Turkey

ANKARA, June 15 (NNN-ANADOLU) – An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.7, hit Turkey’s eastern province of Bingol on Sunday, the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority said.

The quake occurred at 5:24 p.m. local time (1424 GMT), with its epicentre at Kaynarpinar village of Karliova district, and shook for around 10 seconds, followed by 22 aftershocks, according to the report.

ISTANBUL, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkish warplanes launched an airstrike operation against some Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq Sunday night, local media reported on Monday, citing the Turkish Defense Ministry.

The airstrike, coded the Claw-Eagle Operation, targeted a stronghold of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants near the Iranian border and some bases in other areas, the ministry said.

"The PKK and other terrorist elements" are attacking Turkish outposts and bases "every day" and threatening the security of the people of Turkey and its border, it said.

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Russia and Turkey have postponed ministerial-level talks which were expected to focus on Libya and Syria, where the two countries support opposing sides in long-standing conflicts.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov decided to put off the talks during a phone call on Sunday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

“The two countries deputy ministers will continue contacts and talks in the period ahead. Minister-level talks will be held at a later date,” the ministry said in a statement.

ISTANBUL, June 14 (NNN-ANADOLU) – The foreign and defence ministers of Turkey and Russia will hold a summit in Istanbul today, to analyse the current situation of the civil war in Libya, where the two countries are supporting opposing sides.

The head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, and the head of Defence, Sergei Shoigou, will meet their Turkish counterparts, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Hulusi Akar.

ANKARA (Reuters) - The United States needs to play a more active role in Libya, both in achieving a ceasefire and in political talks, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday, as Libya’s warring sides restarted U.N.-led ceasefire talks.

Turkey supports Fayez al Serraj’s internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), whose forces have in recent weeks repelled a 14-month assault on Tripoli by Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA).

10 June 2020; MEMO: Turkish authorities yesterday ordered the arrest of 275 military personnel on suspicion of having links to US based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen whom Ankara accuses of planning the failed coup of 2016.

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey on Wednesday dismissed Egypt’s proposal for a ceasefire in Libya, saying the plan aimed to save Khalifa Haftar after the collapse of his offensive to control the capital Tripoli, Hurriyet newspaper reported.

Turkey supports Fayez al Serraj’s internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), whose forces have in recent weeks repelled a 14-month assault on Tripoli by Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia.

ANKARA, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday announced further easing of the restrictions against the COVID-19 pandemic as Turkey has entered a normalization process.

"It is a fact that we have survived with the least loss of lives, restrictions, and economic difficulties compared to Europe," Erdogan said at a press conference after a cabinet meeting.

"I want to remind you of the fact that we need to organize our lives with masks, distance and hygiene until the root (of the virus) is scraped," he added.

09 June 2020; MEMO: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the situation in the north-west Syrian province of Idlib is progressing and improving, despite increased assaults on opposition positions by the Assad regime.

In an interview on the Turkish channel TRT News yesterday, Erdogan said: “Sometimes problems arise in Idlib on the M4 highway, but in general, things are going well. 200,000 refugees have already returned home.”

ANKARA, June 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he reached “some agreements” with US counterpart Donald Trump over Libya during telephone talks.

Ankara supports Libya’s UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) and has stepped up military support to Tripoli against warlord Khalifa Haftar.

The United States officially backs the GNA, but Haftar is supported by Washington’s allies Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.