Latest News from Turkey
Better to talk than have finger on trigger, Mitsotakis says
Greece's relations with Turkey appear to have entered a period of relative calm, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday, ahead of his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, adding that "it's better to talk than to constantly have our finger on the trigger."
Court jails former official at Turkish consulate for spying
The Dodecanese appeals court has sentenced a man who worked for a Turkish consulate to five years in prison on spying charges, legal sources said on Friday.
The man, a Greek national employed with the Turkish consulate on the island of Rhodes, was arrested in 2020.
Turkey reopens ancient church with prized mosaics to Muslim worship
Turkey has opened the ancient Chora church, one of Istanbul's most celebrated Byzantine buildings, to Muslim worshippers after it was used as a museum for more than 70 years, making it the second such major conversion under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Athens hopes Greek PM's Türkiye visit to foster 'calmness'
Greece is gearing up for the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Türkiye on May 13, with hopes high in Athens for a "period of calmness" in often tense relations between the neighbors.
"I think what we should expect is a frank meeting," Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis told radio Skai on May 9.
Is Erdogan facing a crisis of legitimacy?
Expert Henri Barkey joins Thanos Davelis to look at what we should expect from Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan both at home and abroad as he looks to regain the initiative following his party's sweeping defeat in the recent municipal elections.
Erdogan criticizes EU policies amid Gaza conflict
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that policies enacted by "certain countries and institutions since the start of the Gaza conflict have shaken faith in the European Union."
In his address marking Europe Day, Erdogan underscored that these policies during the Gaza conflict have eroded trust in European values.
Israeli claims of Ankara easing trade ban 'fictional’: Minister
Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat has dismissed Israeli claims of Türkiye easing its trade ban on Israel, labeling them as "absolutely fictional and disconnected from reality."
In a social media post on May 9, Bolat stressed that Türkiye will maintain the trade ban until a lasting ceasefire in Gaza is achieved and humanitarian aid is ensured to the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
Repeat Incident: Another Boeing Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Turkey with Landing Gear Malfunction
A passenger plane made a hair-raising landing "on its stomach" at Alanya airport in Turkey following a malfunction with its landing gear. This incident marks the second emergency landing in Turkey within a span of two days, intensifying concerns over aviation safety regarding Boeing.
Mali: Xi's visit opens new chapter of cooperation and Serbia's economic growth
BELGRADE - Besides being politically significant and boosting Serbia's reputation, Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Belgrade is very important economically as well and opens up new prospects for Serbia and a new chapter in its cooperation with China as well as its overall growth and development, Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali said on Thursday.
Turkey's Central Bank Forecasts Inflation to Hit 75% Peak in May
Turkey's central bank finds itself grappling with the country's persistent inflationary turmoil, projecting that the crisis will culminate in May with rates skyrocketing to approximately 75-76%.
Turkey converts Chora into a mosque as USCIRF puts the spotlight on religious freedom
Earlier this week Turkey formally opened the monastery of Chora, a former Byzantine church and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Istanbul, as a mosque. The move follows the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque in 2020, and has drawn international criticism.
State Department makes statement over conversion of Chora church
The US Department of State is aware of Turkey's conversion of another historical Byzantine church into a mosque, and urges the government to "respect" the "diverse histories" of heritage sites that have hosted different religious communities.
PM: Channels with Turkey must stay open
Responding to calls that his scheduled visit to Ankara on Monday should be postponed due to the conversion of the Chora monastery in Istanbul into a mosque, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed on Wednesday that this would not be the correct course of action as "open channels must be maintained."
Archons strongly condemn Turkey’s decision to convert Chora Church
The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate note with dismay and strongly condemn Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decision to proceed with plans to convert the Monastery of Chora to a mosque.
"This is yet another contemptuous act against religious freedom perpetrated by the government of Turkey," the Archons said in a statement on Wednesday.
Greece disrupts sanctions busting oil transfers off its coast
Over the past two years an area south of Greece's Peloponnese had become a major location to circumvent sanctions against Russian oil exports. It looks like Greece has now found a way to disrupt these operations.