Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — When Turkey changed the way it reports daily COVID-19 infections, it confirmed what medical groups and opposition parties have long suspected — that the country is faced with an alarming surge of cases that is fast exhausting the Turkish health system.

27 Nov 2020; MEMO: Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday said he held a meeting with his Saudi counterpart to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues, Anadolu Agency reports.

Cavusoglu said in a tweet that the "sincere" meeting with Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud was held on the occasion of the 47th session of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers.

ISTANBUL, Nov 28 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkish police detained 79 suspects in nationwide operations, as part of terrorism-related investigations, media reported.

At least 25 people were apprehended by security forces over their suspected links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), in the western province of Izmir, north-western Balikesir, and southern Mersin.

Multiple digital materials and documents were also seized in the operations, according to the report.

ANKARA (Reuters) - A Turkish court handed down dozens of life sentences on Thursday for some of the nearly 500 defendants, including army commanders and pilots, accused of leading a 2016 coup attempt from an air base near the capital Ankara.

More than 250 people were killed on July 15, 2016, when rogue soldiers commandeered warplanes, helicopters and tanks and sought to take control of state institutions and overthrow the government of President Tayyip Erdogan.

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday a jailed Kurdish leader has “blood on his hands”, scotching any hopes that a reform plan could lead to wider liberties for the opposition and dissidents.

Erdogan promised a slate of judicial and economic reforms two weeks ago, leading to expectations of the possible release of politicians, including Kurdish ones, and human rights advocates from jail.

23 Nov 2020; MEMO: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday urged the European Union (EU) to keep its promises to establish closer cooperation.

"We call on the European Union to keep the promises made to our country from full membership to migration, so we can build a closer, more efficient cooperation," Erdogan told his ruling Justice and Development Party during a virtual meeting, Anadolu Agency reported.

22 Nov 2020; AA: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that Turkey has maintained robust relations with the West without ignoring the East.

“We cannot afford to turn our back on either the East or the West. While developing our relations with Europe, we never ignore Asia and Africa,” Erdogan said, attending an event organized by the Washington-based Halifax International Security Forum via video link.

22 Nov 2020; MEMO: Turkey reiterated its call Saturday for dialogue with Greece regarding its seismic research activities in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said Greece issued another statement “reiterating the known claims and objections of Oruc Reis [seismic research vessel] regarding the seismic research activity carried out on the Turkish continental shelf.”

22 Nov 2020; AA: The head of Afghanistan’s High Council National Reconciliation blasted the killing of at least 39 Afghan civilians by Australian forces during an interview with Anadolu Agency.

“There is no way to define this brutality. There is no way to explain what has happened. It is incomprehensible,” Abdullah Abdullah told Turkey’s leading news provider.

“These are crimes against innocent people, and I was shocked,” said Abdullah, during an official visit in Turkey on Nov. 19-20.

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey said it was extending the seismic survey work of its Oruc Reis ship in a disputed area of the eastern Mediterranean until Nov. 29, in a move that could add to tensions in the region.

NATO members Turkey and Greece are locked in a dispute over the extent of their continental shelves and conflicting claims to hydrocarbon resources in the eastern Mediterranean.

The row erupted in August when Turkey sent Oruc Reis into waters also claimed by Greece and Cyprus.