Following talks in Ankara on Wednesday, Turkish government spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters that his government would not allow Finland and Sweden into the NATO alliance until Turkey’s “concrete” security concerns regarding terrorism and sanctions are met. Kalin added that Ankara will not rush to an agreement before NATO’s next …
Read More »Ankara works with EU neighbors amid drifting naval mine alert
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said his country was working with Romania and Bulgaria after several drifting naval mines were recently discovered in the Black Sea. Russia accused Ukraine of laying hundreds of obsolete floating mines in order to prevent it from seizing its ports. “The mines are detected …
Read More »Ankara lashes out at EU declaration Cyprus and migration issues, says it’s ‘biased, lacking vision & disconnected from reality’
In a short statement on Sunday, a spokesman for the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs called parts of a declaration adopted during the EU summit in Athens “biased, lacking vision, and disconnected from reality, as was the case in previous years.” Signatories should “drop their one-sided and biased attitude” and …
Read More »‘Hindering peace & stability’: Ankara summons US envoy as it fumes over Biden recognizing Armenian Genocide
Ankara minced no words, as it took aim at Biden’s decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide on Saturday. The Turkish Foreign Ministry argued that the move would only inflame the simmering tensions in the region. “After more than a hundred years of this past suffering, instead of exerting sincere efforts …
Read More »Erdogan’s press office ditches WhatsApp as Ankara urges Turks to use domestic apps in fight against ‘digital fascism’
Starting on Monday, the office is switching over to encrypted messaging app BiP, which is developed by Turkish firm Turkcell, Bloomberg reported, citing internal messages posted to the WhatsApp groups. The decision comes amid growing consternation over WhatsApp’s plan to begin sharing personal data with its parent company, Facebook. The …
Read More »F-16 pilots get up to 79 life sentences each for bombing police & parliament building in Ankara during 2016 coup attempt
The court in Ankara delivered the verdicts against 475 defendants, 365 of whom had been detained. Several former military officials and civilians individually received up to 79 life sentences for their role in the failed coup. A former brigadier general was sentenced to life in prison for providing fuel for …
Read More »‘Azerbaijan is not alone’: Ankara throws weight behind Baku as fighting rages on over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region
Turkey’s presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin took to Twitter on the heels of fresh clashes over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory. The senior official made clear that Ankara will side with Azerbaijan – a nation whose language and culture are close to those of Turkey – in the renewed conflict. “We strongly …
Read More »‘This is not a colony!’ Ankara snaps at Washington over threat that US pharma may exit Turkey if it fails to repay $2.3bn debt
“What the ambassador did is neither correct nor ethical. He is using manipulation at a time when we are holding talks with drug companies. He may be able to do such acts in colonies, but this is not such a country,” Koca told reporters on Friday, while visiting the Black …
Read More »Ankara doesn’t expect EU sanctions over dispute with Greece in eastern Mediterranean – FM
The EU has made it clear it fully supports its member states Greece and Cyprus in the dispute with Turkey. Officials in Brussels have warned they are drawing up potential sanctions if dialogue does not begin, amid a standoff over maritime areas thought to be rich in natural gas. Cavusoglu …
Read More »3rd front the Russo-Turkish war: Fighters of Ankara spread to Azerbaijan from Syria
The turnover of the middle East conflict, which began with “Arab spring” of 2011-2012, involved more and more countries, including the former Soviet Union. The number of hot spots on the map of the Middle East is increasing, and long-standing geopolitical conflicts are woven together — for each power, be …
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