Turkey

18 Jan 2023; MEMO: Turkiye is set to deliver an undisclosed number of armed drones to Kuwait in a contract worth $370 million, Turkish defence firm, Baykar, said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

International demand for Baykar's TB2 drones soared after they featured in conflicts in Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan, and interest in them increased further following their use by Ukraine's military to thwart Russian forces.

18 Jan 2023; MEMO: A far-right Turkish Party has launched a fundraising campaign for the apparent purpose of buying bus tickets to deport Syrian refugees, as anti-refugee sentiment continues to spread throughout Turkiye.

In a tweet on Monday, the Chairman of the Victory Party, Umit Ozdag, stated that "Ticket sales for Zafer Tourism's one-way trips to Damascus have begun." He also asked people to provide names of Syrians they want to have deported, promising to "make the reservation".

ANKARA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted on Wednesday that the next general and presidential elections could be held on May 14, nearly one month earlier than the scheduled date.

Addressing his party members at the parliament, Erdogan cited the polls on May 14, 1950 when Democrat Party beat Republican People's Party, which had been in power for 27 years.

"Our people will answer (the opposition) on the same day 73 years later," the Turkish president said.

17 Jan 2023; MEMO: Terrorists in Syria are the main threat to the country rather than the presence of Turkish forces, a Turkish official has insisted after a recent demand by the Syrian regime for Turkiye to withdraw its military from the north.

18 Jan 2023; MEMO: Yemenis ranked third among Arab nationals who bought property in Turkiye last year, Yemen Shabab.net has reported.

Data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute on Tuesday showed that Yemeni passport holders bought 1,202 properties in Turkiye last year. Iraqis were ranked first, buying 6,241 properties, and Kuwaitis were second with 1,671 properties.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey and the United States will aim to smooth out a series of disagreements between the NATO allies when the Turkish foreign minister visits Washington this week. But expectations that outstanding issues can be resolved are low.

16 Jan 2023; MEMO: The cargo ship, "MKK 1", travelling from Ukraine to Turkiye, was grounded in Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait on Monday, and traffic in the Strait was suspended for a few hours, shipping agents, Tribeca said.

Several tugs were among vessels sent to provide assistance to the ship, the coastguard authority said. It said no damage or spill was reported, Reuters reports.

16 Jan 2023; MEMO: Sweden and Finland must deport or extradite up to 130 "terrorists" to Turkiye before the Turkish Parliament will approve their bids to join NATO, President Tayyip Erdogan said, Reuters reports.

The two Nordic states applied last year to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but their bids must be approved by all 30 NATO member states. Turkiye and Hungary have yet to endorse the applications.

17 Jan 2023; MEMO: Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, announced last week that travellers with a visa would be required to be insured before-hand to discourage irregular migration, Anadolu Agency reports.

According to the report, the visa insuring requirement would help the government cover the cost of sending back people who arrive in Turkiye with permission, but somehow end up as irregular immigrants.

ANKARA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Sweden and Finland must deport or extradite up to 130 "terrorists" to Turkey before the Turkish parliament will approve their bids to join NATO, President Tayyip Erdogan said.

The two Nordic states applied last year to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but their bids must be approved by all 30 NATO member states. Turkey and Hungary have yet to endorse the applications.