Erdogan

Turkey removes 3 pro-Kurdish mayors, replaces them with state officials

Turkiye on Monday removed three elected pro-Kurdish mayors from office over terrorism-related charges and replaced them with state-appointed officials, the Interior Ministry said. The move, which comes days after the arrest and ouster from office of a mayor from the country's main opposition party for his alleged links to a banned Kurdish militant group, is seen as a hardening of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government's policies toward the opposition. It also raises questions about the prospects of a tentative new peace effort to end a 40-year conflict between the militant group and the state that has led to tens of thousands of deaths. The mayors of the mainly Kurdish-populated provincial capitals of Mardin and Batman, as well as the district mayor for Halfeti, in Sanliurfa province, were ousted from office over their past convictions or ongoing trials and investigations for links to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, according to an Interior Ministry statement. The

Erdogan hints at leniency for imprisoned PK leader Ocalan amid peace talks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seemed to give his implicit support for an unprecedented proposal by his nationalist ally that could lead to leniency for Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. In remarks made during a ceremony marking the 101st anniversary of the Turkish Republic in Ankara, Erdogan called for an open-minded approach to recent comments by Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli, who suggested last week that Ocalan could be granted parole if he renounces violence and disbands the PKK. It was Erdogan's first response to Bahceli's surprise statement. Ocalan was convicted on charges of treason and has been serving a life term on a prison island off Istanbul since 1999. The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous state in Turkey's southeast since 1984, and the violence has claimed tens of thousands of lives. The group is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its Western allies. We believe that it

After blocking access for over a week, Turkey lifts curbs on Instagram

Turkey reinstated access to Instagram on Saturday night, after more than a week of being blocked nationwide. The Information and Communication Technologies Authority barred access to Instagram on August 2 without providing a specific reason. Government officials later said the ban was imposed because the social media platform failed to abide by Turkish laws. In our talks with Instagram officials, we were assured our requests would be met, especially those regarding criminal activity, and given a promise that we would work together on a means of censoring users, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Turkey's transportation and infrastructure minister wrote on the social media platform X Saturday. Uraloglu elaborated in a video also posted on X, saying that the platform was to establish compliance with Turkish law and that in instances where the law was violated, there would be quick and effective intervention. He added that all accounts owned by terrorist organizations would be banned and all conten

Erdogan offers to host peace summit with Russia during Zelenskyy visit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose NATO-member country has sought to balance its close relations with both Ukraine and Russia, offered during a visit Friday from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to host a peace summit between the two countries. Erdogan, who has repeatedly discussed brokering a peace deal, said at a news conference in Istanbul following his meeting with Zelenskyy that he hoped Russia would be on board with Turkey's offer. Since the beginning, we have contributed as much as we could toward ending the war through negotiations," Erdogan said. "We are also ready to host a peace summit in which Russia will also be included. Ukraine remains firm on not engaging directly with Russia on peace talks, and Zelenskyy has said multiple times the initiative in peace negotiations must belong to the country which has been invaded. Zelenskyy said any peace negotiations must align with a 10-point plan he has previously suggested, which includes food security, ...

Turkey will be proud if India becomes permanent member of UNSC: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said Turkey would be "proud" if a country like India becomes a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). At the same time, Erdogan said all non-P5 members should have an opportunity to become members of the Security Council by rotation. He was responding to question at a media briefing In a reference to the P5 or five permanent members of the Security Council -- China, France, Russia, the UK and the US, Erdogan said the "world is bigger and larger than five". "We would be proud if a country like India became a permanent member of the UN Security Council. As you know, the world is bigger and larger than five," he said. "What we mean is that it's not only about the US, the UK, France, China and Russia. We don't want to have just these five countries in the Security Council," he said.

Turkey's Erdogan urges G20 leaders to meet Russia's demands on grain deal

The US and its allies dismiss Russia's claims that the limits are restricting Moscow's farm exports and have so far resisted calls to ease the sanctions.

Ukraine port hit a day before Putin meets Erdogan for grain deal talks

Moscow says its own food exports face obstacles under the deal, and that not enough grain is going to nations in need

Erdogan visits Gulf Arab states, seeks funds for floundering economy

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travelled to Saudi Arabia on Monday in a three-stop tour of Persian Gulf states to seek trade and investment opportunities for Turkiye's floundering economy. Erdogan arrived in Jeddah accompanied by an entourage of some 200 businesspeople, according to the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkiye. He met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al Salam Palace, shaking hands and attending a welcoming ceremony where he expressed his happiness with this visit, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported early Tuesday. Business forums have been arranged in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates during Erdogan's three-day trip. We are hoping to improve our relations and cooperation in many fields. We will focus on joint investment and commercial initiatives to be realized in the upcoming period, Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul before leaving. The visit comes as Turks are hit with sales and fuel tax hikes that Finance Minister Mehmet Simse

Erdogan appoints former US bank executive as Turkish central bank chief

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday appointed a former US-based bank executive to head Turkiye's central bank, in another sign that his administration might pursue more conventional economic policies. Erdogan named Hafize Gaye Erkan, a former co-chief executive officer of the First Republic Bank, as governor, according to an announcement in the Official Gazette. The Princeton-educated Erkan, 41, becomes the Turkish central bank's first woman governor. Erdogan won a third presidential term in elections last month as the country grapples with a cost-of-living crisis fuelled by inflation that peaked at a staggering 85 per cent in October. Critics blame the turmoil on Erdogan's policy of lowering interest rates to promote growth. The approach runs contrary to conventional economic thinking that calls for rate increases to combat inflation. On Saturday, Erdogan reappointed Mehmet Simsek, a respected former banker, finance minister and deputy prime minister, to the post of .

Erdogan's poll triumph leaves Turkiye divided; Lira hits record low

But the prospect of five more years of Erdogan's rule was a harsh blow to an opposition which accused him of undermining democracy as he amassed ever more power - a charge he denies

Understanding Recep Erdogan's victory and future outlook for Turkey

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has secured another term as president amidst economic challenges and polarisation of political view in one of the largest economies of the world

Erdogan calls for 'unity, solidarity' after securing historic third term

Erdogan promised to ease economic difficulties and said healing the "wounds" of the massive earthquakes on February 6 would be his priority

Turkey election 2023: What's at stake in the runoff, how close is the race?

Erdogan and his AK Party have shifted Turkey away from Ataturk's secular blueprint

Turkey Elections: Prez Erdogan, Opposition prepare for runoff poll phase

A runoff election between Turkey's President and his rival seems possible as neither appeared likely to reach the 50% threshold required to win the presidential race

Biden dials Erdogan, assures assistance amid Turkey earthquakes

US President Joe Biden on Monday (local time) reaffirmed the readiness of America to provide any and all needed assistance to Turkey to recover from the devastating earthquakes.

May respond differently to Finland's Nato bid: Turkish President Erdogan

'We may respond differently to Finland if necessary. Sweden would be shocked when we respond differently to Finland. But Finland should not make the same mistake'

Turkey's President Erdogan rails at Greece over Muslim minority rights

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday criticized Greece for allegedly violating a settlement that has governed relations between the rivals for nearly a century. In a statement released on the 99th anniversary of the Lausanne Treaty, Erdogan accused Athens of undermining the rights of the Muslim minority in Greece's Thrace region. Muslims in Thrace make up about 32% of the province's population and consist of ethnic Turks, Roma and Bulgarian-speaking Pomaks. The conditions registered in the treaty, especially the rights of the Turkish minority, have been ignored or deliberately eroded, the nationalist leader said. It is not possible for our country to accept this situation, which is incompatible with good neighbourly relations and loyalty to the treaty. The 1923 treaty was signed by the new Republic of Turkey to settle disputes with the Allies, including Greece, following World War I and the Turkish War of Independence. It outlined the rights of the remaining Muslim ...

Turkey's inflation hits two-decade high of 78.6%: Official data

Turkey's annual inflation surged to 78.62 per cent in June, the highest since 1998, the Turkish Statistical Institute announced on Monday.

Turkish President Erdogan says he will run for re-election next year

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed Thursday that he plans to stand for reelection next year. Erdogan, 68, made the announcement during a speech in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir, where he challenged the main opposition party's leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, to announce the candidate who would challenge him on behalf of an alliance of opposition parties. (Recep) Tayyip Erdogan is the candidate of the People's Alliance, Erdogan said, referring to the between his Justice and Development Party and a nationalist party. If you have the courage, declare your candidacy or the candidate of the alliance. Turkey is scheduled to hold presidential and parliamentary elections by June 2023 at the latest. Erdogan has led the country for almost 20 years, first as prime minister and then as president. But support for him and the People's Alliance has steadily declined amid high inflation and a cost of living crisis. Kilicdaroglu led the opposition to victory in municipal elections in 2

Erdogan's biggest balancing act between NATO membership and Ukraine

Erdogan has been offering to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow and says Turkey wanted to keep good relations with both countries.