News archive of February 2017

An International Monetary Fund team has initiated discussions with the Serbian government on the reform program.

Its findings will be announced on March 6, after the conclusion of its visit to Belgrade, Tanjug has been told at the IMF's Washington headquarters.

The biggest trial yet against suspects accused of involvement in the July 2016 coup attempt began in Turkey on Feb. 28 in a courtroom specially built to hold more than 1,500 people.     

Turkey's Council of State has ruled that a woman, whose husband died from HIV after he received blood from the Turkish Red Crescent in 2011, should pay back with interest the 350,000 Turkish Liras (roughly $100,000) of fine she received, saying that it was not the Health Ministry's fault but an employee's. 

The constitutional amendments to be voted on in April will turn the president into a "one-man ruler" but "checked by parliament," Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said, rejecting opposition claims that the system will cement authoritarian rule in Turkey. 

Turkey has more immediate problems to focus on such as an economic crisis, unemployment and education than the charter change, which will usher the country into an executive presidential system, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said. 

He stressed that such mass power should not be given to one person. 

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has called for a referendum on naturalizing Syrian refugees and Turkey's plans about participating in an offensive on Syria's Raqqa.

The former Bulgarian Ambassador to the United States has been detained at the airport in Warsaw for stealing cosmetics in a duty-free shop, according to Russian agency RIA Novosti.

Citing Polish radio EMF, the agency reports the goods concerned were worth the equivalent of nearly USD 400.

Ivica Dacic says the pace of Serbia's EU membership talks "does not reflect its actual progress in reforms and regulation of relations with its neighbors."

"I am pleased with our approach to the negotiations, but I'm not satisfied with the number of negotiation chapters that have been closed and opened," said Serbian foreign minister, and added:

Bulgaria's prosecuting authority has indicted three police officers who allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of cigarette packs used as an evidence in an investigation.

The prosecution believes BGN 2.3 M worth of cigarettes were unlawfully taken by the police officers from an Interior Ministry-owned warehouse in north central Bulgaria.

Spor Toto Turkish Super League defending champion Beşiktaş defeated archrival Galatasaray 1-0 in a tight derby game late on Feb. 27 to give it a giant step toward a second consecutive championship.