Turkey and Syria

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkish intelligence forces killed Islamic State leader Abu Hussein al-Qurashi in Syria.

"This individual was neutralized as part of an operation by the Turkish national intelligence organization in Syria yesterday," Erdogan said in an interview with TRT Turk broadcaster.

Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias met with the new Turkish Ambassador to Greece Cagatay Erciyes on Wednesday, with the minister stating that Greece wants to further the improved relations that developed between the two countries following the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in February.

Talks between the foreign affairs ministries of Greece and Turkey were held over approximately twenty days and in absolute secrecy, before the two respective ministers' announcements came from Brussels on Monday, noted Greek diplomatic sources.

BRUSSELS- Serbian FM Ivica Dacic said on Monday in Brussels Serbia had set aside an additional 1.5 mln euros in aid to quake-stricken Turkey and Syria, with each country to receive 750,000 euros.

Addressing a plenary session at a donor conference, Dacic said the Serbian government had set up a team to coordinate humanitarian assistance soon after the tragedy.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said he will meet with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Brussels Monday on the sidelines of a conference hosted by the EU aimed at ramping up funds from international donors to help the victims of the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.

The meeting will take place at 2 p.m. Greek time, Dendias said.