Latest Turkey government News
Chances of Cyprus peace talks restart look dimmer as Turkish Cypriot leader sees no common ground
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Chances of restarting formal talks to mend Cyprus’ decades-long ethnic division appeared dimmer Wednesday as the leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots told a U.N. envoy that he saw no common ground with Greek Cypriots for a return to negotiations. ...
Greek and Turkish leaders seek to stress thawing relations but tensions remain under the surface
ISTANBUL (AP) — The leaders of Greece and Turkey met Monday for talks aimed at underlining their efforts to put aside decades-old disputes, but they also revealed deep divisions over the Israel-Hamas war. Speaking at a news conference in Ankara following the two-hour face-to-face...
Wary of wars in Gaza and Ukraine, old foes Turkey and Greece test a friendship initiative
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Old foes Turkey and Greece will test a five-month-old friendship initiative Monday when Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visits Ankara. The two NATO members, which share decades of mutual animosity, a tense border and disputed waters, agreed to...
Turkey formally opens another former Byzantine-era church as a mosque
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally opened a former Byzantine church in Istanbul as a mosque on Monday, four years after his government had designated it a Muslim house of prayer, despite criticism from neighboring Greece. Turkey formally converted...
Turkey says it has carried out new airstrikes against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey has carried out a new round of airstrikes targeting Kurdish militants in neighboring Iraq, the Turkish defense ministry said Monday. Warplanes struck suspected positions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in the regions of Hakurk, Metina and...
Sudanese military leader's son dies of injuries following a motorcycle crash in Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The son of Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah Burhan, has died in hospital on Friday two months after he was severely injured in a motorcycle accident in the Turkish capital, Ankara, Turkey's state-run news agency reported. Mohammed Fattah Burhan Rahman was...
Turkey halts all trade with Israel over military actions in Gaza
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey on Thursday suspended all imports and exports to Israel citing the country's ongoing military action in Gaza and vowed to continue to impose the measures until the Israeli government allows the flow of humanitarian aid to the region. A Turkish Trade...
Turkey says it backs outgoing Dutch prime minister Rutte's candidacy for NATO chief
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey has told its NATO allies that Ankara will back the Netherlands’ outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s candidacy for the military alliance’s secretary general position, a senior Turkish official said Monday. The official said Turkey notified NATO...
Outgoing Dutch prime minister visits Turkey's Erdogan in his bid for the NATO chief position
ISTANBUL (AP) — The Netherlands’ outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte was in Turkey on Friday, seeking support from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the Dutch official's bid for the position of NATO secretary general. Incumbent NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, a former...
A Turkish court sentences a Syrian woman to life in prison for a bombing in Istanbul in 2022
ISTANBUL (AP) — A court on Friday sentenced a Syrian woman to life in prison for a deadly explosion on a busy shopping district in Istanbul in 2022, Turkey's state-run news agency reported. Alham Albashir was given seven consecutive life sentences after being convicted on terrorism...