Turkey disappointed over third veto of UN draft resolution on Syria Turkey has expressed disappointment over Russia and China's veto of another UN draft resolution on the situation in Syria, a measure enabling the military measures to end bloodshed in the country.“At a time when the situation in Syria is acquiring more tragic dimensions each day, it is disappointing that the [United Nations Supervision Miss ...

During the Erdoğan-Putin meeting in Moscow, the Turkish party proposed an election government system reminiscent of what transpired in Egypt. The members of this government would consist of members of the party in power that have not been involved with the violence, opposition members, military staff as well as non-partisans. The wind is changing direction for Russia the biggest supporters of Syria's Baath ...

Turkey and Syria’s other neighbors look on warily as rebels take over a number of border posts amid violence around the country following a July 18 bombing Forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad have been left in control of only one of Syria’s eight border gates with Turkey after losing control of the others in pitched battles with rebels July 20, according to a Turkish official. Rebels started gaining control of ...

Differences of opinion on how to approach Syria should not cast a cloud over Turkish-Russian ties, Turkish sources have said ahead of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s key visit to Moscow today. Although Erdoğan is expected to attempt to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to drop its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Ankara is confident that the divergence of views on the Syr ...

A suicide bombing which killed members of President Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle has increased the urgency for tougher United Nations action says Western leaders, a stance rejected by Russia. British Foreign Secretary William Hague condemned the suicide attack, and said it “confirms the urgent need for a Chapter 7 resolution of the U.N. Security Council on Syria.” U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan asked t ...

Turkey wants no war, CHP chairman affirms The main opposition leader rejects calls for a Syria intervention, having supporters roar ‘Peace at home, Peace in the world’ at a parley Addressing the members of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) at his party’s 34th ordinary parley, Chairman Kılıçdaroğlu says his party cannot accept subcontracting of Western hegemonic powers in the crisis-stricke ...

A Turkish jet was not downed by either anti-aircraft fire or a missile, separate army sources say as investigations into last month’s incident expand with new details A Turkish jet downed on June 22 was definitely not shot down by anti-aircraft fire as suggested by Syrian officials, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) said July 13, while also making clear once more that the jet was shot down by Syria. “In light ...

Bagis describes Ireland as Europe's gate to north America Turkey's EU Affairs Minister and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis on Tuesday received Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton and held a meeting with her in Ankara. Bagis said on the sidelines of meeting that Ireland was Europe's gate to North America, just as Turkey is the continent's gateway to the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the M ...

Ireland's minister for European affairs has said her country would support Turkey reach its membership goal during its term presidency of the European Union (EU). Irish Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton, met with Turkish EU Minister & Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis in capital Ankara on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters prior to the gathering, Creighton pointed to Ireland's taking ove ...

Development Minister Cevdet Yılmaz has announced that Turkey will provide $150 million in aid to Afghanistan from 2015 to 2017 for development projects.During an international conference held in Tokyo on Saturday on Afghanistan's future after the current NATO mission, Turkey in addition to other attendees, pledged to support the conflict-torn country. Yılmaz, who represented Turkey at the conference, expres ...

Assad accuses Turkey of aiding 'terrorists' Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad accused the United States of assisting "gangs"  and Turkey of aiding the Syrian rebels, in a rare interview with a western television channel aired on Sunday. "The United States is part of the conflict. They offer the umbrella and political support to those gangs to... destabilise Syria," Assad told German public broadcaster ARD. A ...

French president François Hollande confirmed Saturday that he plans to push a new law that would criminalise the denial of the 1915-1916 Armenian genocide by Ottoman Turkey. A French court ruled Thursday the law was unconstitutional. French President Francois Hollande confirmed Saturday plans for a new law criminalising denial of the Armenian genocide with representatives of the Armenian community, the Elys ...

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Friday called for greater pressure on Russia and China to push them to stop supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, as the minister joined a gathering of Western and Arab nations in Paris supporting the Syrian opposition. Davutoğlu, addressing the meeting of about 100 delegations from countries around the world and international organizations, also insisted ...

France and Turkey share views on Assad Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu met with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius yesterday in Paris. Speaking at a joint press conference following the meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Davutoğlu, Fabius explained that they mainly discussed the situation in Syria, while also touching on the developments in Afghanistan and the Middle East, Turkey and EU relat ...

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has told a Turkish newspaper he wished Syrian forces had not shot down a Turkish jet last month and that he would not allow the tensions between the two countries to turn into open combat. "We learned that it (the plane) belonged to Turkey after shooting it down. I say 100 percent 'if only we had not shot it down'," the Cumhuriyet newspaper quoted Assad as saying in an inter ...

Cyprus said Monday after taking up the rotating EU presidency that it was concerned over Turkey's attitude to events in Syria but would continue to work with Ankara over the conflict. Cyprus said Monday after taking up the rotating EU presidency that it was concerned over Turkey's attitude to events in Syria but would continue to work with Ankara over the conflict. "As a country we have worries on the way T ...

As tension which has brought Turkey and Syria on the verge of war escalates, United Nations-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan has invited Turkey to a meeting on Syria to be held in Geneva on Saturday, while Iran has not been included in the list. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu will have a chance for face-to-face talks about Syria's shooting down of a Turkish jet with Annan and UN Security Council membe ...

Turkey looks to quicken its pace in selecting a $4 billion air defense bid winner after fire from Syrian forces brought down one of its warplanes last week Turkey sends missile batteries, tanks and troops to the border with Syria after the Syrian forces shot down a Turkish military jet last week. Military vehicles loaded with army personnel also carry low-altitude air defense systems and anti-aircraft guns. ...

Turkey sends missile batteries to tense Syria borderTurkey has sent missile batteries, tanks and troops to the border with Syria as a "security corridor", almost a week after the Syrian downing of a Turkish military jet, media reports said on Thursday. ISTANBUL- There was no official confirmation of the military moves, which came after Turkey branded its former ally a "clear and imminent threat" following F ...

Turkey gives its troops on the Syrian border license to kill in case of any vioaliton as PM Erdoğan vows to treat any Syrian threat to the frontier as a military target The Turkish government has instructed its army to intercept any potential security risk posed by Syrian security forces along its land and sea border, in response to the downing of a Turkish jet by Syria in international airspace. Turkish Pr ...

Syria a 'clear and present danger' for Turkey: Erdoğan Syria has come to constitute a "clear and present danger" for Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, adding that all military elements approaching the Turkish border from Syria would be considered "a threat" from now on. The Turkish Armed Forces has changed its rules of engagement in the wake of the crisis, Erdoğan said. "The Turkish military ...

"We have no intentions to go to war” In an announcement following the Council of Ministers’ meeting regarding the fighter jet brought down by Syrian forces, Government Spokesman and Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç stated, “We have no intentions of going into war with anyone.” Explaining that they have conducted the necessary procedures in connection to NATO's 4th and 5th article, Arınç stated, "It should ...

Turkish jet entering Syrian airspace breach of sovereignty: Syria Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi speaks during a news conference at the Syrian foreign ministry building in Damascus Turkish jet entering airspace was a "clear breach of Syrian sovereignty," Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said during a press conference today. "Even if the plane was Syrian, we would have shot ...