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☆ Turkish Opposition Disarray Lifts Erdogan's Hopes of Winning Back Istanbul
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( March | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The alliance that helped propel Imamoglu to victory in Istanbul has since collapsed, and his nationalist and pro-Kurdish allies are fielding their own candidates this month. FRAGMENTED OPPOSITIONBut Imamoglu's hopes in Istanbul have been dented by the decision of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party and the Turkish nationalist IYI Party, whose voters supported him in 2019, to field their own candidates. Metropoll's latest survey showed support for Imamoglu among Kurdish voters had declined to 32% last month from 35% in January. Support among IYI party voters fell to 45% from 64%. Imamoglu has accused central government of hampering his delivery of services in Istanbul since 2019.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan's, Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan, Imamoglu, pollsters MAK, Murat Kurum, pollster Murat Gezici, Kurum, Sencar, pollsters Metropoll, Imamoglu's, Ertan Aksoy, Canan Sevgili, Daren Butler, Gareth Jones Organizations: Birsen Altayli, AK Party, CHP, AKP, DEM Party, Turkish, IYI Party, Aksoy Research Locations: Birsen, Birsen Altayli ISTANBUL, Istanbul, Turkey's, Israel, Gaza, Ankara, Turkish, Imamoglu's, Turkey

☆ Turkey Arrests 25 Suspects Over Church Shooting - Minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have formally arrested 25 suspects in connection with the shooting of a man during a service at a church in Istanbul last weekend, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on Friday. The two main suspects were foreign nationals, one from Tajikistan and the other Russian, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said previously. Tunc said the 25 suspects were charged with membership of an illegal organisation and aggravated intentional homicide, adding that another nine suspects were released pending trial. The murdered man had gone into the church while out for a walk and had no political or religious affiliations, his cousin has said. Turkish authorities have detained 2,086 people suspected of ties to Islamic State since June 2023, Yerlikaya has said.

Persons: Yilmaz Tunc, Tunc, Ali Yerlikaya, Yerlikaya, Daren Butler, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Islamic, Islamic State, Italian Santa Maria Catholic Church, Authorities, Reuters Locations: ISTANBUL, Istanbul, Islamic State, Tajikistan, Israel, Gaza, Italian, Istanbul's Sariyer, Turkish, State, Turkey, Jan

☆ Erdogan, Eyeing More Trade With Iran, Says Turkey Weighing Opening New Border Crossings
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey is considering opening new border crossings with eastern neighbour Iran, President Tayyip Erdogan said late on Wednesday after talks with his Iranian counterpart, as they seek to revive sagging economic relations. Trade between Turkey and Iran peaked in 2012 at nearly $22 billion but has since fallen. Efforts to establish trade centres in border (areas) to increasing the economic development of our border provinces continue," he said. Turkey, a NATO ally, and Iran currently have four border crossings between them. Turkey, which has also been hit with U.S. sanctions for acquiring Russian defence systems, opposes what it calls unilateral economic sanctions as a policy.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Ebrahim Raisi, Omer Bolat, Daren Butler, Gareth Jones Organizations: Turkish Trade Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Iran, Tehran, NATO, Ankara

☆ Turkey Launches Airstrikes Against Militants in Iraq, Syria
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's military carried out airstrikes against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq and Syria on Monday night, destroying 23 targets, the defence ministry said, sustaining an escalation of conflict south of the country's border. The upswing in violence began on Friday when nine Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes with Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in northern Iraq, prompting Ankara to conduct airstrikes and operations both there and in northern Syria. The latest airstrikes were carried out late on Monday in the Metina, Gara, Hakurk and Qandil regions of northern Iraq as well as in northern Syria to ensure border security and prevent attacks, the ministry said. Turkish forces regularly strike PKK militants based in the mountains of northern Iraq. Turkey has carried out a series of military incursions and bombing campaigns in Syria against the Kurdish YPG militia, which it regards as a wing of the PKK.

Persons: Daren Butler, Michael Perry Organizations: Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Kurdish YPG Locations: ISTANBUL, Iraq, Syria, Ankara, Gara, Hakurk, Turkey, United States, Turkish, Kurdish

☆ Turkey's Erdogan says Israel's Netanyahu 'will be tried as war criminal'
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ISTANBUL, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would eventually be tried as a war criminal over Israel's ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip, while slamming Western countries supporting Israel. Turkey, which supports a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, has sharply criticised Israel over its campaign in Gaza, launched in response to militant group Hamas' rampage on Oct. 7. In a speech to an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) committee meeting in Istanbul, Erdogan said the Western nations supporting Israel were giving it "unconditional support to kill babies" and were complicit in its crimes. "Beyond being a war criminal, Netanyahu, who is the butcher of Gaza right now, will be tried as the butcher of Gaza, just as Milosevic was tried," Erdogan said, in reference to Yugoslav ex-President Slobodan Milosevic who was tried for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes at a tribunal in The Hague. "We must absolutely evaluate the United Nations Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court (ICC) within this framework," he said, adding Israel's nuclear arsenal must not be forgotten.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Milosevic, Slobodan Milosevic, U.N, Antonio, Guterres, Daren Butler, Jonathan Spicer, Alex Richardson Organizations: Hamas, Islamic Cooperation, NATO, OIC, Arab League, United Nations Human Rights Council, Criminal Court, ICC, United Nations Security Council, Security Council, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Gaza, Israel, Turkey, Istanbul, Yugoslav, The Hague, Western, United States, Russia, China, Britain, France

☆ Turkish cargo ship with 12 crew sinks in Black Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, Nov 20 (Reuters) - A Turkish cargo ship with 12 crew onboard sank off Turkey's Black Sea coast during a storm on Sunday and authorities have been unable to make contact with the crew, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Monday. The captain of the Turkish-flagged Kafkametler had reported on Sunday morning that the ship was drifting toward a breakwater off Eregli, in northwest Turkey's Zonguldak province, the provincial governor's office said earlier. Yerlikaya said the ship sunk after hitting the breakwater. The region was hit by powerful storms on Sunday and the governor's office said the bad weather prevented air and sea vessels from carrying out searches. "When the adverse weather conditions improve, search and rescue activities will start immediately," Yerlikaya told reporters.

Persons: Ali Yerlikaya, Kafkametler, Yerlikaya, Daren Butler, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkish, Turkey's Zonguldak

☆ More Than 100 Gaza Evacuees to Arrive in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - More than 100 evacuees from Gaza are set to arrive in Turkey on Monday, including dozens of people who will receive medical treatment there, Turkey's health minister and a foreign ministry source said. He said last week that Ankara wanted to bring as many of the nearly 1,000 cancer patients from Gaza to Turkey as possible. The first 27 patients arrived in Ankara last Thursday. The foreign ministry source also said that if conditions on the ground permit, Turkey aimed to get around 100 more people out of Gaza on Monday. A month ago, Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz said some 700 people, including Turkish, Palestinian, and northern Cypriot citizens, had applied to Turkey to be evacuated from Gaza.

Persons: Fahrettin Koca, Ahmet Yildiz, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Jonathan Spicer Organizations: Health, Turkish, Turks Locations: ANKARA, Gaza, Turkey, Egypt, Ankara, Al Arish, Istanbul, Cypriot

☆ Turkish ship with 12 crew missing in Black Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL, Nov 19 (Reuters) - A Turkish cargo ship with 12 crew members on board went missing off the country's Black Sea coast amid a storm on Sunday and authorities have been unable to make contact with them since, local authorities said. The captain of the Turkish flagged Kafkametler had reported during the morning that the ship was drifting towards a breakwater off Eregli, in northwest Turkey's Zonguldak province, the provincial governor's office said. The region was hit by powerful storms on Sunday and the statement said the adverse weather prevented air and sea vessels from carrying out searches. Search and rescue teams were deployed in the region and were ready to launch operations when the weather permitted, the governor's office said. Reporting by Daren Butler; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kafkametler, Daren Butler, Alex Richardson Organizations: Turkish, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkish, Turkey's Zonguldak

The top appeals court, or Yargitay, took the unprecedented step of making a criminal complaint against Constitutional Court judges on Wednesday, arguing that their ruling last month in favour of releasing Atalay was unconstitutional. "The Court of Cassation (Yargitay) has committed a crime by not recognising the Constitutional Court decision. He called for compliance with the Constitutional Court ruling and said the Yargitay appeals court judges should be put under investigation. The Istanbul Bar Association said on Thursday it had filed a criminal complaint against the Yargitay judges involved in the case on the grounds of misconduct and "depriving a person of liberty". Rule of law, predictability and trust are fundamental for investors and Turkey’s record in this front was and still is miserable."

Persons: Erkan, Sera Kadigil, Ahmet Sik, Umit, Osman, Tayyip Erdogan, Ozgur Urfa, Erdogan, Mehmet Ucum, Mehmet Simsek, Central Bank Governor Hafize Gaye Erkan, Wolfango Piccoli, Daren Butler, Alex Richardson Organizations: Workers ' Party of Turkey, Turkish, REUTERS, Rights, Constitutional, Cassation, Twitter, Istanbul Bar Association, Central Bank Governor, Ece, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Rights ANKARA, Istanbul

☆ Turkish parliament dumps Coke, Nestle from menus over alleged Israel support
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan greets lawmakers of his AK Party in the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, October 25, 2023. "The products of companies that support Israel will not be sold in restaurants, cafeterias and tea houses in the parliament campus," Turkey's Grand National Assembly said, without identifying the companies. Neither the parliament statement nor the source specified how Coca-Cola and Nestle supported Israel's war effort. Over the past month, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his government have sharply criticised Israel's assault on Gaza and Western support for Jerusalem. Israel has bombarded Gaza since a Hamas raid on southern Israel a month ago, when its fighters killed 1,400 people and seized 240 hostages.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Numan Kurtulmus, Nestle, Israel, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Alex Richardson, Jonathan Spicer Organizations: AK Party, REUTERS, Rights, Nestle, Israel, National Assembly, Cola, Palestinian, Hamas, stevedores, Ece, Thomson Locations: Turkish, Ankara, Turkey, Handout, Rights ANKARA, Gaza, Israel, Barcelona, Jerusalem

☆ In Turkey, Blinken discusses efforts to expand aid in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

ANKARA, Nov 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara on Monday to discuss efforts to expand humanitarian aid in Gaza, and to prevent the war between Israel and militant Palestinian group Hamas from spreading. The meeting between Blinken and Fidan lasted two and a half hours, a U.S. State Department official said. No talks took place between Blinken and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who has criticised Washington over its "unlimited support to Israel". Blinken said at the airport that the United States has made some good progress on humanitarian assistance to Gaza. As Blinken met Fidan in Ankara, dozens of people gathered outside the foreign ministry building to protest U.S. support for Israel.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Hakan Fidan, Blinken, Fidan, Tayyip Erdogan, Jonathan Ernst, Israel, Zeynel Abidin Ozkan, Simon Lewis, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Gareth Jones, Jonathan Spicer, Sharon Singleton Organizations: U.S . State Department, Turkish, Hamas, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, REUTERS, NATO, Israel, Police, Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Turkish, Ankara, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Blinken, U.S, Washington, United States, Turkey, Fidan, Europe, America, Palestine, State, Syria, Iraq

A logo of Turkey's Central Bank is pictured at the entrance of its headquarters in Ankara, Turkey October 15, 2021. The bank's policy committee repeated it is ready to raise rates further as needed to curb inflation, which climbed to an annual rate of 61.53% in September and is expected to rise into next year. It has weakened some 70% in two years, largely due to President Tayyip Erdogan's long-standing opposition to high rates and influence over the central bank. Erdogan chose former Wall Street banker Hafize Gaye Erkan as central bank chief after his May re-election. She has led a policy U-turn to relieve an economy strained by depleted FX reserves and surging inflation expectations.

Persons: Cagla, Tayyip Erdogan's, Erdogan, Hafize Gaye Erkan, Daren Butler, Jonathan Spicer Organizations: Turkey's Central, REUTERS, Rights, Wall Street, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Rights ISTANBUL

☆ Turkey's Erdogan says Hamas is not a terrorist organisation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NO ARCHIVES Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in his strongest comments yet on the Gaza conflict, said on Wednesday the Palestinian militant group Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands and people. "Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group, 'mujahideen' waging a battle to protect its lands and people," he said, using an Arabic word denoting those who fight for their faith. Erdogan also slammed Western powers that have voiced support for Israel's retaliation against Hamas, saying "Western tears shed for Israel are a manifestation of fraud". Many of Turkey's NATO allies consider Hamas a terrorist group, and Erdogan's comments drew a swift rebuke from Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who said they were "grave and disgusting and did not help with de-escalation". Erdogan accused Israel of taking advantage of Turkey's good intentions.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Erdogan, Matteo Salvini, Antonio, Tajani, Salvini, Israel, Gumrukcu, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Gareth Jones Organizations: AK Party, Turkish, REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, AK, NATO, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Handout, Rights ANKARA, Gaza, Israel, Turkish, Gaza . Turkey

☆ Arcelik's European deal with Whirlpool gets EU approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Employees stand at the Whirlpool company plant in the northern city of Amiens, France, June 14, 2017. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Arcelik AS FollowWhirlpool Corp FollowGDANSK, Oct 24 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators have cleared Turkish domestic appliances maker Arcelik's (ARCLK.IS) proposed purchase of Whirlpool's (WHR.N) European domestic appliances business, an European Commission filing showed on Tuesday. "The Commission concluded that the transaction would not raise competition concerns given in particular the presence of alternative suppliers in the European Economic Area countries where both parties are active," the European Commission said in a statement. Under the deal announced in January, the companies will set up a new entity made up of Arcelik's European units producing major and small domestic appliances as well as consumer electronics with Whirlpool's European business. Britain's antitrust regulator said on Oct. 11 it had decided to refer the deal for an in-depth investigation.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Arcelik, Blomberg, Canan, Daren Butler, Jason Neely Organizations: Whirlpool, REUTERS, Commission, Economic, European Commission, Markets Authority, Zenith, Thomson Locations: Amiens, France, GDANSK, Arctic, Altus, Grundig

Palestinian officials said the blast at Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital was caused by an Israeli air strike. Israel blamed the blast on a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which denied responsibility. Following the NSC's appeal, Israeli airlines arranged flights from Istanbul late on Wednesday for Israelis who want to leave Turkey. Protesters held fresh demonstrations near consulates of Israel and the United States in Istanbul on Wednesday evening. Political analysts said the Gaza hospital blast could have dire consequences for ties between Israel and Turkey.

Persons: Dilara, Israel, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Mert Ozkan, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Ali Kucukgocmen, Umit Bektas, Mehmet Emin Caliskan, Steven Scheer, Gareth Jones, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Islamic, National Security Council, Istanbul, Police, Protesters, U.S, Embassy, NATO, Ece Toksabay, Bulent Usta, Thomson Locations: Al, Ahli, Gaza, Istanbul, Turkey, Rights ANKARA, Israel, Arabi, Ankara, Police, Turkey's, United States, U.S, Adana, Teneo, Jerusalem

☆ Fury grows in Turkey against Israel, fresh protests planned
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Ece Toksabay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Palestinian officials said the blast at Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital was caused by an Israeli air strike. Israel blamed the blast on a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which denied responsibility. President Tayyip Erdogan called the blast "the latest example of Israeli attacks devoid of the most basic human values". Following the NSC's appeal, Israeli airlines said they were arranging flights from Istanbul on Wednesday for Israelis who want to leave Turkey. Political analysts said the Gaza hospital blast could have dire consequences for ties between Israel and Turkey.

Persons: Dilara, Israel, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Mert Ozkan, Huseyin Hayatsever, Daren Butler, Steven Scheer, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Turkish, Islamic, National Security Council, Wednesday, Police, NATO, Ece Toksabay, Bulent Usta, Thomson Locations: Al, Ahli, Gaza, Istanbul, Turkey, Rights ANKARA, Arabi, Israel, Ankara, Police, Turkey's, Teneo, Jerusalem

☆ Turkey's Erdogan calls Israeli response to Hamas in Gaza a 'massacre'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Tuvan Gumrukcu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 19, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Israel's blockade and bombing of Gaza in retaliation for Palestinian militant group Hamas' attack was a disproportionate response amounting to a "massacre". With Ankara offering to mediate, Erdogan and his foreign minister held calls with regional powers, the United States and others. Speaking to his ruling AK Party in parliament, Erdogan said even war had a "morality" but the flare-up since the weekend had "very severely" violated that. On Wednesday, Erdogan criticised Israel's "disproportionate" attacks on Gaza as "devoid of any ethical foundation", and called on the world not to "blindly" take one side.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Brendan McDermid, Erdogan, Israel's, Daren Butler, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Palestinian, Hamas, Ankara, AK Party, European Union, U.S, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Rights ANKARA, Gaza, United States, Ankara, Israel, Turkey, Palestinian, Americas, Europe

The military "neutralised" 26 Kurdish militants in northern Syria overnight in retaliation for a rocket attack on a Turkish base, the defence ministry said. Turkey also conducted air strikes and destroyed 30 militant targets elsewhere in northern Syria, including an oil well, a storage facility and shelters, the defence ministry said. Turkey said the attackers came from Syria but the Syrian SDF forces denied this. The Turkish foreign ministry statement said that one of Turkey's drones was lost during operations against Kurdish militants in northeast Syria due to "different technical evaluations" with third parties on the ground. Turkey has mounted several previous incursions into northern Syria against the YPG.

Persons: Ali Yerlikaya, Daren Butler, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, Nick Macfie Organizations: Syrian Kurdish, Kurdistan Workers Party, Syrian SDF, European Union, SDF, Islamic State, Pentagon, NATO, Kurdish, Thomson Locations: Turkey, Syria, Ankara, ISTANBUL, Turkish, Kurdish, Syrian, Syria's, Iraq, Agri, TURKISH, U.S, United States, Washington, Hasakah

☆ After Ankara bombing, Turkey hits back in Iraq and at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Daren Butler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament as he attends the reopening of the Turkish parliament after the summer recess in Ankara, Turkey, October 1, 2023. On Sunday morning, two attackers detonated a bomb near government buildings in Ankara, killing them both and wounding two police officers. It launched an insurgency in southeast Turkey in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. It said the attackers had hijacked the vehicle and killed its driver in Kayseri, a city 260 km (161 miles) southeast of Ankara. Turkey's armed forces have in recent years conducted several large-scale military operations in northern Iraq and northern Syria against Kurdish militants.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Abdul, Latif Rashid, Ali Yerlikaya, Yerlikaya, Yasar Guler, Huseyin Hayatsever, Robert Birsel, Jonathan Spicer, Mark Heinrich, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Kurdistan Workers Party, United Nations, Iraq, European Union, Reuters, PKK, Counterterrorism, Immortals Battalion, Kurdish, Islamic, Defence, Thomson Locations: Turkish, Ankara, Turkey, Handout, Iraq, Iraq ISTANBUL, Istanbul, Iraq's, Gara, Kurdistan, United States, Kayseri, Kurdish, Ataturk, Islamic State, Syria

☆ Turkey says "neutralised" many militants in north Iraq air strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Daren Butler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament as he attends the reopening of the Turkish parliament after the summer recess in Ankara, Turkey, October 1, 2023. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Air strikes destroy 20 militant targets in Iraq, Turkey saysPKK group earlier claimed responsibility for Ankara attackIt was the first such attack in Ankara in yearsISTANBUL, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Turkish air strikes in north Iraq late on Sunday "neutralised" many Kurdish militants and destroyed their depots and shelters, Turkey's defence ministry said, hours after a Kurdish group claimed responsibility for a bomb attack in Ankara. The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group claimed responsibility for the attack. The bomb killed one attacker and authorities killed the other, the interior minister said. It launched an insurgency in southeast Turkey in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Daren Butler, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Kurdistan Workers Party, Reuters, Immortals Battalion, European Union, Renault, Turkish, Islamic, Thomson Locations: Turkish, Ankara, Turkey, Handout, Iraq, ISTANBUL, Gara, United States, Ataturk, Kayseri, Islamic State

☆ What is the PKK, the Kurdish rebel group behind bomb blast in Turkey?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

* The PKK is a militant group founded by Abdullah Ocalan in southeast Turkey in 1978 with an ideology based on Marxist-Leninist ideas. * It launched its insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984 with the initial aim of creating an independent Kurdish state. It subsequently moderated its goals to seeking greater Kurdish rights and limited autonomy in southeast Turkey. Much of the fighting in the past was focused in rural areas of mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey, but it has also conducted attacks in urban areas. * In recent years the conflict has moved from southeast Turkey to be focused mainly in northern Iraq, where the PKK has bases in the mountains.

Persons: Abdullah Ocalan, Ocalan, Abdul, Latif Rashid, Daren Butler, Jonathan Spicer, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Kurdistan Workers Party, Marxist, European Union, BATTALION, PKK, Turkish, Islamic, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkish, Ankara, Turkey, Iraq, Kurdish, United States, Syria, Kenya, Istanbul, Kurdistan, U.S, Islamic State

☆ Syrians feel growing pressure from Turkey's anti-migrant political wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Burcu Karakas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] Adem Maarastawi, a 29-year-old Syrian activist, poses after an interview with Reuters in Istanbul, Turkey September 12, 2023. Hardship caused by Turkey's rampant inflation and anti-migrant rhetoric motivated his decision. DEADLINE TO MOVEAdem Maarastawi, a 29 year-old Syrian activist working in Istanbul, is registered in central Turkey's Kirsehir province. "Anti-migrant rhetoric is likely to rise before the March elections," said Deniz Sert, associate professor of international relations at Ozyegin University. Local government expert Ali Mert Tascier said opposition parties are likely to use anti-migrant rhetoric, with municipalities being the main players in managing migrants.

Persons: Adem Maarastawi, Dilara, scapegoated, Deniz Sert, Ali Mert Tascier, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Osman Nuri Kabaktepe, Maarastawi, Burcu Karakas, Daren Butler, William Maclean Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Authorities, Ozyegin University . Local, Erdogan's AK Party, Thomson Locations: Istanbul, Turkey, Istanbul ISTANBUL, Syria, Europe, Turkish, Belgium, Sanliurfa, Turkey's Kirsehir

☆ Alibaba tells Erdogan it plans to invest $2 billion in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Shopping trolley is seen in front of Alibaba logo in this illustration, July 24, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsISTANBUL, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) has told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan it plans to invest $2 billion in Turkey. Michael Evans, president of Alibaba, made the comments in a meeting with Erdogan, according to a statement from the company's Turkish unit. Evans also said Alibaba has invested $1.4 billion in Turkey through its unit Trendyol, one of Turkey's best known e-commerce platforms, the statement said. Erdogan is in the United States to attend the 78th session of the U.N. General Assembly.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Tayyip Erdogan, Michael Evans, Alibaba, Erdogan, Evans, Trendyol, Caglayan Cetin, Daren Butler, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Alibaba, Holding, HK, Turkish, General, Istanbul, Thomson Locations: Rights ISTANBUL, Turkey, Turkish, United States, Ankara

☆ U.S. caver rescued in Turkey "blessed to be alive", but vows to keep caving
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. caver Mark Dickey, on a stretcher, is carried out of the Morca cave as his rescue operation comes to a successful end near Anamur in Mersin province, southern Turkey September 12, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsISTANBUL, Sept 14 (Reuters) - An American caver rescued after being trapped underground in southern Turkey for 11 days said on Thursday he was blessed to be alive after suffering a gastrointestinal bleed while 1,040 metres deep - but that he would go on exploring caves. Mark Dickey, 40, was rescued early on Tuesday after being trapped in the Morca cave in Mersin province's Taurus Mountains. More than 150 cave rescuers from Turkey, Croatia, Italy and other countries worked to rescue Dickey from Turkey's third-deepest cave, and Dickey said he had never lost hope. "Will I go back to Morca cave?

Persons: caver Mark Dickey, Umit, Mark Dickey, It's, Dickey, Will, Ali Kucukgocmen, Daren Butler, Kevin Liffey Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Mersin City Hospital, Thomson Locations: Anamur, Mersin province, Turkey, Rights ISTANBUL, American, Mersin, Croatia, Italy, Turkey's

☆ 'I'm up, I'm alert,' says U.S. cave explorer trapped in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MERSIN, Turkey, Sept 8 (Reuters) - An American cave explorer trapped more than 1,000 metres underground in a cave in southern Turkey has recorded a video message to say he was up and alert after a team of rescuers reached him with medical supplies. More than 150 rescuers from Turkey and other nations have been working to save him. "Hi, I'm Mark Dickey from nearly a thousands metres," Dickey said in the message, dressed in a red puffer jacket and using a headlamp. "As you can see, I'm up, I'm alert, I'm talking. But I'm not healed on the inside yet, so I'm going to need a lot of help to get out of here," he said.

Persons: Mark Dickey, Dickey, I'm, Sener, Recep Salci, Salci, Ali Kucukgocmen, Daren Butler, Ros Russell Organizations: Emergency Management, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MERSIN, Turkey, American, Mersin, Turkish, Anamur, Mersin province

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