Turkey is paying the price of Erdogan's ambition. The EU and The US are slapping sanctions on Turkey. Ankara is also losing friends left, right, and centre. Turkey's President has managed to upset the whole world.

Gravitas: Double trouble for Erdogan

Leaders of European Union on Friday decided to draw up a list of Turkish targets to impose sanctions. These sanctions are in response to Turkey's activities of prospecting for gas in Greek and Cypriot waters.

"The council adopted sanctions in the face of Turkey's 'unilateral actions and provocations'," French minister for European affairs Clement Beaune tweeted, citing the conclusions agreed by the bloc's 27 leaders.

AFP quoted a diplomat who said that the sanctions would target individuals and that further measures could be imposed "if Turkey pursues its actions"

EU leaders did not agree to seek an arms embargo. They did not also seek to target entire sector of Turkey's economy.

But the conclusions, released by a European Council spokesman, called for a list to be drawn up of targets for "restrictive measures".

The leaders mandated chief EU diplomat Josep Borrell to prepare a report on more measures that could be taken to "expand the scope" of the action, to be submitted by next March.

"The idea is to turn the vice progressively," a diplomat said.&nbsp;

"Turkey has engaged in unilateral actions and provocations and escalated its rhetoric against the EU, EU Member States and European leaders," the leaders said.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-set-to-sanction-turkey-over-russian-defence-system-348947">US set to sanction Turkey over Russian defence system</a>

"Turkish unilateral and provocative activities in the Eastern Mediterranean are still taking place, including in Cyprus's exclusive economic zone."

On the eve of the EU summit, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed the sanctions threat.

"Turkey does not care much about any sanctions decision to be made by the EU," he said.&nbsp;

"The EU has never treated us honestly. The EU has never stood by any promise it has given us but we always remained patient and we are still patient."

Greece, with French backing, has led the charge for tougher EU action against Turkey, which has repeatedly sent a gas drilling vessel into disputed waters.

(With AFP inputs)

Leaders of European Union on Friday decided to draw up a list of Turkish targets to impose sanctions. These sanctions are in response to Turkey's activities of prospecting for gas in Greek and Cypriot waters.

Leaders of European Union on Friday decided to draw up a list of Turkish targets to impose sanctions. These sanctions are in response to Turkey's activities of prospecting for gas in Greek and Cypriot waters. "The council adopted sanctions in the face of Turkey's 'unilateral actions and provocations'," French minister for European affairs Clement Beaune tweeted, citing the conclusions agreed by the bloc's 27 leaders. AFP quoted a diplomat who said that the sanctions would target individuals and that further measures could be imposed "if Turkey pursues its actions" EU leaders did not agree to seek an arms embargo. They did not also seek to target entire sector of Turkey's economy. But the conclusions, released by a European Council spokesman, called for a list to be drawn up of targets for "restrictive measures". The leaders mandated chief EU diplomat Josep Borrell to prepare a report on more measures that could be taken to "expand the scope" of the action, to be submitted by next March. "The idea is to turn the vice progressively," a diplomat said. "Turkey has engaged in unilateral actions and provocations and escalated its rhetoric against the EU, EU Member States and European leaders," the leaders said. Also Read | US set to sanction Turkey over Russian defence system "Turkish unilateral and provocative activities in the Eastern Mediterranean are still taking place, including in Cyprus's exclusive economic zone." On the eve of the EU summit, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed the sanctions threat. "Turkey does not care much about any sanctions decision to be made by the EU," he said. "The EU has never treated us honestly. The EU has never stood by any promise it has given us but we always remained patient and we are still patient." Greece, with French backing, has led the charge for tougher EU action against Turkey, which has repeatedly sent a gas drilling vessel into disputed waters. (With AFP inputs)

European Union plans to impose more sanctions on Turkey

Despite a month after the peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan was signed, the crisis is far from over.&nbsp;

In the latest, Yerevan has accused Baku of using phosphorous bombs during the fight.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-did-azerbaijan-commit-war-crimes-348935/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Azeri president, on the other hand, has said that the country will not shy of "breaking Armenia's back with an iron fist".&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/azerbaijans-struggle-will-continue-on-many-other-fronts-says-erdogan-during-military-parade-348859">Azerbaijan's struggle will continue on many other fronts, says Erdogan during military parade</a>

And amid the tense ties, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who fuelled this week war, has landed in Baku to survey the reins.&nbsp;

Erdogan received a hero's welcome on his two-day visit to Azerbaijan&nbsp;

He even reviewed a parade where Baku displayed the destroyed Armenian vehicles and dished out hate in plenty.&nbsp;

To the unversed, Erdogan provided military and diplomatic support to Azerbaijan during the conflict and even praised Baku's operations.&nbsp;

He even cheered "brotherly Azerbaijan with all our means and all our hearts".&nbsp;

"If the people of Armenia learn their lessons from what happened in Karabakh, this will be the start of a new era in the region," said Erdogan.&nbsp;

Karabakh is internationally recognised as a territory of Azerbaijan but until recently, it was populated and controlled by ethnic Armenians.&nbsp;

According to the peace deal brokered by Russia, broad strips of Nagorno Karabakh territory were handed over to Azerbaijan.&nbsp;

It also pushed Armenia into an internal political mess as thousands are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan

Even though troops in Baku are celebrating their victory, over 5,000 military personnel died in six weeks of fighting and all this because one man couldn't keep himself from adding fuel to the fire.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Despite a month after the peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan was signed, the crisis is far from over. In the latest, Yerevan has accused Baku of using phosphorous bombs during the fight.

Despite a month after the peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan was signed, the crisis is far from over. In the latest, Yerevan has accused Baku of using phosphorous bombs during the fight. Watch | Azeri president, on the other hand, has said that the country will not shy of "breaking Armenia's back with an iron fist". Also read | Azerbaijan's struggle will continue on many other fronts, says Erdogan during military parade And amid the tense ties, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who fuelled this week war, has landed in Baku to survey the reins. Erdogan received a hero's welcome on his two-day visit to Azerbaijan He even reviewed a parade where Baku displayed the destroyed Armenian vehicles and dished out hate in plenty. To the unversed, Erdogan provided military and diplomatic support to Azerbaijan during the conflict and even praised Baku's operations. He even cheered "brotherly Azerbaijan with all our means and all our hearts". "If the people of Armenia learn their lessons from what happened in Karabakh, this will be the start of a new era in the region," said Erdogan. Karabakh is internationally recognised as a territory of Azerbaijan but until recently, it was populated and controlled by ethnic Armenians. According to the peace deal brokered by Russia, broad strips of Nagorno Karabakh territory were handed over to Azerbaijan. It also pushed Armenia into an internal political mess as thousands are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Even though troops in Baku are celebrating their victory, over 5,000 military personnel died in six weeks of fighting and all this because one man couldn't keep himself from adding fuel to the fire.

Erdogan, who fuelled Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict arrives in Baku

European Union leaders decided to draw up a list of Turkish target to impose the sanctions on Friday. These sanctions are in response to Turkey's activities of prospecting for gas in Greek and Cypriot waters.

European Union set to impose sanctions on Turkey

WASHINGTON — No longer restrained by President Donald Trump’s affection for Turkey’s authoritarian leader, U.S. officials and Congress are using the waning days of his presidency to ready sanctions and strike a strident tone against the strategic but unreliable ally.

Turkey, a member of NATO, has vexed the administration almost since its start. That has been as much Trump’s doing — and his admiration for its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan — as that of actions by the government in Ankara, which has abused human rights, imprisoned Americans and journalists, and muscled into confrontations from Syria to Libya to the Caucasus to the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/prez-erdogan-says-turkey-will-not-bow-to-threats-348240/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

&nbsp;

The redirection of U.S. policy also will require President-elect Joe Biden to carefully bring Turkey back into the West’s embrace and keep from pushing it closer to Russia.

“For years, President Trump has personally shielded Erdogan and Turkey,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. He said the incoming Biden administration “will be an important check on Erdogan’s efforts to expand his influence at our expense, in a way that undermines our interests.”

“It’s a little bit of a crossroads for Erdogan,” Van Hollen said in a recent interview. “He’s going to have to make a decision — is he going to be the faithful NATO ally, or is he going to go it alone in the region?”

Congress is poised this week to approve economic sanctions against Turkey for buying Russian missile defense systems early in Trump’s term, potentially exposing NATO military technology to Moscow. Trump stalled the sanctions last year, after the defense systems were delivered to Turkey.

For the first time, and after Ankara tested the system this fall, White House officials have informed Turkish diplomats that the Trump administration will not oppose the congressional sanctions, according to two people involved in the discussions.

Instead, they said, the sanctions are meant in part to warn Egypt, India, Saudi Arabia and other nations that have signaled interest in purchasing Russian military equipment.

At a meeting of foreign ministers from NATO nations last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized Turkey on several fronts, according to a person briefed on his comments. His statements — against Turkey’s defense purchases, its exploration of natural gas in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and its support of foreign forces in external conflicts such as Libya — showed that Pompeo had wearied of trying to temper rising tensions among European allies and American lawmakers.

“We are concerned about some of the Turkish behavior,” Kay Bailey Hutchison, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, told reporters ahead of the foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels. “The idea that you could put a Russian-made missile defense system in the middle of our alliance is out of bounds.”

The European Union is weighing its own sanctions against Turkey as retaliation for separate disputes with Greece, Cyprus and Germany in a decision that could come as soon as Thursday, according to a European diplomat in Washington.

Taken together, Turkey is feeling increasingly isolated, according to a senior official in its government.

Last month’s basing of a U.S. Navy expeditionary ship at Souda Bay, off the Greek coast, signaled that Turkey was no longer the key U.S. ally in the Eastern Mediterranean, the senior official said.

The Abraham accords brokered this fall by the Trump administration — fostering normalized relationships among Israel and three Arab states, Bahrain, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates — harnessed Middle Eastern countries that are hostile to the Muslim Brotherhood. The Islamist movement is supported by Erdogan.

The senior Turkish official also described feeling snubbed by Pompeo’s visits this fall to rivals in Cyprus and Greece and then his tour of Istanbul with his wife in November instead of going to Ankara to meet with government leaders.

The expected sanctions are sure to hammer Turkey’s already strained economy and may force Erdogan to pull back from most of his military missions abroad. (One exception would be in neighboring Syria, where Turkey is battling Islamic State militants and American-backed Kurdish fighters; Erdogan considers both of the groups to be terrorists and is unlikely to retreat.)

Experts warn that this could push Turkey into Russia’s arms if Biden is not careful.

“Relations with Turkey will be a major, urgent question for the Biden administration,” said James F. Jeffrey, a former U.S. ambassador to Turkey and Iraq who retired last month as the State Department’s special envoy for Syria policy and the coalition to defeat the Islamic State.

“Given the country’s size, location, economic and military power, and the pro-Western sentiments of the population — if not its president — does it make sense to sideline Turkey or push it into the Russian camp?” Jeffrey said.

He noted that Turkey and Russia have been on opposite sides in ongoing conflicts in Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. It also remains a critical NATO ally in Iraq and Afghanistan, and opposes Iran’s regional advances.

The senior Turkish official described Erdogan’s interests as ultimately having more in common with the West than with Russia. But, he said, how the Biden administration approaches the dispute over the missile defense systems will be a first test.

It is far from certain a compromise can be struck. But the Turkish official said Biden’s advisers have indicated in low-level discussions they were open to considering compromises as they are proposed, including convening a NATO working group to look at whether Russia could indeed penetrate Western military systems through the missile defense systems.

A spokesman for Biden’s transition team declined to comment.

The senior Turkish official also said that Biden’s advisers have made clear they will engage with Turkey through traditional and technical diplomatic channels — and not rely on the kind of spontaneous and direct lines of communication that marked the relationship between Trump and Erdogan.

That was welcome news to the Turks, the senior official said.

WASHINGTON — No longer restrained by President Donald Trump’s affection for Turkey’s authoritarian leader, U.S. officials and Congress are using the waning days of his presidency to ready sanctions and strike a strident tone against the strategic but unreliable ally.

WASHINGTON — No longer restrained by President Donald Trump’s affection for Turkey’s authoritarian leader, U.S. officials and Congress are using the waning days of his presidency to ready sanctions and strike a strident tone against the strategic but unreliable ally. Turkey, a member of NATO, has vexed the administration almost since its start. That has been as much Trump’s doing — and his admiration for its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan — as that of actions by the government in Ankara, which has abused human rights, imprisoned Americans and journalists, and muscled into confrontations from Syria to Libya to the Caucasus to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Watch | The redirection of U.S. policy also will require President-elect Joe Biden to carefully bring Turkey back into the West’s embrace and keep from pushing it closer to Russia. “For years, President Trump has personally shielded Erdogan and Turkey,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. He said the incoming Biden administration “will be an important check on Erdogan’s efforts to expand his influence at our expense, in a way that undermines our interests.” “It’s a little bit of a crossroads for Erdogan,” Van Hollen said in a recent interview. “He’s going to have to make a decision — is he going to be the faithful NATO ally, or is he going to go it alone in the region?” Congress is poised this week to approve economic sanctions against Turkey for buying Russian missile defense systems early in Trump’s term, potentially exposing NATO military technology to Moscow. Trump stalled the sanctions last year, after the defense systems were delivered to Turkey. For the first time, and after Ankara tested the system this fall, White House officials have informed Turkish diplomats that the Trump administration will not oppose the congressional sanctions, according to two people involved in the discussions. Instead, they said, the sanctions are meant in part to warn Egypt, India, Saudi Arabia and other nations that have signaled interest in purchasing Russian military equipment. At a meeting of foreign ministers from NATO nations last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized Turkey on several fronts, according to a person briefed on his comments. His statements — against Turkey’s defense purchases, its exploration of natural gas in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and its support of foreign forces in external conflicts such as Libya — showed that Pompeo had wearied of trying to temper rising tensions among European allies and American lawmakers. “We are concerned about some of the Turkish behavior,” Kay Bailey Hutchison, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, told reporters ahead of the foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels. “The idea that you could put a Russian-made missile defense system in the middle of our alliance is out of bounds.” The European Union is weighing its own sanctions against Turkey as retaliation for separate disputes with Greece, Cyprus and Germany in a decision that could come as soon as Thursday, according to a European diplomat in Washington. Taken together, Turkey is feeling increasingly isolated, according to a senior official in its government. Last month’s basing of a U.S. Navy expeditionary ship at Souda Bay, off the Greek coast, signaled that Turkey was no longer the key U.S. ally in the Eastern Mediterranean, the senior official said. The Abraham accords brokered this fall by the Trump administration — fostering normalized relationships among Israel and three Arab states, Bahrain, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates — harnessed Middle Eastern countries that are hostile to the Muslim Brotherhood. The Islamist movement is supported by Erdogan. The senior Turkish official also described feeling snubbed by Pompeo’s visits this fall to rivals in Cyprus and Greece and then his tour of Istanbul with his wife in November instead of going to Ankara to meet with government leaders. The expected sanctions are sure to hammer Turkey’s already strained economy and may force Erdogan to pull back from most of his military missions abroad. (One exception would be in neighboring Syria, where Turkey is battling Islamic State militants and American-backed Kurdish fighters; Erdogan considers both of the groups to be terrorists and is unlikely to retreat.) Experts warn that this could push Turkey into Russia’s arms if Biden is not careful. “Relations with Turkey will be a major, urgent question for the Biden administration,” said James F. Jeffrey, a former U.S. ambassador to Turkey and Iraq who retired last month as the State Department’s special envoy for Syria policy and the coalition to defeat the Islamic State. “Given the country’s size, location, economic and military power, and the pro-Western sentiments of the population — if not its president — does it make sense to sideline Turkey or push it into the Russian camp?” Jeffrey said. He noted that Turkey and Russia have been on opposite sides in ongoing conflicts in Syria, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. It also remains a critical NATO ally in Iraq and Afghanistan, and opposes Iran’s regional advances. The senior Turkish official described Erdogan’s interests as ultimately having more in common with the West than with Russia. But, he said, how the Biden administration approaches the dispute over the missile defense systems will be a first test. It is far from certain a compromise can be struck. But the Turkish official said Biden’s advisers have indicated in low-level discussions they were open to considering compromises as they are proposed, including convening a NATO working group to look at whether Russia could indeed penetrate Western military systems through the missile defense systems. A spokesman for Biden’s transition team declined to comment. The senior Turkish official also said that Biden’s advisers have made clear they will engage with Turkey through traditional and technical diplomatic channels — and not rely on the kind of spontaneous and direct lines of communication that marked the relationship between Trump and Erdogan. That was welcome news to the Turks, the senior official said.

US takes tougher tone with Turkey as Trump exits

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country would not “bow down to threats and blackmail" in his disputes with Greece. This comes as European Union foreign ministers meet in Brussels to discuss the issue of sanctions over the dispute.

Prez Erdogan says, Turkey will not bow to threats

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday described President Emmanuel Macron as a 'burden' on France and said that he hopes the country will soon get rid of him.

Hope France gets rid of Macron 'burden' soon, says Erdogan

France is investigating 76 mosques that could pose a threat to national security. As the crackdown gets underway, French Muslims have raised fears of alienation. Molly Gambhir gets you both sides of the story.

Gravitas: France begins crackdown on extremism

European Leaders will meet next week to discuss a range of issues. A proposal to sanction Turkey could come up for discussion. Reportedly, France is leading a push for EU sanctions against Turkey. Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: France pushes for sanctions against Turkey at the European Union

Turkey's President Recep Erdogan has fueled religious hatred, questioned Macron's mental health, and provoked European countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. Will the E.U. get back at Turkey? Molly Gambhir makes a case.

Gravitas: Will the E.U. sanction Turkey?

Turkey on Sunday condemned killing of top Iranian nuclear scientist as an act of "terrorism". It also said that the killing disturbed peace in the region. Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed on Friday (November 27) in an armed attack. The killing has resulted in tension in the region. Iran has accused Israel for the killing.

"We regret the death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh following an armed attack. We condemn this heinous murder and offer our condolences to the Iranian government and the dead man's relatives," Ankara's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement further said that Turkey was against all forms of terrorism irrespective of who the perpetrators were.

"Turkey is against all initiatives aimed at disrupting peace in the region and against all forms of terrorism, no matter who their perpetrator or target are."

Ankara also urged "all parties to act with common sense and restraint".

Fakhrizadeh, 59, was killed on Friday in a car bomb and gun attack against his own vehicle, the Iranian defence ministry said.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/assassination-in-iran-could-limit-bidens-options-was-that-the-goal-346211">Assassination in Iran could limit Biden’s options. Was that the goal?</a> 
 
The ministry said that Fakhrizadeh was head of its research and innovation department.

Turkey and Iran are regional powers with a history of complex relations.

While they often line up on opposing sides, recent years have seen them build up cooperation in some areas like energy.

Both are fierce opponents of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Turkey on Sunday condemned killing of top Iranian nuclear scientist as an act of "terrorism". It also said that the killing disturbed peace in the region. Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed on Friday (November 27) in an armed attack.

Turkey on Sunday condemned killing of top Iranian nuclear scientist as an act of "terrorism". It also said that the killing disturbed peace in the region. Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed on Friday (November 27) in an armed attack. The killing has resulted in tension in the region. Iran has accused Israel for the killing. "We regret the death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh following an armed attack. We condemn this heinous murder and offer our condolences to the Iranian government and the dead man's relatives," Ankara's foreign ministry said in a statement. The statement further said that Turkey was against all forms of terrorism irrespective of who the perpetrators were. "Turkey is against all initiatives aimed at disrupting peace in the region and against all forms of terrorism, no matter who their perpetrator or target are." Ankara also urged "all parties to act with common sense and restraint". Fakhrizadeh, 59, was killed on Friday in a car bomb and gun attack against his own vehicle, the Iranian defence ministry said. Also Read | Assassination in Iran could limit Biden’s options. Was that the goal? The ministry said that Fakhrizadeh was head of its research and innovation department. Turkey and Iran are regional powers with a history of complex relations. While they often line up on opposing sides, recent years have seen them build up cooperation in some areas like energy. Both are fierce opponents of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Turkey condemns Iranian scientist killing as act of terrorism

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that his country, an official candidate for European Union membership, sees itself as an inseparable part of Europe but will not give in to attacks and double standards.

Erdogan says Turkey sees itself a part of Europe

After stoking the rage of extremists against Europe, Erdogan has made a U-turn. The Turkish President is insisting that #Turkey is part of Europe & wants to resolve problems through dialogue.

Gravitas: Erdogan's new-found love for Europe

Turkish President&nbsp;Recep&nbsp;Tayyip Erdogan's&nbsp;outreach to his country's diaspora&nbsp;is inflaming tensions with Europe.

From stoking the rage of extremists to justifying violence in the name of terror, Erdogan has been lambasted by European leaders for several reasons.

However, now Erdogan has taken a u-turn and decided to play the victim card. He said on Sunday that his country, an official candidate for European Union membership, sees itself as an inseparable part of Europe but will not give in to attacks and double standards.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germany-accuses-turkey-of-obstructing-libya-peace-344921" hreflang="en">Germany accuses Turkey of obstructing Libya peace</a>

At one point Turkey had pursued a track towards EU membership, but it encountered opposition from several EU members and has pulled back under&nbsp;Erdogan's leadership.

But on Saturday he said: "We don't see ourselves elsewhere but in Europe. We envisage building our future together with Europe."

Turkey has no problem with any country or institution "that cannot be resolved through politics, diplomacy or dialogue," he added.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-greece-turkey-are-fighting-over-hydrocarbons-in-mediterranean-sea-320304">Why Greece, Turkey are fighting over hydrocarbons in Mediterranean Sea</a>

Erdogan's message comes as EU leaders are to decide at a December summit whether to impose further sanctions in response to recent Turkish activity.

Its exploration ship Oruc Reis remains at the centre of tensions with Brussels and on Saturday, Ankara extended its mission until November 29, despite protests from Athens.

A Greek foreign ministry statement denounced the move as "illegal conduct, which further undermines any prospect for a constructive dialogue.&nbsp;

"These actions, which essentially cancel any prospect for improving EU-Turkey relations, are taking place, while Turkish officials state that their country's accession to the EU is a 'strategic priority,'" the ministry said.&nbsp;

Turkey's drilling activities in a disputed part of the eastern Mediterranean have raised tensions with the EU as Turkey locked in a dispute with and Greece and Cyprus over the extent of their continental shelves and hydrocarbon resources.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said this month that Turkey's rhetoric on Cyprus was aggravating tensions with the EU and Ankara had to understand that its behaviour was "widening its separation" from the bloc.

The EU will discuss Turkey's pursuit of natural gas exploration in contested waters in the eastern Mediterranean at their next summit in December, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday.

"We do not believe that we have any problems with countries or institutions that cannot be solved through politics, dialogue and negotiations,"&nbsp;Erdogan&nbsp;said.

Erdogan, connected to the event through videolink, said that the EU should keep its promises regarding the migrants issue and making Turkey a full member of the bloc. He was referring to a 2016 deal under which Ankara curbed migrant entries into Europe in exchange for financial help and visa-free travel in the Schengen region.

Turkey recently extended the seismic survey work being carried out by its Oruc Reis ship in a disputed part of the eastern Mediterranean until Nov. 29, according to a naval notice.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's outreach to his country's diaspora is inflaming tensions with Europe. From stoking the rage of extremists to justifying violence in the name of terror, Erdogan has been lambasted by European leaders for several reasons.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's outreach to his country's diaspora is inflaming tensions with Europe. From stoking the rage of extremists to justifying violence in the name of terror, Erdogan has been lambasted by European leaders for several reasons. However, now Erdogan has taken a u-turn and decided to play the victim card. He said on Sunday that his country, an official candidate for European Union membership, sees itself as an inseparable part of Europe but will not give in to attacks and double standards. Also read: Germany accuses Turkey of obstructing Libya peace At one point Turkey had pursued a track towards EU membership, but it encountered opposition from several EU members and has pulled back under Erdogan's leadership. But on Saturday he said: "We don't see ourselves elsewhere but in Europe. We envisage building our future together with Europe." Turkey has no problem with any country or institution "that cannot be resolved through politics, diplomacy or dialogue," he added. Also read: Why Greece, Turkey are fighting over hydrocarbons in Mediterranean Sea Erdogan's message comes as EU leaders are to decide at a December summit whether to impose further sanctions in response to recent Turkish activity. Its exploration ship Oruc Reis remains at the centre of tensions with Brussels and on Saturday, Ankara extended its mission until November 29, despite protests from Athens. A Greek foreign ministry statement denounced the move as "illegal conduct, which further undermines any prospect for a constructive dialogue. "These actions, which essentially cancel any prospect for improving EU-Turkey relations, are taking place, while Turkish officials state that their country's accession to the EU is a 'strategic priority,'" the ministry said. Turkey's drilling activities in a disputed part of the eastern Mediterranean have raised tensions with the EU as Turkey locked in a dispute with and Greece and Cyprus over the extent of their continental shelves and hydrocarbon resources. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said this month that Turkey's rhetoric on Cyprus was aggravating tensions with the EU and Ankara had to understand that its behaviour was "widening its separation" from the bloc. The EU will discuss Turkey's pursuit of natural gas exploration in contested waters in the eastern Mediterranean at their next summit in December, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday. "We do not believe that we have any problems with countries or institutions that cannot be solved through politics, dialogue and negotiations," Erdogan said. Erdogan, connected to the event through videolink, said that the EU should keep its promises regarding the migrants issue and making Turkey a full member of the bloc. He was referring to a 2016 deal under which Ankara curbed migrant entries into Europe in exchange for financial help and visa-free travel in the Schengen region. Turkey recently extended the seismic survey work being carried out by its Oruc Reis ship in a disputed part of the eastern Mediterranean until Nov. 29, according to a naval notice.

Turkey's outreach to Europe is inflaming tensions

Germany on Monday accused Turkey of&nbsp;obstructing peace in&nbsp;Libya after it prevented German forces belonging to a European Union military mission carrying out a full search of a Turkish cargo ship that they suspected of taking weapons to Libya.

Soldiers from the frigate Hamburg boarded the Turkish freighter, the Rosaline A, overnight, but had to abandon checks and withdraw after Turkey protested to the EU mission, the German defence ministry said.

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In picture:&nbsp;German Navy armed personnel stand in front of the Frigate Hamburg, docked at Port Rashid/REUTERS

The frigate was operating in the Mediterranean as part of the EU's Irini mission, which aims to stop arms reaching the warring factions in Libya.

"By the time the soldiers left the ship, they had not found anything suspicious," a German defence ministry spokesman said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-greece-turkey-are-fighting-over-hydrocarbons-in-mediterranean-sea-320304">Why Greece, Turkey are fighting over hydrocarbons in Mediterranean Sea</a>

European states involved in efforts to end the conflict in Libya on Monday threatened sanctions against any parties or countries (Turkey)&nbsp;that harm the fragile peace process.

Britain, France, Germany and Italy in a joint statement urged "all Libyan and international parties to refrain from any parallel and uncoordinated initiative" that risked undermining the UN-led efforts.&nbsp;

Their statement said they were "ready to take measures against those who obstruct" the process, plunder state funds or commit rights abuses.&nbsp;

It did not name other states but Europe has in the past accused both Russia and&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;of interfering in Libya.

Moscow has been accused of backing mercenaries fighting the UN-backed Tripoli Government of National Accord (GNA) while&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;has deployed its military as well as drones to back the GNA.

The four European countries said they welcomed the roadmap agreed by the Libyan parties to pave the way to national elections scheduled for December 24 following an October ceasefire deal.

"This is an important step to restore Libya's sovereignty and the democratic legitimacy of its institutions," the statement said.

It said that the four countries shared the opposition of Libyans "to all foreign interference, and support their willingness to come together in peaceful and patriotic dialogue".

French President Emmanuel Macron has been a particularly vocal critic of&nbsp;Turkey's role in the Libya conflict, accusing it of seeking new influence in the eastern Mediterranean, in one of a number of issues that have triggered grave tensions between Paris and Ankara.

Last month's ceasefire formally ended fighting between forces of the Ankara-backed GNA and those of eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar, who was long favoured by Russia.

The ceasefire aims to end years of conflict following the 2011 killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

Stephanie Williams, UN acting special envoy for Libya, said last week that rival forces in Libya had failed to begin withdrawing as required under an October ceasefire agreement.

Germany on Monday accused Turkey of obstructing peace in Libya after it prevented German forces belonging to a European Union military mission carrying out a full search of a Turkish cargo ship that they suspected of taking weapons to Libya.

Germany on Monday accused Turkey of obstructing peace in Libya after it prevented German forces belonging to a European Union military mission carrying out a full search of a Turkish cargo ship that they suspected of taking weapons to Libya. Soldiers from the frigate Hamburg boarded the Turkish freighter, the Rosaline A, overnight, but had to abandon checks and withdraw after Turkey protested to the EU mission, the German defence ministry said. In picture: German Navy armed personnel stand in front of the Frigate Hamburg, docked at Port Rashid/REUTERS The frigate was operating in the Mediterranean as part of the EU's Irini mission, which aims to stop arms reaching the warring factions in Libya. "By the time the soldiers left the ship, they had not found anything suspicious," a German defence ministry spokesman said. Also read: Why Greece, Turkey are fighting over hydrocarbons in Mediterranean Sea European states involved in efforts to end the conflict in Libya on Monday threatened sanctions against any parties or countries (Turkey) that harm the fragile peace process. Britain, France, Germany and Italy in a joint statement urged "all Libyan and international parties to refrain from any parallel and uncoordinated initiative" that risked undermining the UN-led efforts. Their statement said they were "ready to take measures against those who obstruct" the process, plunder state funds or commit rights abuses. It did not name other states but Europe has in the past accused both Russia and Turkey of interfering in Libya. Moscow has been accused of backing mercenaries fighting the UN-backed Tripoli Government of National Accord (GNA) while Turkey has deployed its military as well as drones to back the GNA. The four European countries said they welcomed the roadmap agreed by the Libyan parties to pave the way to national elections scheduled for December 24 following an October ceasefire deal. "This is an important step to restore Libya's sovereignty and the democratic legitimacy of its institutions," the statement said. It said that the four countries shared the opposition of Libyans "to all foreign interference, and support their willingness to come together in peaceful and patriotic dialogue". French President Emmanuel Macron has been a particularly vocal critic of Turkey's role in the Libya conflict, accusing it of seeking new influence in the eastern Mediterranean, in one of a number of issues that have triggered grave tensions between Paris and Ankara. Last month's ceasefire formally ended fighting between forces of the Ankara-backed GNA and those of eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar, who was long favoured by Russia. The ceasefire aims to end years of conflict following the 2011 killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi. Stephanie Williams, UN acting special envoy for Libya, said last week that rival forces in Libya had failed to begin withdrawing as required under an October ceasefire agreement.

Germany accuses Turkey of obstructing Libya peace

President Emmanuel Macron on&nbsp;Friday accused Turkey and Russia of seeking to promote anti-French sentiment in Africa by funding people who whip up resentment against France through the media.

"We must not be naive on this subject: many of those who speak, who make videos, who are present in the French-speaking media are funded by Russia or Turkey," he told Jeune Afrique magazine, accusing Moscow and Ankara of seeking "to play on post-colonial resentment" in Africa.

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Macron's latest statement comes amid&nbsp;increasing conflict with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who had asked him for getting&nbsp;''mental health check-ups'' due to his stance on the cartoons of Prophet Mohammad.
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France wants international supervision to implement a ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict amid concerns in Paris that Russia and Turkey could strike a deal to cut out Western powers from future peace talks, the presidency said on Thursday.

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Macron ruled out negotiating with jihadist groups in the Sahel region of Africa, where France has a thousands-strong force deployed, in an interview published Friday.

"We don't talk with terrorists. We fight," Macron told the Jeune Afrique magazine, as debates intensify in France and Africa over the long-term strategy of the Barkhane force.

In a wide-ranging interview, he also accused Guinea's President Alpha Conde of organising a referendum on constitutional changes "solely to be able to keep power", adding that the situation in the country was "serious" following post-election unrest.

President Emmanuel Macron on Friday accused Turkey and Russia of seeking to promote anti-French sentiment in Africa by funding people who whip up resentment against France through the media.

President Emmanuel Macron on Friday accused Turkey and Russia of seeking to promote anti-French sentiment in Africa by funding people who whip up resentment against France through the media. "We must not be naive on this subject: many of those who speak, who make videos, who are present in the French-speaking media are funded by Russia or Turkey," he told Jeune Afrique magazine, accusing Moscow and Ankara of seeking "to play on post-colonial resentment" in Africa. × Macron's latest statement comes amid increasing conflict with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who had asked him for getting ''mental health check-ups'' due to his stance on the cartoons of Prophet Mohammad. France wants international supervision to implement a ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict amid concerns in Paris that Russia and Turkey could strike a deal to cut out Western powers from future peace talks, the presidency said on Thursday. Macron ruled out negotiating with jihadist groups in the Sahel region of Africa, where France has a thousands-strong force deployed, in an interview published Friday. "We don't talk with terrorists. We fight," Macron told the Jeune Afrique magazine, as debates intensify in France and Africa over the long-term strategy of the Barkhane force. In a wide-ranging interview, he also accused Guinea's President Alpha Conde of organising a referendum on constitutional changes "solely to be able to keep power", adding that the situation in the country was "serious" following post-election unrest.

Turkey and Russia promoting anti-France sentiment, says Emmanuel Macron

Turkish authorities have issued arrest warrants for 101 people including lawyers in a wide-scale operation aimed at outlawed Kurdish militants, a judicial source said on Friday.&nbsp;

Police conducted simultaneous raids in Diyarbakir, in the Kurdish-majority southeast, Istanbul, Izmir and Adiyaman as part of an investigation into the Democratic Society Congress (DTK).

The group is accused of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/german-mps-urge-review-of-turkish-ultra-nationalist-grey-wolves-344048">Also read|&nbsp;German MPs urge review of Turkish ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves</a>

Turkey and its Western allies designate the PKK a terror group. It has waged an insurgency against the state since 1984 which is believed to have killed tens of thousands.&nbsp;

Police rounded up at least 72 suspects, including 24 lawyers, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

Four others could not detained as they had tested positive for the coronavirus, the source said.

The Diyarbakir bar association condemned the latest arrests, which targeted 17 of its members.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-sparks-turkish-fury-with-plans-to-ban-grey-wolves-nationalist-group-340017">France sparks Turkish fury with plans to ban ‘Grey Wolves’ nationalist group</a>

"The Diyarbakir bar has never bowed to the threat of detentions and arrests and will never do so," it said in a statement on Twitter.&nbsp;

"These operations indicate a desire to stifle the voice of the Diyarbakir bar and is a direct intervention in the activities of the civil society."

The opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has also been on the radar of Turkish authorities for its alleged links to the PKK and dozens of its mayors -- elected in the 2019 local elections -- have been ousted.&nbsp;

The HDP is Turkey's second-largest opposition group in the parliament.

Turkish authorities have issued arrest warrants for 101 people including lawyers in a wide-scale operation aimed at outlawed Kurdish militants, a judicial source said on Friday.

Turkish authorities have issued arrest warrants for 101 people including lawyers in a wide-scale operation aimed at outlawed Kurdish militants, a judicial source said on Friday. Police conducted simultaneous raids in Diyarbakir, in the Kurdish-majority southeast, Istanbul, Izmir and Adiyaman as part of an investigation into the Democratic Society Congress (DTK). The group is accused of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Also read| German MPs urge review of Turkish ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves Turkey and its Western allies designate the PKK a terror group. It has waged an insurgency against the state since 1984 which is believed to have killed tens of thousands. Police rounded up at least 72 suspects, including 24 lawyers, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP. Four others could not detained as they had tested positive for the coronavirus, the source said. The Diyarbakir bar association condemned the latest arrests, which targeted 17 of its members. Also read| France sparks Turkish fury with plans to ban ‘Grey Wolves’ nationalist group "The Diyarbakir bar has never bowed to the threat of detentions and arrests and will never do so," it said in a statement on Twitter. "These operations indicate a desire to stifle the voice of the Diyarbakir bar and is a direct intervention in the activities of the civil society." The opposition pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has also been on the radar of Turkish authorities for its alleged links to the PKK and dozens of its mayors -- elected in the 2019 local elections -- have been ousted. The HDP is Turkey's second-largest opposition group in the parliament.

Turkey orders arrest of 101 over alleged PKK links

German lawmakers on Wednesday called on the government to consider banning a Turkish ultra-nationalist group known as the Grey Wolves, shortly after France said it would outlaw the group.

MPs in the lower house accused the Grey Wolves, seen as a wing of a party allied to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, of harbouring a "nationalist and racist ideology".

The MPs backed a motion asking the government to "monitor closely the activities of the movement in Germany and to counter them resolutely by means of our rule of law".

There are around 11,000 Turkish right-wing extremists in Germany, the motion said.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-sparks-turkish-fury-with-plans-to-ban-grey-wolves-nationalist-group-340017">France sparks Turkish fury with plans to ban ‘Grey Wolves’ nationalist group</a>

France announced in early November that it would ban the Grey Wolves after a memorial centre to mass killings of Armenians during World War I was defaced with graffiti including the name of the group.

The incident came against a background of sharp tension in France between its Armenian and Turkish communities over the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

In Turkey, the Grey Wolves are closely linked to the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which has a political alliance with Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The Grey Wolves are regarded as the militant wing of the MHP and caused havoc on the streets in Turkey during the 1970s and 1980s when its members frequently clashed with leftist activists.

German lawmakers on Wednesday called on the government to consider banning a Turkish ultra-nationalist group known as the Grey Wolves, shortly after France said it would outlaw the group.

German lawmakers on Wednesday called on the government to consider banning a Turkish ultra-nationalist group known as the Grey Wolves, shortly after France said it would outlaw the group. MPs in the lower house accused the Grey Wolves, seen as a wing of a party allied to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, of harbouring a "nationalist and racist ideology". The MPs backed a motion asking the government to "monitor closely the activities of the movement in Germany and to counter them resolutely by means of our rule of law". There are around 11,000 Turkish right-wing extremists in Germany, the motion said. Also read| France sparks Turkish fury with plans to ban ‘Grey Wolves’ nationalist group France announced in early November that it would ban the Grey Wolves after a memorial centre to mass killings of Armenians during World War I was defaced with graffiti including the name of the group. The incident came against a background of sharp tension in France between its Armenian and Turkish communities over the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. In Turkey, the Grey Wolves are closely linked to the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which has a political alliance with Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP). The Grey Wolves are regarded as the militant wing of the MHP and caused havoc on the streets in Turkey during the 1970s and 1980s when its members frequently clashed with leftist activists.

German MPs urge review of Turkish ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves

As the rift between France and Muslim countries has widened, French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Jordan Bardella has called for strict sanctions against Turkey and Pakistan in order to make "European solidarity tangible".

Concerned over terrorism emanating from these countries Bardella demanded "real financial or trade sanctions" against Ankara, Islamabad, Kuwait city and Doha.

France in last one month has witnessed several terror attacks after Charlie Hebdo announced the republishing of a controversial caricature of Prophet Muhammed and French President Emmanuel Macron refused to criticise it in early October.

Protests erupted in Muslims countries over the incident. Social media users in many Muslim countries joined calls to boycott French goods.

On October 16, a terrorist beheaded a secondary school teacher Samuel Paty who used controversial cartoons published by Charlie Hebdo in his classes. On the morning of October 30, another terrorist attack occurred when a man stabbed three people to death and wounded several others in a church in Nice.

On November 2, an Islamist terrorist went on a deadly rampage in Vienna shooting dead four people and injuring more than 20 others in the city centre before he was killed by police.

"Ongoing tragedy and terrorism continues on European soil and Europe struggles to find a common solution to the constant killings of innocent victims at the hand of the terrorists and extremists," the European Chronicle reported.

In light of this, on 28 October 2020, French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Jordan Bardella posed a parliamentary question to the European Commission. Following his own statement "over and beyond feeble statements concerning the Turkish President's 'unacceptable' comments," MEP Bardella requested to know if the Commission is "planning to adopt any real financial or trade sanctions against countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, Kuwait and Qatar, in order to reassert our common values and make European solidarity tangible?"Over recent months and weeks, European parliamentarians have raised increasing concerns regarding terrorism and extremism emanating from countries like Turkey and Pakistan.

The European Commission is expected to answer the questions of MEP Bardella in the coming weeks.

French Member of European Parliament (MEP) Nicolas Bay has also asked the European Union (EU) to stop "showering" Ankara and Islamabad with subsidies and customs facilities and instead put sanctions against them.

"During the European Parliamentary plenary of November 11, French MEP Nicolas Bay from the Identity and Democracy Group had strong words against European aid to Pakistan and Turkey in light of threats coming from both countries. MEP Bay's comments were made in the context of a debate on the 'fight against terrorism, freedom of expression and education'," a press statement read.

Speaking to the European Commissioner Ylva Johansson responsible for Home Affairs, Nicolas Bay was critical of the support being given by the European Commission to the countries of concern.

"You are showering countries like Pakistan and Turkey with subsidies and customs facilities. We want to sanction them!"Linking terrorism threats to migration, MEP Bay gave the stark warning that the latest terrorist attacks in Paris had all been committed by migrants arriving in Europe.

(With inputs from agencies)

As the rift between France and Muslim countries has widened, French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Jordan Bardella has called for strict sanctions against Turkey and Pakistan in order to make "European solidarity tangible".

As the rift between France and Muslim countries has widened, French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Jordan Bardella has called for strict sanctions against Turkey and Pakistan in order to make "European solidarity tangible". Concerned over terrorism emanating from these countries Bardella demanded "real financial or trade sanctions" against Ankara, Islamabad, Kuwait city and Doha. France in last one month has witnessed several terror attacks after Charlie Hebdo announced the republishing of a controversial caricature of Prophet Muhammed and French President Emmanuel Macron refused to criticise it in early October. Protests erupted in Muslims countries over the incident. Social media users in many Muslim countries joined calls to boycott French goods. On October 16, a terrorist beheaded a secondary school teacher Samuel Paty who used controversial cartoons published by Charlie Hebdo in his classes. On the morning of October 30, another terrorist attack occurred when a man stabbed three people to death and wounded several others in a church in Nice. On November 2, an Islamist terrorist went on a deadly rampage in Vienna shooting dead four people and injuring more than 20 others in the city centre before he was killed by police. "Ongoing tragedy and terrorism continues on European soil and Europe struggles to find a common solution to the constant killings of innocent victims at the hand of the terrorists and extremists," the European Chronicle reported. In light of this, on 28 October 2020, French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Jordan Bardella posed a parliamentary question to the European Commission. Following his own statement "over and beyond feeble statements concerning the Turkish President's 'unacceptable' comments," MEP Bardella requested to know if the Commission is "planning to adopt any real financial or trade sanctions against countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, Kuwait and Qatar, in order to reassert our common values and make European solidarity tangible?"Over recent months and weeks, European parliamentarians have raised increasing concerns regarding terrorism and extremism emanating from countries like Turkey and Pakistan. The European Commission is expected to answer the questions of MEP Bardella in the coming weeks. French Member of European Parliament (MEP) Nicolas Bay has also asked the European Union (EU) to stop "showering" Ankara and Islamabad with subsidies and customs facilities and instead put sanctions against them. "During the European Parliamentary plenary of November 11, French MEP Nicolas Bay from the Identity and Democracy Group had strong words against European aid to Pakistan and Turkey in light of threats coming from both countries. MEP Bay's comments were made in the context of a debate on the 'fight against terrorism, freedom of expression and education'," a press statement read. Speaking to the European Commissioner Ylva Johansson responsible for Home Affairs, Nicolas Bay was critical of the support being given by the European Commission to the countries of concern. "You are showering countries like Pakistan and Turkey with subsidies and customs facilities. We want to sanction them!"Linking terrorism threats to migration, MEP Bay gave the stark warning that the latest terrorist attacks in Paris had all been committed by migrants arriving in Europe. (With inputs from agencies)

Amid rising terror attacks, Member of European Parliament demands sanctions on Pakistan, Turkey

Due to the economic fall out in pandemic many people in the US don't know where there next meal will come from. As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, Food Bank For New York City gave out turkeys & canned goods to hundreds of families. Many had never imagined needing handouts to survive.

Food bank for New York gives free Turkey for Thanksgiving

France has called European Union to impose financial & trade sanctions on Turkey & Pakistan. French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Jordan Bardella has expressed concerns over terrorism emanating from countries like Turkey and Pakistan.

France demands EU sanctions after terror attacks in Paris, Nice & Vienna

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Cyprus was made of "two separate states". His comments came during his visit to the breakaway Turkish held northern part of Cyprus island. The visit has already been decried as "provocation" by Cyprus. Erdogan's comments have further diminished hopes of reunification of the island into a single country.

"There are two peoples and two separate states in Cyprus," said Erdogan. "There must be talks for a solution on the basis of two separate states."

During his visit, Turkish jets left vapour trails in the sky in the shape of the star and crescent of the Turkish flag -- mirroring a huge flag painted decades ago on a rocky mountainside in the north.

Erdogan's visit to the Turkish-held statelet recognised only by Ankara comes amid heightened tensions on the island and in the Eastern Mediterranean and was condemned as a "provocation without precedent" by the Republic of Cyprus.&nbsp;

His trip marked the 37th anniversary of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) where an estimated 30,000 Turkish troops are stationed. TRNC has recognition only from Turkey.

The Turkish president was later to attend a "picnic" in the disputed beachfront area of Varosha along the UN buffer zone that has divided the island since Turkey's invasion.

(With AFP inputs) 
&nbsp;

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Cyprus was made of "two separate states". His comments came during his visit to the breakaway Turkish held northern part of Cyprus island.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Cyprus was made of "two separate states". His comments came during his visit to the breakaway Turkish held northern part of Cyprus island. The visit has already been decried as "provocation" by Cyprus. Erdogan's comments have further diminished hopes of reunification of the island into a single country. "There are two peoples and two separate states in Cyprus," said Erdogan. "There must be talks for a solution on the basis of two separate states." During his visit, Turkish jets left vapour trails in the sky in the shape of the star and crescent of the Turkish flag -- mirroring a huge flag painted decades ago on a rocky mountainside in the north. Erdogan's visit to the Turkish-held statelet recognised only by Ankara comes amid heightened tensions on the island and in the Eastern Mediterranean and was condemned as a "provocation without precedent" by the Republic of Cyprus. His trip marked the 37th anniversary of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) where an estimated 30,000 Turkish troops are stationed. TRNC has recognition only from Turkey. The Turkish president was later to attend a "picnic" in the disputed beachfront area of Varosha along the UN buffer zone that has divided the island since Turkey's invasion. (With AFP inputs)

Cyprus made up of 'two separate states', says Erdogan

Turkey asked USA to look at human rights violations within its own borders and tackle Islamophobia, racism and hate crimes. The timing of the statement has assumed importance since it has come less than a week before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to visit Istanbul. The statement is being perceived as being emblematic of Turkey's current mood towards the US.

Pompeo will be in Istanbul next Monday. What's interesting is Pompeo will not visit any of Turkey's top officials but will meet Bartholomew I of Constantinople -- the spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox world.

The State Department said Pompeo wanted to "discuss religious issues in Turkey and the region and to promote our strong stance on religious freedom around the world".

The meeting with the patriarch will come four months after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan converted Istanbul's emblematic Hagia Sophia monument into a mosque.

Pompeo publically criticised the conversion in July.

The Turkish foreign ministry called Pompeo's chosen subject matter for the visit "extremely inappropriate".

"It would be better if the United States looked in the mirror and showed the necessary sensitivity to human rights violations such as racism, Islamophobia and hate crimes in its own country," it said in a statement. 
Relations between Washington and its strategic NATO ally have run hot and cold during Donald Trump's presidency.

Erdogan has cultivated close personal relations with Trump and been able to call him up directly to try and influence specific policy decisions.

But Ankara and Washington have also sparred over US support for a Syrian Kurdish militia that Turkey views as a grave security threat.

Erdogan congratulated Joe Biden with his election victory on Tuesday -- three full days after it was called by US media.

He followed that up by sending a separate message to Trump a few hours later expressing thanks for his "warm friendship" and saying he stood by his side "no matter how the official election result is certified".

Turkey asked USA to look at human rights violations within its own borders and tackle Islamophobia, racism and hate crimes. The timing of the statement has assumed importance since it has come less than a week before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to visit Istanbul.

Turkey asked USA to look at human rights violations within its own borders and tackle Islamophobia, racism and hate crimes. The timing of the statement has assumed importance since it has come less than a week before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to visit Istanbul. The statement is being perceived as being emblematic of Turkey's current mood towards the US. Pompeo will be in Istanbul next Monday. What's interesting is Pompeo will not visit any of Turkey's top officials but will meet Bartholomew I of Constantinople -- the spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox world. The State Department said Pompeo wanted to "discuss religious issues in Turkey and the region and to promote our strong stance on religious freedom around the world". The meeting with the patriarch will come four months after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan converted Istanbul's emblematic Hagia Sophia monument into a mosque. Pompeo publically criticised the conversion in July. The Turkish foreign ministry called Pompeo's chosen subject matter for the visit "extremely inappropriate". "It would be better if the United States looked in the mirror and showed the necessary sensitivity to human rights violations such as racism, Islamophobia and hate crimes in its own country," it said in a statement. Relations between Washington and its strategic NATO ally have run hot and cold during Donald Trump's presidency. Erdogan has cultivated close personal relations with Trump and been able to call him up directly to try and influence specific policy decisions. But Ankara and Washington have also sparred over US support for a Syrian Kurdish militia that Turkey views as a grave security threat. Erdogan congratulated Joe Biden with his election victory on Tuesday -- three full days after it was called by US media. He followed that up by sending a separate message to Trump a few hours later expressing thanks for his "warm friendship" and saying he stood by his side "no matter how the official election result is certified".

Turkey slams US less than a week before Mike Pompeo's visit

Rescuers are racing against time to find survivors after the earthquake in Turkey. A lucky few were pulled from the rubble, including a 3-year-old who was trapped for 65 hours under the debris. Palki Sharma Upadhyay gets you the story of Turkey's miraculous survivors.

Gravitas: Turkey's Miraculous Earthquake Survivors

A three-year-old girl was rescued alive from rubble on Monday, days after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit Turkey's Aegean coast.

Turkey: 3-year-old girl rescued 65 hours after earthquake

Turkey is still reeling from the massive earthquake on Friday, with rescuers working non-stop to find survivors.

On Monday - a lucky few were rescued from under the rubble, including a three-year-old - who spent 65 hours trapped in the wreckage. In Izmir, Turkey a powerful earthquake ripped through the city on Friday, and dozens of buildings were reduced to rubble.

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At least 79 people have died, and more than 1,000 have been injured. Hundreds are possibly buried beneath the wreckage. A massive rescue operation is currently underway, and survivors are being pulled out - almost 70 hours after the quake.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/three-year-old-rescued-from-rubble-turkey-quake-death-toll-hits-81-339767" hreflang="en">Three-year-old rescued from rubble, Turkey quake death toll hits 81</a>

Some of them, as young as 3-years-old, like Elif Perincek, who was recently rescued. She was with her mother and three siblings, when her apartment came down.

Rescuers found her amid the rubble, 65 hours later. The man who rescued Elif says she did not let go of his finger - until they reached the first aid tent.

Another survivor, a 14-year-old girl was pulled out after 58 hours. The rescue teams applauded, as she was stretchered off to the hospital.

16-year-old Inci Okan is another survivor, whose dramatic rescue was captured on video.

Here’s an excerpt from when she was rescued.&nbsp; “Sister, i am really scared”, Okan said in Turkish. National medical rescue team member was then heard saying, ‘’don't be afraid. There is nothing to be afraid of."

“Can you hold my hand?”, Okan said.

“Inci, Inci look at me. How long have you been playing violin?”, the rescuer asked her, to which she replied “eleven years”.

Okan is currently in a hospital, and has promised to play violin for her rescuer. Ahmet Citim, another survivor was rescued from the rubble after 33 hours. Ahmet's home was among the 20 residential buildings that collapsed in the quake.

Animals too

Many animals are also trapped in the rubble. A rabbit was pulled out unharmed by rescuers.

And a cat was also brought to safety by firefighters. The earthquake has left hundreds homeless. Many people have sought refuge at a temporary camp in the city.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/turkeys-economy-in-free-fall-as-erdogan-pursues-world-domination-338631" hreflang="en">Turkey's economy in free fall as Erdogan pursues world domination</a>

There are more than 3,000 tents and 13,000 beds at a camp, and authorities have asked people to not enter damaged buildings.

This implies that it could be months before they can return home. More than 3 days have passed since the earthquake, and with each hour the chance of finding survivors diminishes.

Turkey is still reeling from the massive earthquake on Friday, with rescuers working non-stop to find survivors. On Monday - a lucky few were rescued from under the rubble, including a three-year-old - who spent 65 hours trapped in the wreckage.

Turkey is still reeling from the massive earthquake on Friday, with rescuers working non-stop to find survivors. On Monday - a lucky few were rescued from under the rubble, including a three-year-old - who spent 65 hours trapped in the wreckage. In Izmir, Turkey a powerful earthquake ripped through the city on Friday, and dozens of buildings were reduced to rubble. At least 79 people have died, and more than 1,000 have been injured. Hundreds are possibly buried beneath the wreckage. A massive rescue operation is currently underway, and survivors are being pulled out - almost 70 hours after the quake. Also read: Three-year-old rescued from rubble, Turkey quake death toll hits 81 Some of them, as young as 3-years-old, like Elif Perincek, who was recently rescued. She was with her mother and three siblings, when her apartment came down. Rescuers found her amid the rubble, 65 hours later. The man who rescued Elif says she did not let go of his finger - until they reached the first aid tent. Another survivor, a 14-year-old girl was pulled out after 58 hours. The rescue teams applauded, as she was stretchered off to the hospital. 16-year-old Inci Okan is another survivor, whose dramatic rescue was captured on video. Here’s an excerpt from when she was rescued. “Sister, i am really scared”, Okan said in Turkish. National medical rescue team member was then heard saying, ‘’don't be afraid. There is nothing to be afraid of." “Can you hold my hand?”, Okan said. “Inci, Inci look at me. How long have you been playing violin?”, the rescuer asked her, to which she replied “eleven years”. Okan is currently in a hospital, and has promised to play violin for her rescuer. Ahmet Citim, another survivor was rescued from the rubble after 33 hours. Ahmet's home was among the 20 residential buildings that collapsed in the quake. Animals too Many animals are also trapped in the rubble. A rabbit was pulled out unharmed by rescuers. And a cat was also brought to safety by firefighters. The earthquake has left hundreds homeless. Many people have sought refuge at a temporary camp in the city. Also read: Turkey's economy in free fall as Erdogan pursues world domination There are more than 3,000 tents and 13,000 beds at a camp, and authorities have asked people to not enter damaged buildings. This implies that it could be months before they can return home. More than 3 days have passed since the earthquake, and with each hour the chance of finding survivors diminishes.

Stories of miraculous survivors from Turkey in the aftermath of earthquake

More than 800 people were injured from the earthquake that toppled buildings in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, and triggered a small tsunami in the district of Seferihisar and on Samos.

Rescue efforts under way after deadly earthquake in Turkey, Greece

Rescue teams continue to plough through concrete blocks and the debris of collapsed buildings on Sunday in search of survivors of a powerful earthquake that struck Turkey’s Aegean coast and north of the Greek island of Samos on Friday.

The death toll is on a rise -- with multiple&nbsp;reports saying at least 49 people have died.

More than 800 people were injured from the earthquake that toppled buildings in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, and triggered a 'mini' tsunami in the district of Seferihisar and on Samos.

As many as 200 people, or maybe more, were in hospital, AFAD said, and rescuers were still searching eight buildings in Izmir.

Nearly 6,000 rescuers from different agencies and cities worked together to reach survivors, at times hushing the crowds to listen into the rubble with sensitive headphones and crawling through the cracks.&nbsp;

Overnight, 33 hours after the quake, a 55-year-old man named by state news agency Anadolu as Ahmet was pulled out from underneath the rubble to applause of onlookers and taken to hospital.

A 65-year-old man was saved 26 hours after the quake. Rescue teams also saved a mother and her three children from rubble 23 hours after the earthquake.

Two other women, aged 53 and 35, were brought out from the rubble of another toppled two-story building earlier on October 31.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that 103 people have been rescued from the quake's rubble. It was unclear how many more people were trapped under buildings that were levelled.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, or AFAD, said 885 people were injured in Izmir and three other Provinces. The health minister said eight people were being treated in intensive care, with three of them in critical condition.

Two teenagers were killed on the island Samos after being struck by a collapsing wall. At least 19 people were injured on the island, with two, including a 14-year-old, being airlifted to Athens and seven hospitalized on the island, health authorities said.

The small tsunami that hit the Turkish coast also affected Samos, with seawater flooding streets in the main harbour town of Vathi.

The earthquake, which the Istanbul-based Kandilli Institute said had a magnitude of 6.9, was centred in the Aegean northeast of Samos. AFAD said it measured 6.6. and hit at a depth of some 16 km.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the tremor's magnitude at 7.0 -- at a relatively shallow depth of 21 kilometers (13 miles), the USGS reported, making its impact powerfully felt at ground level around the epicentre.

It was felt across the eastern Greek islands and as far as Athens and in Bulgaria. In Turkey, it shook the regions of Aegean and Marmara, including Istanbul.

Authorities warned residents in Izmir not to return to damaged buildings, saying they could collapse in strong aftershocks.

Turkey has reported more than 800 aftershocks following the quake, including 40 that were above four in magnitude.

Tensions between the two nations have flared recently over energy claims in the eastern Mediterranean.

But despite this, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Friday that he had spoken to his Turkish counterpart and offered his condolences.

"Whatever our differences, these are times when our people need to stand together," Mitsotakis wrote on Twitter.

In a tweet, the Turkish president offered his condolences to Greece and said "that two neighbors show solidarity in difficult times is more valuable than many things in life."

According to Erdogan, both Turkey and Greece were ready to send aid to the other.

(with inputs from agencies)

Rescue teams continue to plough through concrete blocks and the debris of collapsed buildings on Sunday in search of survivors of a powerful earthquake that struck Turkey’s Aegean coast and north of the Greek island of Samos on Friday.

Rescue teams continue to plough through concrete blocks and the debris of collapsed buildings on Sunday in search of survivors of a powerful earthquake that struck Turkey’s Aegean coast and north of the Greek island of Samos on Friday. The death toll is on a rise -- with multiple reports saying at least 49 people have died. More than 800 people were injured from the earthquake that toppled buildings in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, and triggered a 'mini' tsunami in the district of Seferihisar and on Samos. As many as 200 people, or maybe more, were in hospital, AFAD said, and rescuers were still searching eight buildings in Izmir. Nearly 6,000 rescuers from different agencies and cities worked together to reach survivors, at times hushing the crowds to listen into the rubble with sensitive headphones and crawling through the cracks. Overnight, 33 hours after the quake, a 55-year-old man named by state news agency Anadolu as Ahmet was pulled out from underneath the rubble to applause of onlookers and taken to hospital. A 65-year-old man was saved 26 hours after the quake. Rescue teams also saved a mother and her three children from rubble 23 hours after the earthquake. Two other women, aged 53 and 35, were brought out from the rubble of another toppled two-story building earlier on October 31. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that 103 people have been rescued from the quake's rubble. It was unclear how many more people were trapped under buildings that were levelled. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, or AFAD, said 885 people were injured in Izmir and three other Provinces. The health minister said eight people were being treated in intensive care, with three of them in critical condition. Two teenagers were killed on the island Samos after being struck by a collapsing wall. At least 19 people were injured on the island, with two, including a 14-year-old, being airlifted to Athens and seven hospitalized on the island, health authorities said. The small tsunami that hit the Turkish coast also affected Samos, with seawater flooding streets in the main harbour town of Vathi. The earthquake, which the Istanbul-based Kandilli Institute said had a magnitude of 6.9, was centred in the Aegean northeast of Samos. AFAD said it measured 6.6. and hit at a depth of some 16 km. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the tremor's magnitude at 7.0 -- at a relatively shallow depth of 21 kilometers (13 miles), the USGS reported, making its impact powerfully felt at ground level around the epicentre. It was felt across the eastern Greek islands and as far as Athens and in Bulgaria. In Turkey, it shook the regions of Aegean and Marmara, including Istanbul. Authorities warned residents in Izmir not to return to damaged buildings, saying they could collapse in strong aftershocks. Turkey has reported more than 800 aftershocks following the quake, including 40 that were above four in magnitude. Tensions between the two nations have flared recently over energy claims in the eastern Mediterranean. But despite this, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Friday that he had spoken to his Turkish counterpart and offered his condolences. "Whatever our differences, these are times when our people need to stand together," Mitsotakis wrote on Twitter. In a tweet, the Turkish president offered his condolences to Greece and said "that two neighbors show solidarity in difficult times is more valuable than many things in life." According to Erdogan, both Turkey and Greece were ready to send aid to the other. (with inputs from agencies)

Rescue efforts underway after Aegean Sea earthquake; at least 49 killed

A powerful earthquake hit Greece and Turkey today. The 7.0 magnitude quake has killed at least 6 people and triggered a mini-tsunami.

Gravitas: Major Earthquake hits Turkey and Greece

The death toll in the powerful earthquake that levelled buildings across Greece and Turkey has risen to 27.

The 7.0&nbsp;magnitude quake killed 25 people and injured 804 on Turkey's western coast after it struck Friday afternoon, with its epicentre off the coastal town of Seferihisar in Izmir province.

Also killing two teenagers on their way home from school in Greece, it caused a mini-tsunami on the Aegean island of Samos and a sea surge that turned streets into rushing rivers in one Turkish coastal town.

Multiple reports say 20 buildings had collapsed, with officials focussing their rescue efforts on 17 of them. The scenes of devastation suggested the toll could rise.

The region's governor said 70 people had been pulled out alive by Friday evening, although how many more were missing remained unknown by sunset.

Felt in both Istanbul and Athens, it also created a diplomatic opening for the two historic rivals, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis placing a rare call to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to offer his condolences and support.

Much of the damage occurred in and around Turkey's Aegean resort city of Izmir, which has three million residents and is filled with high-rise apartment blocks.

Parts of entire apartments, including toys, pillows and shattered appliances, spilled out on the streets, where survivors huddled in tears, many too shocked to speak.

Aerial footage showed entire city blocks turned to rubble.

Rescuers, helped by residents and sniffer dogs, used chainsaws to try to force their way through the rubble of one destroyed seven-floor building.

Greece and Turkey are situated in one of the world's most active earthquake zones.

The two neighbours also suffer from historically poor relations despite both being members of the NATO military alliance.

(with inputs)

The death toll in the powerful earthquake that levelled buildings across Greece and Turkey has risen to 27. The 7.0 magnitude quake killed 25 people and injured 804 on Turkey's western coast after it struck Friday afternoon, with its epicentre off the coastal town of Seferihisar in Izmir province.

The death toll in the powerful earthquake that levelled buildings across Greece and Turkey has risen to 27. The 7.0 magnitude quake killed 25 people and injured 804 on Turkey's western coast after it struck Friday afternoon, with its epicentre off the coastal town of Seferihisar in Izmir province. Also killing two teenagers on their way home from school in Greece, it caused a mini-tsunami on the Aegean island of Samos and a sea surge that turned streets into rushing rivers in one Turkish coastal town. Multiple reports say 20 buildings had collapsed, with officials focussing their rescue efforts on 17 of them. The scenes of devastation suggested the toll could rise. The region's governor said 70 people had been pulled out alive by Friday evening, although how many more were missing remained unknown by sunset. Felt in both Istanbul and Athens, it also created a diplomatic opening for the two historic rivals, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis placing a rare call to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to offer his condolences and support. Much of the damage occurred in and around Turkey's Aegean resort city of Izmir, which has three million residents and is filled with high-rise apartment blocks. Parts of entire apartments, including toys, pillows and shattered appliances, spilled out on the streets, where survivors huddled in tears, many too shocked to speak. Aerial footage showed entire city blocks turned to rubble. Rescuers, helped by residents and sniffer dogs, used chainsaws to try to force their way through the rubble of one destroyed seven-floor building. Greece and Turkey are situated in one of the world's most active earthquake zones. The two neighbours also suffer from historically poor relations despite both being members of the NATO military alliance. (with inputs)

Death toll in major earthquake in Turkey and Greece hits 27

Geoffrey Berman was outraged. The top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, Berman had traveled to Washington in June 2019 to discuss a particularly delicate case with Attorney General William Barr and some of his top aides: a criminal investigation into Halkbank, a state-owned Turkish bank suspected of violating U.

Geoffrey Berman was outraged. The top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, Berman had traveled to Washington in June 2019 to discuss a particularly delicate case with Attorney General William Barr and some of his top aides: a criminal investigation into Halkbank, a state-owned Turkish bank suspected of violating U.S. sanctions law by funneling billions of dollars of gold and cash to Iran. For months, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey had been pressing President Donald Trump to quash the investigation, which threatened not only the bank but potentially members of Erdogan’s family and political party. When Berman sat down with Barr, he was stunned to be presented with a settlement proposal that would give Erdogan a critical concession. Barr pressed Berman to allow the bank to avoid an indictment by paying a fine and acknowledging some wrongdoing. In addition, the Justice Department would agree to end investigations and criminal cases involving Turkish and bank officials who were allied with Erdogan and suspected of participating in the sanctions-busting scheme. Berman didn’t buy it. The bank had the right to try to negotiate a settlement. But his prosecutors were still investigating key individuals, including some with ties to Erdogan, and believed the scheme had helped finance Iran’s nuclear weapons program. “This is completely wrong,” Berman later told lawyers in the Justice Department, according to people who were briefed on the proposal and his response. “You don’t grant immunity to individuals unless you are getting something from them — and we wouldn’t be here.” It was not the first time Berman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, had fended off attempts by top Justice Department political appointees to disrupt the Halkbank investigation. Six months earlier, Matthew Whitaker, the acting attorney general who ran the department from November 2018 until Barr arrived in February 2019, rejected a request from Berman for permission to file criminal charges against the bank, two lawyers involved in the investigation said. Whitaker blocked the move shortly after Erdogan repeatedly pressed Trump in a series of conversations in November and December 2018 to resolve the Halkbank matter. The president’s apparent eagerness to please Erdogan has drawn scrutiny for years. So has the scale and intensity of the lobbying effort by Turkey on issues like its demand for the extradition of one of Erdogan’s political rivals, a Turkish religious leader living in self-imposed exile in the United States. Erdogan had a big political stake in the outcome because the case had become a major embarrassment for him in Turkey. At the White House, Trump’s handling of the matter became troubling even to some senior officials at the time. The president was discussing an active criminal case with the authoritarian leader of a nation in which Trump does business; he reported receiving at least $2.6 million in net income from operations in Turkey from 2015 through 2018, according to tax records obtained by The New York Times. And Trump’s sympathetic response to Erdogan was especially jarring because it involved accusations that the bank had undercut Trump’s policy of economically isolating Iran, a centerpiece of his Middle East plan. Former White House officials said they came to fear that the president was open to swaying the criminal justice system to advance a transactional and ill-defined agenda of his own. “He would interfere in the regular government process to do something for a foreign leader,” John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, said in a recent interview. “In anticipation of what? In anticipation of another favor from that person down the road.” In the case of Halkbank, it was only after an intense foreign policy clash between Trump and Erdogan over Syria last fall that the United States would proceed to lodge charges against the bank, though not against any additional individuals. Yet the administration’s bitterness over Berman’s unwillingness to go along with Barr’s proposal would linger and ultimately contribute to Berman’s dismissal. The Justice Department initially declined to comment, but after this article was published online, a department spokesperson, Kerri Kupec, provided a statement emphasizing that Barr had backed the decision last fall to indict the bank. “The attorney general instructed SDNY to move ahead with charges and approved the charges brought,” she said, referring to the federal prosecutors in Manhattan. This account is based on interviews with more than two dozen current and former Turkish and U.S. government officials, lobbyists and lawyers with direct knowledge of the interactions. Representatives for the Turkish government, Halkbank, and the White House declined to comment. Turkey had mounted an elaborate influence campaign in Washington to deal with Halkbank. It predated Trump’s election but came to encompass a broad cast of players, including Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor; Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser; and Brian Ballard, a lobbyist and fundraiser for the president. After senior Turkish government officials lobbied Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trump, Mnuchin pressed the Justice Department not to impose too large a fine on Halkbank because Turkey could not afford it, two federal officials said. Mnuchin’s office declined to comment on Halkbank but added that the Treasury and Justice Departments “routinely consult and coordinate” on sanctions cases and fines. Bolton and others said they could not fully explain why Trump seemed so determined to please Erdogan. “This was a relationship that was really important for the United States to handle,” said Fiona Hill, who oversaw policy on Turkey and Europe for the National Security Council under Trump. “And at every turn, the president kept leaping in, and he wasn’t following the strategic threads of the relationship.” The Halkbank Campaign Turkey’s lobbying campaign had started before Trump took office. During a one-day visit to the country in August 2016 by Vice President Joe Biden, the Turkish president pulled Biden aside under a tree for a private conversation, according to an aide to the vice president on the trip. The investigation of Halkbank, Erdogan claimed, was a “big conspiracy” instigated by his rival Fethullah Gulen, a charismatic Muslim cleric. Gulen left Turkey in the late 1990s and moved to Pennsylvania where, in Erdogan’s telling, he plotted an unsuccessful coup attempt just a month earlier, according to a summary of the conversation provided to the Times by the Biden aide. Erdogan asked Biden to remove Preet Bharara, then the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. That office was in the early stages of an investigation into Halkbank and had already indicted a Turkish Iranian gold trader, Reza Zarrab, for helping to orchestrate the sanctions evasion scheme. Erdogan also wanted the Obama administration to remove the judge overseeing Zarrab’s case in Manhattan, the Biden aide said. And he wanted Zarrab released and allowed to return to Turkey. According to the Biden aide’s account, Erdogan said that if the United States really meant what it said about repairing relations, the case needed to go away. Speaking to reporters before he left Turkey, Biden made clear that there were limits to what the United States could or should do to address Erdogan’s requests, including any effort to extradite Gulen. “If the president were to take this into his own hands, what would happen would be, he would be impeached for violating the separation of powers,” Biden said, with Erdogan at his side. The Turkish president did not give up. He again raised Halkbank with Biden during a visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly and then twice in calls with President Barack Obama in the weeks before he left office in January 2017, aides to Obama and Biden said. In an interview, Bharara said he never heard questions about the Halkbank investigation from anyone at the Obama White House or the attorney general’s office. Trump’s election brought an immediate shift in Turkey’s outreach effort. The Trump family had helped build Trump Towers Istanbul, a successful residential and retail complex that attracted Erdogan to its ribbon-cutting in 2012. “I’ve gotten to know Turkey very well,” Trump said in 2015. “They’re amazing people. They’re incredible people. They have a strong leader.” In Turkey, there was confidence that Erdogan’s agenda would now win attention and support at the highest levels of the U.S. administration. Records show that the bank and the Turkish government paid Ballard’s lobbying firm $4.6 million over two years for work on Halkbank and other matters, including meetings and phone calls with the vice president’s office, the State Department, members of Congress and Jay Sekulow, one of Trump’s personal lawyers. Ballard’s team argued that the Halkbank case was a foreign policy matter and that the need to maintain close relations with Turkey, a NATO member, had to be taken into account. But the investigation by the federal prosecutors in Manhattan ground ahead. By early 2018, it had led to the indictments of nine defendants, including Turkey’s former economy minister and three Halkbank officials, on charges such as bank fraud and money laundering related to the sanctions evasion scheme. One defendant, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, the bank’s deputy general manager for international banking, was tried and, in January 2018, convicted. Zarrab, the gold trader, had pleaded guilty and testified about how the scheme had relied on false documents and front companies and how he had paid millions of dollars in bribes to the economy minister and Halkbank’s general manager. He also testified that the operation had Erdogan’s knowledge and approval as well as that of Erdogan’s son-in-law, Berat Albayrak, who now serves as Turkey’s finance minister. When Berman was appointed U.S. attorney in January 2018, prosecutors were turning their focus to the bank itself and the possibility of charging others involved in the scheme. Halkbank’s lawyers held repeated talks in 2018 with Berman’s office over whether a “global settlement” could be reached. But the two sides were far apart, according to people briefed on the meetings. The prosecutors said they were prepared to allow the bank to avoid indictment if it agreed to pay a heavy fine, reform its operations and make a series of admissions about its conduct, the people who were briefed said. But the bank’s lawyers argued that Halkbank and its executives had done nothing wrong, that they had been deceived by Zarrab and that his testimony was untrue. They said the bank would not make the required admissions. There were indications by then that Turkey’s arguments were being heard in Washington. At the Treasury Department, Mnuchin considered the violations Halkbank had been accused of to be serious — and he believed the U.S. government was right to demand that the bank admit wrongdoing, according to one White House official involved in the negotiations. But Mnuchin raised concerns about how large a fine might be imposed on Halkbank. French banking giant Société Générale agreed that same year to pay U.S. authorities more than $2 billion to resolve charges that it had violated U.S. sanctions against Cuba and bribed officials in Libya, among other accusations. A fine on that scale would threaten the future of Halkbank, lobbyists and lawyers for the bank argued, as did top Turkish officials in conversations with members of the Trump administration. One direct appeal to Mnuchin came from Albayrak, Erdogan’s son-in-law. In 2018, Mnuchin reached out about the scale of a potential fine to Jeff Sessions, the attorney general at the time. Justice Department officials then asked Southern District prosecutors whether the size of the fine they were demanding was negotiable, one lawyer involved in the effort said. The response was affirmative: The amount was less important than securing an admission of wrongdoing. “We need an admission of liability” was the message the Manhattan prosecutors sent back to Washington, according to two lawyers involved in the matter. ‘Well, It Looks Convincing to Me’ On the second day of a trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in late 2018 for the annual Group of 20 gathering of world leaders, Trump met with Erdogan for talks intended to be focused on issues like continued tensions over Islamic State group operations in Syria. But the conversation quickly went off course. Erdogan made clear that he was frustrated with the continued pestering by Southern District prosecutors concerning Halkbank, and he wanted Trump to intervene to help wrap up the investigation, Bolton said in the interview. Erdogan handed Trump a copy of a memo written by Halkbank’s lawyers explaining why Turkey believed the Justice Department had misconstrued U.S. sanctions law. It argued that Halkbank’s trading with Iran was not illegal because it was largely based on trades of gold and food that were not in dollars and did not involve U.S. banks. Trump flipped through the memo quickly, Bolton said. “Well, it looks convincing to me,” Trump said, according to Bolton, who also recounted the meeting in his recent book. By Bolton’s account, Trump also told Erdogan that he wanted to replace the prosecutors in Berman’s office in Manhattan, whom Trump considered to be holdovers from the Obama era. Two weeks later, in mid-December 2018, Trump and Erdogan spoke by phone. The president began by assuring Erdogan that the government and Halkbank were close to a resolution, and Erdogan expressed his appreciation, according to Bolton. In Turkey around this time, Erdogan told reporters that Trump, in an earlier conversation about Halkbank, had assured him that Trump “would instruct the relevant ministers immediately” to take care of the matter. Bolton said in the interview that his concern, as he listened to these conversations, was that Turkey and Halkbank now “had a direct channel in the Oval Office — they weren’t going to negotiate in good faith” with the prosecutors. “Why should they?” The prosecutors in Manhattan had just drafted a memo for Whitaker and Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, detailing why the Justice Department should give them the authority to file criminal charges against the bank, two lawyers said. Rosenstein was convinced that the evidence was compelling, perhaps even more so than in other sanctions evasion cases in which the United States had charged banks, lawyers familiar with the investigation said. The memo from the prosecutors also noted that the actions Halkbank was accused of taking were helping to support Iran’s economy, which was antithetical to Trump’s foreign policy goal of tightening economic pressure on the country. Rosenstein urged Berman to come to Washington to present the Southern District’s argument to Whitaker. The goal was not to file charges immediately against the bank. Instead, the plan was to give the Southern District more leverage to squeeze Halkbank to accept a deferred prosecution agreement that included an admission of wrongdoing. But Whitaker, who declined requests for comment, had a long-standing disdain for the Southern District, which has been called the Sovereign District for the way it guards its independence from Washington. In a book published this year, Whitaker wrote that the Southern District always “dreamed up new ways to torment President Trump throughout my tenure at the Department of Justice.” Berman arrived at the Justice Department headquarters and reported to Rosenstein’s office. But shortly before the meeting was to begin, Rosenstein was summoned to Whitaker’s office without Berman. Whitaker told Rosenstein that he did not want the case to move forward and that he wanted the matter shut down, according to lawyers involved in the investigation. Whitaker cited concern that charges against the bank might result in a threat to U.S. forces in Syria, a suggestion that others in the department said they found hard to understand. Justice Department officials decided to ignore Whitaker’s edict, concluding that they most likely would outlast Whitaker in the department, since he was serving on an acting basis. They did not see appeasing Erdogan as sufficient justification for closing the investigation. ‘This Is Not How We Do Things at the Southern District’ Barr was confirmed as the new attorney general in mid-February 2019, a few months after Whitaker had pushed to end the case. The prosecutors in Manhattan were encouraged that they might now get the charging authority they wanted. But Erdogan and his top advisers continued to lobby Trump and members of his Cabinet, including Mnuchin and now Barr. In mid-June 2019, when Berman met with Barr in Washington, the attorney general pushed Berman to agree to allow the Justice Department to drop charges against the defendants and terminate investigations of other suspected conspirators, according to a former department lawyer familiar with the session. Among the defendants with charges pending were Halkbank’s former general manager, Suleyman Aslan, and Turkey’s former economy minister, Mehmet Zafer Caglayan. The suggestion that the Justice Department would offer Turkish officials protection from criminal charges, even without their agreement to assist in the investigation, was unacceptable and unethical, Berman argued, according to lawyers close to the investigation. Justice Department policy specifically says that criminal conduct by individuals is not resolved when a company admits wrongdoing. “This is not how we do things at the Southern District,” Berman told Barr, adding that he would not agree to such a move and that his office would not be part of it. In the interview with the Times, Bolton said he did not know the details of Barr’s intervention in the Halkbank negotiations. But he said he was disturbed by the tenor of the interaction between Trump and Erdogan related to Halkbank. “It was so idiosyncratic, so personal to Trump in the pursuit of personal relationships, that it was very dangerous,” Bolton said. “And it does look like obstruction of justice.” Just how idiosyncratic became more apparent last October, when Erdogan sent troops into Syria. Trump, who had initially given Erdogan the green light to do so, then faced an intense bipartisan backlash, leading him within days to take a tougher line with Turkey, threatening economic reprisals. “You don’t want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don’t want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy — and I will,” Trump wrote to the Turkish leader Oct. 9, 2019, without elaborating. On Oct. 15, the Justice Department gave the prosecutors in Manhattan approval to file charges against Halkbank, a direct slap at Erdogan. The prosecutors rushed to present evidence before a grand jury and secured a six-count indictment that same day charging Halkbank with money laundering, bank fraud and conspiracy to violate the Iran sanctions. So far, no additional individuals have been charged. When the charges against the bank were announced, Berman said in a statement that the “bank’s audacious conduct was supported and protected by high-ranking Turkish government officials, some of whom received millions of dollars in bribes to promote and protect the scheme.” In June, eight months after the indictment was returned, Trump fired Berman. Justice Department officials cited his handling of the Halkbank matter, including his blocking of the proposed global settlement, as a key reason for his removal.

Turkish bank case showed Erdogan’s influence with Donald Trump

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