Pentagon nominee regrets Turkey's 'drift' from West

WASHINGTON (AP) — Army Secretary Mark Esper, President Donald Trump's nominee to become secretary of defense, told his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday he is troubled by Turkey's decision to defy the United States by acquiring Russian-made air defenses. "It is very disheartening to see how they have...

The Latest: Greek Cypriots reject joint gas drilling panel

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Latest on Turkey and the sanctions approved by the European Union over the dispute about drilling near Cyprus (all times local): 4:20 p.m. Greek Cypriot leaders on ethnically split Cyprus have turned down a renewed proposal by breakaway Turkish Cypriots to form a joint committee...

Turkey: EU sanctions over gas drilling 'worthless'

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey on Tuesday rejected as "worthless" an initial set of sanctions approved by the European Union against Ankara, and vowed to send a new vessel to the eastern Mediterranean to reinforce its efforts to drill for hydrocarbons off the island of Cyprus. EU foreign ministers on Monday...

Turkey says ship attacked off Nigeria, 10 crew kidnapped

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's state-run news agency says an armed gang has attacked a Turkish cargo ship off the coast of Nigeria and kidnapped 10 of vessel's crew members. The Anadolu Agency says the ship, the Paksoy-1, was attacked late Monday. There were 18 crew members on board — all of them...

EU slaps sanctions on Turkey over gas drilling off Cyprus

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union foreign ministers on Monday turned up the pressure on Turkey after approving an initial batch of sanctions against the country over its drilling for gas in waters where EU member Cyprus has exclusive economic rights. The ministers said in a statement that in light of Turkey's...

Trial of former Flynn business partner begins in Virginia

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A one-time business partner of former national security adviser Michael Flynn lied to hide the fact that he and Flynn were secretly working on behalf of the Turkish government to advance its agenda, prosecutors said Monday. A federal jury in Alexandria heard opening statements in the...

European Union foreign ministers have approved sanctions on Turkey for its 'illegal' gas drilling off Cyprus

Italian police clear migrant squatters amid burning debris

ROME (AP) — Migrants and squatters set up burning barricades at an abandoned school outside Rome on Monday after police were ordered to clear the site. Residents set fire to tires, mattresses, and garbage to try and deter the police in riot gear. But authorities doused the blaze and proceeded with the...

Russian planes continue to deliver S-400 parts to Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey hopes to co-produce high-tech weaponry systems with Russia in the future, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, further defying its NATO ally the United States, which has warned the country of possible sanctions over its purchase of a Russian-made missile defense system....

The Latest: Greece vows to speed up migrant deportations

ROME (AP) — The Latest on Europe migration issues (all times local): 4 p.m. Officials from Greece's new conservative government have vowed to speed up the asylum process for migrants and refugees and restart deportations to neighboring Turkey despite renewed tension between the two NATO members. Prime...