Tag: Turkey

Erdogan steps up US row with ambassador boycott

by with Dave Clark in Washington, Stuart Williams and Fulya Ozerkan Agence France-Presse ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed Tuesday that Turkish officials will boycott the US ambassador, deepening one of the worst rifts in decades between the NATO allies. Erdogan said Turkey no longer regarded outgoing envoy John Bass as the US representative to Turkey after American missions in the country stopped issuing visas. The dispute erupted last week when Turkey arrested a […]

Continue Reading →

Almost 150 go on trial over Turkey coup bridge massacre

by Fulya OZERKAN Agence France-Presse SILIVRI, Turkey – Almost 150 former Turkish military personnel went on trial Monday over clashes on an Istanbul bridge during last year’s failed coup that claimed dozens of lives, including a key aide of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The bridge across the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul was the scene of bloody fighting between Erdogan’s supporters and renegade soldiers seeking to oust the elected government on the night of July 15, 2016. It was […]

Continue Reading →

Turkey suspends all non-immigrant visa services at all diplomatic facilities in U.S.

WASHINGTON, United States (Reuters) — The Turkish embassy in Washington said on Sunday (October 8) it suspended all non-immigrant visa services at all Turkish diplomatic facilities in the United States, after U.S. missions reduced visa services in Turkey. “Recent events have forced the Turkish government to reassess the commitment of government of the United States to the security of Turkish mission facilities and personnel,” the statement by the embassy in Washington said. The decision came […]

Continue Reading →

Erdogan sees progress in Qatar crisis; says more time needed

ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said his visit to the Gulf region made a contribution to easing the crisis surrounding Ankara’s ally Qatar, but indicated that more time was needed to end the standoff. Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia and Kuwait at the weekend before heading to Qatar earlier Monday for talks with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in a trip aimed at defusing the crisis. Erdogan has voiced […]

Continue Reading →

Two killed in 6.7-magnitude quake off Greece and Turkey resorts

by Veronique Dupont and Sonia Bakaric in Theologos BODRUM, Turkey (AFP) — At least two people were killed on the Greek island of Kos Friday when a magnitude-6.7 earthquake shook the popular summer resort holiday destinations of the Dodecanese Islands in Greece and the Aegean coast of Turkey. The epicenter of the quake was approximately 10.3 kilometers (6.4 miles) south of the major Turkish resort of Bodrum, a magnet for holidaymakers in the summer, and 16.2 kilometers east […]

Continue Reading →

Magnitude-6.7 earthquake strikes near Turkey, Greece: USGS

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A magnitude-6.7 earthquake rattled southwestern Turkey and the nearby Greek Dodecanese Islands early Friday, the United States Geological Survey said. The temblor struck at 1:31 am (2231 GMT Thursday) at the epicenter, which was approximately 10.3 kilometers (6.4 miles) south of Bodrum, Turkey and 16.2 kilometers east of Kos, Greece. It had a depth of 10 kilometers, USGS said. © Agence France-Presse

Continue Reading →

Turkey marks failed coup that changed country

  by Stuart WILLIAMS Agence France-Presse   ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) – Turkey marks one year on July 15 since a coup attempt aiming to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that failed within hours but etched far-reaching consequences into its society and politics. The country is in the throes of the biggest purge in its history against alleged coup supporters while Erdogan has seen his grip on power tightened rather than weakened. But Turkey is also facing […]

Continue Reading →

Tillerson in Istanbul amid Turkey-US tensions

  ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) – US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was on Sunday holding talks with Turkish leaders in Istanbul on issues ranging from Syria to last year’s failed coup. After arriving from Ukraine, Tillerson met with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and later held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, officials on both sides said. No statement was issued after the late night talks at the Istanbul residence of Erdogan by the Bosphorus. […]

Continue Reading →

Pro-Kurdish party’s ex-leader tried on ‘terror’ charges in Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — The former co-leader of Turkey’s third largest political party went on trial in Ankara on Tuesday on charges of disseminating “terror propaganda” for outlawed Kurdish militants. Figen Yuksekdag and the other co-leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtas, were detained in November and have been held in jail ever since. Their incarceration alarmed the European Union and raised further concerns over use of the state of emergency imposed in […]

Continue Reading →

Putin launches deep-water phase of TurkStream gas pipeline

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday launched the deep-water phase of the TurkStream gas pipeline project, calling Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan from a ship off the Black Sea coast. TurkStream will deliver Russian gas to Turkey and is eventually intended to serve the European Union. “Go!” Putin said, pressing a button on the Pioneering Spirit pipelaying ship, the world’s largest construction vessel, to formally launch the work, accompanied by Gazprom energy […]

Continue Reading →

Turkey FM in ‘positive’ Saudi talks on Qatar

MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held talks in Saudi Arabia on Friday with King Salman, continuing efforts to resolve the Gulf’s biggest diplomatic crisis in years. Diplomatic sources told AFP that “the meeting was positive,” but there were no specifics. Riyadh, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and others severed diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar almost two weeks ago, accusing Doha of supporting groups, including some backed by Iran, “that […]

Continue Reading →

U.S. arrest warrants issued for members of Turkish leader’s security team

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Reuters) – Washington police have obtained arrest warrants for members of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s security team, who attacked peaceful protesters during the leader’s visit to the U.S. capital last month, officials said on Thursday (June 15). Nine people were injured outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington during a May 16 brawl, which strained U.S.-Turkish relations. A video posted online showed men in dark suits chasing protesters and punching and […]

Continue Reading →
1 … 19 20 21 22 23 … 32