Turkey

ISTANBUL, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Ukraine have concluded their fresh round of face-to-face peace talks here on Tuesday, which lasted for approximately three hours, according to media reports. 

ISTANBUL (AP) — Soccer club owner. Ally of Vladimir Putin. Sanctioned oligarch. Could diplomatic go-between be added to the resume of Roman Abramovich?

The 55-year-old billionaire has swapped the skybox seat he once proudly occupied at his beloved Chelsea soccer club in Britain for a spot on the sidelines of negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow aimed at ending Russia’s bloody war in Ukraine.

28 March 2022; MEMO: Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked a flurry of Western sanctions on Moscow, at least one oligarch and thousands of other Russians have arrived in Turkey, seen as a safe place to stay, invest and hold assets despite its NATO membership, Reuters reports.

Acting as a safe haven raises risks for Turkey's government, banks and businesses that could face tough decisions and penalties if the United States and others ramp up pressure on Moscow with broader "secondary" sanctions.

ANKARA, March 27. /TASS/: Russian and Turkish Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have agreed to organize the next round of talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul, the Turkish presidential office said on Sunday after their telephone conversation.

"During the call, the presidents discussed the latest developments in the Russian-Ukrainian war and the negotiating process. President Erdogan and President Putin agreed to organize the next meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul," it said.

25 March 2022; MEMO: Europe can learn lessons from Turkiye on how to humanely handle the refugee crisis triggered by the Ukraine-Russia war, Turkiye's Communications Director, Fahrettin Altun, said on Friday, Anadolu News Agency reports.

ANKARA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkey, France and Italy have decided to resume defense cooperation talks over Eurosam's SAMP/T missile system, the state TRT broadcaster reported Friday, quoting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"There were some steps we have taken between Turkey and France. We have decided to continue our efforts in the Turkey-France relations, and even to revive the steps we have taken as Turkey-France-Italy," Erdogan told journalists on his flight from Belgium to Turkey, referring to the trilateral cooperation negotiations over Eurosam's defense systems.

24 March 2022; MEMO: The United States' military has reportedly been infiltrated by Turkey's outlawed Gulenist movement, according to a Turkish newspaper report.

Citing a recent Turkish intelligence memo, the Hürriyet newspaper reported that the US-based brother of a convicted member of the organisation headed by the religious cleric, Fethulla Gulen – branded as FETO – is leading efforts to infiltrate the Pentagon and American military.

25 March 2022; MEMO: Turkey urged Libya to refrain from any steps that would recreate conflict and called on authorities to follow democratic processes, amid a crisis over control of executive power in the country, Turkish media reports.

According to the report, Turkey's National Security Council (MGK) called on parties involved in Libya to "refrain from steps that could cause new clashes" and urged authorities in the country to "follow democratic processes on the basis of legitimacy for the achievement of lasting peace and stability."

24 March 2022; MEMO: Turkey has urged the Taliban government of Afghanistan to allow girls of all ages to pursue their education in the country, as the group's leadership yesterday imposed limits on girls' access to education based on their age.

Educational institutions in Afghanistan were officially re-opened yesterday, seven months after the Taliban took over the country and drove out the former Western-backed government.

ANKARA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 people were injured in an explosion at an industrial site in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakir province on Thursday, the local DHA news agency reported.

The explosion occurred at a workplace in the third industrial estate, located on the central Kayapinar district, along the Diyarbakir-Sanliurfa highway route.

The agency reported that an oxygen cylinder at the workplace might have caused the explosion.