Latest News from Turkey
President Erdoğan congratulates France's Macron on election win
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 8 congratulated French President-elect Emmanuel Macron on his election victory, Turkish Presidency sources have said.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Erdoğan had a telephone conversation with Macron.
Israel responds to Erdoğan's criticism on call to prayer ban in Jerusalem
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has responded to a recent criticism by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over an Israeli parliament bill proposing to ban the call for morning prayers in Jerusalem.
Israel speaks to Turkish envoy over Erdoğan's criticism of call to prayer ban in Jerusalem
A senior Israeli official telephoned Turkey's ambassador on May 9 to express indignation over President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's criticism of an Israeli parliament bill proposing to ban the call for morning prayers in Jerusalem, Agence France-Presse has reported.
Syria’s Kurds march on to Raqqa and the sea
Syria’s Kurds have revealed plans to redraw the northern part of the country by linking the Kurdish region of Rojava with the Mediterranean Sea, in a move that will infuriate neighbouring Turkey.
Turkey, US top diplomats speak by phone over Syria plan
Turkish and U.S. foreign ministers had a phone conversation early May 9 to discuss an upcoming meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Donald Trump as well as developments in Syria, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
Nicosia tells UN chief Ankara is disrupting talks
Turkey's violations of Cyprus's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) are having an adverse impact on the reunification talks, the island nation's President Nicos Anastasiades has warned in a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Turkey, EU step up diplomacy after nosedive in relations
Turkey's EU Minister Ömer Çelik will travel to Brussels and Strasbourg on May 9, where he is expected to hold meetings with the bloc's foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini, European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans, and Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland, after a period of high tension between the EU and Ankara.
Turkish officials hold high-level talks in Washington before Erdoğan-Trump meeting
A Turkish preparatory delegation is holding high-level talks with U.S. officials in Washington ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit in the U.S. capital on May 16-17, when he will meet U.S. President Donald Trump.
EU, Turkey destined to find way forward together, says EU delegation head to Turkey
Turkey and the European Union share a common destiny to walk forward together, according to Christian Berger, the head of the EU delegation to Turkey, who said it was in Ankara's interest to remain on its path to join the bloc.
Çorum deputy asks return of Ankara's Hittite artifacts
Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Çorum deputy and parliament's administrative chief Salim Uslu said they have initiated works to move Hittite civilization artifacts at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum in Ankara and the Hittite Sun Course Monument in the capital's Sıhhiye Square to the Central Anatolian province of Çorum.
What did Erdoğan really get from Putin?
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is pleased with the results of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian resort of Sochi last week. After his talks with Erdoğan, Putin announced that relations between the two countries "had been totally repaired." He was referring to the nosedive that relations took after Turkey downed a Russian jet in November 2015.
Italian cheese from Black Sea's Kandıra
In the Black Sea coastal town of Kandıra, only a couple of hours drive from Istanbul, there is the first modern water buffalo (bufala) farm in Turkey where famous Italian cheese such as mozzarella, burrata, ricotta and mascarpone are produced. I had the opportunity to visit this farm with a group of colleagues.
Turkey will realize it 'cannot be a free rider outside the EU'
It is no secret that Turkey is very - and rather positively - intrigued by Brexit. There is nothing surprising about this, as it is no longer a secret that the Turkish government wants an "a la carte relationship" with the EU. It would like to benefit from economic cooperation with Brussels while getting rid of the democratic requirements of membership.
CHP is shooting itself in the foot
Some have been wondering what stopped Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the chairman of Turkey's social democratic main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), from challenging the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) to an early election on the night of the recent constitutional referendum, perhaps launching a tour of all the cities that voted "No" to President Tayyip Erdoğan's bid to consoli
New migrant center planned on Chios as tensions simmer
The exact site for the creation of a new so-called pre-departure camp for migrants and refugees on the island of Chios will be determined by May 20, authorities said on Monday.
The new camp will come as tensions at overcrowded reception centers on the eastern Aegean island continue to simmer, with almost daily clashes between stranded migrants of different ethnicities.