Latest Recep Tayyip Erdogan News
Detentions in deadly Turkish ski resort fire rise to 14
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The number of suspects detained in connection with the deadly hotel fire at a ski resort rose to 14 on Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday. Erdogan also reiterated his commitment to ensuring that anyone who may have caused the blaze by...
Waitress dies from Turkish ski resort blaze, one of 78 lives lost as concerns over safety revive
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A waitress who was in serious condition after jumping out of a burning hotel at a popular ski resort has succumbed to her injuries, officials and reports said Thursday, becoming the latest victim of a tragedy that has shocked the nation and revived concerns over lax safety...
Commercial flights between Turkey and Syria resume after 13 years
ISTANBUL (AP) — Commercial flights between Turkey and Syria resumed Thursday after 13 years with a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Damascus. Turkish media showed Syrian families draped in their national flag singing pro-opposition songs and cheering as they prepared to...
Turkey's central bank lowers benchmark interest rate to 45%
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s central bank lowered its key interest rate by 2.5 percentage points to 45% on Thursday, in its second rate cut in as many months as official figures showed inflation was easing. The bank’s Monetary Policy Committee said it was reducing its...
Witnesses describe chaos and panic at Turkish ski resort as fire ripped through hotel where 79 died
KARTALKAYA, Turkey (AP) — As flames tore through a 12-story hotel at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey, friends Esra Karakisa and Halime Cetin watched helplessly as the horror unfolded before them. Some people were leaning out of smoke-filled rooms pleading for help, while others made...
At least 76 people killed in a hotel fire at a ski resort in Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A fire raged through a 12-story hotel at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkey early Tuesday during a school holiday, killing at least 76 people — at least two of them when they jumped from the building to escape the flames, officials said. At least...
Turkey arrests leader of far-right party on charges of inciting violence through social media
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish authorities on Tuesday arrested the leader of a far-right opposition party on charges of inciting violence through a series of anti-refugee posts on social media, his party said. Umit Ozdag, the leader of Turkey's anti-immigrant Victory Party, was...
Middle East latest: Gaza ceasefire set to start 8:30 am Sunday after 15 months of war
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will go into effect at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) on Sunday, mediator Qatar said. The ceasefire will pause the fighting after 15 months of war and see the release of dozens of hostages held by the militants in the Gaza Strip and hundreds...
Middle East latest: Netanyahu says deal to return hostages from Gaza reached after last snags
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip has been reached. The announcement came a day after Netanyahu’s office said there were last minute snags in talks to free hostages in return for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of...
Middle East latest: Israel's Netanyahu says Gaza ceasefire deal is not complete
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Wednesday that a ceasefire agreement with Hamas is still not complete and the final details are being worked out. Netanyahu's statement comes hours after the United States and Qatar announced the deal, which would pause the...