The Dispatch

Turkey says no concrete evidence of threat to foreigners after ISIS suspects detained

ISTANBUL, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Turkish police said they had not found evidence of any concrete threat to foreigners after detaining 15 Islamic State suspects accused of targeting consulates and…

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Snow and winter storms cut power, disrupt traffic across the Balkans

SARAJEVO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Gale-force winds and snow storms closed roads and left more than 25,000 households in Serbia without power on Sunday, while fallen trees disrupted traffic in…

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Turkey annual inflation well above forecast near 58%

ISTANBUL, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Turkish annual inflation fell to 57.68% in January, official data showed on Friday, well above forecasts despite a favourable base effect that is expected to…

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Turkey summons nine Western ambassadors over security alerts

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey summoned ambassadors of nine Western countries including the United States and Sweden to criticise their decisions to temporarily shut diplomatic missions and issue security alerts following…

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Bulgarian president dissolves parliament, calls snap election in April

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev dissolved the national parliament on Thursday and called for an early general election on April 2, the presidential press service announced. It will be the fifth…

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UPDATED: Turkey looks positively on Finland’s NATO bid but not on Sweden’s -Erdogan

ANKARA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Turkey looks positively on Finland's application for NATO membership, but does not support Sweden's bid, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. "Our position on Finland is…

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Crimea will never again be part of Ukraine – Croatian president

Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, will never again be part of Ukraine, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said on Monday in remarks detailing his objection to…

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Turkey’s Erdogan signals Finland’s NATO bid may be considered over Sweden

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan signalled on Sunday that Ankara may agree to Finland joining NATO ahead of Sweden, amid growing tensions with Stockholm. "We may deliver Finland…

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Turkey alerts citizens to risk of attack in United States, Europe on heels of Western warnings

NKARA (Reuters) - Turkey warned its citizens on Saturday against "possible Islamophobic, xenophobic and racist attacks" in the United States and Europe after its Western allies cautioned their citizens in…

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Sweden tells citizens to avoid crowds in Turkey after Koran burning

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's foreign ministry on Saturday warned Swedes in Turkey to avoid crowds and demonstrations following protests there over the burning of the Koran by a far-right politician…

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U.S. supports Serbia’s move to commit to future in EU – ambassador

The United States supports Serbia's intention to pursue an international plan to normalise ties with Kosovo and eventually join the European Union, the U.S. ambassador to Serbia said on Tuesday.…

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Finland says timeout needed in talks with Turkey over NATO bid

Finland's foreign minister said on Tuesday a timeout of a few weeks is needed in the talks between Finland, Sweden and Turkey on the two Nordic nations' plans to join…

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Bulgaria faces snap polls as Socialists abandon plans to form government

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria is facing new general election in the spring, the country's fifth in two years, after the Socialists on Friday gave up on plans to form a…

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What’s at stake in Turkey’s upcoming elections

(Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan is aiming to extend his 20-year rule in elections that will decide not just who leads Turkey but how it is governed, where its economy…

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Photo story: Orthodox Epiphany celebrations in North Macedonia

Kristijan Nineski, 26-years-old Macedonian, catches the cross which was thrown in the Vardar river by the head of the Macedonian Orthodox church, Archbishop Stefan, during Epiphany day celebrations in Skopje,…

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UPDATED: Erdogan signals May 14 as Turkish elections date

ANKARA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan signalled on Wednesday that Turkey would hold elections on May 14, a month earlier than he had earlier flagged, setting the clock…

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Serbia asks Russia to end recruitment of its people for Ukraine war

Russia should halt its efforts to recruit Serbs to fight alongside its Wagner paramilitary group in Ukraine, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said. Vucic criticised Russia's websites and social media groups for…

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Sweden, Finland must send up to 130 “terrorists” to Turkey for NATO bid, Erdogan says

Sweden and Finland must deport or extradite up to 130 "terrorists" to Turkey before the Turkish parliament will approve their bids to join NATO, President Tayyip Erdogan said. The two…

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Bulgaria’s inflation flat at 16.9% y/y in December

SOFIA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's consumer price inflation remained unchanged at 16.9% on an annual basis in December from a month earlier, data from the statistics office showed on…

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Bulgaria’s Socialists get the final chance to form a government

SOFIA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - In a last attempt to end Bulgaria's prolonged political deadlock, President Rumen Radev has invited the Socialist Party to try and form a government, its…

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Cargo ship from Ukraine grounded in Bosphorus strait, traffic halted

ISTANBUL, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The cargo ship MKK 1, travelling from Ukraine to Turkey, was grounded in Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait on Monday and traffic in the strait was suspended…

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Bulgaria launches probe of crypto lender Nexo, raids sites

SOFIA, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Bulgarian prosecutors have launched an investigation into alleged illegal activities conducted by cryptocurrency lender Nexo, they said on Thursday, raiding more than 15 sites in…

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Solid start for Croatia’s euro changeover

Almost one week after Croatia's entry into the euro area, a survey has found that its euro changeover has progressed well in its initial phase. The changeover took place on…

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Bosnian Serb leader awards Russian President Putin medal in absentia

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin was awarded in absentia by Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik on Sunday, during a ceremony marking the Bosnian autonomous Serb Republic's…

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NATO declines Serbia’s request to deploy its troops in Kosovo

BELGRADE, Jan 8 (Reuters) - NATO's mission in Kosovo, KFOR, has declined a Serbian government request to send up to 1,000 police and army personnel to Kosovo following a spate…

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Next party up as Bulgaria seeks new government

Bulgaria's second largest party, the anti-graft We Continue the Change (PP), will seek support to form a minority government and end a prolonged political impasse, Prime Minister-designate Nikolay Denkov said…

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Historic new year for Croatia as it joins euro, Schengen area

BREGANA BORDER CROSSING, Croatia, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Croatia rang in two historic changes with the new year, as the European Union's youngest member joined both the EU's border-free Schengen zone and…

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Kosovo re-opens border crossings after Serbs remove roadblocks

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo opened two border crossings with Serbia in the volatile north on Friday, following three weeks of closure after Serbs set up roadblocks to protest against the…

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Serbia removes state of high alert for troops

BELGRADE, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Serbia on Thursday removed a state of high alert for its troops that it had introduced three days ago over tensions in Kosovo, news agency Tanjug reported,…

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Serbs in northern Kosovo to start removing barricades from Thursday

By Fatos Bytyci MITROVICA, Kosovo, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Kosovo Serbs who have been blocking roads in northern Kosovo for 19 days have agreed to start removing barricades from Thursday morning, bowing…

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UPDATE – US, EU, NATO urge restraint as Serbia-Kosovo border crossings close

Serbia put its army on highest alert on Monday Third major border crossing closed on Wednesday Serbs in northern Kosovo resist moves they see as anti-Serb Kosovo declared independence, with…

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Kremlin backs Serbia, denies Russia is stoking tensions in Kosovo

By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW, Dec 28 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Wednesday said it supported Serbia's attempts to protect ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo but denied Pristina's accusation that Russia…

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Why ethnic tensions are flaring again in northern Kosovo?

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Protesting Serbs in the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica in northern Kosovo erected new barricades on Tuesday, hours after Serbia said it had put its army on…

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Kosovan minister says Serbia aims to destabilise the country

MITROVICA, Kosovo (Reuters) -Kosovan Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla on Tuesday said Serbia, under the influence of Russia, was aiming to destabilise Kosovo by supporting the Serb minority in the north…

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Turkey accuses Cyprus of increasing tension in east Mediterranean over gas exploration

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey accused Cyprus of increasing tension in the Eastern Mediterranean after a consortium of Italian and French energy companies found more natural gas off the island earlier…

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Shots fired near NATO patrol in Kosovo’s volatile north, NATO says

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Shots were fired near a NATO patrol in the northern part of Kosovo where local Serbs have set up roadblocks to bar police from Pristina from patrolling…

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Photo Story: Christmas decoration in Sofia

People take pictures of a Nativity scene showing the birth of Jesus Christ in Sofia, Bulgaria. Via EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV

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Turkey raises monthly minimum wage by 55% for 2023

ANKARA, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Turkey's monthly minimum wage will be 8,506.80 lira ($455) in 2023, the Turkish presidency said on Thursday, marking a 55% increase from the level determined…

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Car bomb strikes police bus in southeast Turkey – minister

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) -A roadside car bomb exploded, damaging a police minibus on a highway in southeast Turkey's Diyarbakir province on Friday, and nine people in the bus were taken…

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EU leaders grant Bosnia EU candidate status

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to make Bosnia and Herzegovina a formal candidate to join the bloc of 27 nations. "Bosnia and Herzegovina was granted the…

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Thousands protest in Turkey over Istanbul mayor’s conviction

ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Thousands of people rallied in Turkey on Thursday to oppose the conviction and political ban of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, chanting slogans criticising President Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling AK…

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UPDATED: Kosovo formally applies to join EU

PRAGUE, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti submitted a bid for Kosovo to join the European Union on Thursday, launching a process that could take years, if…

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UPDATED: Bulgaria’s GERB fails to win approval for technocrat government

SOFIA, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's parliament on Wednesday rejected a technocrat government proposed by the centre-right GERB party, deepening a prolonged political impasse in the Balkan country and bringing…

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Erdogan: Turkey’s inflation will fall to 40% in months, 20% in 2023

ANKARA, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday it was "apparent" that inflation would fall to around 40% in a few months, and further to 20% in 2023.…

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EU prepared to send reinforcements to mission in Kosovo

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The European Union is ready to reinforce its EULEX mission, tasked with patrolling northern Kosovo, in response to the latest tensions in the region, the bloc's foreign…

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EU’s Borrell urges Kosovo and Serbia to de-escalate after latest clashes

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Kosovo and Serbia must de-escalate a tense situation in the region, the European Union's foreign policy chief said, after Serb protesters in northern Kosovo blocked main roads…

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Serbs in Kosovo clash with police as ethnic tensions flare

MITROVICA, Kosovo (Reuters) -Serb protesters in northern Kosovo blocked main roads for a second day on Sunday following a nightime exchange of fire with police after the arrest of a…

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Serbs in Kosovo block roads, clash with police as ethnic tensions worsen

By Fatos Bytyci MITROVICA, Kosovo Dec 11 (Reuters) - Serb protesters in northern Kosovo blocked main roads for a second day on Sunday following a nightime exchange of fire with…

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Serbia to ask NATO to deploy Serb military, police in Kosovo – Vucic

BELGRADE (Reuters) -Serbia will ask NATO peacekeepers to let it deploy Serbian military and police in Kosovo, although it believes there is no chance of the request being approved, President…

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UPDATED: G7 oil price cap not to blame for Turkey tanker queues, EU says

By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven countries' price cap on Russian oil is not responsible for a queue of tankers waiting in the Black…

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EU drafts new proposal for Kosovo-Serbia ties – senior EU diplomat

TIRANA (Reuters) -The European Union has drafted a new proposal for normalisation of ties between Kosovo and Serbia with a clear timeline of actions, according to a senior EU diplomat,…

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Albanian opposition leader punched in face as he marches to protest

Albanian opposition leader Sali Berisha was punched in the face by a male bystander as he led a crowd of his party's supporters to central Tirana for anti-government protests taking…

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MIG-21 fighter jet crashes in Croatia, pilots eject and survive

SARAJEVO (Reuters) -A two-seater MIG-21 plane crashed during a military drill on Tuesday in an uninhabited forest area of Slatina in northeastern Croatia but both pilots were rescued, the Croatian…

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Bulgaria presses doubters before vote on Schengen zone entry

Bulgarian Prime Minister Galab Donev on Monday said the Netherlands was opposing Bulgaria's bid to join the EU's passport-free Schengen travel region, ahead of a meeting of Europe's home affairs…

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No one can bypass EU sanctions against Russia through Serbia, Vucic says

BELGRADE, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday no one can bypass EU sanctions against Russia through Serbia, which imports all of its gas from Russia…

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Turkish forces nearly ready for a Syria ground operation

ONCUPINAR, Turkey, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Turkey's army needs just a few days to be ready for a ground incursion into northern Syria and such a decision may come at…

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Earthquake shakes northwest Turkey, 50 people injured

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 shook northwest Turkey and was felt in Istanbul early on Wednesday, injuring 50 people and damaging some buildings in the province of…

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