hold ‘constructive’ talks on mending ties

ANTALYA, Turkey, March 12 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he held "productive and constructive" talks with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan on Saturday as they bid to mend ties…

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UPDATED: Unidentified military drone crashes in Zagreb

ZAGREB, March 11 (Reuters) - A Soviet-era scouting drone flying across Hungary from Ukraine crashed near the Croatian capital of Zagreb, leaving a big hole in the ground, the Croatian government said…

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Bulgaria to host up to eight Dutch fighter jets and 200 troops

SOFIA, March 11 (Reuters) - NATO member Bulgaria will host up to eight Dutch warplanes and 200 troops to help it with its air policing tasks amid the Russian invasion…

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Germany’s Baerbock stresses need to bring Bosnia closer to Europe

SARAJEVO, March 10 (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina needed to work most closely and intensively on the issue of bringing the Balkan country closer…

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Erdogan urges Putin to declare Ukraine ceasefire, make peace

ANKARA, March 6 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to declare a ceasefire in Ukraine, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement, his…

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Pro-Russia demonstrations in Belgrade as Serbia treads ever finer line between East and West

Thousands of Serbs waving Russian flags and carrying pictures of President Vladimir Putin marched through Belgrade to the Russian embassy, in a rare show of public support for Moscow after…

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Turkey says Russia cancelled Black Sea passage bid upon its request

ANKARA, March 2 (Reuters) - Russia cancelled a bid to send four of its warships through Turkish waters into the Black Sea at Turkey's request, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said,…

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Turkey calls Russian invasion ‘war’

ISTANBUL, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Turkey called Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "war" on Sunday in a rhetorical shift that could pave the way for the NATO member nation to enact an…

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UPDATED: Estonia, Romania and Bulgaria close airspace for Russian carriers

BUCHAREST, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Romania will ban Russian airlines from its airspace, government spokesman Dan Carbunaru said on Saturday, joining other countries in central Europe against which Russia already retaliated. Carbunaru…

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Erdogan says NATO, Western reaction to Russian attack not decisive

ANKARA, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that reaction from NATO and Western countries to Russia's assault on Ukraine had not been decisive, adding he hoped a…

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Turkey cannot stop Russian warships accessing Black Sea

ANKARA, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Turkey cannot stop Russian warships accessing the Black Sea via its straits, as Ukraine has requested, due to a clause in an international pact that…

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Erdogan ‘saddened’ by Russian invasion, Ukraine urges Turkey to shut straits

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey backs Ukraine's territorial integrity and is "sincerely saddened" by Russia's invasion, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, as Kyiv's envoy to Ankara urged Turkey to close…

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Turkey’s foreign arrivals surge 151% in January from year ago

ISTANBUL, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The number of foreign visitors arriving in Turkey jumped 151% from a year earlier to 1.28 million in January, data showed on Monday, as the sector continued…

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Turkish court keeps Kavala in jail despite Council of Europe move

ISTANBUL, Feb 21 (Reuters) - A Turkish court said on Monday philanthropist Osman Kavala must stay in prison, lengthening his detention of more than four years without conviction, in a trial which…

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Bosnian Croats say may push for own region

Bosnian Croat nationalists said on Saturday they could launch a political process to form their own region in Bosnia unless an election law is changed in a way that bolsters…

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High hopes that tourism will steady Turkey’s economy

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Tourism in Turkey is set to return to near pre-pandemic levels this year, boosting the crisis-hit economy with the help of a recent currency crash that has…

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Albania’s highest court revokes lawmakers’ decision to sack president

Albania’s constitutional court has revoked parliament's vote to sack President Ilir Meta for allegedly advocating violence and violating the constitution. In June, some 104 lawmakers in the 140-seat parliament, mainly…

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North Macedonia’s economy seen recovering from recession -IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday that North Macedonia's economy, which grew by 4% in 2021 driven by domestic consumption, is seen recovering with estimated growth of about…

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EU considering sanctions on Bosnian Serbs if crisis worsens

The European Union should consider sanctions on Bosnia's autonomous Serb Republic (RS) and also withhold financial support if the Balkan country's crisis continues to worsen, according to an internal EU…

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North Macedonia President walks bullied girl with Down’s syndrome to school

The President of North Macedonia walked a girl with Down's syndrome to school after hearing she was being bullied. Stevo Pendarovski visited Embla Adema and her family on Monday in…

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Turkey slashes VAT on basic foods to 1% from 8% – Erdogan

ANKARA, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Turkey has CUT the value added tax on basic food items to 1% from 8%, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, as the country fights…

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Turkey demands 11 years behind bars for senior journalist

ANKARA (Reuters) - A Turkish prosecutor's office demanded 11 years in jail for a prominent journalist on charges of insulting President Tayyip Erdogan and two ministers in his cabinet, Turkish…

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Serbia caps fuel prices to curb inflation

BELGRADE, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Serbia's government will cap prices of petrol and diesel fuel for a month to curb inflation. The government is taking action to prevent a "major…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Istanbul, Turkey

A photo taken with a drone shows a car driving past snow-covered trees in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo - EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN

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Turkey’s President Erdogan recovering from COVID-19

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that he had tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19. "The result of COVID-19 tests done with my wife after showing mild…

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Erdogan says Turkey will not respect Council of Europe

ANKARA, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Turkey will not respect the Council of Europe if it does not respect Turkish courts, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, when asked about a…

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Turkey logs record daily COVID-19 cases

Turkey has recorded 110,682 new COVID-19 infections in the space of 24 hours, its highest daily figure of the pandemic, health ministry data showed on Wednesday. In late December, daily…

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Erdogan visits Ukraine hoping to play mediator with Russia

ANKARA, Feb 3 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine on Thursday after pitching Turkey as a mediator to ease tensions with…

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Turkish warplanes hit Kurdish militant targets in Iraq, Syria

ISTANBUL, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Turkish warplanes hit Kurdish militants targets, including training camps, shelters and ammunition storage areas in Iraq and northern Syria, the Turkish Defence Ministry said on…

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Turkey’s Erdogan threatens media with reprisals over ‘harmful’ content

ANKARA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday threatened Turkish media with reprisals if they disseminated content that damaged the country's core values, in a move that might…

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