Türkiye's military launched an operation with commandos, backed by artillery and air strikes, against Kurdish militants in a mountainous area of northern Iraq, the defence ministry said on Tuesday. The military action began with artillery and air strikes on Monday afternoon and the operation by commando brigades began at 8 pm (1700 GMT) to "neutralise terrorists and destroy their shelters", according to a ministry statement. It said the operation targeted Iraq's Hakurk region, just across the border from Türkiye's southeastern tip, which also borders Iran. PKK militant group is based in northern Iraq, notably in the Qandil region to...
Türkiye in International Media
The Defence Minister of Türkiye Hulusi Akar joined Georgian leaders in celebration on Independence Day on May 26. After attending the oath-taking ceremony on Freedom Square in central Tbilisi, Akar held meetings with President Salome Zurabishvili, Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and Defence Minister Levan Izoria. At the meetings with the Georgian leaders, Minister Akar reiterated his country’s support for Georgia's territorial integrity as well as its aspirations to join NATO. Today Georgians mark Independence Day, commemorating May 26, 1918 – the day when the Act of Independence was adopted, establishing the First Democratic Republic of...
Türkiye’s state banks will provide a 30-billion lira ($4.9 billion) financing package to help bail out some exporting sectors such as manufacturing that were hit hard by last year’s currency crisis, Finance Minister Berat Albayrak said on Thursday. Three big state banks will provide the funding by year end, Albayrak said as he announced the second state-backed package in less than two months meant to revive an economy plagued by bad debt, recession, and high inflation. The first package announced on April 10, also worth about $4.9 billion, targeted banks. The second package focuses on Türkiye’s automotive and...
Türkiye's defense minister says its military personnel are receiving training to operate the S-400 missile defense system despite U.S. and NATO objections to Ankara's decision to purchase the Russian technology. Hulusi Akar also told a group of reporters late Tuesday that Türkiye was "making preparations" and "considering all options" against possible U.S. sanctions on Türkiye over the purchase. Türkiye's S-400 deal with Russia has deepened a rift with the U.S., which says the Russian system is not compatible with NATO systems and could put at risk the U.S. F-35 fighter jet program,...
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ruled out U.S. demands that Türkiye delay the purchase of an advanced Russian missile-defense system and said Moscow may bring forward the delivery date from July. “It is definitely out of the question for us to step back on the issue of S-400s, it is a done deal,” Erdogan said in a televised speech in Istanbul late Saturday. “Our deal was to have the S-400s delivered to us by July; they will probably bring that forward.” Erdogan’s stance could further strain ties between the NATO allies. The U.S. last week...
Tensions over energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean have risen sharply after Türkiye said it would “exercise its sovereign rights” to drill off Cyprus in flagrant defiance of warnings from western allies. As the dispute over potential gas reserves intensified, Ankara insisted its state-of-the-art drilling ship, the Fatih, and its support vessels would begin operations in waters viewed by the EU as being within the island’s exclusive economic zone. “Türkiye does not recognise the unilateral and illegitimate exclusive economic zone claims of the Greek Cypriots,” its foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, announced...
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, will make an official visit to Cuba starting this May 17, announced the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The distinguished visitor's agenda contemplates official conversations with Cuban authorities and other activities. Cuba and Türkiye have maintained diplomatic relations since 1952, and in recent years have sought a relaunching of their trade links and exchanges at the government level. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Havana in 2015, and in that exchange several areas of mutual cooperation were discussed, on issues such as trade...
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Türkiye and Iraq have discussed a possible deal to increase military and security cooperation between the neighboring countries. Erdogan spoke to reporters after meetings with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi on Wednesday. Erdogan also said a pipeline running from Iraqi oil fields to Türkiye, which was damaged during the Islamic State group's presence in Iraq, should rapidly be repaired and become operational. Türkiye is likely to look to Iraq for its oil supplies after the U.S. announced an end to waivers that have allowed Türkiye to import from...
Turkish officials say police have detained two suspected left-wing militants who tried to enter the country's parliament with sharp objects and a hoax explosive device. Fahrettin Altun, the presidential communications director, said in a tweet early Wednesday that the suspects were members of the banned Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, also known as DHKP-C. He called their attempt a "terrorist act against the will and the peace of the nation." The state-run Anadolu Agency said the suspects — a woman and a man — arrived at the parliament building on Tuesday and tried to take a security official hostage before they were subdued. ...