Mehmet Gormez, 58, has helmed the Religious Affairs Directorate for nearly 7 years Turkey’s top religious official retired from his post on Monday, sources from the Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) confirmed. Mehmet Gormez’s retirement request was accepted by the Turkish Prime Ministry, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions […]

Turkish security forces detained at least 645 foreign nationals over the past week as they tried to cross into Europe illegally from western Turkey’s Izmir province. The detentions came as part of operations targeting illegal crossings from Turkish provinces into European states by sea. Between July 24 and 31, teams from Izmir’s regional gendarmerie command […]

Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicles, equipped with the latest smart ammunition systems, were successfully tested on Sunday, officials of an Istanbul-based company said. The smart ammunition systems loaded to the Armed Bayraktar TB2 drones were able to hit targets 8 kilometers (4.9 miles) away, said Baykar Makina officials who did not want to be named due […]

Firearms, ammunition, narcotics seized in counterterrorism raids, says Turkish military Fifty-five PKK terrorists were killed in counterterrorism operations in southeastern Turkey over the last week, according to military figures released on Friday. The operations were conducted in the southeastern provinces of Sirnak, Hakkari, Mardin, Diyarbakir, Bitlis and Agri between July 20 and 27, a statement […]

Opposition lawmakers protesting draft parliament bylaw changes Turkish opposition, Republican People’s Party (CHP), lawmakers refused to leave parliament early Thursday, in protest of draft bylaw changes under consideration. “CHP group, as a protest to the silencing of the opposition, is not leaving parliament tonight,” the CHP deputy chairman Ozgur Ozel said. Parliament’s deputy speaker Ahmet […]

Germans in Turkey ask their government to resolve differences with Ankara Alanya, a coastal district of Turkey’s southern Antalya province is home to some 10,000 Germans. As Berlin and Ankara mow their way through a rough patch in their relations, many Germans settled in the resort town claim they have led a happy life in […]

Turkish president comments on recent remarks by US general on terrorist PKK/PYD changing name to Syrian Democratic Forces Turkey’s president said Sunday that friends should not deceive each other, referring to recent remarks by a US general over the terrorist PKK/PYD “rebranding” itself as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). “We know very well who’s who. […]

Turkish groups nationwide protest Israeli restrictions on Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque Nongovernmental organizations from across Turkey on Friday condemned Israel for restricting Palestinians’ entry to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque and held rallies in solidarity with Muslim worshippers. Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Friday after fresh clashes broke out with Israeli police outside the mosque, […]

Turkish ministers to meet senior EU figures next week for wide-ranging talks Turkish and EU figures are set for a high-level meeting next week to work on Ankara’s long-running bid to join the bloc, Turkey’s foreign ministry announced on Friday. Next Tuesday will see talks in Brussels between Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and EU Minister […]

Nationwide demonstrations in Turkey planned for after Friday prayers A number of non-governmental organizations in Turkey are planning to protest new Israeli restrictions on Palestinians’ entry to Al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest site. Israeli restrictions will be condemned across Turkey, particularly in Istanbul and Ankara, after Friday prayers. Protests are expected to continue Saturday. In […]