Politics of Asia

Iran has good relations with Turkey, Iranian Defense Minister Amir Khatami said on Aug. 19.

The Court of Cassation's decision to reject main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) appeal to halt the imprisonment of Istanbul lawmaker Enis Berberoğlu is against the constitution, CHP spokesperson Bülent Tezcan has said, accusing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) again of having huge influence over judicial authorities.

Argentina has asked Russia to arrest former Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati for extradition in connection with the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires, the foreign ministry said on July 12.

Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has warned that "no traitors will be left alive" if another coup attempt happens as recent rumors suggest.

The Constitutional Court has rejected the main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) appeal for the cancellation of the legislative package that stipulates changes in Turkey's electoral laws, an amendment that the CHP says casts a shadow over election security.

The German embassy in Ankara has said foreign diplomats have not been allowed to follow a public hearing of former Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Figen Yüksekdağ, expressing concerns over the state of the rule of law in Turkey.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) presidential candidate Muharrem İnce met with İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener as part of his bid to visit all presidential candidates ahead of campaigning for the snap June 24 election.

Two oppositional leaders, Meral Akşener from the Good (İYİ) Party and Temel Karamollaoğlu from the Felicity Party (SP), who are willing to run for the presidency in the June 24 polls, have begun collecting the required 100,000 signatures, a day after the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader urged the government to probe potential links of these voters with the Fethullahist Terrorist Organiza

Good (İYİ) Party leader Akşener' href='/search/Meral Akşener'>Meral Akşener and Felicity Party (SP) chair Karamollaoğlu' href='/search/Temel Karamollaoğlu'>Temel Karamollaoğlu have submitted their applications to the Supreme Election Board (YSK) on May 2 to run for the upcoming presidential elections on June 24 and need to gather 100,000 signatures to back their candidacy. 

Opposition parties have slammed the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) debt restructuring and handout package announced on April 30, saying the package worth up to $6 billion is a part of "pre-election bribery" ahead of snap elections to be held on June 24.