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☆ 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.

[1/9] Rescuers work at the site of a damaged building in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, February 8, 2023. said Melek, 64, in the southern city of Antakya, adding that she had not seen any rescue teams. With the scale of the disaster becoming ever more apparent, the death toll - now 6,234 in Turkey - looks likely to keep on rising. In neighbouring Syria, already devastated by 11 years of war, the death toll climbed to more than 2,500 overnight, according to the Syrian government and a rescue service operating in the rebel-held northwest. The initial quake struck just after 4 a.m. on Monday, the dead of night in the dead of winter, giving the sleeping population little chance to react.

☆ A PICTURE AND ITS STORY The man who survived the Turkey earthquake, and his family who didn't
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/7] Abdulalim Muaini lies under the rubble next to the body of his wife Esra, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Umit BektasHATAY, Turkey, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Peering out from under a large slab of concrete and brick, Abdulalim Muaini gestures weakly at his rescuers. It has been over two days since a massive earthquake brought his home in Hatay, Turkey, tumbling down upon him. Close beside him lies his wife Esra. Photography and reporting by Umit Bektas; Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Crews find survivors, many dead after Turkey, Syria earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Search and rescue operations continue in Sanliurfa, one of 10 provinces hard-hit by a 7.7- and 7.6-magnitude quakes in Turkey on Feb. 7, 2023. A few hours later, rescuers pulled 10-year-old Betul Edis from the rubble of her home in the city of Adiyaman. In Syria, the shaking toppled thousands of buildings and heaped more misery on a region wracked by the country's 12-year civil war and refugee crisis. The affected area in Syria is divided between government-controlled territory and the country's last opposition-held enclave, where millions rely on humanitarian aid. Earthquakes hit Turkey on Monday, flattening buildings and killing thousands.

ISTANBUL—Snow, freezing temperatures and blocked roads hindered efforts to rescue survivors trapped under collapsed buildings across southern Turkey and northern Syria after two powerful earthquakes killed more than 5,000 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Aid workers from around the world poured into Turkey on Tuesday to support local rescue efforts after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on Monday morning was followed by a 7.5-magnitude quake in the afternoon.

☆ Fears grow for untold numbers buried by Turkey earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

But there was also widespread despair and growing anger at the slow pace of rescue efforts in some areas. People sitting on the rubble react in the aftermath of an earthquake, in rebel-held town of Jandaris, Syria February 7, 2023. Muhammet Ruzgar, 5, is carried out by rescuers from the site of a damaged building, following an earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, February 7, 2023. Vice President Fuat Oktoy said at least 5,894 people have died from the earthquake in Turkey, with another 34,810 injured. An aerial view shows damaged and collapsed buildings following an earthquake, in Hatay, Turkey February 7, 2023.

☆ Amazon to donate supplies to Turkey’s earthquake victims
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Amazon (AMZN) has announced that it will help victims of the Turkey earthquake by donating food, medicine and equipment from its Istanbul warehouse. Amazon, which has almost 2,000 employees in Turkey, said it was preparing to donate relief items, including blankets, tents, food, baby food and medicines. “This immediate delivery is just the beginning of Amazon’s response,” Abe Diaz, head of Amazon’s disaster relief program, said in the statement. Another company that could help Turkey is Elon Musk’s SpaceX. On Monday, Musk responded to a tweet about SpaceX’s Starlink internet service, which said: “Hey @elonmusk a massive earthquake hit Turkey and neighboring countries.

☆ Powerful Earthquakes Strike Turkey and Syria, Killing More Than 1,400 People
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Jared Malsin | Elvan Kivilcim | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL—A second powerful earthquake battered Turkey and northern Syria on Monday just hours after a strong temblor shook the region, killing more than 1,400 people and destroying thousands of buildings, Turkish and Syrian authorities said. A 7.8-magnitude quake felt across four countries on Monday morning was followed by a series of aftershocks and then a 7.5-magnitude quake in the afternoon that authorities said was separate from the first. The quakes were Turkey’s worst seismic event in decades, rocking an area around the city of Gaziantep that is home to millions of Turkish citizens, displaced Syrians and refugees.

☆ Second earthquake rocks Turkey and Syria as death toll from first quake reaches 1,300
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

People search through rubble following an earthquake in Adana, Turkey February 6, 2023. A second earthquake of 7.6 magnitude struck southern Turkey on Monday, within 12 hours of a first massive quake that already claimed hundreds of Turkish and Syrian lives, according to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority. AFAD said the second quake took place at 1:32 p.m. local time at a 7km depth and had its epicenter in the Elbistan region of the Kahramanmaras province. Earlier on Monday, roughly 1,300 lives were lost as a first powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northern Syria. The humanitarian White Helmets rescue service, which operates in Turkey and the opposition-controlled parts of Syria, had earlier estimated Syrian life losses near 221, with 419 injured.

☆ Powerful earthquake kills at least 200 in Turkey and Syria, toll expected to rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Rescuers search for victims of a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Diyarbakir, Turkey, in this video grab from AFP TV taken Feb. 6, 2023. A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling buildings and triggering a frantic search for survivors in the rubble in cities and towns across the area. At least 207 were killed and hundreds injured, and the toll was expected to rise. On both sides of the border, residents were jolted out of sleep by the tremors several hours before dawn and rushed outside in a cold, rainy and snowy winter night. The death toll in government-held areas of Syria climbed to 111 with at least 516 injured, according to Syrian state media.

☆ At least 10 killed in Turkey earthquake, dozens trapped under rubble
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed in Turkey after an earthquake shook the country's south and also northern Syria, two local Turkish officials said. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said the quake struck at a depth of 10 km (6 miles) near the southern Turkish city of Kahramanmaras, while the EMSC monitoring service said the chance of a tsunami risk was being evaluated. read moreReporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

People search through rubble following an earthquake in Diyarbakir, Turkey February 6, 2023. The combined death toll from two massive earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday climbed to more than 2,300. A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake initially rocked southeastern Turkey and northern Syria earlier Monday, killing more than 1,300. Roughly 12 hours later, a second earthquake of 7.6 magnitude struck southern Turkey. The following post contains photos of civilians casualties/injured children.

☆ Finland’s top diplomat hints at joining NATO without Sweden
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Finland’s top diplomat appeared to suggest Tuesday that the country may have to consider joining NATO without Sweden after Turkey’s president cast serious doubt on the expansion of the military alliance. Haavisto later backpedaled, telling reporters in Parliament that his comment earlier Tuesday had been “imprecise” and that Finland’s ambition to join NATO jointly with Sweden remained unchanged. “But of course there have been raised concerns within NATO on how the (recent) incidents in Sweden will affect the schedule,” Haavisto said. Until now, Sweden and Finland have been committed to joining the alliance together, but Haavisto’s comment to YLE raised concerns that Finland was considering proceeding without its Nordic neighbor. “Sweden respects the agreement between Sweden, Finland and Turkey regarding our NATO membership.

☆ Thirteen killed after building collapses in Syria's Aleppo, state media report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMMAN, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Thirteen people were killed when a residential building collapsed in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Sunday and rescue workers were searching for people believed still buried under the rubble, state media said. The five-storey building in the Sheikh Maksoud district of Syria's second largest city collapsed due to water leakages that weakened its foundation, government officials were quoted as saying by state media. Many displaced Syrians have been moved during the more than decade long conflict to damaged buildings as there has been no systematic reconstruction of residential areas and state services remain minimal, residents say. The opposition has accused President Bashar al-Assad of withholding services from districts where the rebellion against him flared, in order to punish residents. Work to renovate war-damaged buildings is in many cases done and paid for by local people, residents say.

☆ Explainer: What's at stake in Turkey's upcoming elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

WHAT'S AT STAKE IN THIS ELECTION FOR TURKEY... Opposition parties have pledged to restore central bank independence, bring back parliamentary government and introduce a new constitution enshrining the rule of law. Meanwhile Turkey's top court is hearing a case to shut down the third-largest parliamentary party, the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), and has frozen some of its accounts. Once campaigning starts, opposition parties may find it harder to get their message heard. Though the election deadline is mid-June, Erdogan's party has said they may be brought forward.

☆ Lebanese forces rescue about 200 migrants after boat sinks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Lebanese naval forces carried out rescue operations on Saturday after the sinking of a boat transporting about 200 would-be migrants, the army said on Twitter. Separately, State TV tweeted that initial information was that the boat had been carrying people from Lebanon, Syria and Palestinian territories. The army said the boat had carried people who had tried to illegally cross Lebanese territorial waters, adding that three naval vessels escorted by a UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) vessel arrived at the site of the sinking, off the coast of Selaata, north of Beirut, and proceeded to rescue about 200 people. In September, 34 bodies of migrants were found off the coast of the northern Syrian port city of Tartus, suspected of having left north Lebanon heading towards Europe. Reporting by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —The US killed two ISIS officials in a helicopter raid early Sunday morning in eastern Syria, US Central Command said in a statement. One of the officials killed was “Anas,” a regional ISIS leader who was involved in planning operations in eastern Syria. “The death of these ISIS officials will disrupt the terrorist organization’s ability to further plot and carry out destabilizing attacks in the Middle East,” said Central Command spokesman Col. Joe Buccino. Two weeks ago, the US welcomed news of the death of ISIS leader Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al- Qurayshi. He was not killed in a US operation, unlike the previous leader, Hajji Abdullah, who was killed in a US raid in February.

"Ayan has established business contracts to sell Iranian oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars to buyers," in China, the United Arab Emirates and Europe, the statement says, adding that he then funneled the proceeds back to the Quds Force. The Treasury action will freeze any U.S. assets of those designated and generally bar Americans from dealing with them. Washington maintains sweeping sanctions on Iran and has looked for ways to increase pressure as efforts to resurrect a 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran have stalled. The 2015 agreement limited Iran's uranium enrichment activity to make it harder for Tehran to develop nuclear arms in return for lifting international sanctions. Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk Editing by Don Durfee and Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Syrian rebels say anti-ISIS operations with the U.S. have stopped and ISIS fighters may escape from prisons and a refugee camp
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

If security forces abandon the prisons and refugee camps, thousands of ISIS fighters could be released into Syria and threaten the region and the West, say U.S. military officials. Syrian Kurdish Asayish security forces inspect tents at the Kurdish-run al-Hol camp on Aug. 28, during a security campaign by the Syrian Democratic Forces against ISIS "sleeper cells" in the camp. Three U.S. military officials say, however, that patrols with the SDF continued at a reduced rate and without aggressive counter-ISIS missions. So far, the Syrian rebels and the U.S. military say they have not seen signs of de-escalation from the Turks. But if Turkish military operations escalate, say U.S. officials, more SDF fighters will move toward the border, leaving detention facilities and refugee camps with inadequate security, say U.S. officials.

BEIRUT/ANKARA, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Syria is resisting Russian efforts to broker a summit with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, three sources said on Friday, after more than a decade of bitter enmity since the outbreak of Syria's civil war. Assad says it is Turkey which has backed terrorism by supporting an array of fighters including Islamist factions and launching repeated military incursions inside northern Syria. Ankara is readying another possible operation, after blaming Syrian Kurdish fighters for a bombing in Istanbul. However, three sources with knowledge of Syria's position on possible talks said Assad had rejected a proposal to meet Erdogan with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. "It would be the beginning of a major change in Syria and would have very positive effects on Turkey.

☆ Syria Kurds halt all joint ops with U.S.-led coalition after Turkish attacks -spokesman
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

QAMISHLI, Syria Dec 2 (Reuters) - The Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S.-backed group that helped defeat Islamic State jihadists in Syria, has stopped all joint counter-terrorism operations as a result of Turkish bombardment on its area of control, a spokesman said Friday. Aram Henna told Reuters that "all coordination and joint counter-terrorism operations with the coalition" as well as "all the joint special operations we were carrying out regularly" had had been halted. Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder earlier told reporters that operations against IS had not stopped. SDF head Mazloum Abdi earlier this week told Reuters he wanted a "stronger" message from Washington after seeing unprecedented Turkish deployments along the border. Reporting by Orhan Qehreman; Writing by Maya Gebeily Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Israeli journalists experience chilly reception at Qatar World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Former Israeli football star, and now a commentator Eil Ohana posted a video showing a Qatari police officer driving him in a golf cart. Videos have gone viral in Israel and the Arab world showing football fans yelling at Israeli reporters, refusing to speak to them because of where they are from. Canadian pop star Justin Bieber launched clean water company Generosity at Qatar’s World Cup, to provide premium alkaline water in refillable fountains across the globe. The pitch invader who waved a rainbow flag on the field during Portugal’s World Cup match with Uruguay on Monday said FIFA president Gianni Infantino came to the Qatari police station to free him in order to “avoid more controversy.”Thursday’s Group E FIFA World Cup match between Costa Rica and Germany saw an all-women refereeing team for the first time in men’s World Cup history. Stephanie Frappart, from France, led the refereeing team, making her the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match.

☆ US military confirms that another ISIS leader has been killed in Syria, revealing that he was taken out in a raid by local forces
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US military revealed on Wednesday that another ISIS leader was killed recently. Earlier on Wednesday, the Islamic State's media affiliate announced that the leader of the terror group had been killed fighting recently. The terror group didn't mention who killed al-Qurayshi — or where, according to multiple reports. "We welcome the announcement that another leader of ISIS is no longer walking the face of the Earth." He added that actions by Turkey have led the SDF to suspend its operations against the terror group.

☆ Pentagon chief warns Turkey against new military operation in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday told his Turkish counterpart of his "strong opposition" to a new Turkish military operation in Syria and voiced concern over the escalating situation in the county, the Pentagon said. Austin, in the call, expressed condolences over a Nov. 13 attack in Istanbul, the Pentagon said. "He also expressed concern over escalating action in northern Syria and Turkey, including recent airstrikes, some of which directly threatened the safety of U.S. personnel who are working with local partners in Syria to defeat ISIS," it said in a statement, using an acronym for the Islamic State militant group. "Secretary Austin called for de-escalation, and shared the Department's strong opposition to a new Turkish military operation in Syria." Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

He said Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi was killed while "fighting enemies of God", without elaborating. The spokesman urged Islamic State members in all countries to pledge allegiance to the new leader, adding that "he is one of the loyal sons of the (Islamic) state". The White House welcomed the news that Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi had been killed, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Islamic State announced Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi as its new leader in March after the death of predecessor Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi. Islamic State emerged from the chaos of the civil war in neighbouring Iraq and took over vast swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

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