Rescue operation underway to find survivors from yacht and a dinghy that overturned off island of Samos near Turkish coast A yacht and a dinghy crammed with migrants trying to enter Greece has capsized in the eastern Aegean Sea leaving at least 22 dead, including four children, and potentially several more missing. The vessels had been trying to enter Greece when they overturned before dawn on Monday...
The crisis in Ukraine, Tito Vilanova's memorial service in Barcelona, the tornado in Arkansas the best photography in news, culture and sport from around the world this week Continue reading... ...
In offering condolences for the 1915 Armenian massacre, Erdoan has presented the chance for reconciliation. Let's take it History is replete with squandered opportunities. The challenge for those in power is to assess in real time the risks of missing these moments. I had a sense back in 2009 when I was traveling to Zurich to sign an agreement with the government of Armenia that we were heading towards...
Teargas fired as thousands try to defy ban on demonstrating in Taksim Square, the scene of long-running protests Continue reading... ...
Water cannon and rubber bullets used against demonstrators trying to reach Taksim square, centre of last year's uprising Turkish police have fired teargas, water cannon and rubber bullets to stop May Day protesters, some armed with firebombs, from defying the prime minister and reaching Istanbul's central Taksim square. Citing security fears, authorities shut parts of the city's public transport system,...
Istanbul governor's office says that 90 people were hurt and 142 were arrested as police clash with protesters as well as an MP Turkish police fired water cannons at protesters on Thursday as millions took to the streets around the world to mark International Labour Day. Demonstrators were out in force in parts of Europe, marching against unemployment and austerity policies while across Asia, workers...
After the service pilgrims climbed up to the Lone Pine cemetery where in August 1915 Australia suffered its greatest casualties A crowd of 4,400 people turned out for the Anzac Day service at Gallipoli in Turkey, a year ahead of the 100th anniversary of the disastrous landing. In northern France a smaller crowd of 4,500 assembled at the Australian war memorial outside the village of Villers-Bretonneux,...
An Azerbaijani journalist who was deported from Turkey on Saturday (19 April) was arrested on his arrival at the airport in Baku, the Azerbaijan capital. Two days later, Rauf Mirgadirov appeared before a court and was remanded in custody for three months pending trial on espionage charges. If convicted, he faces a sentence of 10 years to life in jail. Continue reading... ...
Serzh Sarkisian ignores Ankara's offer of condolences and says 100th anniversary next year offers chance to repent Armenia's president has accused Turkey of an "utter denial" in failing to recognise the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman empire during the first world war as genocide. On Wednesday the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, offered condolences over the massacres...
Recep Tayyip Erdogan refers to 'our shared pain' in unexpected statement on eve of 99th anniversary of start of deportations The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has offered his condolences to the families of more than 1 million Armenians who were massacred during the first world war, in Turkey's most conciliatory remarks yet over the highly contested episode. Speaking on the eve...
14-18 April : Read up on the latest global development news, controversies and reports Democracy , as millions cast their votes on the biggest polling day of the Indian elections , with voter turnout higher than in 2009. Continue reading... ...
The sources and conclusions used to support Seymour Hersh's argument just don't stack up. The perpetrators lie closer to home Last week the London Review of Books published an article by the respected Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh, The Red Line and the Rat Line , in which he details the alleged involvement of the Turkish government with the Syrian opposition group Jabhat al-Nusra...
Nicolas Hénin, Pierre Torres, Edouard Elias and Didier François are found safe and well on Turkish border Four French journalists held hostage in Syria since June have been found blindfolded and bound on the Turkish border. Turkish soldiers found the four in good health on Saturday after they were released by a radical Muslim rebel group. Continue reading... ...
Kemal Klçdarolu, the leader of Turkey's main opposition party, is attacked in a parliament hallway while walking to his party's weekly group meeting. The assailant, who has previous criminal convictions, was quickly overpowered by security and later detained by police. Klçdarolu continues with his planned speech and is met by a standing ovation from his party, the Republican People's Party Continue...
Judge says Turkey's pursuit of Deniz Akgul is 'in bad faith' and is likely to set precedent for suspects from Kurdish backgrounds Turkey has been condemned by a judge for pursuing an extradition request "in bad faith" against a British citizen over disputed terrorism charges. The decision by district judge Shenagh Bayne at Westminster magistrates court to dismiss the request against Deniz...
Court orders that most restrictions on video site be lifted a day after prime minister Erdoan's Twitter ban is ruled illegal A Turkish court has ruled that a blanket ban on YouTube violates human rights and ordered that most of the restrictions be lifted, citing a court ruling this week that scrapped a similar ban on Twitter. ...
Two-week-old ban is lifted after Turkey's constitutional court rules that it breaches freedom of expression laws Turkey's telecoms authority lifted a two-week-old ban on Twitter on Thursday, after the constitutional court ruled on Wednesday that the block breached freedom of expression, a spokesman from the office of the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, said. Access to Twitter was blocked in the...
The US is the largest donor to Syrian refugees and has the largest resettlement program in the world. No more excuses When I met with Syrian refugees in Jordan and Turkey a few months ago, many were already struggling with the realization that they would not be able to return home any time soon. For some, home no longer even existed. "If we returned to Syria, we have nothing left," a father...
Thousands protest over results of local elections in which Recep Tayyip Erdoan's AK party kept control of capital and Istanbul Riot police fired water cannon in Ankara on Tuesday to disperse thousands of Turks demanding a partial recount in polls that saw Recep Tayyip Erdoan's ruling party sweep the electoral map . The Islamist-rooted AK party kept control of the two biggest cities, the financial centre...
The prime minister governs a polarised nation, its vulnerable social fabric torn apart and some of the people are angry Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, passed a very critical test on Sunday with a sweeping victory in the municipal elections , which were really about the country's political direction and existential choice. If the results were seen as sort of a dress rehearsal for next...