Turkey
Greece and Turkey enter a cyberwar era
A number of cyberattacks took place this week between Athens and Ankara amid an ongoing escalating crisis between the two countries.
Turkey targets ‘weakest link’ Cyprus in regional dominance bid
Striving to extend its influence in the eastern Mediterranean where tensions revolve around energy resources, Turkey sees Cyprus as the weakest link in a regional alliance buffering Ankara's ambitions, analysts told AFP.
EU warns Turkey off Mediterranean gas exploration plans
The European Union has urged Turkey to drop plans to drill for oil and gas around Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean, saying such exploration was "illegal".
Turkey’s railways set for EBRD boost
Europe’s Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) expects to increase its €1 billion of investment in Turkey in the coming year, with railways slated to get a funding boost.
Athens smarting after exclusion from German-hosted Libya conference
Germany’s decision not to invite Greece to a conference on the Libya crisis next Sunday (19 January) while Turkey will attend the meeting, has left the Greek government smarting from a perceived diplomatic snub.
Libya peace talks in Moscow fall short of ceasefire deal
Libya’s warring leaders made some progress at indirect peace talks in Moscow on Monday (13 January) but failed to agree on an open-ended ceasefire to end a nine-month war over the capital Tripoli.
MEP McAllister: The EU stands united behind Greece in crisis with Turkey
The European Union stands united behind Greece in its escalating dispute with Turkey, the Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, David McAllister, told EURACTIV.com.
Turkey mulls sending allied Syrian fighters to Libya
Turkey is considering sending allied Syrian fighters to Libya as part of its planned military support for the embattled government in Tripoli, four senior Turkish sources said on Monday (30 December), with one adding that Ankara was leaning toward the idea.
Turkey debuts home-made electric car
Turkey unveiled its first fully domestically-produced car on Friday (27 December), saying it aimed to eventually produce up to 175,000 a year of the electric vehicle in a project expected to cost 22 billion lira (€3.3 billion) over 13 years.
Tunisia denies joining a Turkey-led alliance in Libyan crisis
The Tunisian Presidency has denied claims that the country would join an alliance with Turkey and Algeria in light of the ongoing crisis in Libya and insisted it wanted to preserve its neutral status, without taking part in any coalitions.
Turkey’s top court rules Wikipedia ban breaches freedom of expression
With six out of 10 votes, Turkey's Constitutional Court on Thursday ruled that the government's ban on access to online encyclopedia Wikipedia violated freedom of expression, the official Anadolu news agency reported.
Diplomacy heats up in the Mediterranean amid escalating Greece-Turkey row
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) recently signed between Turkey and Libya to demarcate maritime zones has shaken up politics in the Mediterranean, with Greece preparing a diplomatic counter-offensive.
Turkish parliament readying bill to allow sending troops to Libya
Turkey may need to draft a bill to allow for troop deployment to Libya and its parliament is working on the issue, Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Tuesday (24 Decembrer), after Ankara signed a military cooperation agreement with Tripoli last month.
Erdogan says Turkey cannot handle new migrant wave from Syria, warns Europe
Turkey cannot handle a fresh wave of migrants from Syria, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday (22 December), warning that European countries will feel the impact of such an influx if violence in Syria's northwest is not stopped.
Greece says EastMed pipeline deal to be signed on 2 January
The Greek government said Sunday (22 December) it will sign an agreement for a huge pipeline project with Cyprus and Israel next month that is designed to ship gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe.
Pentagon chief seeks clarification following Erdogan’s nuclear base comments
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Monday (16 December) that he needed to speak with his Turkish counterpart to understand how serious President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was when he said he could shut down the Incirlik air base, which hosts US nuclear warheads.
Turkey raises prospect to send troops to Libya
Turkey moved closer to military support for Libya's internationally recognised government late on Saturday (14 December) when a bilateral deal that provides for a quick reaction force if requested by Tripoli was sent to parliament.
Athens says Turkey ‘blackmailed’ Libya to sign MoU by sending weapons
Turkey blackmailed Libya to agree to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) demarcating maritime zones in the region by sending weapons to the country, Greek media quote a high-ranking diplomat as saying.
US Senate committee approves Turkey sanctions bill
A US Senate committee backed legislation on Wednesday (11 December) to impose sanctions on Turkey after its offensive in Syria and purchase of a Russian S-400 missile system, seeking to push President Trump to take a harder line against Ankara.
Greece seeks EU’s diplomatic shield against Turkey at Council
Athens will ask its EU partners to mount pressure on Turkey at the EU Council on 12-13 December, in an effort to be granted a diplomatic shield from Ankara’s growing aggressiveness in the region.
Turkey warns it could kick out US from Incirlik nuclear base
Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Wednesday (11 December) that the United States could be barred from using two strategic air bases in retaliation to possible US sanctions against his country, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
24 Turkish cities oppose Erdogan, support Paris Climate Agreement
Within the framework of the current COP25, 24 Turkish cities and municipalities committed themselves to the Paris Climate Agreement yesterday (9 December). Turkey is the only G20 country that has not yet ratified the Paris Agreement. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Turkey-Libya Mediterranean deal is about energy and extending Ankara’s influence
Ankara’s moves in the Mediterranean Sea reflect President Erdoğan’s ambitions to make Turkey a leading country. But its unilateralism is unnecessarily aggravating tensions in the region and, as usual, leaves it to Brussels and Washington to sort it out, writes Henri J Barkey.