Turkey

Turkey to hold military exercise off Cyprus amid Mediterranean tensions

Turkey said it will hold a military exercise off northwest Cyprus for the next two weeks, amid growing tension with Greece over disputed claims to exploration rights in the east…

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Macron says he set red lines with Turkey in eastern Mediterranean

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that he had taken a tough stance over the summer with regard to Turkey's actions in the eastern Mediterranean, setting red lines because…

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EU considering sanctions against Turkey over oil drilling in East Med

The EU is considering imposing economic sanctions against Turkey over its gas drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean while urging Ankara to engage in a dialogue, the bloc’s foreign policy…

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Turkey, Greece to hold rival naval drills as Germany aims to cool row

Turkey and Greece were set to hold separate naval drills in the same region of the eastern Mediterranean on Tuesday, escalating tensions over overlapping resource claims ahead of talks in…

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Greek parliament ratifies maritime accord with Egypt

The Greek parliament ratified an accord defining maritime boundaries between Greece and Egypt on Thursday, amid rising tensions with neighbouring Turkey over energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean. The pact,…

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Turkey to hold military drills in eastern Mediterranean

Turkey said on Thursday it will hold firing exercises in the eastern Mediterranean on Sept 1-2, the latest in a series of military drills which have fuelled tensions with Greece.…

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Greece plans to extend its western territorial waters

Greece plans to extend the western limit of its territorial waters in the Ionian Sea to 12 miles, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday. Italy and Albania, who also…

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Erdogan says Turkey to get rights in seas around it

Turkey is determined to do whatever is necessary to obtain its rights in the Black Sea, Aegean and Mediterranean, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. Speaking at an event commemorating…

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Turkey’s new COVID-19 cases reach highest since mid-June, government imposes measures

Turkey’s new coronavirus cases jumped on Tuesday to their highest level since mid-June at 1,502, according to Health Ministry data, prompting the government to impose measures to combat the spread…

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Germany says Turkey, Greece ready for dialogue on East Mediterranean dispute

Germany’s top diplomat said after whirlwind meetings in Turkey and Greece on Tuesday the two were ready for dialogue to defuse an worsening dispute over energy resources in the Mediterranean,…

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Turkey’s foreign visitor arrivals dive 86% in June

The number of foreign visitors arriving in Turkey tumbled 85.9% year-on-year in July to 932,927, data from the tourism ministry showed on Monday, as measures to curb the spread of…

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Turkey extends work of Mediterranean exploration ship through August 27

Turkey announced that its Oruc Reis exploration vessel will now carry out seismic surveys in a disputed part of the eastern Mediterranean until Aug. 27, in a move likely to…

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Death toll from northern Turkey flash floods rises to six

The death toll from flash floods in Turkey’s northern Black Sea region rose to six late on Sunday, as search and rescue efforts continued for 10 missing people, the state-run…

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Photo Story: Fatal floods in Giresun, Turkey

People stand on a flooded-hit street following heavy rainfall in Dereli district of Giresun, Turkey, 23 August 2020. According to media reports at least 4 people have died in the…

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Turkey announces biggest natural gas discovery in Black Sea field

Turkey announced its biggest natural gas discovery on Friday, a 320 billion cubic metre (11.3 trillion cubic feet) Black Sea field which President Tayyip Erdogan said was part of even…

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Turkey in talks with Germany, China, Russia on vaccine trials

Turkey is in talks with Russia, Germany and China about conducting Phase 3 trials for coronavirus vaccines developed in those countries, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Germany and China have…

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Erdogan says no threats can deter Turkey’s operations in Mediterranean

No threats can deter Turkey from seeking natural resources in the eastern Mediterranean, President Tayyip Erdogan warned, adding that Ankara expects actors in the region to take steps to de-escalate…

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Cyprus says willing to engage on defining maritime zones

Cyprus said it was willing to engage with all its neighbours on defining maritime boundaries, amid a tense stand-off with Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean over jurisdiction in the energy-rich…

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Libya, Turkey and Qatar sign military cooperation deal

The Libyan Deputy Defense Minister Salah Al-Namroush has agreed with the Turkish and Qatari Defense Minister; Hulusi Akar and Khaled Al Attiyah respectively, to sign tripartite deal for military cooperation…

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Visitors from Greece, Croatia and Turkey possibly next to be ‘quarantined’ by U.K.

Greece, Croatia and Turkey could join the UK's quarantine list as the countries record a rise in coronavirus cases. British holidaymakers returning to the UK from these countries could be…

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Putin, Erdogan discuss conflicts in Libya, Turkish, Qatari and German ministers visit Libya

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the conflicts in Libya and Syria with his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in a telephone call on Monday, the Kremlin said in a statement. The…

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Greece hopes war in Eastern Med is avoided

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Friday he hoped that all parties involved in a dispute in the eastern Mediterranean Sea will act according to international law and that…

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Turkey says France should refrain from escalating Mediterranean tensions

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday France should refrain from steps that escalate tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, where Ankara is embroiled in a dispute with Greece over…

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Erdogan warns against any attack on Turkish ship in Mediterranean

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that any attack on a Turkish ship exploring for oil and gas in disputed Mediterranean waters would incur a “high price” and suggested Turkey…

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Turkey’s Erdogan says only solution in Mediterranean is dialogue

President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that the only solution to Turkey's dispute with Greece over energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean was through dialogue and negotiation, and Ankara was…

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France sends two fighter jets, frigate to eastern Mediterranean, Greece in joint manoeuvres with France

France will send two Rafale fighter jets and the naval frigate ‘Lafayette’ to the eastern Mediterranean as part of plans to increase its military presence in the region, the armed…

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France to bolster Mediterranean military presence

France will increase its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean, President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, calling on Turkey to halt oil and gas exploration in disputed waters that has…

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Greece, US foreign ministers to meet over Eastern Mediterranean tensions

The foreign ministers of Greece and the United States will meet in Vienna on Friday to discuss tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Greek foreign ministry said, amid a dispute…

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Turkey to conduct seismic survey in eastern Mediterranean

Turkey's navy has issued an advisory saying that the Turkish ship Oruc Reis will carry out a seismic survey in the eastern Mediterranean over the next two weeks, a step…

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Turkey criticizes Germany for enforcing Libya arms embargo

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday criticized Germany's participation in a European Union mission supervising an international weapon's embargo on Libya. Cavusoglu was in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, for…

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Libya’s Al-Sarraj meets Maltese and Turkish Foreign Ministers

The Head of the Presidential Council Fayez Al-Sarraj met Thursday in Tripoli the Turkish and Maltese Foreign Ministers; Mevlut Cavusoglu and Evarist Bartolo, discussing latest developments in Libya and ways…

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Fears grow in Turkey as daily virus cases top 1,000

Turkey has expressed concern over the rising number of coronavirus cases as the daily infection toll exceeded 1,000 for the second day in a row on Wednesday. Ankara has eased…

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UAE tells Turkey to stop meddling in Arab affairs over Libya

The United Arab Emirates minister of state for foreign affairs said on Saturday that Turkey should stop interfering in Arab affairs, criticising comments on Libya made by Turkey's defence minister.…

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Turkey approves social media law critics say will silence dissent

Turkey adopted a new social media law on Wednesday that critics say will create a "chilling effect" on dissenting voices who have resorted to Twitter and other online platforms as…

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Erdogan and Al-Sarraj meet in Turkey

The Head of the Libyan Presidential Council Fayez Al-Sarraj met Saturday with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and discussed bilateral relations, developments in Libya and other issues of mutual…

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Greece and Turkey engage in strong exchange over conversion of Hagia Sophia

Greece and Turkey had another acrimonious exchange on Saturday over the conversion of the former church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul into a mosque. eKhatimerini reports that the Turkish Foreign Ministry…

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Turkey to distribute masks to students when schools reopen

Mask will be distributed when schools in Turkey are reopened as planned, the national education minister said. “We created an epidemic board in every school for daily cleaning of school…

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Hagia Sophia opens for Muslim worshippers

Friday prayers are to be held at Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia building for the first time since the celebrated museum was turned back into a mosque. "Muslims are excited, everyone…

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Turkey, Russia mull joint working group on Libya

Turkey and Russia agreed at talks in Ankara to continue joint efforts to create conditions for a lasting and sustainable ceasefire in Libya and are considering the creation of a…

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Coronavirus cases in Turkey reach 221,500

The last 24 hours up to Tuesday, Turkey saw 928 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the tally to 221,500, said Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Twitter. Over…

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Turkey rejects Greek claim over Mediterranean seismic survey

The eastern Mediterranean region where a Turkish ship will carry out a seismic survey is part of Turkey's continental shelf, Ankara said on Wednesday, rejecting Greece's accusation that the ship…

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Greece calls for sanctions against Turkey over disputed gas explorations

Greece said there should be no alternative but European Union sanctions against Turkey if Ankara does not back down on disputed attempts to explore for natural resources in the Mediterranean.…

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Egypt’s parliament authorises deployment of troops in Libya

Egypt's parliament authorised the deployment of troops outside the country on Monday after the president threatened military action against Turkish-backed forces in neighbouring Libya, Al Jazeera reports. A sharp military escalation in…

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Turkish defence industry says it can support Azerbaijan

Turkey's defence industry chief said that his sector was ready to help Azerbaijan, which has seen border clashes with Armenia in which 16 people have been killed. Turkey has strong…

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Erdogan says Egypt’s actions in Libya are illegal

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan denounced Egypt and the United Arab Emirates on Friday for supporting forces based in eastern Libya, after Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met Libyan tribesmen who…

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Turkey, US agree to collaborate on Libya

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed in a phone call to work more closely in Libya to ensure lasting stability in the country, the Turkish presidency…

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Photo story: Lavender fields in Turkey

A newly married couple walk inside a lavender field in Kuyucak Village, near Isparta Province, Turkey. Kuyucak village produces 93 per cent of all lavender produced in Turkey. Lavender comes…

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World Council of Churches “dismayed” at Hagia Sophia shift

The head of the World Council of Churches has written to Turkey’s president expressing his “grief and dismay” over Turkey’s decision to change the status of Istanbul’s landmark Hagia Sophia…

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On fifth attempt, U.N. Security Council renews Syria aid via Turkey

The United Nations Security Council on Saturday approved aid deliveries to Syria through one border crossing from Turkey, a day after its authorization for the six-year-long humanitarian operation ended, leaving…

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Hagia Sophia declared a mosque after Turkish court ruling

President Tayyip Erdogan declared Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia a mosque on Friday with the first Muslim prayers to begin in two weeks, after a top court ruled the ancient building’s conversion…

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EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Istanbul, Turkey

An aerial view of people sitting in a circle marked by the municipality with social distance, because of the pandemic of the COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in…

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Turkey won’t abandon its Libyan brothers – Defence Minister

The Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on Saturday Turkey's presence in Libya is to do whatever the international law and justice require, adding that Turkey is together with the…

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Malta: Turkish defence minister in Malta meeting with Bartolo on Libya situation

Malta’s foreign and EU affairs minister Evarist Bartolo on Saturday held a meeting with the Turkish Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar, who is in Malta on a short visit. The…

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Turkish Khashoggi murder trial opens

Twenty Saudi nationals have gone on trial in absentia in Turkey over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. He was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October…

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Turkey wants French apology over Mediterranean warships incident

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday Turkey expects France to apologise after an incident between Turkish and French warships in the Mediterranean prompted Paris to request a NATO investigation.…

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Germany tells Turkey travel warning will be regularly reviewed

Germany will keep reviewing travel advice for Turkey, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told his Turkish counterpart on Thursday, saying any decisions were coordinated with the EU and based on reliable…

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France suspends role in NATO naval mission in Mediterranean

France has informed NATO that it is suspending its involvement in a naval operation in the Mediterranean after the results of a probe into an incident between French and Turkish…

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