Turkey

Greece, Turkey to resume exploratory talks by early March – PM

ATHENS, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Greek and Turkish officials are likely to meet again at the end of Feburary or in early March to revive efforts to resolve a maritime…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Istanbul, Turkey

An aerial view of Turkish fishing boats at the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey. Via EPA-EFE/TOLGA BOZOGLU

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Turkey’s economy to grow by 6% in 2021 – IMF

WASHINGTON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Turkey's economy will grow by about 6% in 2021, before settling back to a growth rate of about 3.5% annually from 2022, International Monetary Fund staff…

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Turkey hopes Mediterranean talks can calm choppy waters with EU

BRUSSELS/ANKARA, Jan 24 (Reuters) - After a five-year hiatus marked by grievances over their rival claims to Mediterranean waters, Turkey resumes talks with Greece on Monday in the first test…

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Greek foreign minister hopes for ‘positive’ spirit from Turkey in talks

ATHENS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Greece's foreign minister said he hoped Turkey would have a positive approach towards a meeting next week aimed at reviving long-stalled efforts to open negotiations…

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Greek coastguard recovers one dead, rescues 27 on Lesbos island

Greek coastguard officials recovered the body of one man and rescued 27 people from a rocky beach on the island of Lesbos after they apparently arrived by boat from Turkey, authorities said on Tuesday. "We have rescued 11 men, 15…

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Photo story: Snowy days in Istanbul

A man rides a bicycle at the Camlica hill on a snowy day during the lockdown in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey imposed curfews on weekdays after 9pm and full weekend lockdowns…

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Russian Cargo ship sinks off Turkey’s Black Sea

Reuters / Anadolu - A Russian-flagged dry cargo ship sunk off Turkey's Black Sea on Sunday, Jan. 17, according to a Turkish governor. The ship, named Arvin, sunk off the…

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Turkey vaccinates half a million people in first two days

Turkey has vaccinated more than 500,000 people in the first two days of administering COVID-19 shots developed by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd, health ministry data showed on Friday, among the speediest…

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Turkey’s Erdogan receives COVID-19 vaccine

ANKARA, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan received his COVID-19 vaccine in front of TV cameras on Thursday, a move which a spokesman for his AK Party said…

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Turkey and Greece may resume talks over disputed waters

ANKARA/ATHENS, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Turkey and Greece said on Monday they wanted to resume suspended exploratory talks over territorial claims in the Mediterranean Sea which brought them close to…

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Turkish police detain Islamic State suspects

Turkish police detained people suspected of ties to the Islamic State militant group in an operation targeting a total of 35 foreign suspects in Istanbul on Thursday, state-owned Anadolu news…

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Turkish court gives 92 life sentences in 2016 coup trial – Anadolu

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish court sentenced 92 defendants including former high-ranking army officials to life in jail on Wednesday for their roles in the 2016 attempted coup, state-owned Anadolu…

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Turkey extends lay-off ban by two months

ANKARA, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Turkey has extended a ban on lay-offs for two months from Jan. 17, a presidential decree published on the Official Gazette showed on Wednesday. The…

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Turkey and UK sign post-Brexit free trade deal

ANKARA, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Turkey and the United Kingdom signed a free trade deal on Tuesday, days before Britain formally leaves the European Union, to keep up the existing…

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Turkish parliament passes associations oversight law that critics say will stifle NGOs

Turkey’s parliament passed a law on Sunday that would ramp up oversight of foundations and associations and, according to rights groups including Amnesty International, risks limiting the freedoms of civil…

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Turkey warns Libya’s Haftar against attacking its forces

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar warned on Sunday that the forces of Khalifa Haftar and their supporters based in eastern Libya would be viewed as "legitimate targets" if they attempted…

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UPDATED: Magnitude 5.3 earthquake strikes eastern Turkey

An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 struck eastern Turkey on Sunday, the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said, while the interior minister said there were no immediate reports of…

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Turkey debates law that risks limiting freedom of NGOs

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's parliament began debating a draft law on Friday that would increase oversight of non-governmental organisations and which, according to rights campaigners, risks limiting the freedoms of…

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Turkey requires negative PCR tests for all incoming passengers

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey’s health minister said on Friday that as of next Monday all passengers coming into the country will have to provide proof of negative tests for coronavirus…

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Turkey lowers tax on tobacco products to ease pressure on inflation

ANKARA, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Turkey lowered the special consumption tax on cigarettes and tobacco products to 63%, the Official Gazette showed on Friday, a move that could help ease…

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Erdogan says Turkey hopes to turn new page with U.S. and EU in 2021

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey hopes to "turn a new page" in its ties with the United States and European Union, and that Ankara had been subjected…

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Turkey sentences journalist to 27 years in jail

Turkish journalist Can Dundar has been sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for allegedly supporting terrorism and "military or political espionage." A court in Istanbul sentenced Dundar to…

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Nine people killed in hospital fire in southeast Turkey

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Nine people were killed in a fire which broke out in a private hospital's COVID-19 intensive care unit in the southeastern Turkish province of Gaziantep, Health Minister…

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Turkey’s Erdogan, EU’s Michel discussed EU summit in call

President Tayyip Erdogan told European Council President Charles Michel in a call that Turkey wants to build its future with the EU, calling for Ankara and the bloc to move…

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Turkey rejects ‘biased and illegal’ EU approach at summit

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey rejects the European Union's "biased and illegal" approach at its summit this week and calls on the bloc to act as an honest broker in an…

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Turkish unemployment dipped to lowest since 2018

Turkish unemployment dipped to 12.7% in the September period as the economy heated up between the first and second coronavirus waves, according to data on Thursday that also showed record…

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Turkey condemns seizure of vessel by east Libyan forces

Turkey condemned the interception of one of its ships by eastern-based Libyan forces in the Mediterranean, saying it must be allowed to resume its journey to western Libya and warning…

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Turkey will not buy Russian vaccine, health minister tells website

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey has ruled out buying the Russian coronavirus vaccine since its development lacked "good practice", its health minister said in remarks published on Wednesday, as Ankara steps…

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Erdogan to discuss U.S. strains when Biden takes office

ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said he would discuss strained U.S. relations with President-elect Joe Biden when he takes office, playing down the possibility of sanctions over Turkey's purchase…

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Turkey calls on EU to act with common sense, says wants to improve ties

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey urged the European Union on Tuesday to use "common sense" to end a row over natural gas exploration that has fanned territorial disputes in the eastern…

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Turkey orders detention of 304 military personnel over suspected Gulen links

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey has ordered the detention of 304 military personnel in an operation targeting supporters of the Muslim preacher that Ankara says was behind a failed coup in…

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EU to consider making good on sanctions threat against Turkey

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU foreign ministers will evaluate grounds for sanctions against Turkey over a Mediterranean gas dispute on Monday before the bloc's leaders decide whether to make good on…

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Earthquake of magnitude 5.5 strikes off Turkey’s Mediterranean coast

ANKARA (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 struck off the coast of Turkey's Mediterranean coastal province of Antalya on Saturday, the Kandilli Observatory said. The earthquake occurred at a…

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Turkey in weekend lockdown as coronavirus cases hit record highs

Turkey has entered its first full weekend lockdown since May after coronavirus infections and deaths hit record highs in recent days. The country of 83 million people on Friday recorded…

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Erdogan says he hopes France will get rid of Macron “burden” soon

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he hoped France would soon get rid of President Emmanuel Macron, describing him as a burden on France which was…

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Cat-and-mouse game with Turkey must stop, Michel says

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A game of "cat-and-mouse" between the European Union and Turkey needs to come to an end, European Council President Charles Michel said on Friday, in reference to…

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Photo Story: Golden and silver face masks for sale in Istanbul

A model tries Golden protective face mask design of silver master Sabri Demirci for Coronavirus at his silver shop in Istanbul, Turkey. Sabri Demirci a 32-year Silver master at a…

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Turkey’s COVID curfew fails to contain surging second wave

Coronavirus deaths in Turkey rose to a record for the seventh consecutive day on Sunday and the number of new cases remained high despite efforts by President Tayyip Erdogan's government…

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Turkey’s daily coronavirus death toll hits record for sixth day in a row

Turkey's daily COVID-19 death toll hit a record high for a sixth consecutive day on Saturday, with 182 fatalities in the last 24 hours, data from the Health Ministry showed.…

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Germany is failing EU leadership test – Greek Foreign Minister

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias accused Germany of failing to live up to its leadership role in the EU by rejecting pleas from Athens to impose an arms embargo on…

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Turkey issues life sentences over failed 2016 coup

A Turkish court handed down dozens of life sentences on Thursday for some of the nearly 500 defendants, including army commanders and pilots, accused of carrying out a 2016 coup…

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Germany, Turkey trade accusations over interception of Turkish vessel

Turkey and Germany traded barbs on Tuesday after German soldiers boarded a Turkish vessel on behalf of an EU military mission in the Mediterranean, with Berlin calling its NATO ally's…

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Turkish court adds new Saudi defendants in Khashoggi trial

A Turkish court on Tuesday added new defendants to the case against Saudi officials charged over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, state media reported, in a trial that Ankara…

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Turkey sees itself an inseparable part of Europe

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that his country, an official candidate for European Union membership, sees itself as an inseparable part of Europe but will not give in…

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Turkey’s Erdogan, Saudi king agree to solve issues through dialogue – Turkish presidency

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz agreed in a phone call improve bilateral ties and solve outstanding disputes through dialogue, the Turkish presidency said early…

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Turkey extends seismic survey work in disputed Mediterranean area to November 29

Turkey said it was extending the seismic survey work of its Oruc Reis ship in a disputed area of the eastern Mediterranean until Nov. 29, in a move that could…

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Turkey must stop provocations in eastern Mediterranean – Germany

Turkey has to cease provocations in the eastern Mediterranean if it wants to avoid new discussions about European Union sanctions against Ankara at an EU summit in December, German Foreign…

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Turkey’s behaviour ‘widening its separation’ from EU, Borrell says

Turkey's rhetoric on Cyprus is aggravating tensions with the European Union and Ankara must understand that its behaviour is "widening its separation" from the 27-nation bloc, EU foreign policy chief…

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Turkey to buy 20 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses from China, also talking to Pfizer

Turkey will sign a contract within days to buy some 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinovac Biotech, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told parliament. The government is also…

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UPDATED: Turkey to imposes new measures to fight coronavirus surge

Turkey's government urged "tight discipline" on Wednesday as the country prepared for new weekend curfews, online schooling and limits on restaurants and cafes that are to begin Friday evening and…

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Spin the rain – F1 in Turkey

Rain on a slippery track turned Saturday's final practice for the Turkish Grand Prix into the equivalent of driving on an ice rink with cars sliding and spinning and lap…

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Turkey bans smoking in public areas amid surge of COVID-19 patients

Turkey banned smoking in crowded public places to slow a recent surge in symptomatic coronavirus patients, the Interior Minister said, as the government warned citizens to abide by protective measures.…

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Turkish Finance Minister resigns

Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrak said on Sunday he was resigning for health reasons, in an Instagram statement confirmed by an official, marking a second weekend surprise after the central…

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Erdogan tells Putin that Armenia must negotiate over Nagorno-Karabakh

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Saturday that Armenia must be convinced to negotiate in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan and called for a peaceful resolution,…

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Erdogan replaces Turkey’s central bank chief

President Tayyip Erdogan replaced Turkey's central bank chief over the rapid depreciation in the lira and discomfort with the bank's policy steps not yielding results, three officials told Reuters on…

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Turkey says it begins drilling in second Black Sea borehole

Turkey began drilling at a second borehole in a Black Sea natural gas field where it made its largest ever discovery earlier this year, Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said on…

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