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☆ Turkey fines TikTok 1.75 mln lira for weak data protection measures
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, March 1 (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have fined TikTok 1.75 million lira ($93,000) for not taking sufficient measures to protect users from unlawful processing of their data, the Personal Data Protection Board (KVKK) said on Wednesday. The fine comes amid growing international concern over the Chinese short video-sharing app and who accesses its user data. The KVKK said it had decided to fine the company for "not taking all necessary measures to ensure the appropriate level of security to prevent unlawful processing of personal data." The data protection authority also said in a statement on its website that TikTok should translate its Terms of Service into Turkish and update its privacy and cookies policy texts in line with the country's regulations. Turkey has the ninth most users of TikTok in the world, with some 30 million accounts on the social media platform, data from Statista showed.

☆ Turkey's NATO talks with Sweden and Finland to resume on March 9
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday that talks with Sweden and Finland regarding their NATO membership bids would resume on March 9, after being suspended in January in the wake of a Koran-burning protest in Stockholm. "It is not possible for us to say "yes" to Sweden's NATO bid before we see these steps." Sweden and Finland applied last year to join the North Atlantic defence alliance after Russia invaded Ukraine, but Sweden in particular has faced unexpected objections from Turkey. Ankara accuses Stockholm of harbouring what it considers members of terrorist groups, and has demanded their extradition as a step towards giving Sweden's NATO membership its green light. The United States and other NATO countries are hoping that the two Nordic countries become members of the alliance at a NATO summit due to be held in July 11 in Lithuania's capital Vilnius.

☆ Turkey introduces regulations for earthquake rebuild -Official Gazette
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A man walks by a collapsed building and rubble, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Antakya, Hatay province, Turkey, February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh KilcoyneISTANBUL, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Turkey has imposed regulations for earthquake rebuilding work in its region hit by this month's devastating tremors, according to a presidential decree published in the country's Official Gazette on Friday. More than 160,000 buildings, containing 520,000 apartments, collapsed or were severely damaged as a result of earthquakes that killed more than 43,000 people in Turkey and left millions homeless in cold winter weather. According to the decree, individuals, institutions and organisations will be able to build residences and workplaces to be donated to the urbanisation ministry and later to be distributed to people impacted by the earthquake. Reporting by Mehmet Dinar; Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Daren Butler and Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] A man carries a sofa out of a destroyed apartment building in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake in Antakya, Hatay province, Turkey, February 20, 2023. More than 160,000 buildings, containing 520,000 apartments, collapsed or were severely damaged in Turkey in the earthquakes. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to rebuild homes within a year, although experts have said the authorities should put safety before speed. Many survivors have left the region of southern Turkey that was hit or have been settled in tents, container homes and other government-sponsored accommodation. Additional reporting by Mehmet Dinar; Editing by Michael Georgy and Edmund BlairOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

ISTANBUL, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Turkey's central bank lowered its policy rate by 50 basis points to 8.5% on Thursday, as expected, following a devastating earthquake that killed more than 43,000 people in southern Turkey this month. It said after its monthly monetary policy committee meeting that it will closely monitor earthquake driven supply-demand imbalances on inflation and stressed the importance of supporting economic growth and employment. Last year the bank cut its key rate by 500 basis points in an unorthodox easing cycle designed to counter an economic slowdown, before keeping it steady at 9% in December and January. In a Reuters poll of 17 economists, the median forecast was for a 50-basis-point cut to minimise the economic impact of the earthquake. Nine economists expected a cut in the policy rate of up to 200 basis points, while eight institutions expected the rate to be kept steady.

☆ Turkey not exporting items for use in Russia war effort - Foreign Minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Turkey is not exporting products that could be used in Russia's war effort, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday, after U.S. warnings this month about exports of chemicals, microchips and other items. "It is not true that we have exported to Russia products that can be used in the defence industry," Cavusoglu said. Speaking after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ankara, Cavusoglu also said Turkey will not allow U.S. and European sanctions to be violated in or via Turkey, and Ankara is taking steps to prevent it. Western nations applied the export controls and sanctions after Moscow's invasion nearly a year ago. Yet supply channels have remained open from Hong Kong, Turkey and other trading hubs.

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu arrive at a meeting in Ankara, Turkey February 20, 2023. REUTERS/Cagla GurdoganANKARA, Feb 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday Washington strongly supports Sweden and Finland's quick NATO accession given steps they have already taken, even as his Turkish counterpart stressed the need for more concrete action. The Nordic countries' NATO bids have been stalled because Turkey has refused to ratify them, saying Stockholm in particular has harboured what it calls members of terrorist groups. "If they take steps that convince our parliament and people, there could be a development in this direction," he added. Sweden and Finland applied last year to join the trans-Atlantic defence pact after Russia invaded Ukraine, but faced unexpected objections from Turkey.

☆ U.S. will back quake-hit Turkey "as long as it takes", Blinken says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken walks to board a plane at Incirlik Air Base near Adana, Turkey February 19, 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/PoolANKARA, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The United States will support Turkey "for as long as it takes" after its devastating earthquakes, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, while his Turkish counterpart said there was no need to wait for a disaster to improve ties. "The United States and Turkey do not agree on every issue but it is a partnership that has withstood against challenges," Blinken told a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara. Total U.S. humanitarian assistance to support the earthquake response in Turkey and Syria has reached $185 million, the U.S. State Department has said. Standing alongside Blinken, Cavusoglu said it was not possible for Turkey to purchase F-16 warplanes with pre-conditions and that he believed the issue can be overcome if the U.S. administration maintains a decisive stance.

[1/6] Members of the military walk on the street in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Antakya, Turkey February 16, 2023. The number of people killed by the deadliest earthquake in Turkey's modern history has risen to 36,187, authorities said. While several people were also found alive in Turkey on Wednesday, reports of such rescues have become increasingly infrequent. Authorities in Turkey and Syria have not announced how many people are still missing. Millions of people are in need of humanitarian aid after being left homeless in near-freezing winter temperatures.

The quake killed at least 36,187 in southern Turkey, while authorities in neighbouring Syria have reported 5,800 deaths - a figure that has changed little in days. While several people were found alive in Turkey on Wednesday, the number of rescues has dwindled significantly. Neither Turkey nor Syria have said how many people are still missing. More than 4,000 fatalities have been reported in the rebel-held northwest, but rescuers say nobody has been found alive there since Feb. 9. Deliveries from Turkey were severed completely in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, when a route used by the United Nations was temporarily blocked.

The combined death toll in Turkey and Syria has climbed to more than 41,000, and millions are in need of humanitarian aid, with many survivors having been left homeless in near-freezing winter temperatures. It asked Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to open more border crossing points with Turkey to allow aid to get through. "I shouted, shouted and shouted. Civil war hostilities have obstructed at least two attempts to send aid to the northwest from elsewhere in Syria, but an aid convoy reached the area overnight. "The children and I, by some miracle, we ended up in this small space that I had left empty."

More than 105,000 people were injured in the quake, he said, with more than 13,000 still being treated in hospital. Afterwards, Gungor's relatives hugged the rescue team, made up of military personnel and members of the disaster management authority AFAD. Families in both Turkey and Syria said they and their children were dealing with the psychological aftermath of the quake. A first convoy of U.N. aid entered rebel-held northwest Syria from Turkey via the newly-opened Bab al-Salam crossing. Russia also said it was wrapping up its search and rescue work in Turkey and Syria and preparing to withdraw.

ANKARA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Turkish police said they have arrested 78 people accused of creating fear and panic by "sharing provocative posts" about last week's earthquake on social media, adding 20 of them were being held in pre-trial detention. Turkey's General Directorate of Security said it had identified 613 people accused of making provocative posts, and legal proceedings had been initiated against 293. President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party had said a law was needed to tackle false accusations on social media, and it would not silence opposition. The government has also blocked social media in the past. Within a week of the earthquake, some 6,200 items of false information and news were reported to the government, Altun added.

☆ Three people rescued in Turkey 198 hours after earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Muhammed Cafer Cetin, a 18-year-old earthquake survivor, is rescued from the rubble of a building some 198 hours after last week's devastating earthquake, in Adiyaman, Turkey February 14, 2023. Ihlas News Agency (IHA) via REUTERSISTANBUL, Feb 14 (Reuters) - An 18-year-old named Muhammed Cafer was rescued from the rubble of a building in southern Turkey on Tuesday, the third rescue of the morning some 198 hours after last week's devastating earthquake, broadcaster CNN Turk said. A short while earlier, rescue workers pulled two brothers alive from the ruins of an apartment block in neighbouring Kahramanmaras province. State-owned Anadolu news agency identified them as 17-year-old Muhammed Enes Yeninar and his brother, 21-year-old Baki Yeninar, who was rescued after him. Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Kim Coghill and Jonathan SpicerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Austrian army suspends Turkey quake rescue over security
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN/ZURICH, Feb 11 (Reuters) - The Austrian army has suspended rescue operations in quake-hit Turkey due to "an increasingly difficult security situation", its spokesperson said in a tweet on Saturday. Ministry spokesperson Michael Bauer tweeted that the Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit (AFDRU) was available for further rescue operations when the working environment became safe. "There is increasing aggression between groups in Turkey," he said. Turkish authorities have not commented on any unrest in the area, but President Tayyip Erdogan commented on the general security situation on Saturday, noting that a state of emergency had been declared and that there had been some looting. Some 82 rescue workers from Austria's armed forces have been in Antakya, Turkey, since Feb. 7 and their specialists have freed nine people from the rubble.

☆ Looting and hygiene worries add to rescuers' burden in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Ali Kucukgocmen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ANTAKYA, Turkey, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Volunteers struggling to find ever fewer survivors in the quake-hit Turkish city of Antakya said on Saturday ransacking and hygiene problems were adding to their daunting task. One resident, searching for a colleague buried in a collapsed building, said he witnessed looting in the first days after Monday's quake before leaving the city for a village. "If people don't die here under the rubble, they'll die from injuries, if not they will die from infection. We have toilet problems, I am scared that some disease will spread," said one man, who declined to give his name and who travelled from Antalya to help in rescue operations. Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen; Writing by Daren Butler and Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Andrew CawthorneOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Turkish company to send ships to house 3,000 in earthquake zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Turkey's Karadeniz Holding said on Saturday it would send two humanitarian aid ships that can each house 1,500 people to help the relief effort in the southern province of Hatay, hit by a major earthquake that has claimed more than 20,000 lives. "The company is working with the authorities to send lifeships Suheyla Sultan and Rauf Bey to Iskenderun-Hatay, the company said, adding this would be its first humanitarian mission. The so-called lifeships, built for humanitarian aid missions, have accommodation, fridges, TVs and heating, as well as facilities for education, healthcare and food, the company said. "We focused all our energy to this project to serve people in the area impacted by the earthquake. Reporting by Can Sezer Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Turkey to act against those involved in looting, Erdogan says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday the government would take action against those involved in looting and other crimes in the region hit by this week's devastating earthquakesas the issue of security there came into focus. "It means that, from now on, the people who are involved in looting or kidnapping should know that the state's firm hand is on their backs," he said. It was not clear what incidents of kidnapping Erdogan was referring to. Erdogan also said that hundreds of thousands of buildings were uninhabitable across southern Turkey and that authorities would soon start the rebuilding process. Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Mark Potter and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Turkey-Armenia gate opens for first time in decades to allow aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"I will always remember the generous aid sent by the people of Armenia to help alleviate the sufferings of our people in the earthquake stricken region in Turkey," Kilic said, thanking Armenian officials. Anadolu said the crossing was last used to send aid from the Turkish Red Crescent to earthquake-hit Armenia in 1988. Last year, Turkish and Armenian leaders met informally at a European summit, following a meeting by their foreign ministers, in efforts to mend decades of animosity. They are at odds primarily over the 1.5 million people Armenia says were killed in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor to modern Turkey. Turkey accepts that many Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were killed in clashes with Ottoman forces during World War One, but contests the figures and denies it was systematic.

[1/4] Survivors rest while a woman reacts at a hospital in the aftermath of an earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey February 10, 2023. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem 1 2 3 4Authorities say some 6,500 buildings in Turkey collapsed and countless more were damaged. The U.S. Agency for International Development will provide $85 million in urgent humanitarian assistance to Turkey and Syria. SYRIA OVERWHELMEDIn Syria, relief efforts are complicated by a conflict that has partitioned the country and wrecked its infrastructure. The Syrian government views the delivery of aid to rebel-held areas from Turkey as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

☆ Twitter restricted in Turkey two days after quake, says NetBlocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Twitter has been restricted in Turkey on Wednesday, the Netblocks internet observatory said, two days after a major earthquake that has killed more than 11,500 people in southern Turkey and northern Syria. Users of the platform including opposition figures, academics and non-governmental organisations protested the move, with communications already difficult in the quake zone due to limited reception. "How come Twitter is restricted on a day communication saves lives? Akdeniz said it was immediately unclear what caused the restriction, adding that access to Tiktok was also limited in Turkey. Reporting by Can Sezer and Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Daren Butler and Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Earthquake death toll in Turkey and Syria surpasses 5,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said on Tuesday that the death toll from the earthquakes centred in southeastern Turkey rose to 3,419, bringing the total including those killed in Syria to more than 5,000. Speaking to reporters, Oktay said severe weather conditions made it difficult to bring aid to the affected regions and conduct rescues. He said only rescue and aid vehicles were being allowed to enter or leave Hatay, Kahramanmaras and Adiyaman, three of the most impacted provinces. Rescue operations are focusing on those three provinces and Malatya, Oktay added. Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun and Nevzat Devranoglu; Writing by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Jonathan SpicerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ After huge Turkey quake, Diyarbakir residents pray for missing families
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Umit Ozdal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, Feb 6 (Reuters) - In the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir, residents were hoping and praying for news of relatives and friends after a massive earthquake and a huge aftershock turned apartment blocks into mounds of rubble and piles of shattered masonry. "My nephew is under the rubble, with his wife and kids," Ahmet Budak told Reuters after he had rushed towards their building. More than 2,400 people have been killed and thousands more injured in Turkey and northwest Syria. They worked alongside diggers that were guided in to move huge slabs of concrete and sheets of corrugated metal. Writing and additional reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Alison Williams and Edmund BlairOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

ANKARA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Turkey summoned ambassadors of nine Western countries including the United States and Sweden on Thursday to criticise their decisions to temporarily shut diplomatic missions and issue security alerts following Koran-burning incidents in Europe. The envoys of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Britain were also summoned, according to foreign ministry sources in Ankara. Germany, France and the Netherlands were among countries that temporarily closed diplomatic missions in Turkey for security reasons this week. The source added that the security of all diplomatic missions is ensured in accordance with international conventions and "allies should cooperate with" Turkish authorities. The U.S. embassy confirmed its Ambassador Jeffry Flake attended a meeting at Turkey's foreign ministry on Thursday.

☆ Turkey looks positively on Finland's NATO bid but not on Sweden's -Erdogan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan addresses lawmakers of his ruling AK Party during a meeting at the parliament in Ankara, Turkey February 1, 2023. Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERSANKARA, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Turkey looks positively on Finland's application for NATO membership, but does not support Sweden's bid, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. We will not say 'yes' to their NATO application as long as they allow burning of the Koran," Erdogan said in a speech to his AK Party deputies in parliament. Erdogan signalled on Sunday that Ankara could agree to Finland joining NATO ahead of Sweden and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday made similar statements. Reporting by Nevzat Devranoglu and Ezgi Erkoyun; Writing by Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Daren ButlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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