Iraq

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli has criticized İYİ (Good) Party lawmaker Lütfü Türkkan for swearing at a protestor in the eastern province of Bingöl.

"To swear at the sister of a martyr is indecent, dishonest, and the language of the enemy," Bahçeli said on Nov. 9 at his party's parliamentary group meeting, without naming Türkkan.

Turkey's foreign minister on Nov. 8 extended his get-well wishes to Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi after explosive-laden drones targeted his residence.

Over the phone, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu once again "strongly condemned" the terror attack where explosive-laden drones targeted the residence of Al-Kadhimi early on Sunday, according to diplomatic sources.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazimi survived an assassination attempt by drone attack tonight on his residence in Baghdad, the AP reported. According to two official sources, seven of the prime minister's bodyguards were injured in the attack on the heavily guarded Green Zone in the Iraqi capital.

Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi survived an assassination attempt with armed drones that targeted his residence early on Nov. 7 and officials said he was unharmed. The attack was a major escalation amid tensions sparked by the refusal of Iran-backed militias to accept last month's parliamentary election results.

Turkish companies have assumed 196 building projects abroad, which have a total volume of $20.3 billion in the first 10 months of this year, according to a business association.

Thus, the Turkish construction sector has achieved its target for the whole of 2021 two months earlier, the Turkish Contractors Association (TCA) said in a statement on Nov. 2.

Showcasing traditional dance, music and arts, Iraq's Babylon International Festival has attracted thousands of fans for the first time in two war-scarred decades.

"It's a great joy. We haven't seen a festival like this for years," said Shaima, 45, visiting the event at the ancient archeological site with her two daughters.

Four more PKK terrorists surrendered to security forces in Turkey as a result of persuasion efforts, the Interior Ministry announced on Oct. 31.

In a statement, the ministry said the terrorists joined the PKK during 2013-2015 and were active in Iraq and Syria.

Tunisia's prestigious Carthage Film Festival has opened with a screening of "Lingui" -a movie from Chad about a teenage girl who seeks an abortion.

The festival showcases 57 diverse films from 45 Arab and African countries, with screenings not only in cinemas, but in prisons and military barracks too.

Turkey "neutralized" at least two PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, the Defense Ministry said on Oct. 30.

Turkish authorities often use "neutralized" in statements to imply the terrorists in question surrendered, were killed, or captured.

Terrorists were targeted in the area of Operation Pençe-Kaplan, according to the ministry.

"De facto terrorist statelets" would have emerged across Turkey's southern borders with Iraq and Syria had Ankara not conducted its anti-terror operations in recent years, the spokesman for AKP said on Oct. 28.