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☆ Qatar and UAE embassies resume work on Monday, Qatar's foreign ministry says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Foreign Minister of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani during a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on July 14, 2017. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates' respective embassies reopened on Monday to resume work after the two Gulf states agreed to restore diplomatic ties, Qatar's foreign ministry said. The restoration of ties comes amid a broader regional push for reconciliation and more than two years after Arab states ended a boycott of Doha that had shattered the Western-allied Gulf Arab bloc. The Qatari ministry said in a statement that the two foreign ministers, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, had held a phone call as the two embassies reopened on Monday. Reuters reported in April that the two Gulf states were in the process of restoring diplomatic relations.

Persons: Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Organizations: Turkish Foreign, United Arab Emirates, Reuters, Doha Locations: Qatar, Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al, Thani, Doha, Arab, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Islam, Iran, Riyadh, Cairo, Saudi, Yemen

☆ What Turkey’s new cabinet says about where the country is headed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Gul Tuysuz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The cabinet appointments hint at a return to orthodox economic policy while holding course on foreign policy as the president heads into his third decade in power. Erdogan’s unorthodox economic policies over the past few years have led to a cost-of-living crisis and a plummeting Turkish lira. Shadow diplomatThe new foreign minister is a well-known figure to Turks and international players who have negotiated with Turkey of late. Hakan Fidan, who had served as head of Turkish Intelligence Agency (MIT) since 2010, has been in every room and every discussion that has been pivotal to Turkish foreign policy over the last few years. He’s been ever-present but rarely heard – a shadow diplomat in Erdogan’s foreign policy arsenal who has charted rough waters in Syria, Libya and beyond.

Persons: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mehmet Simsek, –, Nureddin Nebati, ” Simsek, Erdogan, Simsek, Mehmet Celik, Cevdet Yilmaz, Omer Bolat, ” Celik, Hakan Fidan, He’s, Fidan, Ibrahim Kalin, “, ” Fidan, ”, Suleyman Soylu, Istanbul Ali Yerlikaya, Hulusi Akar, Mevlut Cavusoglu, They’ve Organizations: Istanbul CNN —, Reuters, Daily, Trade, CNN, NATO, Turkish Intelligence Agency, MIT, Kurdistan Workers ’ Party, EU, Defense, Development Party, AK Party Locations: Istanbul, Turkish Republic, Turkish, “ Turkey, Daily Sabah, Turkey, Syria, Libya, Greece, West, Celik, Damascus, Ankara, Sweden, Yerlikaya

☆ Factbox: Turkey's new government: key figures in Erdogan's cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Following are descriptions of key figures in the cabinet:MEHMET SIMSEK - FINANCE MINISTERFormer economy chief Simsek has been appointed as treasury and finance minister. He was highly regarded by financial markets when he served as finance minister and deputy prime minister between 2009 and 2018. HAKAN FIDAN - FOREIGN MINISTERFidan was appointed as foreign minister, replacing Mevlut Cavusoglu, who was one of the longest serving top Turkish diplomats. ALI YERLIKAYA - INTERIOR MINISTERAli Yerlikaya was appointed as interior minister and replaced Suleyman Soylu, who kept his position since 2018. Yerlikaya, 55, served as governor of provinces of Gaziantep, Tekirdag, Agri and Sirnak before.

Persons: Tayyip Erdogan, MEHMET SIMSEK, Simsek, Merrill Lynch, HAKAN FIDAN, Fidan, Mevlut Cavusoglu, Erdogan, YASAR, Yasar Guler, Hulusi Akar, CEVDET YILMAZ, Cevdet Yilmaz, Ali Yerlikaya, Suleyman Soylu, Yerlikaya, Burcu Karakas, Huseyin Hayatsever, Jonathan Spicer Organizations: FINANCE, U.S, Embassy, National Intelligence Organisation, MIT, Turkish Army, Turkish Development and Cooperation Agency, Kurdistan Workers Party, AK, Turkish, Commission, ALI, Ece Toksabay, Thomson Locations: ANKARA, Ankara, Oslo, Syria, Iraq, Istanbul, Yerlikaya, Gaziantep, Tekirdag

The exchange took place when Biden called Erdogan to congratulate him on his victory in Turkey's presidential election on Sunday. And so we'll be back in touch with one another," Biden told reporters before departing the White House for Delaware. Bids for NATO membership must be approved by all NATO members. A Turkish Air Force F16 jet lands at a new airport under construction in Istanbul, Turkey September 22, 2018. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, ditching long-held policies of military non-alignment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

☆ Egypt's Sisi, Turkey's Erdogan agree on reinstating ambassadors -Egypt's presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

CAIRO, May 29 (Reuters) - Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on "the immediate start of upgrading diplomatic relations, exchanging ambassadors," Egypt's presidency said in a statement on Monday. Sisi spoke with Erdogan in a phone call to congratulate him on his presidential win. Egypt's foreign minister Sameh Shoukry visited Turkey in April and met his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, the two parties agreed then on specific time frame to raise the level of diplomatic relations and to prepare for a summit between the two presidents. The presidents may meet in person again after Turkey's May 14 election, Cavusoglu said in April. Reporting by Mohamed Hendawy, Writing by Ahmed Elimam, Editing by Chris Reese and Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia doubles down on efforts to capture Bakhmut; Ukraine's grain export deal hangs in the balance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view of a dry cargo ship transporting grain from Ukraine under the U.N,-brokered Black Sea deal. The last ship is due to leave a port in Ukraine on Wednesday under a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, said a U.N. spokesperson, a day before Russia could quit the pact over obstacles to its grain and fertilizer exports. To convince Russia in July to allow Black Sea grain exports, the United Nations agreed at the same time to help Moscow with its own agricultural shipments for three years. Senior officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.N. met in Istanbul last week to discuss the Black Sea pact. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last week he thought the deal could be extended for at least two more months.

☆ Last ship to leave Ukraine as fate of Black Sea grain deal in Russia's hands
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UNITED NATIONS, May 17 (Reuters) - The last ship is due to leave a port in Ukraine on Wednesday under a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, said a U.N. spokesperson, a day before Russia could quit the pact over obstacles to its grain and fertilizer exports. To convince Russia in July to allow Black Sea grain exports, the United Nations agreed at the same time to help Moscow with its own agricultural shipments for three years. Senior officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.N. met in Istanbul last week to discuss the Black Sea pact. RISKSOfficials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.N. make up a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul, which implements the Black Sea export deal. The United Nations, Turkey and Ukraine did continue the Black Sea agreement in October during a brief suspension by Russia of its participation.

☆ Turkey, Syria, Russia and Iran in highest-level talks since Syrian war
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, May 10 (Reuters) - Foreign ministers for Turkey, Syria, Russia and Iran met on Wednesday in Moscow, marking the highest-level talks so far on rebuilding ties between Ankara and Damascus after years of animosity during Syria's civil war. NATO member Turkey has backed political and armed opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the 12-year civil war, and sent its own troops into the country's north. Cavusoglu said "taking the political process in Syria forward and protection of Syria's territorial integrity" were the other issues discussed. Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement there had been a "positive and constructive atmosphere" and that the countries' deputy foreign ministers would be tasked with preparing a roadmap to advance Syria-Turkey ties. Syrian and Turkish defence ministers had also held talks in Moscow in December.

☆ Ministers may meet in Moscow to advance Turkey-Syria ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, April 10 (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia, Iran and Syria may hold consultations in early May as part of Russia's attempt to help broker a rapprochement between the Turkish and Syrian governments, Turkey' foreign minister said on Monday. "The meeting will most probably take place in early May, in Moscow," Minister Mevlut Cavusoğlu told broadcaster A Haber, saying it could lead to a leaders' meeting. Syrian and Turkish defence ministers held talks in Moscow in December in the highest-level encounter since the war began. Moscow is Assad's main ally and Russia has encouraged a reconciliation with Ankara. But Damascus demands full withdrawal of Turkish troops for relations to be restored.

☆ Egyptian minister to visit Turkey as ties improve - Ankara
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, April 10 (Reuters) - Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is likely to visit Turkey again this week, the government in Ankara said on Monday, adding that progress could be made towards reinstatement of envoys after relations ended a decade ago. Cavusoglu visited Cairo last month, a decade after diplomatic links were cut by the overthrow of Egypt's then president and Ankara's ally Mohamed Mursi. Shoukry also visited Turkey two weeks ago to show solidarity after the massive earthquakes that killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria. Consultations between senior foreign ministry officials in Ankara and Cairo began in 2021 as Turkey sought better ties with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Saudi Arabia. But normalisation between Ankara and Cairo accelerated after Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan shook hands in Doha at the World Cup.

☆ Turkey, Russia agree on need to lift fertiliser export obstacles
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Huseyin Hayatsever | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We also agree that the obstacles to the export of Russian grain and fertiliser should be removed. Issues need to be addressed for the grain deal to be extended further," he said. Lavrov said the two top diplomats discussed the grain deal, a potential gas hub in Turkey, the conflict in Syria, and Ukraine. While Russian food and fertiliser exports are not under sweeping Western sanctions, Moscow says restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance industries are a barrier. Lavrov said that Russian grain and fertiliser exports were affected by a lack of access to insurance and to the SWIFT financial messaging system.

☆ Ukraine seeks to prevent military leaks after NATO assistance plans reportedly appear on social media
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

"The participants of the meeting focused on measures to prevent the leakage of information regarding the plans of the defence forces of Ukraine," it said. One document posted on social media said 16,000 to 17,500 Russian forces had been killed since the invasion. The Ukrainian military said it was holding on in the city but the situation was difficult. Ukrainian military expert Vladyslav Selezniov has said Ukraine will have to pull back if the route for getting supplies in and wounded out is threatened. Eastern Military Command spokesperson Serhiy Cherevatyi told Reuters Ukraine controlled the situation in Bakhmut and understood Russian intentions.

☆ Top Egyptian and Turkish diplomats hold talks in Cairo amid improving ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meets with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, Egypt March 18, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El GhanyCAIRO, March 18 (Reuters) - Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held talks with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo on Saturday, in the first such visit after a decade of ruptured ties. Cavusoglu and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry were expected to discuss a range of bilateral and international issues in a step towards restoring normal relations, according to statements from the two sides. As part of that tentative reconciliation, Ankara asked Egyptian opposition TV channels operating in Turkey to moderate their criticism of Egypt. Last month, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Turkey in a show of solidarity after the massive earthquakes that killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

At a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said talks with Turkey on the possibility of restoring ties to ambassadorial level would happen at "the appropriate time". Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey would upgrade its diplomatic relations with Egypt to ambassador level "as soon as possible". "There is a political will and directives from the presidents of both countries when they met in Doha ... to launch the path towards a full normalisation of relations," Shoukry said. Consultations between senior foreign ministry officials in Ankara and Cairo began in 2021, amid a push by Turkey to ease tensions with Egypt, the UAE, Israel and Saudi Arabia. As part of that tentative reconciliation, Ankara asked Egyptian opposition TV channels operating in Turkey to moderate their criticism of Egypt.

☆ Turkey says working to renew Black Sea grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, March 5 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday that Ankara is working hard to extend a U.N.-backed initiative that has enabled Ukraine to export grain from ports blockaded by Russia following its invasion. The Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July allowed grain to be exported from three Ukrainian ports. The agreement was extended in November and will expire on March 18 unless an extension is agreed. "We are working hard for the smooth implementation and further extension of the Black Sea grain deal," Cavusoglu said in a speech at the United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries being held in Doha, Qatar. On Wednesday, Russia said it would only agree to extend the Black Sea grain deal if the interests of its own agricultural producers are taken into account.

☆ Turkey says it is working to renew Black Sea grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July allowed grain to be exported from three Ukrainian ports. "We are working hard for the smooth implementation and further extension of the Black Sea grain deal," Cavusoglu said in a speech at the United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries being held in Doha, Qatar. Russia has said it would only agree to extend the Black Sea grain deal if the interests of its own agricultural producers are taken into account. Cavusoglu said he also discussed efforts to discuss the extension of the deal with U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Almost 23 million tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs have been exported via the Black Sea Grain Initiative as of March 3, according to the Joint coordination Centre in Turkey which oversees implementation of the deal.

☆ Hungary starts process to ratify Finland, Sweden NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Gergely Szakacs | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] A general view as the Hungarian parliament starts debating the ratification of Finland and Sweden's NATO membership in Budapest, Hungary, March 1, 2023. Sweden and Finland applied last year to join the transatlantic defence pact after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. With Hungary's ratification process stranded in parliament since July, nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban aired concerns about Sweden and Finland's NATO membership for the first time last Friday. "Finland and Sweden's NATO membership serves our foreign policy, security and economic interests and it also strengthens NATO." Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said on Tuesday Hungary intended to send a parliamentary delegation to Finland on or around March 9 to discuss the Nordic nation's bid for accession to NATO.

☆ 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.

Summary Egyptian FM says 'goal of visit primarily humanitarian'And to 'pass on our solidarity' from people of EgyptArab League suspended Syria in 2011DAMASCUS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Egypt's foreign minister met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday in the first visits to Syria and Turkey by a top Egyptian diplomat in a decade. "The goal of the visit is primarily humanitarian, and to pass on our solidarity – from the leadership, the government and the people of Egypt to the people of Syria," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters in Damascus. "When the foreign minister of Egypt comes to Damascus, he comes to his home, his people, and his country," Mekdad said. Shoukry also visited Turkey, pointing to another shift in Egypt's foreign ties. "Foreign minister offers condolences for the victims of earthquake, affirms solidarity of Egyptian leadership, government and people with Turkey, and asserting continuity of aid for supporting Turkey and its brotherly people," Ahmed Abu Zeid, spokesperson for Egypt's Foreign Ministry, said.

☆ Egypt's foreign minister to visit Syria, Turkey on Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 26 (Reuters) - Egypt's Sameh Shoukry will travel to Damascus on Monday in the first visit by an Egyptian foreign minister since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011, according to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry. Shoukry will visit Turkey and Syria - both hit hard by a deadly earthquake on Feb. 6 - to "convey a message of solidarity from Egypt with the two countries" according to the foreign ministry statement. Turkey's foreign ministry confirmed the visit, saying Shoukry will hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and visit the southern province of Adana and the port of Mersin, where an Egyptian aid ship is set to arrive. Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi spoke with Assad by phone for the first time on Feb. 7 and on Sunday, a delegation of top parliamentarians from around the region - including Egypt's parliament speaker - met Assad in Damascus. Relations began thawing in 2021, part of a push by Turkey to ease tensions with several regional powers.

☆ Turkey's last Armenian village fears for its future after quake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Ece Toksabay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] A view of the damaged altar at the church in Vakifli, the last Armenian village in Turkey, in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake, in Samandag, Turkey, February 24, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezVAKIFLI, Turkey, Feb 25 (Reuters) - In Turkey's only remaining ethnic Armenian village, Vakifli, the elderly population thank God that not one of them died during the devastating earthquakes that struck the region. They gather at the tea house for shelter and warmth. "Vakifli is all we have, the only Armenian village in Turkey. Now our house is uninhabitable and we live half the time in the tea house and half the time in the tent."

[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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Blinken to talk aid, Nordic NATO bid in visit to quake-hit Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives for a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, February. Since the earthquake, the United States has sent a search and rescue team to Turkey, medical supplies, concrete-breaking machinery, and additional funding of $85 million in humanitarian aid that also covers Syria. While the United States has praised Turkey for some of its actions during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it remains worried over its close relationship with Moscow, experts say. "There will be no transfer of F-16s if Erdogan continues to deny admission to Finland and Sweden ... Ibrahim Kalin, Erdogan's chief foreign policy advisor, said last month he hoped the F-16 deal would not become "hostage" to the NATO memberships of Sweden and Finland.

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