Turkey
US may pause preparations for delivering F-35s to Turkey
The United States could soon freeze preparations for delivering F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, officials told Reuters, in what would be the strongest signal yet by Washington that Ankara cannot have both the advanced aircraft and Russia’s S-400 air defence system.
Local and geopolitics intrude in Israel’s attempt to supply Europe with gas
Israel is moving quickly with the help of the US in a bid to transform Europe’s energy market. But geopolitics – and a large dose of local activism – could change the economic calculation for the EastMed pipeline, writes Joseph Dana.
Erdogan accuses Women’s Day march of disrespecting Islam
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday (10 March) accused a women’s march in central Istanbul on Friday of disrespecting Islam by booing the Islamic call to prayer.
Erdogan says Turkey will not go back on missile defence deal with Russia
Turkey will not go back on its agreement to buy S-400 missile defence systems from Russia, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Wednesday (6 March), adding that Ankara may subsequently look into buying S-500 systems.
Egypt hits back at Turkey over EU-Arab summit criticism
Egypt hit back Wednesday (27 February) at Turkish criticism of EU leaders for meeting their Arab counterparts in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh just days after Cairo executed nine people. The foreign ministry accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip...
Greece, Turkey vow to defuse tensions through dialogue
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras stressed Tuesday (5 February) they planned to resolve disputes between their two countries through dialogue.
Tsipras visits Turkey for talks to ease tensions
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras visits Turkey on Tuesday (5 February), where he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for talks to ease tensions over bilateral disputes and the long-running Cyprus problem.
Moscow warms to idea of Croatia’s LNG gateway as project stumbles on
Croatia’s plan to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the island of Krk has taken another turn, after Russia’s ambassador in Zagreb, Anvar Azimov, said Moscow has nothing against its construction, marking a reversal of Russia’s position. EURACTIV...
Russia, Turkey back Venezuela’s Maduro, while West turns up heat
Russia accused the United States on Thursday (24 January) of trying to usurp power in Venezuela and warned against military intervention, putting it at odds with Washington and the EU which backed protests against one of Moscow’s closest allies.
Putin pushes Erdogan to fight Al-Nusra in Syria’s Idlib province
Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday (23 January) after which the Russian leader said the two men had discussed how they planned to stabilize the situation in Syria’s Idlib province.
Erdogan, Trump consider creating security zone in Syria
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and US counterpart Donald Trump mooted Monday (14 January) the creation of a "security zone" in northern Syria as tensions rose over the fate of Kurdish fighters in the war-torn country.
Trump threatens Turkey with economic devastation if it attacks Syrian Kurd militia
President Donald Trump threatened Turkey with economic devastation if it attacks a US-allied Kurdish militia in Syria, weakening Turkey's currency and prompting sharp criticism from Ankara on Monday (13 January).
US threatens EU companies with sanctions over Nord Steam 2, Turkish Stream
A transatlantic tiff over Europe’s natural gas supply came to the boil on Sunday (13 January), as Donald Trump’s ambassador to Germany threatened firms involved in a pipeline from Russia with sanctions. At stake is a mixture of economic and security interests...
Erdogan rebukes Trump’s top security adviser over Kurds in Syria
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan rebuked Washington's national security adviser on Tuesday (8 January) for demanding that his country not attack Kurdish fighters in Syria, accusing him of complicating President Donald Trump's plan to withdraw US troops.
How a gas pipeline to Europe is transforming the Turkish-Israeli relationship
The discovery of massive natural gas fields off Israel’s northern coast more than a decade ago and subsequent attempts to export this gas to Europe have highlighted the true fault lines in the Turkish-Israeli alliance, writes Joseph Dana.
US troop departure from Syria can improve Turkish-Kurdish relations
Has America used the Kurds in Syria only now to dump them? Observers who believe in moral debt, rather than the cold logic of realpolitik, understandably are concerned about the implications for the Kurds of an immediate US withdrawal from Syria, writes Ömer Taşpınar.
EU urges Turkey to refrain from ‘unilateral’ Syria move
The European Union's foreign policy chief on Saturday (15 December) asked Turkey to forgo any unilateral military action in Syria, where Ankara has threatened a fresh offensive against a US-backed Kurdish militia.
Pentagon warns Turkey against unilateral military action in Syria
The Pentagon said on Wednesday (12 December) that unilateral military action into northeast Syria by any party would be "unacceptable," after Turkey said it would launch a new military operation in the region within days to target Kurdish militia fighters.
EU counter-terrorism chief: Europe ‘may see something like Daesh 2.0’
The level of terrorist threat remains "pretty serious" in several EU countries, Gilles de Kerchove, the EU's counter-terrorism coordinator, told EURACTIV.com in an interview hours before the latest attack in Strasbourg on Tuesday night (12 December).
Turkey court upholds conviction of prominent jailed Kurdish leader
A Turkish court on Tuesday (4 December) rejected an appeal by jailed pro-Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtaş against his conviction for “terrorist propaganda”, his lawyer said, in a fresh blow to the prominent politician considered a potential rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Demirtaş,...
Angela Merkel’s legacy in the Middle East
German Chancellor Merkel's momentous 2015 decision to accept asylum-seekers from the region fell flat: the Chancellor did not rise to the occasion and chart a new course for both Europe and the Middle East, writes Faisal Al Yafai
At tense Ankara news conference, EU rebukes Turkey over detentions
Top EU officials rebuked Turkey on Thursday (22 November) over its arrests of journalists and academics and the long pre-trial detention of a Kurdish politician, holding a forthright press conference with Turkey’s foreign minister in Ankara that quickly turned tense.
EU auditors praise refugee assistance to Turkey despite irregularities
The Facility for Refugees in Turkey “swiftly” addressed people’s needs, stated a report by the European Court of Auditors published on Tuesday (13 October), but stressed there were some irregularities in tracking the EU funds.