Syria

The Turkish and Russian presidents on April 1 discussed over phone ways to combat the novel coronavirus, according to an official statement.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Vladimir Putin also discussed bilateral relations and regional issues, Turkey's Communication Directorate said.

The war in Syria killed 103 civilians in March, marking the lowest monthly non-combatant death toll since the start of the conflict in 2011, a war monitor said on April 1.    

Of the total deaths, some 51 people were killed in shelling and air strikes by the Syrian regime, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.     

The presidents of Turkey and the U.S. agreed that the fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak could only be won through global solidarity and cooperation, according to an official statement on March 31.

In 2018, around 672 300 persons acquired citizenship of one of the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU), down from 700 600 in 2017 and 843 900 in 2016.

The Greek Coast Guard on March 31 forced 18 asylum seekers into Turkish territorial waters off the southeastern coast, where they were rescued by Turkey.

A Turkish Coast Guard team rescued the asylum seekers off the Datça district, in the Aegean, in the Muğla province, said the coast guard command.

Straight on the heels of Turkey's effort to have thousands of migrants violently violently cross over to Greece at the Evros land border, Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias deconstrructs Ankara's communications effort to blame Greece for the plight of these migrants which it bused to the border, of whom only 10 percent were refugees and the rest economic migrants.

Greece is reportedly in a heightened state of vigilance at all levels, so that in the coming period of its forced introversion to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic the conditions are not created that would allow Ankara to spring any surprises.

Turkish security forces have destroyed 38 claymore mines, three anti-tank mines, and five kilograms of explosive material in northern Syria within the area of its recent anti-terror operation in the region, the Defense Ministry said on March 27.

There was no letup in the tension in the Aegean Sea Thursday as Turkish fighter jets conducted overflights above the islands of Chios, Oinousses, Panagia and Lesvos.

Similarly, on Wednesday, Turkish jets flew over Lesvos and the Evros land border.

Turkish security forces neutralized six YPG/PKK terrorists in northwestern Syria, the Defense Ministry said on March 24.

"Six PKK/YPG terrorists who were attempting to infiltrate the Operation Peace Spring zone were successfully neutralized in successful operations of our heroic command," the ministry said on Twitter.

It added that the operations will continue uninterrupted.