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☆ Turkey's Erdogan Calls for Pressure on Israel to Allow More Aid Into Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called for increased international pressure on Israel to ensure more humanitarian aid is allowed into Gaza, and said Ankara will increase its support during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "We all know very well that as long as attacks on Gaza and the siege continues, the amount of aid is not enough. Of course, pressure needs to be put on Israel for this," he added, referring to Egypt's border crossing with Gaza. Last week, Turkey's Kizilay (Red Crescent) sent its biggest aid shipment yet to Gaza, dispatching a ship carrying some 3,000 tons of food, medicine and equipment. Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel would press forward with its military campaign into Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Israel, Erdogan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Turkey's Kizilay, Netanyahu, Susan Fenton Organizations: Israel Locations: ANKARA, Israel, Gaza, Ankara, Ramadan, Turkey, Egypt, Western, Rafah

☆ Erdogan, Putin to Discuss Ukraine and Grain Deal During Turkey Visit -Minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will discuss the war in Ukraine and the Black Sea Grain Initiative during a visit to Ankara by the Russian leader, Turkey's foreign minister said on Tuesday. A Turkish official told Reuters last week he would visit Turkey on Feb. 12. Ankara has sought to persuade Russia to return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative - brokered by Turkey and the United Nations - that ensured the safe export of Ukrainian grain during the war via the Black Sea. Speaking at a press conference in the Maltese capital Valletta, Fidan said Turkey was working with Ukraine and Russia to revive the accord. The Kremlin has said Erdogan and Putin would discuss setting up a gas hub in Turkey and the war in Ukraine during the visit.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Hakan Fidan, Fidan, Erdogan, Putin, Jonathan Spicer, Alison Williams Organizations: NATO, Reuters, United Nations, Kyiv Locations: ANKARA, Ukraine, Ankara, Russian, Turkey, Russia, Maltese, Valletta, Moscow, Syria, Libya, Southern Caucasus, Israel, Gaza

☆ Man Killed in Istanbul Church Shooting Was Out for a Walk, Relative Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Murat Cihan, the victim's cousin, said his relative had no political or religious connections and lived "in his own world". CCTV footage verified by Reuters shows the two gunmen waiting briefly in an entrance hall at the church, before following a man inside. Another angle shows the attackers shooting the man walking in ahead of them. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said the Polish consul general was also inside the church with his family during the attack. Footage from inside the church on Monday showed bullet holes on the side of a pew, as well as another in a wall.

Persons: Mehmet Emin Caliskan, Tuncer Murat Cihan, Murat Cihan, Sukru Genc, Ekrem Imamoglu, Tayyip Erdogan, Tuncer, Alex Richardson Organizations: Islamic, Authorities, Italian Santa Maria Catholic Church, Reuters, Islamic State Locations: Mehmet Emin Caliskan ISTANBUL, Istanbul, Italian, Sariyer, Tajikistan, Russia, Sariyer's, Polish

☆ Masked Gunmen Kill One Person in Istanbul Church -Turkish Interior Minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - Two masked gunmen shot one person dead during Sunday service at a church in Istanbul, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said, adding that authorities were working to capture the assailants. Yerlikaya, who condemned the attack, said it took place around 0840 GMT at the Italian Santa Maria Catholic Church in the Sariyer district. "C.T., who was among those participating in the service, was the target of a gun attack by two masked individuals and sadly lost his life," the minister said on social media platform X, referring to the initials of the victim. Turkish officials tend to not use the full names of victims or perpetrators of attacks. Footage from the church showed several police cars and an ambulance outside the building.

Persons: Ali Yerlikaya, Yerlikaya, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Italian Santa Maria Catholic Church Locations: ANKARA, Istanbul, Italian, Sariyer

☆ Turkey Moving Swiftly Toward Final Step on Sweden's NATO Bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey is expected to send the final instrument of ratification for Sweden's NATO membership to Washington within days, now that President Tayyip Erdogan signed it off, in a move Ankara hopes will clear the way to its purchase of U.S. F-16 fighter jets. A source familiar with the issue said the document could be deposited as early as Friday, marking the last step in a process that began in 2022. After 20 months of delay, Turkey moved rapidly this week to ratify the Swedish bid, with parliamentary ratification coming on Tuesday and President Tayyip Erdogan signing off on the approval on Thursday. As per formal NATO rules, the final document in the process - the instrument of ratification - needs to be deposited in the U.S. State Department archives in Washington. Both Erdogan and members of the U.S. Congress had previously linked Ankara's final approval of Sweden to the $20 billion sale of Lockheed Martin F-16s and modernization kits to Turkey.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Lockheed Martin, Joe Biden, Jonathan Spicer, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: NATO, U.S, U.S . State Department, U.S . Congress, Lockheed, Turkish, Reuters, Congress, State Department Locations: ISTANBUL, Turkey, Washington, Ankara, Hungary, Sweden, NATO, Ambassador

☆ 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

☆ Eight Bodies Wash Ashore in Southern Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - Eight bodies washed ashore in southern Turkey in the past six days and most of them may be from a lost migrant ship sailing toward Cyprus from the Lebanese-Syrian coast, according to broadcaster Haberturk and the local governor's office. Two other bodies were found at a hotel beach in the Serik region on Monday, it said, bringing the total to eight. In a statement on Sunday, prior to the discovery of the last two bodies, the Antalya governor's office said one of the bodies belonged to a Turkish national who had previously gone missing, pending forensics. The other five bodies could be from the ship heading towards Cyprus, it said, adding that meteorological records over the past week indicated the ship may have sunk with the bodies washing north toward Turkey due to prevailing winds and waves. "It has been identified that the production location of the shoes and clothes of the other five bodies are Syria."

Persons: Haberturk, Jonathan Spicer, Alex Richardson Organizations: Turkish, Lebanese Embassy, Lebanese Locations: ANKARA, Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanese, Syrian, Antalya, Alanya, Serik, Ankara, Lebanon, Syria

☆ 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

☆ Erdogan tells UN chief Israel must be tried in international courts for Gaza crimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured) at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday told United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres that Israel must be held accountable in international courts for what he called war crimes it committed in Gaza, the Turkish presidency said. Israel has mounted an offensive by air and ground against Hamas militants in Gaza in which more than 15,000 people have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities. "During the call, President Erdogan said Israel continues to shamelessly trample on international law, the laws of war, and international humanitarian law by looking in the eyes of the international community, and it must be held accountable for the crimes it committed in front of international law," it said in a statement. Erdogan has called the Israeli attacks on Gaza a genocide and accused Israel of being a "teror state".

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Olaf Scholz, Liesa, General Antonio Guterres, Erdogan, Guterres, Israel, Hakan Fidan, Alison Williams, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Tuesday, United Nations, Security, Wednesday, . Security, Arab League, of Islamic Cooperation, European Union, Israel, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Rights ANKARA, Israel, Gaza, New York, Turkey, United States, European, Spain, Belgium

☆ Group of Muslim countries to push for Gaza ceasefire -Turkish source
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ANKARA, Nov 21 (Reuters) - A newly formed group made up of senior officials from several Muslim countries will visit the United Nations Security Council's five permanent members and others to urge an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, a Turkish foreign ministry source said on Tuesday. "The primary goal of the contact group is for a ceasefire to be announced as soon as possible and for humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza," the source said. The Palestinian militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 raid, the deadliest in Israel's 75-year history, prompted Israel to invade Gaza. The group will meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron during visits to Britain and France on Wednesday, the source said. Turkish media reported the group would visit France and Britain on Wednesday.

Persons: Hakan Fidan, Tayyip Erdogan, Fidan, Al Jazeera, Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, Bernadette Baum Organizations: United Nations Security, Arab League, of Islamic Cooperation, Palestinian Authority, Security, Palestinian, Hamas, Turkish, British, Britain, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Gaza, Turkish, Riyadh, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, United States, China, Russia, Britain, France, Beijing, Israel, Moscow, Algeria, Turks, Istanbul

☆ Sweden's NATO bid delayed in Turkish parliament
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Huseyin Hayatsever | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission delayed a vote on Sweden's NATO membership bid on Thursday in a further setback to the Nordic country's hopes of joining the Western alliance after 18 months of waiting. "For all of our lawmakers to approve Sweden's NATO membership, they need to be fully convinced. While there is no clear timeframe on approving the purchase request for the F-16s, Ankara has linked the issue to Sweden's bid. Some analysts say Turkey's parliament could fully ratify the bid by a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Nov. 28-29. While NATO member Hungary has also not ratified Sweden's membership, Turkey is seen as the main roadblock to Sweden's accession.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Fuat Oktay, Tayyip Erdogan's, Oktay, Erdogan, Finland's, Burak, Ali Sahin, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, Christina Fincher Organizations: NATO, REUTERS, Rights, Nordic, Kurdistan Workers, European Union, AK Party, White, Sweden's, Thomson Locations: Rights ANKARA, Turkish, Swedish, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Turkey, embargoes, United States, Stockholm, Canada, Netherlands, Ankara, Brussels, Gaza, Moscow, Russia, Hungary, U.S, Hungarian, Budapest

☆ Turkey's Erdogan calls Israel 'terror state', slams West
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday Israel was a "terror state" committing war crimes and violating international law in Gaza, sharpening his repeated criticism of Israeli leaders and their backers in the West. Britain, the United States, European Union and some Arab states deem Hamas a terrorist group, unlike Turkey. "With the savagery of bombing the civilians it forced out of their homes while they are relocating, it is literally employing state terrorism," Erdogan said of Israel in parliament. "I am now saying, with my heart at ease, that Israel is a terror state". "The West, namely the United States, is unfortunately still seeing this issue backwards," Erdogan said.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Olaf Scholz, Erdogan, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Huseyin Hayatsever, Andrew Cawthorne, Toby Chopra Organizations: Israel, Palestinian, Hamas, International Court of Justice, European, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Gaza, Germany, The Hague, Britain, United States, European Union, Turkey, Ankara, Israel, Western

☆ Turkish parliament commission to debate Sweden NATO bid Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NATO, Turkish, Swedish and Finnish flags are seen in this illustration taken May 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission will debate a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, according to the official agenda of the commission. President Tayyip Erdogan submitted the bill to parliament for ratification three weeks ago, in a move welcomed by NATO and Stockholm. The bill must be approved by parliament's foreign affairs commission before a vote by the full general assembly. NATO foreign ministers will meet in Brussels on Nov. 28-29.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Jonathan Spicer Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, NATO, Thomson Locations: Rights ANKARA, Turkish, Stockholm, Turkey, Ankara, Sweden, Brussels, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary

☆ Pro-Palestinian Crowds Try to Storm Air Base Housing U.S. Troops in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Incirlik, which has been used to support the international coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, also houses U.S. troops. Footage from the protests showed police firing tear gas and using water cannons to disperse crowds waving Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanting slogans. Protesters were also seen hurling plastic chairs, rocks, and other items at police, who fired smoke bombs at crowds. Scuffles broke out between the crowds and security forcesIHH President Bulent Yildirim addressed crowds in Adana and urged them to refrain from attacking police. (Reporting by Dilara Senkaya, Murad Sezer, Mehmet Emin Caliskan, and Ali Kucukgocmen; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Giles Elgood)

Persons: Dilara Senkaya, Mehmet Emin Caliskan, Antony Blinken, Israel, Scuffles, Bulent Yildirim, IHH, Hakan Fidan, Murad Sezer, Ali Kucukgocmen, Giles Elgood Organizations: Turkish, U.S, Hamas, Humanitarian Relief Foundation, Israel Locations: Mehmet Emin Caliskan ADANA, Turkey, Ankara, Gaza, Israel, Turkish, Adana, U.S, State, Syria, Iraq

[1/3] Turkish police use water cannons and tear gas to disperse Pro-Palestinian demonstrators during a protest against the U.S. and Israel near the Incirlik Air Base, which is housing U.S. troops, in Adana, southern Turkey November 5, 2023. Incirlik, which has been used to support the international coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, also houses U.S. troops. Footage from the protests showed police firing tear gas and using water cannons to disperse crowds waving Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanting slogans. Protesters were also seen hurling plastic chairs, rocks, and other items at police, who fired smoke bombs at crowds. Scuffles broke out between the crowds and security forcesIHH President Bulent Yildirim addressed crowds in Adana and urged them to refrain from attacking police.

Persons: Dilara, Antony Blinken, Israel, Scuffles, Bulent Yildirim, IHH, Hakan Fidan, Dilara Senkaya, Murad Sezer, Mehmet Emin Caliskan, Ali Kucukgocmen, Giles Elgood Organizations: Turkish, U.S, Incirlik, Base, REUTERS, Rights, Hamas, Humanitarian Relief Foundation, Israel, Thomson Locations: Israel, U.S, Adana, Turkey, Rights ADANA, Ankara, Gaza, Turkish, State, Syria, Iraq

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu attends a swearing-in ceremony as he is accompanied by Ozgur Ozel at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, June 2, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on Sunday elected Ozgur Ozel as its new leader, ending a 13-year term for incumbent Kemal Kilicdaroglu, as the country gears up for local elections next March. Ozel, 49, has been serving as the CHP's deputy parliamentary group chairman since 2015 and has been a lawmaker since 2011. Ozel, a pharmacist by trade, received 812 of 1,366 possible votes at a tense, hours-long party congress in Ankara that took two rounds. Imamoglu supported Ozel in a push for change at the CHP that has long been bogged down by in-fighting.

Persons: Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Ozgur Ozel, Umit, Tayyip Erdogan, Ozel, Kilicdaroglu, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Imamoglu, Erdogan, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Ozer Sencar, pollster Metropoll, Sencar, Daniel Wallis, Hugh Lawson, David Evans Organizations: Republican People's Party, Turkish, REUTERS, Rights, Sunday, Istanbul Mayor, CHP, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Rights ANKARA, Ozel, Istanbul, Black Sea, Rize, Turkey's

☆ Turkey's Erdogan Says Post-War Gaza Must Be Part of Sovereign Palestinian State
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Gaza must be part of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state once the Israel-Hamas war is over, and Ankara will not support any plans "gradually erasing Palestinians" from history. Turkey has called for an immediate ceasefire and offered to set up a system to guarantee it. Speaking to reporters on a return flight from Kazakhstan on Friday, Erdogan repeated his criticism of Western countries for their support of Israel, saying Ankara's trust in the European Union was "deeply shaken". "But otherwise, there can be no such thing as completely severing ties, especially not in international diplomacy," he was cited as saying by Haberturk. Prior to the Israel-Hamas war, Turkey was working to repair relations with Israel after years of acrimony.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Israel, Erdogan, Haberturk, Ibrahim Kalin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Haberturk ., Ebrahim Raisi, Alexandra Hudson, Giles Elgood Organizations: European, Israeli, Islamic Cooperation Locations: ANKARA, Gaza, Palestinian, Israel, Ankara, Turkey, U.S, Britain, Kazakhstan, European Union, East Jerusalem, Riyadh

☆ Erdogan Says He Will Try to Facilitate Sweden's NATO Bid Ratification
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he would try to facilitate the parliamentary ratification of Sweden's NATO membership as much as possible, but added that Stockhom had still not taken sufficient action on Kurdish militants. Erdogan submitted a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament for ratification last month, a move welcomed by the alliance and Stockholm. Erdogan also said planned talks in parliament about Turkey's 2024 state budget would now take priority, suggesting that the approval of Sweden's NATO membership might not be rapid. "But we will try to facilitate the work (on ratifying Sweden's NATO bid) as much as possible. Finland's membership was sealed in April, but Sweden's bid had been held up by Turkey and Hungary.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Stockhom, Erdogan, Haberturk, Jason Neely, Gareth Jones Organizations: NATO, Kurdistan Workers Party Locations: ANKARA, Stockholm, Turkey, Kazakhstan, embargoes, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary

☆ Erdogan says he will try to facilitate Sweden's NATO bid ratification
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he would try to facilitate the parliamentary ratification of Sweden's NATO membership as much as possible, but added that Stockhom had still not taken sufficient action on Kurdish militants. Erdogan submitted a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament for ratification last month, a move welcomed by the alliance and Stockholm. Erdogan also said planned talks in parliament about Turkey's 2024 state budget would now take priority, suggesting that the approval of Sweden's NATO membership might not be rapid. "But we will try to facilitate the work (on ratifying Sweden's NATO bid) as much as possible. Finland's membership was sealed in April, but Sweden's bid had been held up by Turkey and Hungary.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Stockhom, Erdogan, Haberturk, Jason Neely, Gareth Jones Organizations: NATO, Kurdistan Workers Party, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Stockholm, Turkey, Kazakhstan, embargoes, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary

☆ Turkish parliament won't speed up Sweden's NATO bid -committee chair
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Huseyin Hayatsever | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

President Tayyip Erdogan submitted the ratification bill for Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament last month, a move welcomed by Stockholm as it would clear the way for it to join the Western defence alliance. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said he wants a "speedy vote" by Turkey's parliament and that the process was "going well". "Sweden's NATO membership is just one of the international agreements on our agenda waiting for ratification," Oktay told a meeting of lawmakers. The Sweden NATO membership bill must be approved by the committee before a vote by the full parliament, at which point Erdogan would sign it into law. Finland's membership was sealed in April, but Sweden's bid had been held up by Turkey and Hungary.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Ataturk, Cagla, Jens Stoltenberg, Fuat Oktay, Oktay, Erdogan, Sweden's, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, NATO, Sweden NATO, Kurdistan Workers ' Party, Thomson Locations: Anitkabir, Ankara, Turkey, Rights ANKARA, Turkish, Stockholm, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary, Kurdistan

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, October 25, 2023. Political analysts said his planned address in Istanbul aimed to reinforce his growing criticism of Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip and to overshadow Sunday's celebrations marking Turkey's secular roots. Turkey has condemned Israeli civilian deaths caused by Hamas's Oct. 7 rampage through southern Israel, but Erdogan this week called the militant group Palestinian "freedom fighters". ATATURK LEGACYThis week, Erdogan invited all Turks to attend the rally where he said "only our flag and the Palestine flag will wave". Erdogan, Turkey's longest-serving leader, and his Islamist-rooted AK Party have eroded support for the Western-facing ideals of Ataturk, who is revered by most Turks.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Erdogan, Israel, Sinan Ulgen, Ulgen, ATATURK, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkey's, Ataturk, Asli Aydintasbas, Gumrukcu, Jonathan Spicer, Helen Popper Our Organizations: AK Party, Turkish, REUTERS, Hamas, Gaza, Hamas's, Jerusalem, NATO, European Union, Centre for Economic, Foreign Policy Studies, Brookings, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Handout, Israel Turkey, ISTANBUL, Israel, Istanbul, Italy, Turkish, Palestine, Washington

☆ 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

But days later, Lamdani was left to identify the bodies of her relatives at a makeshift morgue in the southern city of Khan Younis. "They told us to evacuate your place and go to Khan Younis because it is safe... Lamdani's family was staying at a temporary shelter in Khan Younis when she said: "At 4.30 a.m. "But, ultimately, Hamas has entrenched itself among the civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip. At one United Nations school in Khan Younis, Nasser Abu Amer, his wife and eight children, said they were desperate for food and water.

Persons: Family, Dima Al, Lamdani, Khan Younis, Dima Allamdani, U.N, Fahrettin Koca, Nasser Abu Amer, Amer, Dan Williams, Aidan Lewis, Jan Strupczewski, Michael Georgy, Janet Lawrence Organizations: Hamas, IDF, Israel Defense Forces, European Union, Health, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Gaza City, Rafah, Egypt, GAZA, Beach, Khan, Gaza, Palestinian, Israel, EGYPT, Israeli, Turkey

☆ Turkey's Erdogan submits Sweden's NATO bid to parliament for ratification -presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan addresses lawmakers from his ruling AK Party at the Turkish Parliament in Ankara, Turkey October 11, 2023. NO ARCHIVES./File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday submitted a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament for ratification, the presidency said, in a move welcomed by Stockholm that clears the way for it to join the Western defence alliance. "The Protocol on Sweden's NATO Accession was signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on October 23, 2023 and referred to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey," the presidency said on social media platform X without elaborating. Finland's membership was sealed in April, in a historic expansion of the alliance, but Sweden's bid had been held up by Turkey and Hungary. Erdogan has previously linked Sweden's NATO bid to U.S. support for its request.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Sweden's, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Kristersson, Gumrukcu, Huseyin Hayatsever, Simon Johnson, Alex Richardson, Hugh Lawson Organizations: AK, Turkish, Presidential Press, Rights, NATO, Kurdistan Workers Party, European Union, Grand National Assembly of, Sweden's, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Rights ANKARA, Stockholm, United States, Sweden, Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary

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/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsANKARA, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday called on Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza, which he said amounted to genocide, and urged governments worldwide to work for a humanitarian ceasefire in the region. It has offered to mediate and has sent humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip that is stuck in Egypt because borders are closed. Erdogan also said Ankara was working to end the fighting before it reached "a point of no return". Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday criticized Wednesday's visit by U.S. President Joe Biden to Israel.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, Murat Cetinmuhurdar, Erdogan, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Hakan Fidan, Wednesday's, Joe Biden, Israel, Biden, Fidan, Jonathan Oatis, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Hamas, Gaza, Twitter, U.S, America, Thomson Locations: Turkish, Ankara, Turkey, Handout, Rights ANKARA, Israel, Gaza, Egypt

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