Turkey

14 Jan 2021; MEMO: Turkey will send 20,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the country's top health official said yesterday.

According to Anadolu's Northern Cyprus office, TRNC's Health Minister Ali Pilli said that the vaccines will be provided both by the European Union and Turkey.

ANKARA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday received his first dose of vaccine as the country has started mass vaccination against COVID-19.

After receiving the jab at a hospital in capital Ankara, Erdogan called on all political party leaders and lawmakers to urge people for endorsing the vaccine. "I believe it will be vital especially if all political leaders and MPs encourage (jabs of) the COVID-19 vaccine and strengthen the campaign."

ANKARA, January 14. /TASS/: Turkey continues talks with Russia on the potential supply of a second regiment of S-400 missile defense systems, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday.

"It would be problematic for Ankara to refuse the purchase of Russian air defense systems S-400. We expect that the differences with the USA on this matter will be resolved through dialogue," A Haber TV channel quotes the minister as saying. "Turkey continues to hold talks with Russia on acquiring a second regiment of S-400."

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A top Turkish official is calling on the new U.S. administration to engage in a dialogue with Turkey and to review a decision to sanction the country over its purchase of an advanced Russian air defense system.

That request comes even though Washington has made clear that there can be no waiver of the sanctions until Ankara disposes of the Russian technology.

ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday he hoped the resumption of talks between Turkey and Greece over maritime disputes would herald a new era, and he urged Athens not to escalate tensions in the region.

NATO members Ankara and Athens announced on Monday they had agreed to resume on Jan. 25 long-suspended exploratory talks over disputed offshore rights in the Mediterranean, which brought them close to conflict last year.

12 Jan 2021; MEMO: A Turkish court on Monday sentenced 'Islamic' television preacher and author Adnan Oktar to more than 1,000 years in jail for crimes including forming and leading a criminal gang, fraud, and sexual abuse, state media said, reports Reuters.

12 Jan 2021; MEMO: Turkey and Greece said on Monday they wanted to resume suspended exploratory talks over territorial claims in the Mediterranean Sea which brought them close to conflict last year, reports Reuters.

Plans for talks last year foundered after a disagreement over a Turkish seismic exploration vessel deployed to disputed waters, but the ship has since returned.

The Turkish Presidency and military have moved their messaging systems away from WhatsApp and onto a local Turkish messaging app due to new private data concerns, Anadolu Agency reports.

Officials said that the media office will update journalists via BiP, a unit of Turkish communication company Turkcell, from today.

ANKARA, January 11. /TASS/: Head of Turkey's Presidency of Defense Industries Ismail Demir said on Monday that Russian S-400 missile defense systems are ready to be commissioned in Turkey, the 24TV channel informs.

"The S-400 are ready for use, the armed forces will decide when such a need arises," the TV channel quotes Demir as saying.

The Presidency of Defense Industries confirmed this report to TASS. "Yes, [Ismail Demir] did state this in Ankara today," the presidency said.

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The Turkish Competition Board said on Monday it launched an investigation into WhatsApp and its owner Facebook after the messaging app asked users to agree to let Facebook collect user data including phone numbers and locations.

In a written statement, the Competition Board said it ruled that the requirement to allow the collection of that data should be suspended until the probe is complete.