Turkey

HATAY, Turkey, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- As Russian-backed Syrian attacks are prompting a refugee exodus in Idlib province, the last rebel-stronghold of the war-torn Syria, Turkish officials are wary of a new humanitarian crisis unfolding at their country's sealed gates.

"It seems like there are around 1.5 million people who are near our borders. Turkey is currently not allowing any entry and we are supporting this position," Lutfu Savas, major of Turkey's Hatay province, located on the Syrian border, told Xinhua in an interview.

ANKARA, February 27. /TASS/: Three Turkish troops have been killed in the Syrian province of Idlib, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech aired on NTV on Thursday.

"Three of our troops were killed in Idlib but the forces of the [Assad] regime are facing far more losses. The struggle in Idlib will continue," Erdogan emphasized.

ANKARA, Feb 26 (NNN-ANADOLU) – A Turkish Airlines plane, departing from Tehran in Iran and due to arrive in Istanbul, was diverted to Turkish capital, Ankara on Tuesday, over the suspicion of COVID-19 infection and passengers on board have been taken under quarantine.

A total of 132 passengers and crew will be kept under observation for 14 days, the Turkish Minister of Health, Fahrettin Koca, said, in a written statement.

The plane was bound from Tehran to Istanbul and was carrying Turkish nationals, local daily, Hurriyet reported.

ANKARA, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- A Russian delegation will pay a visit to Turkey on Wednesday to discuss situation in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday.

"There is a process underway between Turkey and Russia regarding Idlib and Libya. We need to quickly resolve the Idlib issue. Russia provides the regime (Syrian government) with the highest level of support, including air support. We have confirmed this despite their denial," Erdogan told reporters before leaving for Azerbaijan.

ISTANBUL, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- A pilot of the aircraft, which slided off a runway in an airport in Istanbul earlier this month, was arrested on Monday for causing the death of three people and injuring 180 others, local media reported.

According to the state-run Anadolu agency, prosecutors in the capital Ankara issued the detention of the captain pilot for "causing death and injuries by negligence."

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Airstrikes on rebel-controlled northwest Syria killed at least 16 people Tuesday, including two students and two teachers, opposition activists said, as government forces captured a town considered a symbol of the uprising against President Bashar Assad.

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that there was not yet full agreement on holding a proposed March 5 summit with Russia, France and Germany on the conflict in Syria’s Idlib, but he may meet Russia’s Vladimir Putin on that date.

Syrian government forces are pushing to retake the last large rebel-held region in Syria after nine years of war and nearly a million Syrians, mostly women and children, have been displaced by the fighting since early December.

ANKARA, February 24. /TASS/: Turkey has announced the border with Iran will be closed in the face of a spike in confirmed coronavirus cases in Iran, the Turkish Interior Ministry said on Sunday.

"The Turkish-Iranian border has been closed over the coronavirus," A Haber television said citing the Interior Ministry’s statement.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Ankara was suspending transport services with a neighboring country, in particular, flights, trains and vehicle crossings.

ANKARA, February 22. /TASS/: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday he hopes to meet with the Russian, German and French leaders on March 5 to discuss the situation in Syria’s Idlib governorate.

ANKARA, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday evening said the Turkish military had "martyrs" in Libya, while Turkish-backed forces killed 100 "rival fighters" in the country.

"Of course we have a few martyrs," Erdogan said speaking in western Izmir province.

But in return, Turkey have "neutralized" close to 100 rival members there, he said, referring to the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar against the internationally recognized government based in Tripoli.