News archive of November 2016

Bulgaria's Military Prosecutor's Office said on Tuesday that it has charged an unnamed number of defence ministry employees with deliberate dereliction of duty which cost the state over two million leva (around a million euros).

Under an agreement with former Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic's party to secure a majority in parliament to form a new government, the country's ethnic Albanian coalition has succeeded in securing a number of political concessions it has been demanding over the past ten years and which the authorities have continuously avoided implementing.

The freezing weather front has descended on most parts of Greece, Wednesday, with slight snow and sleet staring to fall in most areas of the country. According to the Meteorological Services (EMY), Thursday will be the day with the lowest temperatures and frost.

Panic has been stirred up among Turkey's neighbors, Bulgaria and Greece, over the recent exchange of ultimatums between Turkey and the European Union, Daily Sabah argues.

It makes a reference to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's comments to the EU last week: "We will open the borders if you push any farther."

Outgoing Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov will receive one of the highest state orders of Hungary on Wednesday, the government's press office has said.

Borisov is to meet Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán in Budapest while on a visit that was due last week but was postponed after the riots in a migrant center.

Turkey's bilateral economic and trade relations with the United States will fare better than they did over the past four or five years when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office in early 2017, according to the head of the Turkish-American Business Association-U.S. Chamber of Commerce (TABA-AmCham). 

The proposal that featured certain pardons for abusers who married underage girls has been withdrawn back to the commission. 

Yes, that was an achievement. But the matter is not closed.

It's everybody's opinion that the relationship between Turkey and the EU is at a crossroads, especially after the European Parliament last week voted in favor of temporarily freezing accession negotiations.  It is true that leaders from both sides do not hesitate to issue harsh criticisms against each other almost every day, at the expense of further damaging ties.

The passing of Fidel Castro was big news in Turkey as in much of the world. What was interesting was the unreserved adoration the Turkish left expressed for the late Cuban dictator.  

Socialist newspapers such as BirGün came out with headlines that praised "The Commandante," as social media flooded with love for the great socialist hero and his glorious revolution.

Turkish politics is struggling harder and harder to go beyond the title of "Absurdistan." Sadly, not even the sky is the limit.