Latest News from Turkey
Preparatory delegation visits US ahead of Erdoğan-Trump meeting
A Turkish preparatory delegation is visiting the U.S. on May 5 ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Washington on May 16-17, when he will meet U.S. President Donald Trump.
The delegation is composed of Chief of General Staff Org. Hulusi Akar, Chief of Intelligence Hakan Fidan and presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın.
Syrian-trained Hamas agent nabbed by Shin Bet
A resident of Qalqilya, 23-year-old Malak Nazar Yousseff Kazmar was arrested two months ago by the Shin Bet and the IDF on the suspicion of recruiting people to the Hamas and plotting deadly terror attacks against Israelis.
We cannot let Turks in Germany vote in potential referendum on death penalty: Schulz
Germany cannot let Turkish expats vote for a potential referendum on reinstating capital punishment in Turkey, the chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Martin Schulz has said.
Third Turk arrested in Malaysia for security reasons
A third Turkish national has been arrested in Malaysia, the man's lawyer said on May 5, after two others were taken into custody this week, with officials saying that the arrestees posed threat to national security.
Turkish academic İsmet Özçelik was arrested on May 4, his lawyer Rosli Dahlan told Agence France-Presse, adding that no official reasons were provided by authorities.
Putin has a new Secret Weapon in Syria: Chechens
The Russian intervention in Syria has been, by most accounts, a success. And Russian President Vladimir Putin is going to do everything he can to keep it that way.
Tensions boiling over on Chios amid absence of migrant facility
Tensions are rising on the eastern Aegean island of Chios, which is currently favored by human smugglers ferrying migrants over from neighboring Turkey, with an increasing number of brawls at overcrowded state reception centers and local residents' tolerance wearing thin.
Fire of Anatolia to open to world with dance schools
Mustafa Erdoğan, the founder and general art director of Turkey's internationally acclaimed dance troupe, the Fire of Anatolia, said he had received offers to open dance schools abroad, adding that it was his dream to realize such a project.
In search of a rebound in Turkey's tourism
The year 2016 was a year of loss for tourism, a key sector in bringing in robust income for Turkey. Nothing will recover the sector overnight, but we could see a gradual recovery if the sector takes some crucial steps in several areas.
If you buy it…
Often, when something really odd is said, or if something impossible to believe is said to have happened, Turks say: "Yeah, if you eat it." It has the same meaning as the phrase "If you buy it."
Wikipedia is down and out, Jimmy Wales is miserable
A couple of days ago, access from Turkey to the world's biggest and most comprehensive Internet encyclopedia was blocked.
Wikipedia was launched by Jimmy Wales in 2001 aimed at free information-sharing open to everybody. It is a free online encyclopedia, a non-profit that theoretically allows anyone with Internet access to edit articles.
Man arrested smuggling cannabis from Greece to Turkey
A 55-year-old man was arrested on the Evros River in northeastern Greece Thursday as he was allegedly trying to smuggle around 100 kilos of cannabis into neighboring Turkey.
The suspect was spotted by police while he was in a boat on the river that runs between Greece and Turkey.
He dumped 11 airtight packages in the water, which were recovered by officers.
Turkey says Greek court's decision will impact relations
Turkey on Thursday slammed a Greek court decision to block a second extradition request for Turkish soldiers who fled to Greece after last year's failed coup, calling it a political decision that would impact relations.
Turkey, Russia, Iran ink deal on safe zones in Syria
Turkey, Russia and Iran on May 4 signed a memorandum on a Moscow-backed plan to create safe zones in Syria to bolster a fragile truce.
An AFP reporter at peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana saw the heads of the delegations, representing the three countries sponsoring the negotiations, sign the document.
Ankara court officially rules non-suit in 1980 military coup case
An Ankara court on May 4 officially ruled for a non-suit in the last hearing of the Sept. 12, 1980 military coup case, citing the death of two defendants - namely the chief of general staff and the air force commander of the time - the only military figures still alive when the trial began five years ago.
PKK, sorry YPG, is part of Syrian Democratic Forces: US commander
A top U.S. commander has said the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is an element of the coalition fighting Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), only to correct his remarks later.