Geography of Asia

The Hatay Archaeology Museum, which opened in the last week of 2014, is now home to the world-famous Antakya sarcophagus, which had been unearthed during a construction excavation in 1993 and displayed at a special place in an old museum since then.

Turkey is preparing to open its own national institute to collate all archaeological data, following in the footsteps of other countries that have already opened such facilities on Turkish soil Turkey is set to finally acquire an archaeology institute after many years of waiting, with Gaziantep Mayor Fatma ?ahin set to convene with archaeologists in the southeastern province in the comin

Turkey has ranked 149th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' world press freedom index, climbing five places in one year due to the release of a number of journalists, despite mounting criticism against the government's approach to freedom of expression and the media.

The Finance Ministry is working on a draft to allow Twitter to open an ?electronic office? in Turkey, which will allow the microblogging giant to pay taxes in Turkey and ease tensions with Ankara.

Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday for talks described by the latter as ?successful, honest and constructive.?

Greece plans joint military exercises with Israel, Cyprus and Egypt, Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said Wednesday, amid continuing tensions between Cyprus and Turkey over oil exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.

The head of the Turkish Cypriot Federation (KTFF) has decided to apply for membership in the Greek Cypriot football federation in a bid to prevent players from signing contracts with foreign teams, namely Turkey, without any fees.

The KTFF is not a member of either FIFA or UEFA.

Greece's new defense minister says his country is boosting cooperation with Cyprus to strengthen security in a volatile region.

Panos Kammenos says that the discovery of hydrocarbons in the east Mediterranean as well as the threat posed by the rise of extremism in the region necessitates closer security cooperation.

The World Health Organization will soon open an office in Turkey after a regulation from the cabinet to that effect was published in the Official Gazette on Feb. 11.

There has been an office of the WHO Country Representative for Turkey in Ankara, but a country office will now be opened following an agreement between the Turkish government and the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

The Turkish embassy in Yemen has decreased its staff to a minimal level due to the unpredictable security situation in the Arabian peninsula state, where a rebel group has seized control of the capital, a Turkish official told Hürriyet Daily News.