About: Turkish purges
Erdogan says he will consider referendum on Turkey’s EU bid
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday (4 October) he would consider putting Turkey's long-stalled bid to join the European Union to a referendum, signalling exasperation with a process he says has been waylaid by prejudice against Muslims.
Erdogan’s Germany visit exposes splits despite warmer tone
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan showed a more conciliatory tone on a hugely sensitive visit to Germany but both sides still have daunting task ahead to rebuild relations and trust battered by a succession of disputes.
Turkey reboots with masterplan for Erdogan one-man rule until 2028
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be sworn in for a second term today (9 July), wielding hefty new constitutional powers as he oversees a radically different system of government.
Erdogan wins presidential election, opposition yet to concede
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won Turkey's presidential election on Sunday (24 June), the head of the country's electoral body said, overcoming the biggest electoral challenge to his rule in a decade and a half.
Erdogan’s Turkey: ‘You are either with us or you are terrorists’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who famously called the coup attempt of 15 July 2016 ‘a gift from God’ has held the Gülen movement solely responsible for the putsch without presenting any compelling evidence, writes Ramazan Güveli. Ramazan Güveli is Director...
Erdogan calls early elections under state of emergency, new purges underway
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday (18 April) called snap elections for 24 June, saying economic challenges and the war in Syria meant Turkey must switch quickly to the powerful executive presidency that goes into effect after the vote. The...
Hahn: Turkey taking ‘huge strides’ away from EU
Turkey is moving rapidly away from the path of European Union membership, the top EU official in charge of negotiations said on Tuesday (17 April), as Brussels delivered its harshest criticism yet of what it sees as Ankara's shift towards authoritarianism.
Erdogan vows to bring back Gülenists from abroad
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday (9 April) his country is determined to continue the fight against what he calls the terrorist movement of Fethullah Gülen and bring home all “traitors” from abroad.
Varna to become permanent venue for EU-Turkey talks
The Varna summit held on Monday (26 March) between EU institution leaders and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan failed to yield any notable outcomes. But Bulgaria's PM said the port city could become a permanent venue for future talks.
Erdogan comes to leaders meeting with footage exposing ‘EU terrorism support’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrives in the Bulgarian port city of Varna today (26 March) equipped with video footage that allegedly illustrates Ankara’s claim that EU countries host terrorists and do nothing to fight them.
Ankara presses Prague to extradite Kurdish leader
The Turkish government wants the Czech authorities to extradite a Syrian Kurdish leader detained this weekend at Ankara's request to face terror charges in Turkey, it said on Sunday (25 February).
EU will not lift visas unless Turkey eases terrorism laws
The European Union told Turkey today (16 February) it would not ease travel requirements for its citizens unless Ankara softens counter-terrorism laws that the bloc says are excessive.
MEPs call on Turkey to lift state of emergency, stop civil society crackdown
The European parliament yesterday (8 February) called on Turkey to scrap the emergency powers which members said were being used to stifle "legitimate and peaceful opposition" and a free press.
Are there conditions for holding EU-Turkey summit?
The European Commission and the Council offered contradictory views on Friday (2 February) on whether conditions would be attached to holding an EU-Turkey summit in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Varna in March.
Turkey detains dozens more in ‘terror propaganda’ clampdown
Turkish security forces yesterday (23 January) detained dozens more people nationwide on accusations of spreading propaganda for "terror" groups, in a major clampdown as Ankara presses its new offensive inside Syria.
Turkish courts reject jailed journalists’ request to be released
Turkish penal courts decided to keep two jailed journalists in detention, state-run news agency Anadolu said yesterday (11 January), hours after a top court had requested they be released because their rights had been violated while in custody.
WSJ says Turkey reporter convicted of ‘terror propaganda’
The Wall Street Journal said one of its reporters has been convicted in Turkey and jailed in absentia on charges of publishing "terror propaganda" in a 2015 article on clashes between the Turkish army and outlawed Kurdish militants.
Turkish asylum applications in Germany jump 55% this year, many rejected
The number of Turks seeking asylum in Germany is up sharply this year and has been rising steadily since last year's failed military coup in Turkey, German government data showed on Monday (18 September).
Merkel attacks Turkey’s ‘misuse’ of Interpol warrants
German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticised Turkey's use of an Interpol arrest warrant to detain a German writer in Spain, telling an election town hall event yesterday (20 August) that this amounted to abuse of the international police agency.