Turkey Urged to Allow Greater Religious Freedom
The spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians said Monday that Turkey’s new constitution should grant equal rights to minorities in the country and safeguard religious freedoms. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I met with members of a parliamentary subcommittee seeking an all-party consensus in drawing up a new constitution, which will replace the one ratified in [...]
Preschooler’s turkey sandwich deemed unhealthy, given chicken nuggets instead
A North Carolina mother is upset because her preschooler’s homemade turkey sandwich was deemed unhealthy by school officials. Her daughter ate three chicken nuggets instead. Huh? Turns out the little girl attends a state school and her turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips, and apple juice did not meet U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, [...]
Greek Cyprus, Israel draw closer, presenting challenges for Turkey
The one-day visit “was designed to strengthen the improving ties between the two nations,” according to officials from Netanyahu’s office, and the two sides will discuss cooperation in energy matters, agriculture, health and maritime research and sign a disaster relief and a search and rescue agreement. Greek Cypriot government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou told The Associated [...]
Huge soccer match-fixing trial begins in Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey – As thousands of loyal fans chanted their support, 93 suspects including the jailed president of Turkey’s top soccer team went on trial Tuesday in a match-fixing scandal that has upended Turkish soccer. Aziz Yildirim, head of the celebrated Fenerbahce soccer team, and the others have been charged in the scandal allegedly involving [...]
Turkey in flurry of diplomacy for Syria conference to end violence
He also conveyed Turkey’s position on a wide range of bilateral and regional issues with members of Congress and in his speeches to various think tanks. Davutoğlu announced last week that Turkey is considering delivering humanitarian aid to the people of Syria under the provisions of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, located in Geneva. [...]
Turkey and Iran diverge over Syria
(02-10) 00:21 PST ISTANBUL, (AP) – Turkey and Iran, regional heavyweights and heirs to imperial pasts, expanded trade in the past decade and papered over their traditional rivalry with diplomacy and rhetoric. Now these neighbors have staked out opposing positions in Syria, where outside players seek to sway an outcome to the bloodshed that could, [...]
Turkey Wants Syria Pressure Group
By JOE PARKINSON ISTANBUL—Turkey said Wednesday that it was seeking to form an international grouping on Syria “as soon as possible” to coordinate policy between regional players and world powers after a United Nations Security Council resolution to pressure President Bashar al-Assad was vetoed by China and Russia. Speaking in an interview with Turkish television [...]
Turkey’s Lira Heads for Biggest Decline as Greek Talks Erode Risk Appetite
The lira headed for its biggest fall this year on weaker investor sentiment as the debt-swap deal between Greece and its creditors remains elusive. The Turkish currency depreciated 0.8 percent at 1.7668 per dollar, paring this year’s gain to 7 percent at 11:26 a.m. in Istanbul. The decline today is the biggest since Dec. 28. [...]
No Trouble in Region: Turkey to Israel, Iran
printable version send your friend add comment Saturday, 4 February 2012 A Turkish diplomatic source said Turkey does not want any trouble in the region as arguments on military threats against Iran were raised by Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta believed there was strong likelihood Israel would [...]
Turkey and Hamas grow close
Another Hamas sponsor, Syria, is struggling to quell an uprising and has broken with Turkey, a former ally that says President Bashar Assad should resign. Turkey has said there are no plans for Khaled Mashaal, the Hamas political leader based in Damascus, to move to Turkey, though some Turkish analysts think the government phrasing did [...]