Ankara and Washington join hands for addressing ways to approach Iraq’s simmering internal row over energy issues, urging dialogue with rival governments AP PhotoTurkish and U.S. officials have shared concerns over an ongoing dispute between Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) over the latter’s oil deals with foreign companies, agreeing that the dispute should be resolved through “dialogue and ...

A Turkish diplomatic official, speaking to Today's Zaman on condition of anonymity, has dismissed a report in the Turkish media that Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director David Petraeus's visit to Turkey aims to mend ties between former allies Turkey and Israel, adding that mediation is not necessary.The Radikal daily reported on Thursday that the main goal of Petraeus's one-day surprise visit to Turke ...

The unrest in the Middle East and Syria in specific seems to escalating each and every day in spite of all the (useless) efforts spent by UN officials to put and end to it. Syria, on the contrary to many predictions as to Assad would leave the country to give way to a new administration and regime (certainly) to take over the country has been resisting all the pressure from the SYRIAN ARMY OF FREEDOM (rebel ...

Ankara’s reaction to the treacherous attack in Beytüşşebap, Şırnak has been harsh. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan emphasizes the fact that these perpetrators will never be allowed to realize their intentions. A steadfast resolution in the fight against terrorism was the message delivered in a state summit held yesterday in response to the PKK attack in Beytüşşebap, which resulted in the deaths of ten soldier ...

"The increased terror attacks in Turkey is the price for the country's support for the 'Syrian people,' according to Iraq's exiled vice president Tariq al-Hashemi. Escalation in the terrorist activities of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Turkey is to be expected, because of Turkey's allying itself with the Syrian people against the al-Assad regime, fugitive Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashem ...

The pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) which sees itself as the representative of the country’s Kurdish population in Parliament -- is drawing closer to losing its legitimacy as a political body as it is unable to sufficiently distance itself from the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and fails to contribute to the solution of the Kurdish issue, according to Turkey’s political analysts. What ...

The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of Turkey (AFAD) has announced that as of yesterday, the number of Syrian refugees that are currently in Turkey seeking shelter is 78,409. This in effect means that the number of Syria refugees in Turkey is nearing the 100,000 figure, which is considered to be the point that when reached will necessitate the setting up of a buffer zone AFAD released a written ...

Forming an international coalition to impose a partial no-fly zone over Syria, in order to provide protection for the Syrian population on the run from the civil war ongoing in the country, has been under discussion among Western allies for the last few weeks, Turkish official sources confirmed to the Hürriyet Daily News on Aug. 24. The confirmation came after French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had ...

The government’s recent decision to convert a former tobacco plant into a prison has angered the local chamber of commerce, which is demanding an industrial zone instead. “The government has chosen to build an eighth prison in the city, instead of establishing a second organized industrial site,” said Remzi Can, the head of the Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a press meeting on Aug. 24. Burç ...

Washington and Ankara sit down for an ‘operational planning’ meeting to discuss aid options amid their continued bid to overthrow Syria’s government FM Davutoğlu says Turkey can handle no more than 100,000 Syrian refugees. AP photoWith clashes between Syrian security forces and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) intensifying, senior Turkish and American officials met yesterday in a first “operational planning” meet ...

Washington is not lending the amount of support it should be giving Turkey in its fight against terrorism, President Abdullah Gül has said while admitting that Turkey should be able to take its own measures without relying on other countries to resolve the problem. “Is there anything more that the U.S. could do? Of course there is. Is [the U.S. effort] enough? I do not think so. But every country has its ow ...

Iran says Gaziantep attack no surprise, US condemns it An Iranian official has made a statement implying that Turkey risked becoming the target of attacks like the one that occurred in Gaziantep on Monday by intervening in Syria, while the US has condemned the attack. Turkish news portal ntvmsnbc.com reported on Wednesday that Hossein Nakavi, spokesperson for the Iranian parliament's National Security and F ...

Iran's supreme leader has ordered attack on West, Turkey. Western intelligence officials have claimed that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has allegedly given orders to launch attacks on Western countries, including Turkey, the Daily Telegraph has reported. The order stemmed from fears that the Bashar al-Assad, a long-time Iranian ally, may fall, the report said. Khamanei personally commission ...

Commenting that if the people in the Southeast were not so afraid of the PKK terrorist organization, then the BDP, or Peace and Democracy Party, would not get the vote, Erdoğan states "These deputies embrace them (terrorists) as if they were brothers, so of course we suffice to ask, ‘what sort of relationship is this’? Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was remarking on imagery surfaced depicting BDP deput ...

Terrorist organization bombing kills 8, injures 64 in Turkey near Syrian border A car laden with explosives was detonated by suspected members of outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party (NAMED terrorist organization by USA and many EU members) today in the eastern province of Gaziantep, near the Syrian border, killed at least eight people and 64 wounding, daily Hürriyet reported. Militants of said organization re ...

Turkey says it can take no more than 100,000 Syrian refugees Turkey cannot handle more than 100,000 Syrian refugees and instead proposes a UN buffer zone inside Syria to shelter them, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in remarks published Monday. "If the number of refugees increases to 100,000, we will not be able to shelter them in Turkey. We have to welcome them in Syrian territory" under UN a ...

Turkish minister attacked with stones in Turkey's southeast Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin was attacked by a group of people who threw stones at him during his visit to the eastern province of Hakkari yesterday, daily Hürriyet has reported. Şahin was reportedly speaking with locals on Cumhuriyet Street after the fast-breaking dinner when the group began throwing stones at him while shouting slogans. Pol ...

The two-day extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Mecca ended early on Thursday morning with a decision to suspend Syria's membership in the 57-nation organization, despite objections from Iran. Following the summit, Gul came together with Turkish reporters accompanying him on his visit to Saudi Arabia. Stating that the conference reached its aim, Gul said, "All the leader ...

Ankara issues travel warning to Lebanon after abductions Ankara issues a warning for Turkish citizens against travelling to Lebanon after the latest abductions as one kidnapped Turk calls on Turkish gov’t for help. Turkey issued a warning for its citizens against travel to Lebanon Aug. 17 after two of its citizens were kidnapped by armed groups in retaliation for the abduction in Syria of a Lebanese citizen ...

Huseyin Aygun, a parliamentarian for the country's main opposition group, the Republican People's Party (CHP), gestures at his office in Ankara December 5, 2011. Republican People’s Party (CHP) Tunceli deputy Hüseyin Aygün was released by his captors yesterday, 48 hours after he was kidnapped by militants. Tunceli Gov. Mustafa Taşkesen confirmed Aygün’s release, and said the lawmaker was at a military post ...

Turkey which received a real strong applause from western democracies for a long time - until a short while ago - has been attracting criticism for a while  from some major unbiased sources in those countries. This criticism is mainly targeted at the pressure exerted on the press, institutions and citizens by the current administration - and the head of government, in specific. One of the harshest articles ...

Turkish political parties circle their wagons to condemn an opposition MP’s abduction but appear no closer to sitting down to discuss the country’s most burning issues CHP’s Aygün was kidnapped by the PKK in his electoral province.The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) Kidnapping of main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy has drawn rebuff from both the ruling and opposition parties, as t ...

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki said on Sunday he would favor improved relations between Turkey and his central government in Baghdad.“We favor the strengthening of relations between the governments. And we want relations with Turkey to be better than they were before,” Maliki told the Anadolu Agency. Maliki stated that Iraq would be happy if Turkey wants to boost ties not with Iraqi groups but with th ...