People ' s Party

Trees are being felled in Istanbul's Beykoz district in order to make room for facilities as part of a giant forest park project conducted by the Forestry and Waterworks Ministry.

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç failed to completely deny recent claims that hundreds of relatives and friends of Cabinet members and ruling party lawmakers have been appointed to government positions without passing the required public personnel examination.

The Montenegrin Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday ruled that its new boss, Ivica Stankovic, has committed no criminal offences in the past related to bribery.

For two months, the prosecution has probed Stankovic's affairs after two opposition politicians accused him of bribery.

Opposition parties have criticized the government over its targets during budget talks in Parliament, asking it to reveal spending details.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has called on the government to explain where taxpayers' money is going and how the budget is being used.

Continuing with democratic reforms is key for Turkey to advance its EU accession process, Kati Piri, the European Parliament's new rapporteur to Turkey, has said on her first visit to Ankara.

Turkish Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz has denied recent claims that his relative had been recruited by the Telecommunications Directorate (TİB) without completing an exam.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has questioned both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's motives and authority with regard to his engagement in the possible inclusion of Ottoman language classes in Turkey's high school curriculum.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Monday announced that he will reshuffle the cabinet and seek a vote of confidence in parliament for the new ministerial line-up on December 15.

The cabinet will have with fewer ministerial positions. Besides members of the ruling Social Democratic Party, PSD, headed by Ponta, it will include members of three other parties represented in parliament.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has accused the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) of "acting with enmity toward their own history," while also describing the debates over the Ottoman language courses as simply "a storm in a teacup."

Bulgarian right-wing party Union of Democratic Forces celebrates its 25th anniversary on Sunday.

Sunday noon, UDF leader Bozhidar Lukarski, who is currently Bulgaria's Minister of Economy, is to meet with supporters of the party in Sofia's Slaveykov square and they will then walk to the UDF headquarters on 134 Rakovska Street.