Geography of Asia

Turkey, or rather the breakaway "Turkish Republic of North Cyprus" (TRNC) recognized only by Turkey, has informed the United Nations it will begin drilling for oil and natural gas within Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Iraq is committed to maintaining balanced bilateral relations with Turkey and other neighboring countries in the region, the Iraqi parliament speaker said on April 20.

Several Russian envoys met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and discussed a constitutional committee, trade, as well as the ways to improve Syria's relations with neighboring Arab countries, Russia's Foreign Ministry said.

Turkey's defense and aviation revenues jumped by 31% to reach $8.76 billion year-on-year in 2018, an official announced on April 19.

National Assembly President Tsveta Karaiancheva spoke with Iran's Minister of Road and Urban Development Mohammad Elami. The guest is visiting Bulgaria for the 19th session of the Joint Bulgarian-Iranian Commission for Economic and Scientific and Technical Cooperation.

The Presidential Communications Directorate has taken control of Turkey's state news agency, according to a presidential decree in the Official Gazette on April 19.

The Turkish Red Crescent on April 18 began distributing 11,000 food parcels - weighing a total of some 440 tons - to displaced persons in Yemen's west-central Maarib province.

The Bulgarian and Iranian aviation authorities will negotiate an amendment to the current air transport agreement and the future direct line between the two countries. This was announced by the Ministry of Transport as a result of the meeting of the Bulgarian-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission.

At St. Catherine's Monastery at the foot of Egypt's Mount Sinai, the silence in the library is broken only by low electrical humming, as an early manuscript is bathed in green light.

The Turkish province of Iğdır bordering Armenia, Iran and Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic hosts some 330 bird species during the spring season.