EU LEADERS CONDEMN TURKEY FOR ILLEGAL ACTIONS AS TRANSGRESSIONS CONTINUE

Sourced: EKathimerini European Union leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday unanimously condemned Turkey for its aggression toward Greece and Cyprus and called on Ankara to release two Greek soldiers who have been in Turkish custody for more than three weeks. In a draft common statement, the European Council “strongly condemns Turkey’s continued illegal actions in… Continue reading EU LEADERS CONDEMN TURKEY FOR ILLEGAL ACTIONS AS TRANSGRESSIONS CONTINUE

GREEK GOVERNMENT FEARS LENGTHY CRISIS WITH TURKEY

Sourced: EKathimerini By Vassilis Nedos The tension with Turkey fueled by the arrest of two Greek soldiers almost three weeks ago and the incendiary rhetoric coming out of Ankara has raised concerns in the government that the two countries are heading for a protracted crisis, and that Washington and Brussels can only do so much… Continue reading GREEK GOVERNMENT FEARS LENGTHY CRISIS WITH TURKEY

EU TO GIVE TURKEY MORE FUNDING TO EXTEND MIGRANT DEAL

Sourced: EKathimerini Notwithstanding a rise in tensions between Brussels and Ankara – recently exacerbated by Turkey’s increasingly aggressive stance toward Greece and Cyprus – the European Commission will be approving an additional 3 billion euros in funding for Syrian refugees living in Turkey, EU officials said on Wednesday. The fresh injection of funds will extend… Continue reading EU TO GIVE TURKEY MORE FUNDING TO EXTEND MIGRANT DEAL

MERKEL: TURKEY PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN LACK OF CYPRUS SOLUTION

Sourced: Cyprus Mail By Elias Hazou German chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday said Turkey has played an important role in the failure to reach a negotiated settlement on Cyprus. “We have a very large problem when it comes to Cyprus. For years we’ve been striving to find a solution but until today it has not… Continue reading MERKEL: TURKEY PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN LACK OF CYPRUS SOLUTION

STOP PRETENDING AMERICA AND TURKEY ARE ALLIES

Sourced : The National Interest By Doug Bandow Washington officials routinely call Turkey a vital ally, yet Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his government has threatened U.S. forces cooperating with Kurdish militias in northern Syria. After American military spokesmen warned that U.S. troops would defend themselves, Erdoğan promised the famed “Ottoman slap.” Alas, doing… Continue reading STOP PRETENDING AMERICA AND TURKEY ARE ALLIES

A PERILOUS TANGO FOR FOUR IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

Sourced: BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 765, March 11, 2018 By Dr. Spyridon N. Litsas The Eastern Mediterranean has entered a new period of high volatility, with Israel and Greece in the eye of the storm. Both countries are facing an upgraded strategic challenge from Turkey and Iran. This is not simply an interstate problem… Continue reading A PERILOUS TANGO FOR FOUR IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

GREEK MINISTER OF DEFENCE: GREECE CLOSE TO “FATAL ACCIDENT” WITH TURKEY

Sourced: EKathimerini As tensions rise over the detention of two Greek soldiers who crossed the Turkish border accidentally and over Turkish aggression off Cyprus, statements by both Greek and Turkish officials over the weekend underscored the fragility of the situation. In an interview with French daily Liberation on Saturday, Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos declared… Continue reading GREEK MINISTER OF DEFENCE: GREECE CLOSE TO “FATAL ACCIDENT” WITH TURKEY

TURKEY, RUSSIA TO SIGN DEAL FOR SECOND S-400 REGIMENT IN 2020

Sourced: Daily Sabah Turkey will sign an agreement with Russia for the second S-400 missile defense system regiment in 2020, a Russian official said Wednesday. “After the delivery of the first regiment is completed in May-June 2020, the parties plan to sign a new contract on the delivery of the second S-400 regiment in 2021.… Continue reading TURKEY, RUSSIA TO SIGN DEAL FOR SECOND S-400 REGIMENT IN 2020

FRIEND OR FOE? ASSAD QUIETLY AIDS SYRIAN KURDS AGAINST TURKEY

Sourced: Reuters By Laila Bassam and Tom Perry Syria’s U.S.-backed Kurds are getting indirect help from an unlikely source in their war against Turkey in the northwestern region of Afrin: President Bashar al-Assad. Pro-government forces and Kurdish-led forces have fought each other elsewhere in Syria and Damascus opposes the Kurds’ demands for autonomy. But in… Continue reading FRIEND OR FOE? ASSAD QUIETLY AIDS SYRIAN KURDS AGAINST TURKEY

WITH EYES ON THE INDIAN OCEAN, NEW PLAYERS RUSH INTO THE HORN OF AFRICA

Sourced : War on the Rocks By David Brewster A race is underway between Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Turkey to build naval and military bases right across the Horn of Africa. This threatens to change the naval balance in the northwest Indian Ocean. But it may also presage the beginnings of… Continue reading WITH EYES ON THE INDIAN OCEAN, NEW PLAYERS RUSH INTO THE HORN OF AFRICA