Latest News from Turkey

Government program without a program

The government program was discussed at Parliament Sept. 4, thus fulfilling one of the tasks on the âto doâ list.

What role might Turkey play in the fight against ISIL?

As was expected, the NATO Summit, which took place in Wales on Sept. 4-5, prioritized the ongoing Ukrainian crisis with Russia and the growing threat posed by extremist jihadists in the Middle East as its top immediate issues. Two important decisions were made by the leaders at the summit.

Of fake housing bubbles and Syrian refugees

I am often asked about the housing prices in Turkey lately. My questioners often want to confirm their sense that the housing bubble is going to burst, that a year or two down the line and theyâll be able to say âI told you so.â Have a look at the table below. It shows the increase in housing prices across Turkey between January 2010 and May 2014.

Coalition of the unwilling

âChoose your enemies carefully, but be less picky about your allies.â This was the title of a piece published by the Financial Times three days ago, which reflects exactly where we all stand today.

Samaras and Erdogan at loggerheads over Cyprus

A meeting on Friday between Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Turkeys new president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Wales achieved little other than underlining their radically different positions on the Cyprus problem, Kathimerini understands.

Turkey calls for broad ISIL strategy, US seeks team-up

Turkey wants the world to come together to find a way of eliminating the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant amid a US push to create a new coalition of the willing against the jihadist group Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄan has called on NATO allies to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorist organizations that have emerged from the chaos in Syria, a cl

Former Ambassador Wilson returns to Turkey as interim US chargé d’affaires

The United States has surprisingly decided to send its former ambassador to Turkey as chargÃ© dâaffaires to Ankara, four years after he retired from the Department of State. The decision comes due to the delay in the Senateâs confirmation of the ambassadorial nominee for the Turkish capital city.

Influx of Immigrants to Bulgaria via Greece Increases 10 Times

The current migration pressure is comparable to the highest levels in October last year, Bulgaria's Deputy Interior Minister Filip Gunev told Capital Daily.

Traffic has been partly diverted to Greece, and the number of people who entered Bulgaria from Greece increased ten times, Gunev noted.

Armenian church on Akdamar Island set to host fifth service

Christians from Turkey and around the world have started to travel to Akdamar Island on Lake Van for the fifth annual Divine Liturgy on the islandâs famous 10th century church. The church was reopened to occasional prayers in 2010 after a hiatus of nearly 100 years.