Turkey

ISTANBUL (AP) — Huseyin Buyukdag says he loves Turkey and his job as a teacher. But with the rampant economic crisis and growing repression in his country, he said he and his wife have decided to try and find a better life in Germany.

They are among a growing number of young and educated looking to leave Turkey, where rights and freedoms are being eroded and inflation is surging under increasingly authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

After Erdogan secured a third term in office in May elections, things are unlikely to change, he says.

ANKARA, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Turkey's parliament removed Coca-Cola (KO.N) and Nestle (NESN.S) products from its restaurants on Tuesday over their alleged support for Israel amid the conflict in Gaza, according to an official statement and a source who named the two companies.

The two companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"The products of companies that support Israel will not be sold in restaurants, cafeterias and tea houses in the parliament campus," Turkey's Grand National Assembly said, without identifying the companies.

ANKARA, Nov 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Ankara on Monday to discuss efforts to expand humanitarian aid in Gaza, and to prevent the war between Israel and militant Palestinian group Hamas from spreading.

Blinken is touring the region aiming to calm tensions over the war. Underlining Turkey's sharp criticism of Israeli and U.S. policy during the conflict, crowds gathered outside the meeting venue demanding Blinken and his delegation leave.

ADANA, Turkey, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Turkish police used tear gas and water cannon as hundreds of people at a pro-Palestinian rally on Sunday tried to storm an air base that houses U.S. troops, hours before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due in Ankara for talks on Gaza.

Turkey, which has stepped up its criticism of Israel as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened, supports a two-state solution while hosting members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Since the Israel-Hamas war started, protests have erupted across the country.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a grueling Middle East diplomatic tour on Monday in Turkey after only limited success in efforts to forge a regional consensus on how best to ease civilian suffering in Gaza as Israel intensifies its war against Hamas.

ANKARA, November 4. /TASS/: Turkey’s ambassador has been recalled from Israel for consultations, the Turkish Foreign Ministry told reporters.

"In the wake of the unfolding humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip caused by Israel’s incessant attacks on civilians and also by Israel’s rejection of appeals for a ceasefire and the unimpeded access of humanitarian aid, it has been decided to recall our Ambassador to Tel Aviv, Sakir Ozkan Torunlar, to Ankara for consultations," the ministry said.

ANKARA, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he would try to facilitate the parliamentary ratification of Sweden's NATO membership as much as possible, but added that Stockhom had still not taken sufficient action on Kurdish militants.

Erdogan submitted a bill approving Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament for ratification last month, a move welcomed by the alliance and Stockholm. Turkey had initially raised objections due to what it said was Sweden's harbouring of groups it deems terrorist.

ANKARA, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces seized 1.1 tons of drugs in anti-narcotic operations across 44 provinces, the country's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Friday.

A total of 176 suspects were detained in the operations involving 387 teams, 985 police officers, two aircraft, and 27 narcotic detection dogs, Yerlikaya said on social media X.

The police seized 846 kg of methamphetamine, 223 kg of skunk, 11 kg of cocaine, 15 kg of marijuana, five kg of bonzai, 0.5 kg of heroin, 35,000 narcotic pills, 14 pistols, four rifles, and a large amount of money.

ISTANBUL, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Turkish authorities have arrested 37 people suspected of being part of an Australia-based international crime syndicate, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Thursday.

The gang, known as Comanchero, is involved in drug trafficking, murder, kidnapping, and other crimes, Yerlikaya said in a post on the social media platform X.

The minister said the gang tried to smuggle drugs from different countries and launder the money they made from illegal activities in Türkiye, without revealing when or where the arrests took place.

ANKARA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs committee will discuss ratifying Sweden's NATO membership bid as part of its regular agenda as the issue was not so urgent for Ankara as for some other countries, its chair said on Wednesday.

President Tayyip Erdogan submitted the ratification bill for Sweden's NATO membership bid to parliament last month, a move welcomed by Stockholm as it would clear the way for it to join the Western defence alliance.