All News from Balkans

Did the PKK withdraw its threshold condition for Kurdish peace?

The 10 percent election threshold in Turkey is the highest such threshold in the world.

It was put in the Constitution during the military rule after the coup in 1980 in order to prevent Islamic or Kurdish-focused parties from getting into Parliament; any parties that got less than 10 percent of the vote would not be able to send members to Parliament.

Turkey and the EU focus on ‘updated’ customs union agreement

The issue of updating the Customs Union between Turkey and the EU will be on the agenda of a visit from three EU officials to Ankara, sources tell HDN The issue of updating the Customs Union between Turkey and the EU to reflect Ankara’s concerns about the EU’s free trade agreements with third parties will be on the agenda of a visit from three high ranking EU officials to Ankara on Dec.

Constitutional Court as the new ‘coup’ HQ

Turkey’s political lunacy is not likely to end anytime soon. Its latest episode is the condemnation of the Constitutional Court as the headquarters of yet another “coup attempt” against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Olympiakos has all but won its Euroleague group

By George Georgakopoulos

Olympiakos strolled to its seventh win in eight Euroleague games defeating Lithuanian champion Neptunas Klaipeda with an 89-79 score in Piraeus on Friday.

The two teams played a free-flowing basketball that allowed for a relatively high score, with the first half ending 47-36 and the host retaining its lead without any problems in the second half.

Electronic commerce continues to grow

The online commerce sector is growing and maturing in Greece, especially in the business-to-consumer section. Consumers using the Internet for their purchases are on the rise and companies investing in online sales are being rewarded by buyers, the annual survey of the Electronic Trade Laboratory of the University of Athens (ELTRUN) has found.

IMF wants social security contributions levelled

By Roula Salourou

The International Monetary Fund has proposed the introduction of a single set of regulations for calculating social security contributions and taxes, as well as a common rate of contributions for all workers insured in social security funds, i.e. both salaried workers and the self-employed.

Different stories told by opposite ends of the market

By Dimitra Manifava

The gap between large commercial enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses is growing bigger, an annual report by the National Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (ESEE) has shown.

Part of HFSF reserves set aside

 BoG has decided to hold onto 2 bln euros of the bank bailout fund’s unused resources as a precaution

By Yiannis Papadoyiannis

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Dacic: Ukraine a priority in Serbia's OSCE chairmanship

BASEL - The search for a solution to the crisis in Ukraine will be a priority during the forthcoming Serbia's OSCE chairmanship, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday during the closing statement at the session of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Basel.

Obama Nominates Ashton Carter for Defense Secretary

President Barack Obama has nominated former senior Pentagon official Ashton Carter as US Secretary of Defense.

If confirmed by the Senate, Carter will replace outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who resigned in November.

Cotric: Albania has no law to regulate status of Serbs

BELGRADE - Albania does not have a law on national minorities and this is why Serbs and other minorities in the country are not recognised as a national minority, Aleksandar Cotric of the Serbian parliament Committee on the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region said on Friday.

Grigoropoulos anniversary marked under large police presence

Amid growing tension over the ongoing hunger strike by anarchist and convicted bank robber Nikos Romanos, a demonstration Saturday marking the sixth anniversary of the fatal police shooting of teenager Alexandros Grigoropoulos in central Athens was expected to be held under a heavy police presence.

Gasic: Serbia is committed to cooperating with NATO

BELGRADE - Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic said Friday that Serbia wanted the highest form of cooperation with NATO that a partner state that did not want membership of the Alliance could have, and stressed that a creation of armed forces of Kosovo-Metohija was unacceptable for Serbia.

Greek, Turkish PMs see benefits in improved ties

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Turkish Premier Ahmet Davutoglu are expected to issue a joint statement on Saturday, at the end of the latter’s two-day visit to Athens, following what appears to have been a productive day of talks on Friday.

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