Turkey

Turkish, Greek foreign ministers meet for first time since crisis

The foreign ministers of Turkey and Greece met on Thursday for the first time since a dispute between the two NATO members over energy exploration and maritime jurisdiction in the…

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Turkey says EU Commission report ‘biased’, reiterates commitment to EU membership

Turkey dismissed a report by the European Commission as “biased, far from constructive”, saying Ankara rejected the criticisms directed at its economy, democracy and courts, and remained committed to the…

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European Commission says that Turkey’s EU membership bid is evaporating

The European Union's executive said on Tuesday that Turkey's government was undermining its economy, eroding democracy and destroying independent courts, leaving Ankara's bid to join the EU further away than…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Rumeli Castle, Turkey

Rumeli castle and fortress during curfew in Istanbul, Turkey. Rumeli Castle, know in Turkey as Rumeli Hisarı, is an Ottoman fortress dating to 1452, which is currently an open-air museum…

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NATO chief calls for ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Monday for a ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh as the death toll rose during fighting in the breakaway enclave in the South Caucasus. "It is extremely…

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Saudi business leader calls for boycott of goods from ‘hostile’ Turkey

The head of Saudi Arabia's Chambers of Commerce has called for a boycott of Turkish products amid reports from merchants that animosity between Ankara and Riyadh is hindering the flow…

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Indications Turkish drill ship heading back to Turkey from off Cyprus

The Turkish drill ship Yavuz has left the area where it was operating southwest of Cyprus and reached the Turkish coast, Refinitiv Eikon shipping data showed on Monday, in a…

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Erdogan says Turkey aims to boost ties with Libya’s GNA

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday Turkey aims to strengthen relations with Libya's internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) after a meeting with the country's prime minister, who plans…

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UPDATED: Turkey rejects calls for ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh

Turkey rejected “superficial” demands for a ceasefire on Saturday in the South Caucasus, where it backs Azerbaijan, after a week of fierce fighting with ethnic Armenian forces in the breakaway…

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Doctors group says Turkey ‘hid the truth’ on coronavirus cases

Turkey’s top medical association and the main opposition party criticised a decision by President Tayyip Erdogan’s government to only publicly disclose new coronavirus cases if the patient is showing symptoms.…

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Turkish official says Ankara unswayed over EU sanctions on Eastern Mediterranean

Turkey would be even more determined to protect its territorial rights in the Eastern Mediterranean if the European Union ultimately decides to impose sanctions on it over offshore oil and…

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UN registers Turkey-Libya maritime deal

Turkey's Defence Ministry said on Friday that a maritime demarcation agreement between Ankara and Libya's internationally recognised government was registered by the United Nations. Turkey and the Tripoli-based Government of…

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Turkey to “do what is necessary” to support Azerbaijan

The presidents of France, Russia and the United States called on Thursday for an immediate ceasefire between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces around Nagorno-Karabakh, but Turkey said the three big…

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UK removes Turkey and Poland from safe travel list

Travellers arriving in England from Turkey and Poland will have to self-isolate for 14 days from early on Saturday, Britain's transport minister Grant Shapps said on Thursday. The Caribbean islands…

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France accuses Turkey of sending Syrian mercenaries to Nagorno-Karabakh

France accused Turkey on Thursday of sending Syrian mercenaries to fight in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and said it was working with Russia to reach a ceasefire between Azerbaijan and ethnic…

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Moscow willing to mediate between Azerbaijan and Armenia, conflict causes rift in NATO

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow was willing to host the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan for talks, a ministry statement cited him as saying. He said…

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Orthodox church petitions UN over Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia

The Greek Orthodox Church of the United States said it is petitioning United Nations experts to coerce Turkey into protecting Orthodox Christianity’s cultural heritage following the Turkish government’s conversion of…

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Macron criticises Turkey’s “warlike” rhetoric on Nagorno-Karabakh

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday Turkey's "warlike" rhetoric was encouraging Azerbaijan to reconquer Nagorno-Karabakh and that was unacceptable, though he added that he had no proof at this…

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Turkey expects concrete steps from EU summit – foreign minister

Turkey expects concrete steps to be taken at a European Union summit on Oct. 1-2 regarding issues including the updating of a 2016 migrant deal and customs union with the…

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Turkey denies claim that it shot down an Armenian warplane, Putin appeals for ceasefire

The claim by an Armenian official that Turkey shot down an Armenian fighter jet is “absolutely untrue”, Turkey’s communications director Fahrettin Altun said. “Armenia should withdraw from the territories under…

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Greece and Turkey to resume talks after weeks of tensions in East Med

The United States and Greece called on Monday for a peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in the east Mediterranean as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began a two-day trip…

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The S&D group condemns crackdown on Turkish HDP party

The S&D Group in the European Parliament condemns the new crackdown on the Turkish HDP party, following the news that Ankara prosecutors have decided to detain 82 people in seven…

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Erdogan spokesman says Turkey sees EU summit as chance for reset

Turkey sees a European Union summit this week as an opportunity to reset relations between them, but the bloc must produce specific proposals and a timetable to work on a…

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Armenia accuses Turkey of direct military support for Azerbaijan

Armenia accused Turkey on Monday of providing direct military support for Azerbaijan in a flare-up of fighting between the two former Soviet republics over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenian…

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Azerbaijan – Armenia Conflict – Updates

Clashes erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sunday over the volatile Nagorno-Karabakh region, reigniting concern about instability in the South Caucasus, a corridor for pipelines transporting oil and gas to…

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Turkey reserves sea area near Rhodes for live fire naval exercise

Turkey on Saturday issued a navigational telex for a naval exercise with live fire, reserving a sea area between the Greek islands of Rhodes and Kastellorizo, Greek media reports. The…

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Armenia calls for Turkey’s non-involvement in conflict

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called on the international community on Sunday to ensure that Turkey does not involve itself in Armenia's conflict with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, trading barbs…

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EU sanction threat on Turkey fades after it accepts talks with Greece

The European Union is unlikely to follow through on a threat to impose sanctions on Turkey after Ankara agreed to talks with Greece over maritime claims on Tuesday, senior EU…

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Turkey, Greece agree to resume talks after four year hiatus

Turkey and Greece have agreed to resume talks over their contested maritime claims in the eastern Mediterranean after a four year hiatus following weeks of tensions that culminated in a…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Dalyan River, Turkey

The Dalyan River as local cruise boats carry tourists to Iztuzu Beach, in Dalyan town, in Mugla, Turkey. Dalyan town is situated near of the Dalyan River, where the delta…

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Turkey will keep supporting Libya’s GNA despite Sarraj plan to quit

Turkey's agreements and cooperation with Libya's internationally recognised government will continue despite Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj's desire to quit, Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin was quoted as saying on Monday. In…

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Turkey may resume talks with Greece but warns against EU sanctions

Turkey and Greece could soon resume talks over their contested Mediterranean claims but European Union leaders meeting this week will not help if they threaten sanctions, Turkey’s presidential spokesman said…

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Surge in Turkish COVID cases pits doctors against politicians

Resurgent coronavirus cases in Turkey are fuelling tensions between doctors who say the official figures underplay the scale of the outbreak and politicians who accuse the country’s medical association of…

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Malta and Spain to collaborate in easing tensions in East Med

Turkish media gave prominence this morning to a press conference held in Madrid following a meeting between the Maltese and Spanish Foreign Affairs Ministers. During their encounter, the two sides…

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Erdogan upset by al-Sarraj declared resignation

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey was upset by news that Libya's internationally recognised Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj wants to quit by the end of October. Sarraj announced…

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Turkey pulls back survey vessel to allow for diplomacy with Greece – Erdogan

Turkey pulled back its Oruc Reis seismic survey vessel from the eastern Mediterranean to allow for diplomacy with Greece, but this not mean Turkish operations in the region are finished,…

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Erdogan cautions that Turkish drill ship did not end operations in east Mediterranean

President Tayyip Erdogan told German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a video call on Wednesday that the docking of Turkey’s Oruc Reis seismic survey vessel for maintenance does not mean its…

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Turkish, Russian officials nearing deal on Libya ceasefire

Turkey and Russia have moved closer to an agreement on a ceasefire and political process in Libya during their latest meetings in Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told an…

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Turkey’s coronavirus death toll exceeds 7,000

The death toll in Turkey due to the novel coronavirus reached 7,056 on Sunday, rising by 57 people in the last 24 hours, data from the Health Ministry showed. The…

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Turkey does not expect EU sanctions over east Mediterranean dispute

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday that Turkey does not expect the European Union to impose sanctions on it over a dispute with Greece over territorial claims in the…

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Turkey says U.S. needs to return to neutral stance on Cyprus

Turkey said early on Monday that the United States needed to return to a neutral stance on Cyprus, after Washington and Nicosia signed a memorandum of understanding to create a…

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Positive first step by Turkey to ease tensions Greece

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday the return of Turkish survey vessel Oruc Reis back to its southern province of Atntalya was a positive first step to ease…

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U.S. ‘deeply concerned’ about Turkey’s action in Easter Mediterranean

The United States remains "deeply concerned" about Turkey's actions in the eastern Mediterranean, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday, urging a diplomatic end to a simmering crisis over…

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Moody’s cuts Turkey’s rating on risk of balance of payment crisis

Moody's on Friday downgraded Turkey's rating to 'B2' from 'B1', saying the country's external vulnerabilities are likely to result in a balance of payments crisis and that its fiscal buffers…

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Turkey says EU Mediterranean statement biased, open to talks with Greece

Turkey slammed a statement by European Union Mediterranean states on Friday, saying the comments were biased and "detached from reality", but added Ankara was still open to unconditional talks with…

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EU’s Mediterranean states tell Turkey: resume talks this month or risk sanctions

The European Union will draw up a list of new sanctions on Turkey at the end of September unless Ankara comes to the negotiating table to resolve a territorial dispute…

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Diplomats say Turkey-Cyprus dispute holding up EU’s Belarus sanctions

European Union sanctions on Belarus are being delayed by a separate dispute between Cyprus and Turkey over energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, four EU diplomats said, in the latest…

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Greek PM insists dialogue with Turkey is important, but on peaceful terms

The European Union must impose ‘meaningful’ sanctions on Turkey unless Ankara pulls its maritime assets from disputed areas in the eastern Mediterranean, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an…

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Turkey scales back school reopening amid rise in COVID-19 cases

Turkey announced it was scaling back plans to reopen schools later this month, with only the youngest pupils beginning classes at first, for up to two days a week. Fatalities…

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Russia offers to mediate in any Cyprus-Turkey talks over Med energy exploration

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Cyprus on Tuesday that Moscow was ready to help mediate in any talks with Turkey as tensions simmer over energy exploration in the Mediterranean…

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Greece plans to strengthen military as tension with Turkey rise

Greece plans to acquire arms, boost its armed forces and revamp its defence industry, the government's spokesman said on Monday, as tensions with NATO ally Turkey over energy resources in…

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Turkey’s Erdogan says East Mediterranean is test of EU’s sincerity

President Tayyip Erdogan told European Council President Charles Michel on Sunday the EU's stance towards the East Mediterranean would be a test of its sincerity, calling on it to take…

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European Council President Charles Michel says EU to hone “carrot and stick” line on Turkey at summit

European Union leaders will decide on a "carrot and stick" approach to Turkey when they meet on Sept. 24-25, their chairman said, proposing a multi-party conference to defuse tensions in…

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European Parliament debate proposed on Eastern Mediterranean as tensions escalate

The EU is set to debate the escalation of the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean after a proposal by the Socialists and Democrats Group. S&D vice-president for foreign affairs, Kati Piri,…

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Turkey at second peak of coronavirus outbreak

Turkey is experiencing the second peak of its novel coronavirus outbreak, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday, while the government announced new restrictions on weddings and other social gatherings…

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U.S. to lift 33-year arms embargo on Cyprus

The United States will lift a 33-year arms embargo on Cyprus and deepen its security cooperation with Nicosia, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday, prompting an angry…

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Turkey hopes for permanent F1 calendar fixture

Turkey hopes to secure a permanent place on the Formula One calendar after it stages its first event in nearly a decade later this year, albeit at half-capacity due to…

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