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☆ NATO Pledges Earthquake Aid to Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Sune Engel Rasmussen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ADANA, Turkey—NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg pledged the alliance’s support in housing hundreds of thousands of people displaced by last week’s earthquakes, as the death toll from the disaster rose to more than 42,000 across Turkey and Syria. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, of which Turkey is a member, is airlifting tens of thousands of tents to Turkey in the coming days and weeks, Mr. Stoltenberg said in a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

☆ NATO chief says 'time is now' for Turkey to ratify Finland and Sweden membership bids
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Huseyin Hayatsever | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, Feb 16 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday the "time is now" for Turkey to ratify applications by Finland and Sweden to join the defence alliance. Finland and Sweden applied to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year and their membership bids have been ratified by all allies except Hungary and Turkey. Turkey says Sweden harbors members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is seen as a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and others. "For me, this just demonstrates that Sweden and Finland understand and are implementing policies which recognize the concerns that Turkey expressed. Cavusoglu repeated Turkey's position that it could evaluate Finland and Sweden's bids to join NATO separately.

[1/7] Children draw at a makeshift shelter that hosts about 250 people, half of whom are children, following the the deadly earthquake in Mersin, Turkey, February 13, 2023. Anti-Syrian slogans such as "We don't want Syrians," "Immigrants should be deported," and "No longer welcome" trended on Twitter. TENSIONS ON THE RISETurkey is home to nearly 4 million Syrian refugees, having opened its borders to those fleeing the civil war that erupted there in 2011. Turkey has spent more than $40 billion since 2011 accommodating the refugees at a time of intense economic hardship in the country. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday a new influx of refugees from Syria to Turkey was "out of the question".

☆ Blinken tells Turkey to 'let us know' what U.S. can do after earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Turkish counterpart to "pick up the phone and let us know" what the United States can do to help after a huge earthquake hit the country on Monday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters. The Biden administration's top diplomat spoke to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu by phone following the earthquake that killed more than 2,700 people across a swathe of Turkey and northwest Syria. “It was so important for the secretary to speak to his foreign minister counterpart, Foreign Minister Cavusoglu, in the first instance to offer condolences and to make clear...that anything Turkey needed that we could provide, they should pick up the phone and let us know,” Price said. Blinken asked his senior staff on Monday morning to identify what funding might be available to help Turkey and NGOs working on the ground in Syria, Price said. The U.S. consulate in the southern Turkish city of Adana would also host others working on rescue efforts, Price added.

☆ Turkey's President Erdogan says Western missions will 'pay' for closures
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Azra Ceylan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ISTANBUL, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Western missions would "pay" for issuing security warnings and temporarily closing consulates in Turkey last week, while police said there was no serious threat to foreigners after detaining 15 Islamic State suspects on Sunday. Ankara summoned the ambassadors of nine countries on Thursday to criticise their decisions to temporarily shut diplomatic missions and issue security alerts. Turkish officials said the following day that Western nations, including the United States and Germany, had not shared information to back up their claims of a security threat. Erdogan said that the Western states were "playing for (more) time" and that the "necessary decisions" would be taken during Monday's cabinet meeting, without elaborating. While the suspects' ties to the jihadist group were confirmed, no concrete threats toward foreigners were found, the statement said.

☆ U.S. Congress says F-16 sale to Turkey depends on NATO approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress cannot support the $20 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey until Ankara ratifies the NATO memberships of Sweden and Finland, a bipartisan group of senators said on Thursday. "Once the NATO accession protocols are ratified by Türkiye, Congress can consider the sale of F-16 fighter jets. A failure to do so, however, would call into question this pending sale," the senators wrote. It was the first time Congress explicitly and directly linked the F-16 sale to Turkey with the NATO accession bids of the two Nordic countries. Turkey requested in October 2021 to buy 40 Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-16 fighters and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes.

☆ 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.

☆ Finland to stick with Sweden in NATO bid, hopes for green light by July
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Essi Lehto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A view of the flags of Finland, NATO and Sweden during a ceremony to mark Sweden's and Finland's application for membership in Brussels, Belgium, May 18, 2022. Sweden and Finland applied last year to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but Turkey raised objections. "Our strong wish is still to join NATO together with Sweden," Haavisto told a news conference in Helsinki. But Haavisto said he still hoped Finland and Sweden would become NATO members in the next few months. But Haavisto said security assurances from the United States, Britain and other NATO members meant that Finland could be patient.

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine backfired by uniting NATO, even as cracks emerged over nearly a year of fighting
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

When Putin invaded Ukraine, he miscalculated the response from Western countries. NATO has been largely united in its response to Russia's war, consistently providing Kyiv with military aid. Russian President Vladimir Putin has effectively succeeded in remaking the Western bloc, Araud said, adding that "the Western alliance is back." After the Soviet Union collapsed, both Finland and Sweden became NATO partner countries but stopped short of pursuing full membership. Even under the intense pressure of war, the alliance is "holding the way that they have in the past," he said.

☆ Turkey's Erdogan signals Finland's NATO bid may be considered over Sweden
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan signalled on Sunday that Ankara may agree to Finland joining NATO ahead of Sweden, amid growing tensions with Stockholm. "We may deliver Finland a different message (on their NATO application) and Sweden would be shocked when they see our message. But Finland should not make the same mistake Sweden did," Erdogan said in a televised speech aired on Sunday. Sweden and Finland applied last year to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and need all member countries' approval to join. If you don't extradite them, then sorry about that," Erdogan said, referring to Turkey's agreement with Sweden and Finland last June over their NATO application.

☆ Turkey says it is "meaningless" to restore NATO dialogue with Sweden, Finland
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday it was "meaningless" to hold a trilateral meeting with Sweden and Finland to discuss their NATO bids after protests this month in Stockholm. Speaking at a news conference, Cavusoglu also said there is no offer to evaluate Sweden's and Finland's NATO membership seperately. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said his country wanted to restore NATO dialogue with Turkey after Ankara indefinitely postponed trilateral talks with Sweden and Finland over their membership. Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Ali Kucukgocmen; Writing by Huseyin HayatseverOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Turkey urges Sweden to withdraw permit for Koran protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday that he hoped Swedish authorities would not allow a protest that includes burning the Koran. "This permission is granted to this person, despite all our warnings. This vile act will take place at around 1600 Turkish time (1300 GMT), I hope Swedish authorities will take necessary measures until then and will not allow this," Cavusoglu said to reporters. Cavusoglu also said the protest could not classified as freedom of expression. Earlier on Saturday, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said a planned visit next week by his Swedish counterpart to Ankara had been cancelled after Swedish authorities granted permission for protests in Stockholm.

☆ Turkey urges Biden administration to be 'decisive' over F-16 deal as Congress objects
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Recently, Ankara's refusal to ratify the NATO membership of Sweden and Finland has become more central to Congress' opposition. "HOSTAGE"Ties between the United States and Turkey have been strained since Turkey acquired Russian missile defense systems in 2019. For its part, Turkey demands Washington does not support the Syrian Kurdish armed groups that it sees as terrorists. But a senior administration official said Washington was unlikely to follow through with the sale unless Menendez reverses his opposition. The U.S. side did not give a date on when they would send the formal notification for the F-16s to Congress, Cavusoglu added.

☆ Turkey's foreign minister to discuss F-16s and NATO during U.S. visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

For its part, Turkey demands Washington not support the Syrian Kurdish militia that it sees as terrorists. Turkey now hopes to buy F-16 jets from the United States, a sale that some top members of Congress oppose despite support from the Biden administration. But recently, Ankara's refusal to ratify NATO membership of Sweden and Finland is emerging as a more central reason in their opposition. The two Nordic states applied for NATO membership last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but their bids need approval from all 30 NATO member states. He added he hoped the F-16 deal would not become "hostage" to the NATO memberships of Sweden and Finland.

☆ Turkish foreign minister says he expects U.S. to approve F-16 sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said ahead of a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on Wednesday that he expects the United States to approve the sale of F-16 aircraft to Turkey "in line with our joint strategic interests." Some top members of the U.S. Congress oppose the sale of the jets to Turkey despite support from the Biden administration for the sale. read moreReporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Simon Lewis Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday that Sweden "cannot escape its responsibilities" by only condemning the incident. Turkish state-owned Anadolu news agency said an investigation into the incident was opened after Erdogan's lawyer filed a legal petition. "It is aimed, I would say, as a sabotage against the Swedish NATO application," he said. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said relations with Turkey were important and condemned the incident as shameless. On Sunday, Kristersson said Sweden was confident Turkey would approve its NATO bid but it would not meet all the conditions Ankara has set.

WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has notified Congress of the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, sparking an immediate objection from a top U.S. lawmaker who has long opposed the deal. NATO member Turkey requested in October 2021 to buy 40 Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-16 fighters and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes. The Biden administration has said it supports the sale and has been in touch for months with Congress on an informal basis to win the approval of the lawmakers, however it has failed so far to secure a green light. But a senior U.S. official said he was "doubtful" the administration would be in a position to proceed unless Menendez dropped his objection. The U.S. Congress is also unlikely to approve the sale as long as Turkey refuses to proceed with the ratification of Sweden and Finland's NATO membership.

WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has told Congress it is preparing the potential $20 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, sparking an immediate objection from a senior U.S. lawmaker who has long opposed the deal. NATO member Turkey requested in October 2021 to buy 40 Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-16 fighters and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes. The Biden administration has said it supports the sale and has been in touch for months with Congress on an informal basis to win its approval. "As I have repeatedly made clear, I strongly oppose the Biden administration’s proposed sale of new F-16 aircraft to Turkey," Senator Bob Menendez, Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement. While the sale is still in the informal review process, Congress is also unlikely to approve the sale as long as Turkey refuses to proceed with the ratification of Sweden and Finland's NATO membership.

☆ Turkish foreign minister says he could meet Syrian counterpart in early February
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISTANBUL, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that he could meet his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad early in February, rejecting reports that the two could meet next week. The Turkish and Syrian defence ministers held landmark talks in Moscow last month to discuss border security and other issues. Last week, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he may meet Assad after a trilateral foreign ministers meeting. With backing from Russia and Iran, Assad's government has recovered most Syrian territory. It has partnered with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which includes the YPG militia, in fighting Islamic State in Syria.

☆ Turkey says Tripoli backs energy deal despite court suspension
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Law firms Turkey Law Firm FollowANKARA, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) told Turkey "not to take seriously" a court ruling that suspended an energy exploration deal that the Tripoli government signed with Ankara last year, the Turkish foreign minister said on Thursday. A Libyan court on Monday suspended the energy exploration deal that had angered other Mediterranean powers and inflamed Libya's own internal crisis. "This court ruling is not the final verdict. The government still backs the deal and they told us that they are proceeding with the necessary work and we should not take this court ruling seriously," Cavusoglu said. Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever and Ali Kucukgocmen in Ankara; Ahmed Elumami in Tripoli, Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Saudi Arabia and Turkey condemn Taliban university ban for women
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

In another sign of domestic opposition, several Afghan cricketers condemned the university ban. The latest condemnations of the university ban came from Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi foreign ministry expressed “astonishment and regret” at Afghan women being denied a university education. Another show of support for female university students came at Nangarhar Medical University. Local media reported that male students walked out in solidarity and refused to sit exams until women’s university access was reinstated.

☆ Sweden's foreign minister says NATO talks with Turkey progressing well
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Johan Ahlander | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Talks between Sweden and Turkey are progressing well and Stockholm hopes Ankara will ratify the Nordic country's NATO application well before an alliance summit in July, Sweden's foreign minister said on Thursday. "Things are progressing well, we had an excellent meeting today," Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told Reuters after meeting Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara. The NATO application has so far been ratified by 28 of the 30 member countries. "We hope that we can become members at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, at the latest," Billstrom said. Billstrom said Sweden had an independent judiciary and that there was nothing the government could do to change such decisions.

☆ Finland hopes for Turkish support for NATO bid soon, considers arms exports
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Huseyin Hayatsever | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ANKARA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Finland's defence minister Antti Kaikkonen said the sooner Turkey ratifies its NATO membership bid the better and it would consider granting arms export permits to Turkey on a case by case basis. In an interview with Reuters after meeting his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar in Ankara, Kaikkonen said he could not foresee a timetable for Turkey's ratification of his country's NATO membership application. A leading Turkish politician from Turkey's ruling AK party said however the speed of ratification lay in Finland and Sweden's hands and how swiftly they met Turkey's requests. Earlier this week, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Finland must lift an arms embargo on Ankara as a condition to securing support from Turkey. "There have been some discussions with Finnish industry about exports from Finland to Turkey.

☆ Turkey says Sweden, Finland not yet done enough under NATO deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Turkey's foreign minister said on Thursday that Sweden and Finland have not yet fulfilled all obligations under a deal clearing their bids to join NATO, and they must still take concrete steps. Mevlut Cavusoglu, speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Istanbul, also said Turkey observed that Sweden's new government under Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is taking a decisive approach to fulfilling obligations. Sweden and Finland signed a memorandum in June, resulting in NATO member Turkey lifting a veto of their applications to join the trans-Atlantic security alliance. The two asked to join in response to Russia's war in Ukraine, but Turkey sought extra guarantees, including that they not shelter Kurdish militants. Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Writing by Jonathan SpicerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Time to finalise Sweden's and Finland's entry to NATO, Stoltenberg says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Sweden and Finland have delivered on the demands Turkey has set for their accession to NATO and time has come to welcome them to the alliance, NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday. "It's time to welcome Finland and Sweden as full members of NATO," Stoltenberg said at a news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Istanbul. "In these dangerous times it is even more important to finalise their accession, to prevent any misunderstanding or miscalculation in Moscow." Reporting by Bart Meijer Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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