Turkey

ANKARA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- It is "meaningless" to hold a trilateral meeting with Sweden and Finland to discuss their NATO accession process after recent protests in Stockholm, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

"In this environment, a trilateral meeting is meaningless. It has been postponed because the current environment will overshadow this," Cavusoglu explained at a joint press conference with visiting Serbia's First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic.

25 Jan 2023; MEMO: A Turkish-owned general cargo ship was struck by a missile in the port of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, sparking a fire, according to video footage from the scene and shipping sources, Reuters reports.

The missile hit the bridge of the vessel named "Tuzla" on Tuesday, maritime security company, Ambrey, said, causing the fire. Video footage showed flames filling the command room of the ship.

25 Jan 2023; MEMO: Turkiye plans to develop unmanned submarines, Anadolu News Agency reports.

According to the report, Turkish defence firm, STM, puts itself on a new target of developing unmanned submarines after delivering the second of the Agosta 90B class submarines owned by Pakistan's Navy in Turkiye's first and only submarine modernisation export.

23 Jan 2023; MEMO: Sweden should not expect Turkiye's support for its NATO membership after a protest near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm at the weekend including the burning of a copy of the Koran, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, Reuters reports.

"Those who allow such blasphemy in front of our embassy (in Stockholm) can no longer expect our support for their NATO membership," Erdogan said in a speech after a cabinet meeting.

ANKARA, January 22. /TASS/: Presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey will be held on May 14, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

"I call on our youth who will take part in the elections for the first time to make a right choice during the voting, which will take place on May 14," he said at a meeting with the youth in the country’s northwestern Bursa Province, which was aired by the TRT television channel.

Initially, presidential polls in Turkey were scheduled for June 18.

ISTANBUL (AP) — Outrage over a Quran-burning protest in Sweden produced a second day of protests in Turkey, reflecting tensions between the two countries.

Some 250 people gathered outside the Swedish Consulate in Istanbul, where a photo of Danish anti-Islam activist Rasmus Paludan was set on fire. Paludan burned Islam’s holy book outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on Saturday, sparking protests in Istanbul and Ankara that night.

21 Jan 2023; MEMO: Turkiye has cancelled the Swedish defence chief's visit after the Swedish authorities permitted a planned burning of the Quran. The response comes after Rasmus Paludan, a leader of the Danish far-right party Stram Kurs (Hard Line), was permitted to burn the Quran near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.

ISTANBUL, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday that he hoped Swedish authorities would not allow a protest that includes burning the Koran.

"This permission is granted to this person, despite all our warnings. This vile act will take place at around 1600 Turkish time (1300 GMT), I hope Swedish authorities will take necessary measures until then and will not allow this," Cavusoglu said to reporters.

Cavusoglu also said the protest could not classified as freedom of expression.

21 Jan 2023; MEMO: Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reiterated that Greece is violating the Treaty of Lausanne as it is arming the Aegean islands with demilitarised status.

18 Jan 2023; MEMO: President Tayyip Erdogan signalled on Wednesday that Turkiye would hold elections on 14 May, a month earlier than he had earlier flagged, setting the clock ticking on perhaps the most consequential vote in the century-long history of the Republic, Reuters reports.