Turkey

Turkey, Russia engage in delicate manoeuvre over Syria after Assad's fall

The rapid downfall of Syrian leader Bashar Assad has touched off a new round of delicate geopolitical manoeuvring between Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkiye's Recep Tayyip Erdogan. With the dust still settling from the stunning events in Damascus, the outcome for now seems to be favouring Ankara, which backed the victorious rebels, while Moscow suffered a bruising blow to its international clout. In the game of Czars vs. Sultans, this is Sultans 1 and Czars 0, said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute. Far from being allies, Turkiye and Russia are competitors. And in this case, Turkiye has outsmarted Russia. The Assad regime's demise opens another chapter in the complex relationship between Putin and Erdogan, with wide-ranging implications not just for Syria but also for Ukraine and the two leaders' ties with Washington. Russia and Turkiye share economic and security interests along with an intense rivalry. The personal relationship

US push for stability in post-Assad Syria: Here's all you need to know

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has wrapped up perhaps his last Middle East as America's top diplomat, with the aim of preventing Syria from spiralling out of control after the sudden ouster of President Bashar Assad. Blinken was one of several senior U.S. officials travelling across the region in the Biden administration's final weeks amid deep uncertainty in Washington and abroad over how Donald Trump will approach the Mideast when he takes office on Jan. 20, 2025. Blinken held meetings Jordan, Turkey and Iraq with the aim of trying to shape the future of post-Assad Syria by forging consensus among regional partners and allies whose interests often diverge. We know that what happens inside of Syria can have powerful consequences well beyond its borders, from mass displacement to terrorism," he told reporters Saturday in Aqaba, Jordan. "And we know that we can't underestimate the challenges of this moment. Here are some takeaways from Blinken's trip: Charting a new course

Turkey to reopen its embassy in Syria for the first time since 2012

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says that Turkey's Embassy in Syria's capital of Damascus will reopen on Saturday, for the first time since 2012. In an interview with Turkey's NTV television Fidan said a newly appointed interim charge d'affaires had left for Damascus on Friday together with his delegation. "It will be operational as of tomorrow," he said. The Embassy in Damascus had suspended operations in 2012 due to the escalating security conditions during the Syrian civil war. All embassy staff and their families were recalled to Turkey. Earlier on Friday, thousands of Syrians gathered in Damascus' historic main mosque for the first Muslim Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, while giant crowds celebrated in the capital's largest square and across the country. The gatherings were a major symbolic moment for the dramatic change of power in Syria, nearly a week after insurgents swept into Damascus, ousting the Assad-led state that had ruled the country

After Assad's ouster, Syrian rebel leader puts his stamp on the state

The appointment of Mohammed al-Bashir as Syria's new interim prime minister on Monday underlined the group's status as the most powerful of the armed groups

Hundreds of Syrians at Turkish border crossing, waiting to return home

Hundreds of Syrian refugees gathered at two border crossings in southern Turkey on Monday, eagerly anticipating their return home following the fall of President Bashar Assad's government. Many arrived at the Cilvegozu and Oncupinar border gates at daybreak, draped in blankets and coats. Some camped by border barriers, warming themselves with makeshift fires or resting on the cold ground. The crossings correspond to the Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salameh gates on the Syrian side of the border. Among those waiting at Cilvegozu was 28-year-old Muhammed Zin, who was excited at the prospect of returning home. He fled Damascus in 2016 and has been living and working in Istanbul. Assad was shooting us, killing us, he told The Associated Press. I will return to Syria now. Thank God, the war is over. At the Oncupinar border gate, Mustafa Sultan, 29, said he was crossing into Syria to find his older brother who was imprisoned in Damascus under Assad's rule. I haven't seen him for 13 years. The

Turkey-backed rebels take northern Syria town from US-backed group

The SDF had been holding the town in recent days amid intense fighting with the Syrian National Army (SNA) and other Turkey-backed groups

Turkey to work for Syrian migrants to return home safely, says minister

NATO member Turkey hosts some 3 million Syrian migrants and refugees, making it the biggest host of Syrians who have fled the civil war. It also controls swathes of land in northern Syria after

Turkey calls for reconciliation between Syria govt, Oppn to end conflict

The recent rapid advance by opposition fighters in Syria shows that Syrian President Bashar Assad must reconcile with his own people and hold dialogue with the opposition, the Turkish foreign minister said Monday. At a joint news conference in Ankara with his Iranian counterpart, Hakan Fidan said Turkey and Iran, which support opposing sides in Syria's civil war, have agreed to resume diplomatic efforts along with Russia to restore calm days after insurgents launched a lightning offensive and captured almost all of the country's largest city, Aleppo. The swift advance by fighters that Turkey supports was a huge embarrassment for Assad and it comes at a time when his allies Iran and groups it backs and Russia are preoccupied with their own conflicts. The push is among the rebels' strongest in years and raises the prospect of another violent front reopening in the Middle East when U.S.-backed Israel is fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian-allied groups. Fid

Cyprus may become Nato member when conditions permit, says country's Prez

Cyprus could apply to become a member of NATO once its armed forces receive the necessary training and equipment with US help to bring them up to the standards of the world's premier military alliance, the president of the Mediterranean island nation said Thursday. President Nikos Christodoulides put Cyprus on a trajectory for possible NATO membership, ending weeks of media speculation about his government's intentions following his meeting with President Joe Biden in Washington last month. The development goes against Cyprus' long-held policy of neutrality harking back to the Cold War era, when it walked a political tightrope between Washington and Moscow. Christodoulides said that although Cyprus cannot join NATO at this time because of objections that alliance member Turkey would raise to its potential membership, the Cypriot National Guard shouldn't be denied the opportunity to upgrade its defensive capabilities with US assistance. Turkey, which maintains more than 35,000 troop

Turkish police detain protesters demanding stronger protection for women

Police detained dozens of people in Istanbul who tried to join a rally on Monday calling for greater protection for women in Turkiye, where more than 400 women have been murdered this year. The demonstrators tried to enter the main pedestrian street, Istiklal, to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, in defiance of a ban on all protests in the area. Earlier, police barricaded all entrances to Istiklal and to the city's main square, Taksim, while authorities shut down several metro stations to prevent large gatherings. Many demonstrators were protesting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decision in 2021 that withdrew Turkiye from a landmark European agreement known as the Istanbul Convention. The treaty, which aims to protect women from violence, was signed in Istanbul in 2011. Erdogan's decision came after some members of his Islamic-rooted ruling party accused the treaty of promoting LGBTQ+ rights and other ideals they said were incompatible with

In a first, US turkey shipment leaves for Indian market after tariff cut

The first shipment of American Turkey products for India left on Tuesday, marking a new phase in the bilateral trade relations between the two countries. The shipment comes over a year after India agreed to the American request to reduce high tariffs on US turkey products. US Senator from Virginia Mark Warner, who is also co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, said this marks a historic milestone in international trade, expanding the reach of American turkey products in global markets, and opening new doors for US turkey producers. "This shipment is a tremendous opportunity for Virginia's poultry producers and a huge step forward for US-India trade," he said. "As co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, I look forward to the ongoing cooperation between our two nations and to seeing a wealth of new opportunities open up for Virginia's poultry producers, Warner said. This shipment comes as a result of a trade agreement and tariff reduction, facilitated by a collaborative effort between th

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

Turkiye's measures on polyester impact exports; India seeks compensation

India has sought compensation from Turkiye as Ankara's decision to extend safeguard measures on polyester staple fibres has impacted the product's exports, an official said. India flagged concerns and impact from these measures during a recent bilateral consultations with Turkiye under the WTO's safeguard agreement. On October 14, India sought consultations with Turkiye under the agreement following Ankara's decision to extend safeguard measures on polyester staple fibres. "We have sought compensation as we have a loss of trade. India has the option to propose retaliatory customs duties equivalent to the value of export loss if the issue will not be resolved through consultations," the official said. India has exported these fibres worth USD 22.18 million during 2023-24. It was USD 23.55 million in 2022-23. In September, Turkiye decided to extend safeguard measures against imports of polyester staple fibres. "As a member having a substantial trade interest in the export of produc

Turkey strikes Kurdish militants in Iraq after attack on TUSAS kills 5

Turkey's defense ministry says Turkish jets have struck Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria following an attack on a key defense company. More than 30 targets were destroyed in the aerial offensive, the defense ministry said in a brief statement carried by the state-run Anadolu Agency. The strike comes after suspected Kurdish militants set off explosives and opened fire Wednesday at Turkey's state-run aerospace and defense company TUSAS, killing five people and wounding more than a dozen, the interior minister said. Suspected Kurdish militants set off explosives and opened fire Wednesday at Turkey's state-run aerospace and defense company TUSAS, killing five people and wounding more than a dozen, the interior minister said. The two attackers a man and a woman also were killed, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. Yerlikaya said the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, is suspected of being behind the attack but cautioned that the process of identifying the assailan

Turkey blames Kurdish rebels PKK for Ankara terror attack: Who are they?

Turkey targeted over 30 sites of the PKK militant group in Iraq and Syria after suspected Kurdish militants set off explosives and opened fire at state-run defence company TUSAS in Ankara

4 killed, 14 injured in terror attack at Turkish aerospace headquarters

"A terrorist attack was carried out against the TUSAS facilities in Kahramankazan, Ankara. Unfortunately, we have martyrs and injured people," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said

US can prosecute Turkish bank in Iran sanctions case, rules appeals court

US prosecutors charged Halkbank in 2019 over its alleged use of money servicers and front companies in Iran, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to evade sanctions

Turkey to allow skilled workers 3-year permit exemption; Indians to gain

Indians should carefully consider the benefits against the higher living costs before planning to work in Turkey

India seeks consultations with Turkiye on safeguard measures on polyester

India has sought consultations with Turkiye under the WTO's safeguard agreement following Ankara's decision to extend safeguard measures on polyester staple fibres. In September, Turkiye decided to extend safeguard measures against imports of polyester staple fibres. "As a member having a substantial trade interest in the export of products concerned, India hereby requests consultations with Turkiye with a view to reviewing the information provided and exchanging views on the extension of the measures," according to a communication of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It said that India would like to propose that consultations take place virtually on October 10 or 18 or on a mutually convenient date and time. As per a provision of the Agreement on Safeguards, a WTO member country proposing to apply safeguard measures shall provide adequate opportunity for prior consultations with those members having a substantial interest as exporters of the product concerned, with a view to .