Turkey

20 Dec 2022; MEMO: Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar Tech carried out its first test flight of the next-generation combat drone last week.

20 Dec 2022; MEMO: A Turkish court has today acquitted 103 retired admirals who were accused last year of agitating for a "coup" and then arrested after signing an open letter criticising government policies, Anadolu has reported. Charged with "crimes against the security of the state and the constitutional order", the admirals were acquitted over a year after their arrest.

ANKARA, December 20. /TASS/: Turkey under the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdogan has abdicated its role as NATO stronghold against Russia, the Sabah newspaper reported on Tuesday.

19 Dec 2022; MEMO: Turkiye is attempting to develop a long-range ballistic missile capable of hitting targets 1,000 kilometres away, as Ankara continues to flex its muscles against Greece's arming of islands in the Aegean Sea. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the announcement during a meeting with young people in the city of Mardin yesterday.

19 Dec 2022; MEMO: The Turkish Coast Guard said it rescued a total of 181 irregular migrants on Monday, including many who were illegally pushed back into Turkish territorial waters by Greek authorities, reports Anadolu Agency.

ISTANBUL, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that the courts would correct any mistakes in an appeal process after the jailing of Istanbul's opposition mayor, and in the meantime Turks had no right to ignore legal rulings.

In his first direct comments on Wednesday's conviction of Ekrem Imamoglu - a potential challenger to Erdogan who was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison and handed a political ban - Erdogan said he did not care who is the opposition candidate in next year's elections.

ISTANBUL, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye is working toward becoming a global energy hub, which sets the benchmark price of natural gas, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Friday.

Speaking at the Silivri Natural Gas Storage Facility in Istanbul, Erdogan said he had already discussed the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and steps were already being taken.

16 Dec 2022; MEMO: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has proposed the formation of a trilateral mechanism with Russia and Syria to help end the war in Syria, Reuters reported.

"First our intelligence agencies, then defence ministers, and then foreign ministers could meet. After their meetings we as the leaders may come together. I offered it to [Russian President] Mr Putin and he has a positive view on it," Erdogan was cited as saying.

ANKARA, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that he has suggested to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a trilateral meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and trilateral steps on security issues.

"As of now, we want to take a step as Syria-Türkiye-Russia trio," Erdogan told reporters during his flight back from Turkmenistan when asked about Türkiye's security concerns in northern Syria.

14 Dec 2022; MEMO: Recent resolutions by the EU General Affairs Council that contains parts on Turkiye shows the narrow-mindedness and prejudice of the bloc, Ankara said on Wednesday.

"The section on our country in the resolutions adopted by the European Union (EU) at the General Affairs Council once again reveals the narrow-minded and prejudiced view of the EU towards Turkiye," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement a day after the EU Council released the conclusions on enlargement, stabilisation and association.