Latest News from Turkey
Prosecutor demands 350 years in jail for teacher accused of sexually assaulting 10 students
A prosecutor in the Central Anatolian province of Karaman has demanded 350 years in prison for a teacher on accusations he sexually assaulted 10 male students in a house owned by a foundation in which he lectures.
Turkish PM visits site of March 13 attack to commemorate victims
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu visited the site of the March 13 car bomb attack in commemoration of the victims on March 17.
Arriving at the site at K?z?lay Square in Ankara with his wife, Sare Davuto?lu, the prime minister left cloves and prayed for the victims.
Davuto?lu also lifted the Turkish flags on the ground at the site to a higher level in a show of respect.
PKK Offshoot Claims Responsibility for Ankara Bombing
A Kurdish militant group has claimed it was behind the attack in Turkey's capital Ankara which killed 37 people last week.
The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons have said on their website (in Kurdish, quoted by the BBC and Reuters) they were targeting security forces and and not intending to kill civilians, adding further casualties would be "inevitable".
Turkey examines Brazil, Austria models in bid to update severance pay system
Turkey's Labor and Social Security Ministry has been examining a number of models, including those in Brazil and Austria, in a bid to update the severance pay system, according to officials.
US opposes possible Kurdish federal system in Syria now, but leaves door ajar
The United States said on March 16 that it opposed Syrian Kurds forming an autonomous region in northern Syria but could accept such an arrangement if the Syrians themselves ultimately agreed on it.
German Embassy in Turkey closed down following ‘imminent attack’ threat
The German Foreign Ministry released a briefing stating that the German Embassy in Ankara, Turkey and its Consulate General in Constantinople had been shut down, following an unconfirmed threat of an imminent attack. According to the announcement of the German school in Constantinople was closed for security reasons.
Greece drops as tourist preference for Russians to 5th spot
According to data presented by the Russian statistics services, Greece has fallen to fifth spot as a tourism destination for Russian nationals. Compared to the 2014 Russian travelers choosing Greece as their holiday destination fell by 48 per cent in 2015, while Russian holiday travels abroad in general declined by 31.3 per cent, with a total of 12.1 million trips.
PKK-affiliated TAK says it is behind Ankara bombing
The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), a terror group linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack that killed 37 people in the capital Ankara, according to a statement on its website on March 17.
Terror group TAK says it is behind Ankara bombing
The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), a terror group linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack that killed 37 people in the capital Ankara, according to a statement on its website on March 17.
Deutsche Schule Istanbul announces one-day suspension over security reasons
The Deutsche Schule in Istanbul has announced the suspension of classes for one day due to security reasons.
The school management issued a message to parents and students saying the school would be closed for one day on March 17 following a warning from the German Consulate in Istanbul.
The consulate will also be closed on March 17.
German embassy, consulate in Turkey closed over threat of possible attack
The German Federal Foreign Office announced on March 17 that the German embassy in Ankara and the German consulate in Istanbul have been closed over the threat of a possible attack as German Foreign Minister said they received very serious terror attack intelligence against German representation offices in Turkey.
German embassy, consulate in Turkey closed for second day over threat of possible attack
The German Embassy in Ankara and the German Consulate in Istanbul have remained closed for a second day over the threat of a possible attack after German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said they had received very serious intelligence about a possible terror attack against German missions in Turkey on March 17.
EU28-Turkey Summit on refugee to try to forge a final agreement on matter
In the wake of concerns that the refugee crisis could turn into a full blown humanitarian one in Greece, the 2-day EU28 Summit on the matter is scheduled to convene Thursday, March 17 in Brussels.
Juncker: Turkey not ready for EU accession even in 10 years!
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told German newspaper ‘Handelsblatt’ that he was cautiously optimistic of a deal between the EU and Turkey on the refugee crisis. ‘We shall reach a deal with Turkey within the next days, based on what has been prepared at the last Summit. I am reservedly optimistic on the outcome’, said Juncker.
The morality of attacking the Turkey-EU's refugee deal's morality
The deal hammered out between Turkey and the European Union to stem the flow of refugees is under severe criticism.
While the deal awaits approval from EU leaders in a summit scheduled this week, opinion leaders from politicians to think tank experts have rushed to criticize it.