Latest News from Turkey
French Supports Greece in East Med Standoff with Turkey
French President Emmanuel Macron reviews an honor guard on the deck of the assault ship Dixmude docked in the French Navy base of Toulon, 19 January 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE/Claude Paris / POOL MAXPPP OUT
European Council president holds call with Erdogan amid East Med tensions
European Council President Charles Michel on Thursday held a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to the former's spokesman Barend Leyts.
Turkey’s East Med activities a threat to all states in region, says Dendias during Israel visit
Turkey's illegal activities in the Eastern Mediterraenan undermine stability and security and are a threat to all countries in the region, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said during a visit to Israel on Thursday.
Greece welcomes French boost as tension rises in east Med
Greece's prime minister warmly thanked France Thursday for boosting its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean, where Greek and Turkish warships are closely shadowing each other over a Turkish energy exploration bid in waters Athens claims as its own.
Oruc Reis sails back into Greek waters
Seismic vessel Oruc Reis entered Greek territorial waters on Thursday afternoon and is moving westward, within the area outlined by the Navtex issued by Turkey's navy on Monday.
The ship is accompanied by the auxiliary vessels Ataman and Cengiz Han and Turkish Navy ships. which in turn are monitored by the Greek Armed Forces.
Man arrested with drugs in northeastern Greece
A foreign national was arrested in Greece on Wednesday afternoon after he was found with thousands of pills of an unspecified drug which he had smuggled into the country from Turkey.
The man was detained by officers of the local anti-drugs squad in a rural area near Didymoteicho, at the border region of Evros.
Restoration in Istanbul’s iconic tower creates political firestorm
Cell phone footage of restoration workers drilling down the stone wall of Istanbul's 14th-century Galata Tower created a political firestorm. An officer of the Istanbul Municipality tweeted a clip of two restoration workers taking apart a corner section of the tower's inner wall with jackhammers. A pile of large stones lay at their feet as they worked.
Locals want historical Aydınlar church to reopen for religious tourism
The residents of Atalar village in the Black Sea province of Gümüşhane's Torul district have demanded from the authorities to renovate and reopen the Aydınlar Church like the Sümela Monastery in nearby Trabzon province.
Police detain at least 30 women in Istanbul Convention demonstration
Police detained at least 33 women in Ankara on Aug. 12 demonstrating to defend the Istanbul Convention.
Women's rights groups and feminists have been demanding the Istanbul Convention, a Council of Europe treaty that obligates member states to fight violence against women, be fully implemented amid debates that Turkey could withdraw from it.
Erdogan says only solution in Mediterranean is dialogue
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that the only solution to Turkey's dispute with Greece over energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean was through dialogue and negotiation, and Ankara was not chasing any "adventures" in the region.
Amid tensions with Turkey, Greece in joint manoeuvres with France
The French military conducted training exercises with Greek forces off the southern island of Crete on Thursday, defence sources said, as tension persisted with Turkey over disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean.
Amid tensions with Turkey, Greece in joint manoeuvres with France [Video]
The French military conducted training exercises with Greek forces off the southern island of Crete on Thursday, defence sources said, as tension persisted with Turkey over disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey not chasing adventures in E Med, says Erdoğan
Turkey is not chasing unnecessary adventures in the eastern Mediterranean, but its rights and interests, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, calling on Greece and Greek Cyprus to stop ignoring the rights of Turkey and Turkish Cypriots and return to common sense for a win-win resolution.
Former presidential candidate, CHP dissident İnce launches ‘Motherland Movement’
Turkey has both a government and an opposition problem and needs to exit this current political stalemate, Muharrem İnce, a former main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) presidential candidate and a party dissident, has said, announcing the launch of his "Motherland Movement in 1,000 days" as an alternative to existing political parties.
Top diplomat Çavuşoğlu discusses E Med with counterparts
Turkey's foreign minister held phone conversations with his Hungarian, Lithuanian and Bulgarian counterparts on Aug. 13, according to a source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto discussed recent matters related to the Eastern Mediterranean.