Washington

Turkish F-16 warplanes will fly over the country's capital Ankara on Monday to test its new Russian S-400 missile defenses, Turkish media said, despite pressure from Washington for Turkey to drop the system. 

Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Wednesday met US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on the sidelines of a meeting in Brussels of NATO chief diplomats. The two senior officials reviewed the agenda of the NATO ministerial meeting and highlighted the importance of advancing NATO's adaptation process in step with developments in security in the Euro-Atlantic area.

The Special Prosecution said on Wednesday that it has charged a woman identified only by the initials F.Z. with organising and participating in a terrorist group, and a male Kosovo citizen, Fitim Llavdrovci, with terror offences.

F.Z. is one of 110 Kosovo citizens who were repatriated from Syria in April.

Five closed pre-departure centers for migrants are expected to open on the Aegean islands of Samos, Chios, Lesvos, Kos and Leros, with details to be announced by government spokesman Stelios Petsas on Wednesday. 

The centers are to host no more than 5,000 people each and are expected to replace the open camps such as Moria and Vathy. 

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has revealed what a gift he will give to President Donald Trump during his upcoming visit to the White House on November 25th. The gift for the US President will be produced in Gabrovo and will be unique.

Greece's Alternate Minister for Immigration Policy George Koumoutsakos has accused Turkey of exploiting the migration crisis to pursue its "geostrategic goals," while urging European Union governments to do more to share the burden of hosting refugees.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday he told US President Donald Trump during talks in Washington last week that Turkey would not give up on the Russian S-400 missile defenses it procured this year, despite protests from its NATO ally.

Developing ties and alliances in Congress is "vital" to strengthening the US-Greek relationship, Greece's minister for the diaspora, Antonis Diamataris, told the inaugural Southeast Europe & East Med conference in Washington on Monday.

In spite of Recep Tayyip Erdogan's erratic behavior and revisionist posturing, the Americans - among others - argue that the West should not allow Turkey to be "lost." In this context, they would like to see the country become part of energy cooperation plans that are under way in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Cyprus Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Christodoulides is on a working visit to Washington, where he will also meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday.