by Dmitry ZAKS and Aya ISKANDARANI in Beirut A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing dozens, levelling buildings while people were still in their sleep, and sending tremors that were felt as far away as the island of Cyprus. Local officials in Turkey put the initial death toll at 53, although it threatened to climb substantially higher because it caught most people while they were still at home asleep. At least […]
Tag: Turkey
DEVELOPING STORY: At least 53 dead in Turkey after quake: officials
At least 53 people died Monday in Turkey when a major 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southeast of the country, local officials said. Officials said 23 people died in the province of Malatya, 17 in Urfa, seven in Osmaniye, and six in Diyarbakir, although the toll threatened to climb much higher because of the heavy damage. © Agence France-Presse
URGENT: At least 15 dead as 7.8-M quake strikes Turkey: local officials
At least 15 people died in a major 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey on Monday, local officials said, although the toll threatened to climb much higher because many buildings were destroyed. Locals officials said five people died in the province of Osmaniye and 10 more in Sanliurfa, which sits near Turkey’s border with Syria. Damaging M7.8 EQ hit southern Turkey near the Syrian border ~4am local time. PAGER is red for this event; […]
Turkey asks US for F-16 jets amid NATO, Congress rows
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Turkey on Wednesday appealed to the United States to expedite F-16 jets, a sale some US officials hope could coax Ankara to lift objections to NATO expansion but is bitterly opposed by a key senator. Meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he intended to discuss his country’s request for modernized versions of the mainstay F-16 fighter jets. “As we said together before, this […]
Magnitude-6.1 quake hits northwest Turkey
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — A magnitude-6.1 earthquake struck northwest Turkey during Wednesday’s early hours, the US Geological Survey said. The shallow tremor struck about 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of Istanbul, the country’s largest city, according to the USGS. It gave a time of 4:08 am (0108 GMT) and a depth of 10 km. The USGS uses a “fixed depth” of 10 km when initial quake data is “too poor to compute”, according to its […]
Russia calls on Turkey to show ‘restraint’ in Syria
ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AFP) — Russia on Tuesday said it hoped Turkey would exercise “restraint” and refrain from “any excessive use of force” in Syria, where Ankara has carried out air strikes and is threatening to launch a ground offensive against Kurdish fighters. “We hope to convince our Turkish colleagues to refrain from resorting to excessive use of force on Syrian territory” to “avoid the escalation of tensions”, Alexander Lavrentyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy […]
Turkey arrests Syrian woman, accuses PKK over Istanbul attack
Istanbul, Turkey | AFP | by Remi BANET and Fulya OZERKAN Turkey on Monday accused a Syrian woman of planting a bomb that killed six people in Istanbul, blaming the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) of carrying out the attack. Two girls, aged nine and 15, were among those killed when the bomb exploded shortly after 4:00 pm (1300 GMT) on Sunday in Istiklal Avenue, home to smart boutiques and European consulates. More than […]
Israeli, Turkish leaders meet as tensions ease
UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday met for the first time in more than a decade with an Israeli prime minister, with Yair Lapid seeking his help on citizens held by Palestinian militants Hamas. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, a month after the countries announced the restoration of diplomatic ties following years of tensions. Lapid “brought up the issue of […]
US calls Erdogan threats to Greece ‘unhelpful’
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Tuesday called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s warnings to Greece over sea disputes “unhelpful” and urged the two NATO allies to settle differences diplomatically. “At a time when Russia has again invaded a sovereign European state, statements that could raise tensions between NATO allies are particularly unhelpful,” a State Department spokesperson said when asked about Erdogan’s remarks, without naming him. “The United States continues to encourage […]
Turkey vows to back Palestinians despite restoring Israel ties
Ankara, Turkey | AFP | Turkey said on Wednesday that its decision to restore diplomatic relations with Israel after a decade of tensions did not mean that it would abandon its support for Palestinians. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s comments came moments after Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid announced the resumption of full diplomatic relations that included the reappointment of ambassadors. Cavusoglu said the decision will allow mostly Muslim, but officially secular Turkey to lobby for […]
Israel to restore full diplomatic ties with Turkey: PM Lapid
Jerusalem | AFP | Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Wednesday his government will restore full diplomatic ties with Turkey, following years of strained relations between the Mediterranean nations. “It was decided to once again upgrade the level of the relations between the two countries to that of full diplomatic ties and to return ambassadors and consuls general from the two countries,” said a statement from Lapid’s office. The prime minister hailed the diplomatic breakthrough […]
Turkey says three grain shipments to leave Ukraine Friday
ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) — Three more ships filled with grain will sail from Ukraine on Friday under a UN-backed deal lifting Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea, Turkey’s defense minister said. “It is planned that three ships will set sail tomorrow from Ukraine,” Anadolu state news agency quoted Defence Minister Hulusi Akar as saying, one day after the first ship passed Istanbul on its way to Lebanon. Ankara also announced that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut […]
