United States

Acting US Defense Secretary Mark Esper is making it clear to Turkey that it will face economic sanctions if it goes ahead with the purchase of a Russian missile defense system.

Esper met with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Wednesday during a NATO meeting. Officials say there was no progress in the stand-off between the two allies.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday he had not seen indications in his talks with President Donald Trump that the United States will impose sanctions on Ankara over its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defence systems.

Turkish and U.S. defense chiefs exchanged views on Syria and the F-35 fighter jet project on June 26, according to a statement from Turkey's National Defense Ministry.         

The Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) celebrated Wednesday's passage of the "Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act," authored by Senators Robert Menendez  and Marco Rubio, through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Fears that spiraling tensions between Iran and the U.S. could erupt into conflict and the latter's trade battle with China are poised to dominate a high-stakes G20 summit that will begin on June 28.

Russia will make first delivery of the S-400 missile systems to Turkey in July, Russian news agencies cited the head of Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport saying on Wednesday, in accordance with the earlier-stated plans.
"We are making first delivery in July as part of out plans," Alexander Mikheev is quoted as saying by RIA news agency.

The repeated provocations by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan especially in Cyprus' EEZ will obviously continue.

Pressured by domestic problems, not the least of which is the loss of the Istanbul mayoralty which was the first major defeat in his career, he is resorting to nationalist salvos and provocations to rally his political base.

The Municipal Councilor of VMRO in Sofia Municipality, Carlos Contrera, submitted a report suggesting that the Sofia Municipality should create a municipal system for the use of electric scooters in the capital.

North Korea said it would not surrender to US sanctions and blamed Washington for trying to put it on its knees, the Associated Press reported.

The critically acclaimed Plissken Festival, hailed for its line-up choices, returns to the Greek capital's Technopolis cultural center with 34 artists covering a wide range of contemporary music styles, from indie to soul-funk, electronica and synthwave pop.