The Dispatch

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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David Casa calls for release of journalist arrested for allegedly insulting Erdoğan

David Casa has called for the release of Sedef Kabaş, a journalist in Turkey who has been held in custody after reciting a proverb that was seen as an insult…

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Turkey’s Erdogan says Russia would be unwise to invade Ukraine

Russia would be unwise to attack Ukraine and in that case Turkey would do what is necessary as a NATO member, President Tayyip Erdogan said. In an interview with broadcaster…

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Bosnia risks entering legal and institutional vacuum -corruption watchdog

Bosnia ranks as the third worst country in Europe on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) and is at risk of entering a legal and institutional vacuum which could threaten the…

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UPDATED: Greek PM apologises for snowstorm ordeal

ATHENS, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis apologised on Wednesday for the state's unpreparedness to deal with the impact of a severe snowstorm that brought transport in…

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Bulgaria posts new record of 12,399 daily COVID infections

SOFIA, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Bulgaria reported a record 12,399 coronavirus infections in a single day on Wednesday, official data showed, with most of the cases caused by the more…

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Turkey halts Istanbul Airport flights due to snow

ISTANBUL, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Authorities halted all flights at Istanbul Airport for one hour on Monday due to heavy snowfall in the city, state broadcaster TRT Haber, while many…

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Serbian president stresses unity, peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Amid ongoing political tensions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said that no one in the region is interested in war. In an interview with Pink TV on Saturday…

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Turkish journalist arrested on charge of insulting Erdogan

A Turkish court on Saturday ordered well-known journalist Sedef Kabas to be jailed pending trial on a charge of insulting President Tayyip Erdogan, CNN Turk said, targeting her with a…

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EPA’s Eye in The Sky: Strmec Stubicki, Croatia

The body of a 1991-made former SunAdria Holland Fokker-100 airplane sits in Robert Sedlar's garden in Strmec Stubicki, Croatia. Robert Sedlar put this disused airplane in his garden with the…

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Payments in Turkish citizenship-for-home scheme to be sold to central bank

ANKARA, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Foreigners' hard currency investments in a citizenship-for-homes programme will as of Friday be sold to the central bank under the latest measure to replenish depleted…

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Bulgaria posts record of more than 11,000 daily COVID-19 cases

SOFIA, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Bulgaria reported a record 11,181 coronavirus infections in a single day on Wednesday, official data showed, dominated by the more contagious Omicron variant. The European…

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North Macedonia and Bulgaria agree to work on issues blocking EU talks

The new premiers of Bulgaria and North Macedonia agreed on Tuesday to try to overcome problems that prompted Sofia to block the start of accession talks between the European Union…

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Turkey’s Erdogan says Russian invasion of Ukraine not realistic -NTV

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was cited on Tuesday as saying the prospect of a Russian invasion of Ukraine was not realistic and that he needed to discuss the crisis with…

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9% vote in constitutional amendments referendum in Serbia

9% of those eligible to vote, participated in a referendum on constitutional amendments that the government, deemed as populist, says are needed for the Balkan country to advance in a…

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Kosovo bans Serbian vote on constitutional changes on its soil

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo's parliament on Saturday passed a resolution banning ethnic Serbs from voting on Kosovan soil in Serbia's national referendum on constitutional amendments. Serbia will hold a referendum…

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Anti-vaccine protesters try to storm Bulgaria’s parliament

Anti-vaccine protesters tried to storm the Bulgarian parliament on Wednesday and briefly scuffled with police officers during a massive rally against coronavirus restrictions in downtown Sofia. Tensions rose an hour…

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