Tag: ERDOGAN

Erdogan urges cooperation against terrorism in Macron call

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday told French counterpart Emmanuel Macron he wants their countries to cooperate to fight terrorism, as Ankara moves to ease tensions with Paris. The two leaders, who have clashed over a range of issues including the conflicts in Syria and Libya as well as the eastern Mediterranean, spoke in a video call for the first time since September. According to a statement by the Turkish […]

Erdogan gets jab as Turkey unrolls Chinese vaccine

by Burcin Gercek and Ozan Kose in Istanbul ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stripped down to a black t-shirt and got vaccinated on Thursday as the nation of 83 million people began rolling out China’s Sinovac jab despite conflicting data about its efficacy. The 66-year-old Turkish leader was whisked into an Ankara hospital by a bevy of security guards before emerging about an hour later to stress the importance of officials […]

Indonesia okays emergency use of Sinovac, as Turkey announces start of vaccination this week

  (Eagle News) — Indonesia has given emergency use approval to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac BioTech Ltd., and is set to start vaccination using the vaccines. As this developed, Turkey also announced that it would start vaccination using the Chinese-made vaccine by Thursday or Friday. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan himself announced the start of the vaccination in Turkey In Indonesia, the Jakarta Post reported that no less than Indonesian President Joko Widodo […]

Erdogan under pressure as coronavirus cases spike in Turkey

by Gokan GUNES Agence France Presse ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stepped up measures to stem surging coronavirus cases in Turkey but his refusal to impose a full lockdown in order to keep the economy afloat is drawing criticism. With gatherings banned, restrictions on intercity trips, and the obligation to wear masks almost everywhere, Erdogan has imposed a series of tough measures but so far resisted calls for a complete lockdown. […]

Trump, Erdogan stress need for Syria, Libya ceasefires: W.House

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan underlined Tuesday the need for ceasefires in Syria and Libya during the coronavirus pandemic, the White House said. The two spoke by phone on efforts to “defeat the virus and bolster the global economy,” the White House said in a statement. And they “agreed it is more important now than ever for countries in conflict, particularly Syria and Libya, […]

Erdogan urges ‘concrete action’ over Idlib crisis

ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for “concrete action” to prevent a crisis in Syria’s last rebel stronghold in a phone call with his French and German counterparts, his office said Friday. A humanitarian crisis has unfolded in the northwestern province of Idlib as the Syrian regime, backed by Russian airstrikes, presses on with an offensive that has forced nearly one million civilians to flee their homes. “The president stressed the […]

Turkey quake death toll rises to 31

  ELAZIG, Turkey (AFP) — The death toll from a powerful earthquake which struck eastern Turkey rose to 31, officials said Sunday, as rescue efforts continued. The magnitude 6.8 quake hit on Friday evening, with its epicentre in the small lakeside town of Sivrice in Elazig province but also affected neighbouring cities and countries. The Turkish government’s disaster and emergency management agency (AFAD) said 31 people died, the majority in Elazig but at least four […]

Trump dodges US-Turkey rows to focus on Erdogan friendship

by Sebastian Smith WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday sidestepped rows snaring US relations with fellow NATO member Turkey, instead of telling visiting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he is a “fan.” On a day when Congress was holding its first nationally televised hearings in the impeachment probe against Trump, the US president spent several hours meeting at the White House with Erdogan and claimed to be paying no attention to […]

Erdogan, Trump announce Washington talks on November 13

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to the United States next week to meet Donald Trump, the Turkish presidency said Wednesday, amid heightened tensions between the two countries. In a telephone conversation, “the two leaders reconfirmed that they will meet in Washington on Wednesday, November 13, on President Trump’s invitation,” the Turkish presidency said. Erdogan had threatened to cancel his visit due to disputes over the Syrian conflict and the US […]

Turkey vows to keep up Syria assault as US says troops came under fire

  by Nazeer al-Khatib with Delil Souleiman in Tall Tamr Agence France Presse RAS AL-AIN, Syria (AFP) — Battles raged in Syria as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to press on with a deadly assault against Kurdish forces, while the Pentagon said Friday US troops came under artillery fire from Turkish positions. Erdogan’s pledge to keep up the offensive, which the UN says has displaced more than 100,000 people since it began on Wednesday, […]

Erdogan’s party loses re-run of Istanbul mayor election

by Fulya OZERKAN ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suffered a bruising defeat on Sunday as the opposition candidate in Istanbul’s controversial mayoral election re-run romped to victory. Ekrem Imamoglu had won the first mayoral vote in March by a slim margin of 13,000 votes over Erdogan’s chosen candidate, Binali Yildirim, who contested the results and a new election was ordered. After being stripped of that victory over disputed claims of fraud, […]

Erdogan welcomes controversial re-run of Istanbul vote

by Fulya Ozerkan with Raziye Akkoc in Ankara ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday welcomed in order to re-run the recent Istanbul election, a move the opposition has branded an attack on democracy. His ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost the mayorship of Turkey’s biggest city by a narrow margin and has refused to accept defeat. “We sincerely believe there was organized corruption and irregularities,” Erdogan told party members […]