British entrepreneur Richard Branson is suspending two directorships linked to tourism projects in Saudi Arabia following the unexplained disappearance in Turkey of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In a statement late Thursday, Branson said also that his Virgin group would suspend discussions with Saudi Arabia over proposed investment in Virgin Galactic, which is set to carry out its first space flight within weeks.

"I had high hopes for the current government in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and it is why I was delighted to accept two directorships in the tourism projects around the Red Sea," Branson said in the statement posted on the Virgin website.&nbsp;

"I felt that I could give practical development advice and also help protect the precious environment around the coastline and islands."

But he added: "What has reportedly happened in Turkey around the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, if proved true, would clearly change the ability of any of us in the West to do business with the Saudi government.&nbsp;

"We have asked for more information from the authorities in Saudi and to clarify their position in relation to Mr Khashoggi.

"While those investigations are ongoing and Mr Khashoggi’s whereabouts are not known, I will suspend my directorships of the two tourism projects.

"Virgin will also suspend its discussions with the Public Investment Fund over the proposed investment in our space companies Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit," Branson added.

In comments Tuesday, Branson said he expected his Virgin Galactic company to conduct its first space flight "within weeks, not months".

British entrepreneur Richard Branson is suspending two directorships linked to tourism projects in Saudi Arabia following the unexplained disappearance in Turkey of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

British entrepreneur Richard Branson is suspending two directorships linked to tourism projects in Saudi Arabia following the unexplained disappearance in Turkey of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In a statement late Thursday, Branson said also that his Virgin group would suspend discussions with Saudi Arabia over proposed investment in Virgin Galactic, which is set to carry out its first space flight within weeks. "I had high hopes for the current government in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and it is why I was delighted to accept two directorships in the tourism projects around the Red Sea," Branson said in the statement posted on the Virgin website. "I felt that I could give practical development advice and also help protect the precious environment around the coastline and islands." But he added: "What has reportedly happened in Turkey around the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, if proved true, would clearly change the ability of any of us in the West to do business with the Saudi government. "We have asked for more information from the authorities in Saudi and to clarify their position in relation to Mr Khashoggi. "While those investigations are ongoing and Mr Khashoggi’s whereabouts are not known, I will suspend my directorships of the two tourism projects. "Virgin will also suspend its discussions with the Public Investment Fund over the proposed investment in our space companies Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit," Branson added. In comments Tuesday, Branson said he expected his Virgin Galactic company to conduct its first space flight "within weeks, not months".

I suspend my directorships, Virgin Galactic too will suspend talks with Saudi fund: Branson over Khashoggi case

Turkey on Thursday denied a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/americas/us-investigators-working-with-saudis-turkey-on-khashoggis-disappearance-trump-170925">claim by US President Donald Trump </a>that American investigators were collectively working with both Ankara and Riyadh to probe the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

"The information that the United States has tasked investigators over the Khashoggi case is not correct," said a Turkish diplomatic source quoted by the state-run Anadolu news agency.&nbsp;

The US President had said earlier that US investigators were working with Saudis and Turkey to find the whereabouts of the missing journalist.

Trump had&nbsp;said "we have investigators over there and we're working with Turkey and frankly we're working with Saudi Arabia".

Senior journalist Khashoggi, 59, who is a strong critic of the Saudi establishment had taken&nbsp;US citizenship after leaving his country and had written several articles against&nbsp;Saudi Arabia's repressive policies&nbsp;for the Washington Post.

The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-journalist-was-killed-by-15-man-hit-team-that-then-dismembered-his-body-with-bone-saw-nyt-170659">New York Times revealed on Wednesday that&nbsp;</a>a group of 15 men flew down to Turkey in a private jet in order to kill Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey. The Turkish government openly accused Saudi Arabia of colluding to kill the journalist.

Khashoggi had entered the Saudi consulate to submit documents seeking&nbsp;a divorce from his wife living in Saudi Arabia so that he could remarry again in Turkey.

Saudi Arabia has denied any hand in Khashoggi's disappearance asserting that he walked out of the consulate from the back door. However, his fiance, Hatice Cengiz, who accompanied him to the consulate on October 2nd said he never came out of the consulate as she waited outside.&nbsp;

Initially, the Turkey president Erdogan had said the journalist was being held inside the consulate as Saudi Arabia gave Turkish authorities permission to enter the premises and search for him, however, the authorities soon began to reveal through sources that he had, in fact, being killed, as reported by the New York Times article.

Khashoggi's own website on 3rd October had posted a message saying he was arrested at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul but state-run Saudi Press Agency said he had left the building and the consulate was carrying out follow-up procedures and coordinating with the Turkish authorities to "uncover the circumstances" of his disappearance.

Turkey on Thursday denied a claim by US President Donald Trump that American investigators were collectively working with both Ankara and Riyadh to probe the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Turkey on Thursday denied a claim by US President Donald Trump that American investigators were collectively working with both Ankara and Riyadh to probe the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. "The information that the United States has tasked investigators over the Khashoggi case is not correct," said a Turkish diplomatic source quoted by the state-run Anadolu news agency. The US President had said earlier that US investigators were working with Saudis and Turkey to find the whereabouts of the missing journalist. Trump had said "we have investigators over there and we're working with Turkey and frankly we're working with Saudi Arabia". Senior journalist Khashoggi, 59, who is a strong critic of the Saudi establishment had taken US citizenship after leaving his country and had written several articles against Saudi Arabia's repressive policies for the Washington Post. The New York Times revealed on Wednesday that a group of 15 men flew down to Turkey in a private jet in order to kill Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey. The Turkish government openly accused Saudi Arabia of colluding to kill the journalist. Khashoggi had entered the Saudi consulate to submit documents seeking a divorce from his wife living in Saudi Arabia so that he could remarry again in Turkey. Saudi Arabia has denied any hand in Khashoggi's disappearance asserting that he walked out of the consulate from the back door. However, his fiance, Hatice Cengiz, who accompanied him to the consulate on October 2nd said he never came out of the consulate as she waited outside. Initially, the Turkey president Erdogan had said the journalist was being held inside the consulate as Saudi Arabia gave Turkish authorities permission to enter the premises and search for him, however, the authorities soon began to reveal through sources that he had, in fact, being killed, as reported by the New York Times article. Khashoggi's own website on 3rd October had posted a message saying he was arrested at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul but state-run Saudi Press Agency said he had left the building and the consulate was carrying out follow-up procedures and coordinating with the Turkish authorities to "uncover the circumstances" of his disappearance.

Turkey denies Trump's claim of US investigators working on Khashoggi's case

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called on Riyadh to prove its claim that Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has been missing since last week, left the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

The disappearance of Khashoggi, previously a prominent newspaper editor in Saudi Arabia and an adviser to its former head of intelligence, has sparked global concern, particularly after Turkish sources said over the weekend that authorities believed he was killed inside the consulate.

Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia last year, saying he feared retribution for his criticism of Saudi policy in the Yemen war and its crackdown on dissent. He entered the consulate in Istanbul last Tuesday to get documents for his forthcoming marriage. Saudi officials say he left shortly afterwards but his fiancee, who was waiting outside, said he never appeared.

"We have to get an outcome from this investigation as soon as possible. The consulate officials cannot save themselves by simply saying 'he has left'," Erdogan told a news conference in Budapest, where he is on an official visit.

Erdogan, who said he was personally following the case, added that Turkey had no documents or evidence regarding the case.

A Saudi source at the consulate has denied that Khashoggi had been killed at the mission and said that the accusations were baseless. The consulate has also denied that Khashoggi was abducted.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, in the first expression of concern by his administration on Khashoggi's disappearance, said he was troubled by reports about the journalist's fate.

"I am concerned about it. I don't like hearing about it. And hopefully, that will sort itself out. Right now nobody knows anything about it, but there are some pretty bad stories going around. I do not like it," he told reporters at the White House.

Khashoggi is a familiar face on political talk shows on Arab satellite television networks and used to advise Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to the United States and Britain.

His disappearance is likely to further deepen divisions between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Relations were already strained after Turkey sent troops to the Gulf state of Qatar last year in a show of support after its Gulf neighbours, including Saudi Arabia, imposed an embargo on Doha.

Turkey asks to search

Turkey has asked for permission to search Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, broadcaster NTV said on Monday.

A Turkish official also said Saudi Arabia's envoy to Ankara had been summoned to the foreign ministry for a second time on Sunday. "It has been conveyed to him that we expect full coordination in the investigation process," the official said.

The two Turkish sources told Reuters Turkish authorities to believe Khashoggi was deliberately killed inside the consulate, a view echoed by one of Erdogan's advisers, Yasin Aktay, who is also a friend of the Saudi journalist.

Erdogan told reporters on Sunday that authorities were examining camera footage and airport records as part of their investigation.

Saudi Arabia's consul in Istanbul opened up his mission to Reuters on Saturday in an effort to show that Khashoggi was not on the premises.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called on Riyadh to prove its claim that Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has been missing since last week, left the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday called on Riyadh to prove its claim that Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who has been missing since last week, left the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The disappearance of Khashoggi, previously a prominent newspaper editor in Saudi Arabia and an adviser to its former head of intelligence, has sparked global concern, particularly after Turkish sources said over the weekend that authorities believed he was killed inside the consulate. Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia last year, saying he feared retribution for his criticism of Saudi policy in the Yemen war and its crackdown on dissent. He entered the consulate in Istanbul last Tuesday to get documents for his forthcoming marriage. Saudi officials say he left shortly afterwards but his fiancee, who was waiting outside, said he never appeared. "We have to get an outcome from this investigation as soon as possible. The consulate officials cannot save themselves by simply saying 'he has left'," Erdogan told a news conference in Budapest, where he is on an official visit. Erdogan, who said he was personally following the case, added that Turkey had no documents or evidence regarding the case. A Saudi source at the consulate has denied that Khashoggi had been killed at the mission and said that the accusations were baseless. The consulate has also denied that Khashoggi was abducted. US President Donald Trump, in the first expression of concern by his administration on Khashoggi's disappearance, said he was troubled by reports about the journalist's fate. "I am concerned about it. I don't like hearing about it. And hopefully, that will sort itself out. Right now nobody knows anything about it, but there are some pretty bad stories going around. I do not like it," he told reporters at the White House. Khashoggi is a familiar face on political talk shows on Arab satellite television networks and used to advise Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to the United States and Britain. His disappearance is likely to further deepen divisions between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Relations were already strained after Turkey sent troops to the Gulf state of Qatar last year in a show of support after its Gulf neighbours, including Saudi Arabia, imposed an embargo on Doha. Turkey asks to search Turkey has asked for permission to search Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, broadcaster NTV said on Monday. A Turkish official also said Saudi Arabia's envoy to Ankara had been summoned to the foreign ministry for a second time on Sunday. "It has been conveyed to him that we expect full coordination in the investigation process," the official said. The two Turkish sources told Reuters Turkish authorities to believe Khashoggi was deliberately killed inside the consulate, a view echoed by one of Erdogan's advisers, Yasin Aktay, who is also a friend of the Saudi journalist. Erdogan told reporters on Sunday that authorities were examining camera footage and airport records as part of their investigation. Saudi Arabia's consul in Istanbul opened up his mission to Reuters on Saturday in an effort to show that Khashoggi was not on the premises.

Turkey's Erdogan tells Saudis to prove missing journalist left Istanbul consulate

Turkey has sought permission to search Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul after a prominent journalist from the kingdom went missing last week following a visit to the building, Turkish television reported on Monday.

The request was made after the foreign ministry summoned the Saudi ambassador for the second time over the disappearance of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, NTV broadcaster said.

A Turkish diplomatic source confirmed the Saudi envoy was "invited" to the ministry on Sunday in Ankara and was met by deputy foreign minister Sedat Onal.

"The ambassador was told that we expected full cooperation during the investigation," the source said.

The ambassador was first summoned to the foreign ministry on Wednesday.

Khashoggi, 59, went to the consulate to obtain official documents ahead of his marriage to his Turkish fiancee. Turkish police said he never left the building.

However, Riyadh insisted Khashoggi left the consulate while a Turkish government source at the weekend said they believe he was killed.

The consulate on Sunday rejected the claims that the journalist was killed there as "baseless" in a post on Twitter.

In his first comments over the disappearance, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said he was awaiting the results of an investigation.

"We hope to have results very quickly," Erdogan said. "I am waiting, with high hopes."

Khashoggi had been critical of some of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's policies and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen.

Turkey has sought permission to search Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul after a prominent journalist from the kingdom went missing last week following a visit to the building, Turkish television reported on Monday.

Turkey has sought permission to search Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul after a prominent journalist from the kingdom went missing last week following a visit to the building, Turkish television reported on Monday. The request was made after the foreign ministry summoned the Saudi ambassador for the second time over the disappearance of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, NTV broadcaster said. A Turkish diplomatic source confirmed the Saudi envoy was "invited" to the ministry on Sunday in Ankara and was met by deputy foreign minister Sedat Onal. "The ambassador was told that we expected full cooperation during the investigation," the source said. The ambassador was first summoned to the foreign ministry on Wednesday. Khashoggi, 59, went to the consulate to obtain official documents ahead of his marriage to his Turkish fiancee. Turkish police said he never left the building. However, Riyadh insisted Khashoggi left the consulate while a Turkish government source at the weekend said they believe he was killed. The consulate on Sunday rejected the claims that the journalist was killed there as "baseless" in a post on Twitter. In his first comments over the disappearance, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said he was awaiting the results of an investigation. "We hope to have results very quickly," Erdogan said. "I am waiting, with high hopes." Khashoggi had been critical of some of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's policies and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen.

Turkey asks to search Saudi consulate in missing journalist case: Report

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After the Indian government deported seven of them to Myanmar this week, Rohingya refugees in India say they do not wish to return "until peace is restored in their homeland".&nbsp;

And they added that the seven Rohingya refugees who have been deported will very soon be killed.&nbsp;

 
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Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday as US Supreme Court justice following the closest Senate confirmation vote in more than a century, marking a major win for President Donald Trump's drive to move the country's political institutions to the right.&nbsp;

The Senate voted 50-48 to approve Kavanaugh as protesters rallied across the country against a nominee who has been plagued by allegations of sexual misconduct as a young man and had questions raised over his candour and partisan rhetoric.

 
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Donald Trump has said he is "100 per cent" certain Dr Christine Blasey Ford named the wrong person when she accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her. Kavanaugh was sworn in as a US Supreme Court justice on Saturday.&nbsp;

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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-finds-journalist-was-killed-in-saudi-consulate-report-169898">Turkey says </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-finds-journalist-was-killed-in-saudi-consulate-report-169898">journalist</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-finds-journalist-was-killed-in-saudi-consulate-report-169898"> was killed inside Saudi consulate: Report</a>

Turkish police have concluded that prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi mission in Istanbul after going missing Tuesday, an unnamed government official said Saturday.

"Based on their initial findings, the police believe that the journalist was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day," the official told AFP.

 
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Tanushree Dutta on Saturday filed a police complaint against veteran actor Nana Patekar for allegedly sexually harassing her on the sets of a film in 2008, police said.

Dutta, in a recent interview, alleged that Patekar had misbehaved with her while filming a song for the 2008 film "Horn Ok Pleasss".

She has filed the complaint at the Oshiwara police station against Patekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Sameer Siddiqui and director Rakesh Sarang.

7 Rohingya deported to Myanmar will be killed very soon: Rohingya refugees in Delhi After the Indian government deported seven of them to Myanmar this week, Rohingya refugees in India say they do not wish to return "until peace is restored in their homeland".

7 Rohingya deported to Myanmar will be killed very soon: Rohingya refugees in Delhi After the Indian government deported seven of them to Myanmar this week, Rohingya refugees in India say they do not wish to return "until peace is restored in their homeland". And they added that the seven Rohingya refugees who have been deported will very soon be killed. Brett Kavanaugh sworn into Supreme Court after fight that divided US Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in Saturday as US Supreme Court justice following the closest Senate confirmation vote in more than a century, marking a major win for President Donald Trump's drive to move the country's political institutions to the right. The Senate voted 50-48 to approve Kavanaugh as protesters rallied across the country against a nominee who has been plagued by allegations of sexual misconduct as a young man and had questions raised over his candour and partisan rhetoric. Trump '100 per cent' certain Kavanaugh accuser named wrong person Donald Trump has said he is "100 per cent" certain Dr Christine Blasey Ford named the wrong person when she accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her. Kavanaugh was sworn in as a US Supreme Court justice on Saturday. "This is one of the reasons I chose him is because there is no one with a squeaky clean past like Brett Kavanaugh. He is an outstanding person and I'm very honoured to have chosen him," Reuters reported Trump as telling reporters aboard Air Force One while flying to a campaign rally in Kansas. Turkey says journalist was killed inside Saudi consulate: Report Turkish police have concluded that prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi mission in Istanbul after going missing Tuesday, an unnamed government official said Saturday. "Based on their initial findings, the police believe that the journalist was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day," the official told AFP. Tanushree Dutta files sexual harassment complaint against Nana Patekar Tanushree Dutta on Saturday filed a police complaint against veteran actor Nana Patekar for allegedly sexually harassing her on the sets of a film in 2008, police said. Dutta, in a recent interview, alleged that Patekar had misbehaved with her while filming a song for the 2008 film "Horn Ok Pleasss". She has filed the complaint at the Oshiwara police station against Patekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Sameer Siddiqui and director Rakesh Sarang.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Turkish police have concluded that prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi mission in Istanbul after going missing Tuesday, an unnamed government official said Saturday.

"Based on their initial findings, the police believe that the journalist was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day," the official told AFP.

The news came hours after police confirmed that around 15 Saudis, including officials, arrived in Istanbul on two flights on Tuesday and were at the consulate at the same time as the journalist.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, "did not come back out" of the building, police had told the state-run Anadolu news agency.&nbsp;

On the back of this preliminary investigation, Ankara announced Saturday it had opened an official probe into the journalist's disappearance.

A former government adviser who has been critical of some policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen, Khashoggi has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest.

The Saudi crown prince earlier denied in an interview with Bloomberg that the journalist had been inside the consulate and said Turkish authorities could search the building.

"We are ready to welcome the Turkish government to go and search our premises," he said. The consulate is Saudi sovereign territory.

He added that "we will allow them to enter and search and do whatever they want to do... We have nothing to hide", in the interview published Friday.

Reacting to the news of his alleged murder, Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said she "did not believe he has been killed".

According to Cengiz, Khashoggi had visited the consulate to receive an official document for his marriage.

Turkey's foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned Saudi Arabia's ambassador over Khashoggi.

Khashoggi, who turns 60 on October 13, fled the country in September 2017, months after Prince Mohammed was appointed heir to the throne and amid a campaign that saw dozens of dissidents arrested, including intellectuals and Islamic preachers.

The journalist said he had been banned from writing in the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat, owned by Saudi prince Khaled bin Sultan al-Saud, over his defence of the Muslim Brotherhood which Riyadh has blacklisted as a terrorist organisation.

Khashoggi has also criticised Saudi Arabia's role in Yemen, where Riyadh leads a military coalition fighting alongside the government in its war with Iran-backed rebels.&nbsp;

Turkish police have concluded that prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi mission in Istanbul after going missing Tuesday, an unnamed government official said Saturday.

Turkish police have concluded that prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi mission in Istanbul after going missing Tuesday, an unnamed government official said Saturday. "Based on their initial findings, the police believe that the journalist was killed by a team especially sent to Istanbul and who left the same day," the official told AFP. The news came hours after police confirmed that around 15 Saudis, including officials, arrived in Istanbul on two flights on Tuesday and were at the consulate at the same time as the journalist. Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, "did not come back out" of the building, police had told the state-run Anadolu news agency. On the back of this preliminary investigation, Ankara announced Saturday it had opened an official probe into the journalist's disappearance. A former government adviser who has been critical of some policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen, Khashoggi has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since last year to avoid possible arrest. The Saudi crown prince earlier denied in an interview with Bloomberg that the journalist had been inside the consulate and said Turkish authorities could search the building. "We are ready to welcome the Turkish government to go and search our premises," he said. The consulate is Saudi sovereign territory. He added that "we will allow them to enter and search and do whatever they want to do... We have nothing to hide", in the interview published Friday. Reacting to the news of his alleged murder, Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, said she "did not believe he has been killed". According to Cengiz, Khashoggi had visited the consulate to receive an official document for his marriage. Turkey's foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned Saudi Arabia's ambassador over Khashoggi. Khashoggi, who turns 60 on October 13, fled the country in September 2017, months after Prince Mohammed was appointed heir to the throne and amid a campaign that saw dozens of dissidents arrested, including intellectuals and Islamic preachers. The journalist said he had been banned from writing in the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat, owned by Saudi prince Khaled bin Sultan al-Saud, over his defence of the Muslim Brotherhood which Riyadh has blacklisted as a terrorist organisation. Khashoggi has also criticised Saudi Arabia's role in Yemen, where Riyadh leads a military coalition fighting alongside the government in its war with Iran-backed rebels.

Turkey says journalist was killed inside Saudi consulate: Report

A lawyer for the US pastor whose two-year detention in Turkey led to a bitter row with Washington said on Wednesday he had appealed to the constitutional court for the American's release.

Pastor Andrew Brunson has been under house arrest at his home in the western city of Izmir since July and was previously held in jail after being detained in October 2016 on terror-related charges.

His lawyer, Cem Halavurt, told AFP that he had applied to the court on Tuesday afternoon, although he previously said he would apply on Wednesday morning.

The next hearing in Brunson's case is on October 12 and there are growing expectations that he will be permitted to return to the United States.

Halavurt said the constitutional court "procedure can take a few months" after making the application via a court in Istanbul.

Brunson, who ran a small evangelical Protestant church in Izmir and lived in Turkey for since 1993, is at the centre of tensions between Ankara and Washington.

He faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted on charges of carrying out activities on behalf of two groups deemed by Turkey to be terror organisations -- one led by US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara says was behind the failed 2016 coup and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Brunson and US officials insist he is innocent of all charges.

Relations were further strained after he was put under house arrest and Washington's decision to impose sanctions on two Turkish ministers, and double steel and aluminium tariffs in August, sparking a dramatic fall in the value of the Turkish lira.

But there have been signs that tensions could ease after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was hopeful Turkey would release the pastor while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said he hoped Ankara could rebuild relations with its NATO ally.

A lawyer for the US pastor whose two-year detention in Turkey led to a bitter row with Washington said on Wednesday he had appealed to the constitutional court for the American's release.

A lawyer for the US pastor whose two-year detention in Turkey led to a bitter row with Washington said on Wednesday he had appealed to the constitutional court for the American's release. Pastor Andrew Brunson has been under house arrest at his home in the western city of Izmir since July and was previously held in jail after being detained in October 2016 on terror-related charges. His lawyer, Cem Halavurt, told AFP that he had applied to the court on Tuesday afternoon, although he previously said he would apply on Wednesday morning. The next hearing in Brunson's case is on October 12 and there are growing expectations that he will be permitted to return to the United States. Halavurt said the constitutional court "procedure can take a few months" after making the application via a court in Istanbul. Brunson, who ran a small evangelical Protestant church in Izmir and lived in Turkey for since 1993, is at the centre of tensions between Ankara and Washington. He faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted on charges of carrying out activities on behalf of two groups deemed by Turkey to be terror organisations -- one led by US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara says was behind the failed 2016 coup and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Brunson and US officials insist he is innocent of all charges. Relations were further strained after he was put under house arrest and Washington's decision to impose sanctions on two Turkish ministers, and double steel and aluminium tariffs in August, sparking a dramatic fall in the value of the Turkish lira. But there have been signs that tensions could ease after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was hopeful Turkey would release the pastor while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said he hoped Ankara could rebuild relations with its NATO ally.

US pastor's lawyer lodges appeal at top Turkey court

Turkey will resist US&nbsp;efforts to impose sanctions on Ankara over the trial of a Christian pastor who has been detained for two years, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, accusing the preacher of having "dark links with terror".

The case of evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson, whose next court hearing is on October 12, has plunged ties between Ankara and Washington into crisis, leading to US sanctions and tariffs which helped push Turkey's lira to record lows in August.

Brunson is charged with links to Kurdish militants and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the cleric blamed by Turkey for a failed coup attempt in 2016. He has denied the charges and Washington has demanded his immediate release.

Relations between the two NATO allies were already strained by disputes over US support for Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, Turkey's plans to buy a Russian missile defence system, and the jailing of a Turkish bank executive for violating US&nbsp;sanctions on Iran.

"We are deeply saddened by the current US government, a strategic partner, targeting our country without any logical, political and strategic consistency," Erdogan said in a speech to a new session of parliament.

Erdogan said Turkey was determined to fight, within legal and diplomatic frameworks, "this crooked understanding, which imposes sanctions using the excuse of a pastor who is tried due to his dark links with terror organisations."

Brunson's case has become the most divisive issue between the two countries. US President Donald Trump believed he and Erdogan had agreed a deal to release him in July, but Ankara has denied agreeing to free the pastor as part of a wider agreement.

Brunson, who has been jailed or held under house arrest since October 2016, faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted. Last month the main prosecutor in his trial was replaced, a move which his lawyer cautiously welcomed, saying it might be a sign of changing political will.

In his speech to the first session of parliament since its summer recess, Erdogan held out the possibility of better relations, while adding that there was still much work to do.

"We can say that we started to make progress towards reaching a common understanding (with the United States), although it is not at the desired level," he said.

He also repeated Turkey's accusation that Washington is protecting Gulen, who has been based in the United States for two decades, and said the conviction in a New York court of an executive of state-owned Halkbank for violating U.S. sanctions on Iran was "an example of unique unlawfulness".

Tensions with Washington contributed to a meltdown in the Turkish lira in August, when the currency hit a record low of 7.20 to the dollar. It had already weakened over concerns at the extent of Erdogan's control of the economy and opposition to raising interest rates to combat double-digit inflation.

Erdogan said Turkey's economy was overcoming what he described as "midnight operations" designed to break it.

"Our economy started rebalancing with measures we have taken, meetings we have realised and programmes we have developed," he told parliament.

The lira firmed more than 2 per cent on Monday, reaching its strongest level in more than six weeks, on growing optimism that Brunson might be released and following a hike in interest rates and the govenrment's new economic programme.

Turkey's exports also rose sharply in September, the trade ministry said, but Turkish manufacturing activity slid to its lowest level in nine years, a business survey showed.

Turkey will resist US efforts to impose sanctions on Ankara over the trial of a Christian pastor who has been detained for two years, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, accusing the preacher of having "dark links with terror".

Turkey will resist US efforts to impose sanctions on Ankara over the trial of a Christian pastor who has been detained for two years, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, accusing the preacher of having "dark links with terror". The case of evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson, whose next court hearing is on October 12, has plunged ties between Ankara and Washington into crisis, leading to US sanctions and tariffs which helped push Turkey's lira to record lows in August. Brunson is charged with links to Kurdish militants and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the cleric blamed by Turkey for a failed coup attempt in 2016. He has denied the charges and Washington has demanded his immediate release. Relations between the two NATO allies were already strained by disputes over US support for Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, Turkey's plans to buy a Russian missile defence system, and the jailing of a Turkish bank executive for violating US sanctions on Iran. "We are deeply saddened by the current US government, a strategic partner, targeting our country without any logical, political and strategic consistency," Erdogan said in a speech to a new session of parliament. Erdogan said Turkey was determined to fight, within legal and diplomatic frameworks, "this crooked understanding, which imposes sanctions using the excuse of a pastor who is tried due to his dark links with terror organisations." Brunson's case has become the most divisive issue between the two countries. US President Donald Trump believed he and Erdogan had agreed a deal to release him in July, but Ankara has denied agreeing to free the pastor as part of a wider agreement. Brunson, who has been jailed or held under house arrest since October 2016, faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted. Last month the main prosecutor in his trial was replaced, a move which his lawyer cautiously welcomed, saying it might be a sign of changing political will. In his speech to the first session of parliament since its summer recess, Erdogan held out the possibility of better relations, while adding that there was still much work to do. "We can say that we started to make progress towards reaching a common understanding (with the United States), although it is not at the desired level," he said. He also repeated Turkey's accusation that Washington is protecting Gulen, who has been based in the United States for two decades, and said the conviction in a New York court of an executive of state-owned Halkbank for violating U.S. sanctions on Iran was "an example of unique unlawfulness". Tensions with Washington contributed to a meltdown in the Turkish lira in August, when the currency hit a record low of 7.20 to the dollar. It had already weakened over concerns at the extent of Erdogan's control of the economy and opposition to raising interest rates to combat double-digit inflation. Erdogan said Turkey's economy was overcoming what he described as "midnight operations" designed to break it. "Our economy started rebalancing with measures we have taken, meetings we have realised and programmes we have developed," he told parliament. The lira firmed more than 2 per cent on Monday, reaching its strongest level in more than six weeks, on growing optimism that Brunson might be released and following a hike in interest rates and the govenrment's new economic programme. Turkey's exports also rose sharply in September, the trade ministry said, but Turkish manufacturing activity slid to its lowest level in nine years, a business survey showed.

Turkey will resist US sanctions over pastor: Erdogan 

A formerly US-backed Syrian rebel group on Saturday rejected a deal between Russia and Turkey to avert a large-scale military assault on rebel-held Idlib province.

The deal makes way for a demilitarised zone between rebel and regime-held areas in and around the northwestern governorate, Syria's last insurgent bastion.

Under the accord reached on September 17 amid mounting fears of a devastating regime offensive, jihadist factions would withdraw their heavy weaponry from the buffer zone.

Pro-Turkey rebels have cautiously accepted the deal, but the Jaysh al-Izza faction on Saturday rejected it, saying the zone to be set up by October 15 would only encompass territory currently under rebel control.

It said the buffer zone should be carved out equally from both rebel-held territory and nearby zones controlled by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"We are against this deal, which eats into liberated (rebel-held) areas and bails out Bashar al-Assad," Jaysh al-Izza head Jamil al-Saleh told AFP. 
The group, which according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has around 2,500 fighters, is mainly active in the north of Hama province, bordering Idlib.

It had been close to Ankara but their ties cooled after it refused to join a Turkish-backed alliance, the National Liberation Front.

On September 23, the NLF accepted the demilitarisation deal but said it remained on guard.

A minor Al-Qaeda-linked group, Hurras al-Deen, has also rejected the agreement reached in the Russian resort of Sochi.

The dominant force in the region bordering Turkey, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) alliance led by jihadists of Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, had on Saturday still not responded.

A formerly US-backed Syrian rebel group on Saturday rejected a deal between Russia and Turkey to avert a large-scale military assault on rebel-held Idlib province.

A formerly US-backed Syrian rebel group on Saturday rejected a deal between Russia and Turkey to avert a large-scale military assault on rebel-held Idlib province. The deal makes way for a demilitarised zone between rebel and regime-held areas in and around the northwestern governorate, Syria's last insurgent bastion. Under the accord reached on September 17 amid mounting fears of a devastating regime offensive, jihadist factions would withdraw their heavy weaponry from the buffer zone. Pro-Turkey rebels have cautiously accepted the deal, but the Jaysh al-Izza faction on Saturday rejected it, saying the zone to be set up by October 15 would only encompass territory currently under rebel control. It said the buffer zone should be carved out equally from both rebel-held territory and nearby zones controlled by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "We are against this deal, which eats into liberated (rebel-held) areas and bails out Bashar al-Assad," Jaysh al-Izza head Jamil al-Saleh told AFP. The group, which according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has around 2,500 fighters, is mainly active in the north of Hama province, bordering Idlib. It had been close to Ankara but their ties cooled after it refused to join a Turkish-backed alliance, the National Liberation Front. On September 23, the NLF accepted the demilitarisation deal but said it remained on guard. A minor Al-Qaeda-linked group, Hurras al-Deen, has also rejected the agreement reached in the Russian resort of Sochi. The dominant force in the region bordering Turkey, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) alliance led by jihadists of Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, had on Saturday still not responded.

Syria rebel faction rejects Idlib deal

A Syrian rebel alliance has not pulled any heavy arms from the country's north, its spokesman told AFP Sunday, denying reports it had begun implementing a demilitarisation deal there.

Moscow and Ankara reached a deal earlier this month to create a buffer zone around the opposition stronghold of Idlib that would be free of both jihadists and heavy arms.

The National Liberation Front, a pro-Turkey rebel alliance, welcomed the deal, but said Sunday it had not yet moved any heavy arms from the planned zone.

"There have been no withdrawals of heavy weapons from any area or any front. This report is denied, completely denied," NLF spokesman Naji Mustafa told AFP.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor had earlier said one faction of the NLF began withdrawing its heavy weapons under a Turkish-Russian agreement to create a buffer zone in the area.

It said Faylaq al-Rahman, whose fighters number between 8,500 and 10,000, were leaving areas in the planned zone on Sunday "with heavy weapons, including tanks and cannons".

A spokesman for Faylaq al-Rahman also told AFP on Sunday it had not moved any forces or arms.

"There have been no changes in the location of weapons or redistribution of fighters, even as we remain committed to the agreement reached in (the Russian resort of) Sochi," said Sayf al-Raad.

On September 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to set up a demilitarised zone about 15 to 20 kilometres wide ringing around Idlib.

All factions in the planned buffer zone must hand over their heavy weapons by October 10, and radical groups must withdraw by October 15, according to the agreement. 
&nbsp;

A Syrian rebel alliance has not pulled any heavy arms from the country's north, its spokesman told AFP Sunday, denying reports it had begun implementing a demilitarisation deal there.

A Syrian rebel alliance has not pulled any heavy arms from the country's north, its spokesman told AFP Sunday, denying reports it had begun implementing a demilitarisation deal there. Moscow and Ankara reached a deal earlier this month to create a buffer zone around the opposition stronghold of Idlib that would be free of both jihadists and heavy arms. The National Liberation Front, a pro-Turkey rebel alliance, welcomed the deal, but said Sunday it had not yet moved any heavy arms from the planned zone. "There have been no withdrawals of heavy weapons from any area or any front. This report is denied, completely denied," NLF spokesman Naji Mustafa told AFP. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor had earlier said one faction of the NLF began withdrawing its heavy weapons under a Turkish-Russian agreement to create a buffer zone in the area. It said Faylaq al-Rahman, whose fighters number between 8,500 and 10,000, were leaving areas in the planned zone on Sunday "with heavy weapons, including tanks and cannons". A spokesman for Faylaq al-Rahman also told AFP on Sunday it had not moved any forces or arms. "There have been no changes in the location of weapons or redistribution of fighters, even as we remain committed to the agreement reached in (the Russian resort of) Sochi," said Sayf al-Raad. On September 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to set up a demilitarised zone about 15 to 20 kilometres wide ringing around Idlib. All factions in the planned buffer zone must hand over their heavy weapons by October 10, and radical groups must withdraw by October 15, according to the agreement.

Syria rebels deny pulling arms under Turkey-Russia deal

Five people died after a boat carrying illegal migrants capsized off Turkey's northwestern coast on Sunday, state media reported.

The Turkish coastguard found the bodies after the rubber vessel sank off the Enez district in Edirne province, Anadolu news agency said.

Fearing the numbers on board could be higher, the coastguard continued search and rescue efforts, the agency added.

The cause of the incident was not yet known but a Mediterranean storm is battering Greece and brought heavy rain and wind to Turkey's Aegean cities.

The agency did not give details of the migrants' nationalities however Turkey hosts over three million Syrian refugees and up to 300,000 Iraqis.

It is also one of the transit countries used by those fleeing war and poverty to try and reach Europe.

The flow of refugees into Europe has slowed since the influx hit a peak in 2015 when over a million people landed in Greece from Turkey, the majority via boats.

Five people died after a boat carrying illegal migrants capsized off Turkey's northwestern coast on Sunday, state media reported. The Turkish coastguard found the bodies after the rubber vessel sank off the Enez district in Edirne province, Anadolu news agency said.

Five people died after a boat carrying illegal migrants capsized off Turkey's northwestern coast on Sunday, state media reported. The Turkish coastguard found the bodies after the rubber vessel sank off the Enez district in Edirne province, Anadolu news agency said. Fearing the numbers on board could be higher, the coastguard continued search and rescue efforts, the agency added. The cause of the incident was not yet known but a Mediterranean storm is battering Greece and brought heavy rain and wind to Turkey's Aegean cities. The agency did not give details of the migrants' nationalities however Turkey hosts over three million Syrian refugees and up to 300,000 Iraqis. It is also one of the transit countries used by those fleeing war and poverty to try and reach Europe. The flow of refugees into Europe has slowed since the influx hit a peak in 2015 when over a million people landed in Greece from Turkey, the majority via boats.

Five dead as migrant boat capsizes off Turkey: Report

Pro-Turkey rebels began Sunday withdrawing from areas in northern Syria under a deal brokered by Ankara and Moscow to avert a large-scale military assault on the country's last major opposition stronghold, a monitor said.

"Units from Faylaq al-Sham al-Islami began pulling out of areas in the southern countryside of Aleppo and the western suburbs of Aleppo city with heavy weapons, including tanks and cannons," said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The pullback is in line with a plan agreed this month between regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey to avert a large-scale government offensive on Idlib province and surrounding rebel territory, which included setting up a demilitarised zone.

Pro-Turkey rebels began Sunday withdrawing from areas in northern Syria under a deal brokered by Ankara and Moscow to avert a large-scale military assault on the country's last major opposition stronghold, a monitor said.

Pro-Turkey rebels began Sunday withdrawing from areas in northern Syria under a deal brokered by Ankara and Moscow to avert a large-scale military assault on the country's last major opposition stronghold, a monitor said. "Units from Faylaq al-Sham al-Islami began pulling out of areas in the southern countryside of Aleppo and the western suburbs of Aleppo city with heavy weapons, including tanks and cannons," said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The pullback is in line with a plan agreed this month between regime ally Russia and rebel backer Turkey to avert a large-scale government offensive on Idlib province and surrounding rebel territory, which included setting up a demilitarised zone.

Pro-Turkey rebels in north Syria begin withdrawing under deal: Monitor

Syria's foreign minister on Saturday denounced US, French and Turkish forces operating in his country as "occupying forces" and demanded that they leave immediately.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem also called on Syrian refugees to come home, even though the country's war is now in its eighth year.

Moualem, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said the foreign forces were on Syrian soil illegally, under the pretext of fighting terrorism, and "will be dealt with accordingly."

"They must withdraw immediately and without any conditions," he told the assembly.

Moualem insisted that the "war on terror is almost over" in Syria, where more than 360,000 people have died since 2011, with millions more uprooted from their homes.

He said Damascus would continue "fighting this sacred battle until we purge all Syrian territories" of both terror groups and "any illegal foreign presence."

The United States has some 2,000 troops in Syria, mainly training and advising both Kurdish forces and Syrian Arabs opposed to President Bashar al-Assad.

France has more than 1,000 troops on the ground in the war-wracked country.

On the issue of refugees, Moualem said the conditions were fine for them to return, and he blamed "some western countries" for "spreading irrational fears" that prompted refugees to stay away.

"We have called upon the international community and humanitarian organizations to facilitate these returns," he said. "They are politicizing what should be a purely humanitarian issue."

The United States and the European Union have warned that there will be no reconstruction aid for Syria until there is a political agreement between Assad and the opposition to end the war.

UN diplomats say a recent agreement between Russia and Turkey to set up a buffer zone in the last major rebel stronghold of Idlib has created an opportunity to press ahead with political talks.

The Russian-Turkish deal averted a large-scale assault by Russian-backed Syrian forces on the province, where three million people live.

Moualem however stressed that the agreement had "clear deadlines" and expressed hope that military action will target jihadists including fighters from the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, who "will be eradicated."

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura is hoping to soon convene the first meetings of a new committee comprised of government and opposition members to draft a post-war constitution for Syria and pave the way to elections.

Moualem laid out conditions for the Syrian government's participation in the committee, saying the panel's work should be restricted "to reviewing the articles of the current constitution," and warned against interference.

Syria's foreign minister on Saturday denounced US, French and Turkish forces operating in his country as "occupying forces" and demanded that they leave immediately.

Syria's foreign minister on Saturday denounced US, French and Turkish forces operating in his country as "occupying forces" and demanded that they leave immediately. Addressing the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem also called on Syrian refugees to come home, even though the country's war is now in its eighth year. Moualem, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said the foreign forces were on Syrian soil illegally, under the pretext of fighting terrorism, and "will be dealt with accordingly." "They must withdraw immediately and without any conditions," he told the assembly. Moualem insisted that the "war on terror is almost over" in Syria, where more than 360,000 people have died since 2011, with millions more uprooted from their homes. He said Damascus would continue "fighting this sacred battle until we purge all Syrian territories" of both terror groups and "any illegal foreign presence." The United States has some 2,000 troops in Syria, mainly training and advising both Kurdish forces and Syrian Arabs opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. France has more than 1,000 troops on the ground in the war-wracked country. On the issue of refugees, Moualem said the conditions were fine for them to return, and he blamed "some western countries" for "spreading irrational fears" that prompted refugees to stay away. "We have called upon the international community and humanitarian organizations to facilitate these returns," he said. "They are politicizing what should be a purely humanitarian issue." The United States and the European Union have warned that there will be no reconstruction aid for Syria until there is a political agreement between Assad and the opposition to end the war. UN diplomats say a recent agreement between Russia and Turkey to set up a buffer zone in the last major rebel stronghold of Idlib has created an opportunity to press ahead with political talks. The Russian-Turkish deal averted a large-scale assault by Russian-backed Syrian forces on the province, where three million people live. Moualem however stressed that the agreement had "clear deadlines" and expressed hope that military action will target jihadists including fighters from the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, who "will be eradicated." UN envoy Staffan de Mistura is hoping to soon convene the first meetings of a new committee comprised of government and opposition members to draft a post-war constitution for Syria and pave the way to elections. Moualem laid out conditions for the Syrian government's participation in the committee, saying the panel's work should be restricted "to reviewing the articles of the current constitution," and warned against interference.

Syria calls on US, French, Turkish forces to withdraw immediately

It is outrageous that countries such as Pakistan, Turkey and Gulf states, who have led global efforts in support of the Rohingya refugees, have turned their back on the repression of Uyghur Muslims in China, American lawmakers have said.

"We ought to especially call out the Muslim countries that are saying nothing," Congressman Brad Sherman said during a Congressional hearing Wednesday.

"Whether that be Turkey, Pakistan, the Gulf states, it is simply outrageous that they do so little to help the Rohingya and turn their back completely on Uyghurs," Sherman said.

Uyghurs - a Muslim minority group inside China - have been reportedly subject to increasing repression by Chinese authorities in Xinjiang autonomous region in the country's northwest. Human Rights Watch says China is holding at least a million Uyghurs in "re-education camps" with the crackdown against the minority group growing since 2016.

Sherman alleged that China is repressing its Uyghur population on a massive scale. "The Chinese government has, as noted in a recent UN meeting, turned Xinjiang into something resembling a massive internment camp shrouded in secrecy, a sort of no rights zone."

Testifying before a Congressional committee, Nury Turkel, chairman of the board of Uyghur Human Rights Project, said Pakistan has had a horrible history collaborating with China.

Turkel said Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim is the only Muslim leader to have recently expressed concern on the human rights violations of Uyghurs.

"Pakistan has been very supportive of Chinese effort to silence the Pakistani-Uyghur citizens even," Turkel alleged.

"In Gulf states, particularly the UAE, Egypt has a horrible track record of deporting Uyghur students, which has been also reported by various media outlets. Malaysia, in a previous administration, has also deported some Uyghurs," he said.

Congressman Ted Yoho alleged that the Chinese army brought Xinjiang into modern-day China in 1949 by invasion.

"Today, the [Communist] Party is seeking to eliminate Xinjiang's uniqueness using methods ripped straight from fiction. Authorities have turned the region into a high-tech-militarised police state using cutting-edge technology to subject normal people to pervasive surveillance, including AI Facial and voice recognition and forced genetic sampling," he alleged.

Sherman said there are accounts of Uyghurs being sent back by Middle East countries in violation of international obligations.

Coming out in support of Uyghurs, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher alleged that the Chinese government was also behind the "slaughter of the Muslims" down in Myanmar.

"We care about Muslim people in China. We care about them in Burma," he said.

It is outrageous that countries such as Pakistan, Turkey and Gulf states, who have led global efforts in support of the Rohingya refugees, have turned their back on the repression of Uyghur Muslims in China, American lawmakers have said.

It is outrageous that countries such as Pakistan, Turkey and Gulf states, who have led global efforts in support of the Rohingya refugees, have turned their back on the repression of Uyghur Muslims in China, American lawmakers have said. "We ought to especially call out the Muslim countries that are saying nothing," Congressman Brad Sherman said during a Congressional hearing Wednesday. "Whether that be Turkey, Pakistan, the Gulf states, it is simply outrageous that they do so little to help the Rohingya and turn their back completely on Uyghurs," Sherman said. Uyghurs - a Muslim minority group inside China - have been reportedly subject to increasing repression by Chinese authorities in Xinjiang autonomous region in the country's northwest. Human Rights Watch says China is holding at least a million Uyghurs in "re-education camps" with the crackdown against the minority group growing since 2016. Sherman alleged that China is repressing its Uyghur population on a massive scale. "The Chinese government has, as noted in a recent UN meeting, turned Xinjiang into something resembling a massive internment camp shrouded in secrecy, a sort of no rights zone." Testifying before a Congressional committee, Nury Turkel, chairman of the board of Uyghur Human Rights Project, said Pakistan has had a horrible history collaborating with China. Turkel said Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim is the only Muslim leader to have recently expressed concern on the human rights violations of Uyghurs. "Pakistan has been very supportive of Chinese effort to silence the Pakistani-Uyghur citizens even," Turkel alleged. "In Gulf states, particularly the UAE, Egypt has a horrible track record of deporting Uyghur students, which has been also reported by various media outlets. Malaysia, in a previous administration, has also deported some Uyghurs," he said. Congressman Ted Yoho alleged that the Chinese army brought Xinjiang into modern-day China in 1949 by invasion. "Today, the [Communist] Party is seeking to eliminate Xinjiang's uniqueness using methods ripped straight from fiction. Authorities have turned the region into a high-tech-militarised police state using cutting-edge technology to subject normal people to pervasive surveillance, including AI Facial and voice recognition and forced genetic sampling," he alleged. Sherman said there are accounts of Uyghurs being sent back by Middle East countries in violation of international obligations. Coming out in support of Uyghurs, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher alleged that the Chinese government was also behind the "slaughter of the Muslims" down in Myanmar. "We care about Muslim people in China. We care about them in Burma," he said.

Silence of Pak, Turkey on Chinese repression of Uyghur Muslims outrageous: US lawmakers

Three recent developments lay bare the fragility of Middle Eastern alliances and a rebalancing of their priorities: the Russian-Turkish compromise on an assault on the rebel-held Syrian region of Idlib, the fate of troubled Abu Dhabi airline Ettihad, and battles over reconstruction of Syria.

These developments highlight the fact that competition among Middle Eastern rivals and ultimate power within the region’s various alliances is increasingly as much economic and commercial as it is military and geopolitical. Battles are fought as much on geopolitical fronts as they are on economic and cultural battlefields such as soccer.

As a result, the fault lines of various alliances across the greater Middle East, a region that stretches from North Africa to north-western China, are coming to the fore.

The cracks may be most apparent in the Russian-Turkish-Iranian alliance but lurk in the background of Gulf cooperation with Israel in confronting Iran as well as the unified front put forward by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Russia, prevented, at least for now, a rupture with Turkey, by delaying an all-out attack on Idlib despite Iranian advocacy of an offensive. Turkey, already home to three million Syrians, feared that a Syrian-Russian assault, would push hundreds of thousands, if not millions more across its border.

If Iran was the weakest link in the debate about Idlib, it stands stronger in its coming competition with Russia for the spoils of reconstruction of war-ravaged Syria.

Similarly, Russia appears to be ambivalent towards a continued Iranian military presence in post-war Syria, a potential flashpoint given Israel’s opposition and Israeli attacks that led earlier this month to the downing of a Russian aircraft.

By the same token, Turkey, despite its backing of Qatar in its 15-month-old dispute with a Saudi-UAE-led alliance that is boycotting the Gulf state diplomatically and economically, poses perhaps the greatest challenge to Qatari efforts to project itself globally by operating one of the world’s best airlines and positioning itself as a sports hub.

Turkey, despite its failure this week to win the right to host Euro 2024 and its lack of the Gulf’s financial muscle, competes favourably on every other front with Qatar as well as the UAE that too is seeking to project itself through soft as well as hard power and opposes Mr. Erdogan because of his Islamist leanings, ties to Iran, and support of Qatar. Turkey wins hands down against the small Gulf states when it comes to size, population, location, industrial base, military might, and sports performance.

That, coupled with a determination to undermine Qatar, was likely one reason, why the UAE’s major carriers, Emirates and Etihad that is troubled by a failed business model, have, despite official denials, been quietly discussing a potential merger that would create the world’s largest airline.

Countering competition from Turkish Airlines that outflanks both UAE carriers with 309 passenger planes that service 302 destinations in 120 countries may well have been another reason. Emirates, the larger of the two Emirati carriers, has, a fleet of 256 aircraft flying to 150 destinations in 80 countries.

These recent developments suggest that alliances, particularly the one that groups Russia, Turkey and Iran, are brittle and transactional, geared towards capitalizing on immediate common interests rather than shared long-term goals, let alone values.

That is true even if Russia and Turkey increasingly find common ground in concepts of Eurasianism. It also applies to Turkey and Qatar who both support Islamist groups as well as to Saudi Arabia and the UAE who closely coordinate policies but see their different goals put on display in Yemen.

The fragility of the alliances is further underwritten by Turkish, Russian and Iranian aspirations of resurrecting empire in a 21st century mould and a Saudi quest for regional dominance.

Notions of empire have informed policies long before realignment across Eurasia as a result of the focus of the United States shifting from the Middle East to Asia, the rise of China. increasingly strained relations between the West and Russia, and the greater assertiveness of Middle Eastern states like Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran.

Then president Suleyman Demirel told this writer already in the 1990s in the wake of the demise of the Soviet Union and the emergence of independent, mostly ethnically Turkic Central Asian republics that “Turkey’s world stretches from the Adriatic to the Great Wall of China.”

In a world in which globalization is shaped by geopolitical zones rather than individual countries, Russia’s imperative is to be a region by defining itself as an Asian rather than a European power that would be on par with China, the European Union, and a US zone of influence.

“Putin does not think along national lines. He thinks in terms of larger blocks, and, ultimately in terms of the world order,” said former Portuguese minister for Europe, Bruno Macaes in a recently published book, The Dawn of Eurasia.

In doing so, Russia is effectively turning its back on Europe as it reinvents itself as an Asian power on the basis of a Eurasianism, a century-old ideology that defines Russia as a Eurasian rather than a European power.

The Eurasian Economic Union, that groups Russia, Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Armenia, is a vehicle that allows Russia to establish itself as a block in the borderland between Europe and Asia.

Similarly, Eurasianism has gained currency in Turkey with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who enabled by the demise of the Soviet Union and the re-emergence of a Turkic world, projects his country as a crossroads between Europe, Africa and Asia rather than a European bridge to Asia.

In that vein, Turkish columnist Sinan Baykent projected this week’s fence-mending visit to Germany by Erdogan and his proposal for a summit on Syria of Turkish, Russian, German and French leaders as a Eurasian approach to problem solving.

The meeting between Erdogan and German chancellor Angela Merkel was meant “to pave the way for a Eurasian solution for the region… There is a new axis forming today between Berlin, Moscow, Ankara, Tehran and maybe Paris… All of these countries are fed up with American unilateralism and excessive policies displayed by the Trump administration.,”&nbsp;Baykent said.

If Turkey and Russia’s vision of their place in the world is defined to a large extent by geography, Iran’s topology dictates a more inward-looking view despite accusations that it is seeking to establish itself as the Middle East’s hegemon.

“Iran is a fortress. Surrounded on three sides by mountains and on the fourth by the ocean, with a wasteland at its centre,” noted Stratfor, a geopolitical intelligence platform. Gulf fears are rooted not only in deep-seated distrust of Iran’s Islamic regime, but also in the fact that the foundation of past Persian empire relied on control of plains in present-day Iraq.

As a result, the manoeuvring of Gulf states, in contrast to Turkey and Russia, is driven less by a conceptual framing of their place in the world and more by regional rivalry and regime survival. Countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE walk a fine line focusing geopolitically on an increasingly unpredictable United States and economically on China and the rest of Asia, including Russia, Korea and Japan.

What the plight of Idlib, potential change in aviation and competition for reconstruction contracts highlight is the brittleness of Middle Eastern alliances that threatens to be reinforced by economics becoming an increasingly important factor alongside geopolitics.

“Stakes for all parties are starting to divert from each other in Syria and the prospects of cooperation with Russia and Iran are becoming more challenging,” said Turkish columnist Nuray Mert commenting on the situation in Idlib. Her analysis is as valid for Idlib as it for the prospects of many of the Middle East alliances.

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Three recent developments lay bare the fragility of Middle Eastern alliances and a rebalancing of their priorities: the Russian-Turkish compromise on an assault on the rebel-held Syrian region of Idlib, the fate of troubled Abu Dhabi airline Ettihad, and battles over reconstruction of Syria.

Three recent developments lay bare the fragility of Middle Eastern alliances and a rebalancing of their priorities: the Russian-Turkish compromise on an assault on the rebel-held Syrian region of Idlib, the fate of troubled Abu Dhabi airline Ettihad, and battles over reconstruction of Syria. These developments highlight the fact that competition among Middle Eastern rivals and ultimate power within the region’s various alliances is increasingly as much economic and commercial as it is military and geopolitical. Battles are fought as much on geopolitical fronts as they are on economic and cultural battlefields such as soccer. As a result, the fault lines of various alliances across the greater Middle East, a region that stretches from North Africa to north-western China, are coming to the fore. The cracks may be most apparent in the Russian-Turkish-Iranian alliance but lurk in the background of Gulf cooperation with Israel in confronting Iran as well as the unified front put forward by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Russia, prevented, at least for now, a rupture with Turkey, by delaying an all-out attack on Idlib despite Iranian advocacy of an offensive. Turkey, already home to three million Syrians, feared that a Syrian-Russian assault, would push hundreds of thousands, if not millions more across its border. If Iran was the weakest link in the debate about Idlib, it stands stronger in its coming competition with Russia for the spoils of reconstruction of war-ravaged Syria. Similarly, Russia appears to be ambivalent towards a continued Iranian military presence in post-war Syria, a potential flashpoint given Israel’s opposition and Israeli attacks that led earlier this month to the downing of a Russian aircraft. By the same token, Turkey, despite its backing of Qatar in its 15-month-old dispute with a Saudi-UAE-led alliance that is boycotting the Gulf state diplomatically and economically, poses perhaps the greatest challenge to Qatari efforts to project itself globally by operating one of the world’s best airlines and positioning itself as a sports hub. Turkey, despite its failure this week to win the right to host Euro 2024 and its lack of the Gulf’s financial muscle, competes favourably on every other front with Qatar as well as the UAE that too is seeking to project itself through soft as well as hard power and opposes Mr. Erdogan because of his Islamist leanings, ties to Iran, and support of Qatar. Turkey wins hands down against the small Gulf states when it comes to size, population, location, industrial base, military might, and sports performance. That, coupled with a determination to undermine Qatar, was likely one reason, why the UAE’s major carriers, Emirates and Etihad that is troubled by a failed business model, have, despite official denials, been quietly discussing a potential merger that would create the world’s largest airline. Countering competition from Turkish Airlines that outflanks both UAE carriers with 309 passenger planes that service 302 destinations in 120 countries may well have been another reason. Emirates, the larger of the two Emirati carriers, has, a fleet of 256 aircraft flying to 150 destinations in 80 countries. These recent developments suggest that alliances, particularly the one that groups Russia, Turkey and Iran, are brittle and transactional, geared towards capitalizing on immediate common interests rather than shared long-term goals, let alone values. That is true even if Russia and Turkey increasingly find common ground in concepts of Eurasianism. It also applies to Turkey and Qatar who both support Islamist groups as well as to Saudi Arabia and the UAE who closely coordinate policies but see their different goals put on display in Yemen. The fragility of the alliances is further underwritten by Turkish, Russian and Iranian aspirations of resurrecting empire in a 21st century mould and a Saudi quest for regional dominance. Notions of empire have informed policies long before realignment across Eurasia as a result of the focus of the United States shifting from the Middle East to Asia, the rise of China. increasingly strained relations between the West and Russia, and the greater assertiveness of Middle Eastern states like Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Iran. Then president Suleyman Demirel told this writer already in the 1990s in the wake of the demise of the Soviet Union and the emergence of independent, mostly ethnically Turkic Central Asian republics that “Turkey’s world stretches from the Adriatic to the Great Wall of China.” In a world in which globalization is shaped by geopolitical zones rather than individual countries, Russia’s imperative is to be a region by defining itself as an Asian rather than a European power that would be on par with China, the European Union, and a US zone of influence. “Putin does not think along national lines. He thinks in terms of larger blocks, and, ultimately in terms of the world order,” said former Portuguese minister for Europe, Bruno Macaes in a recently published book, The Dawn of Eurasia. In doing so, Russia is effectively turning its back on Europe as it reinvents itself as an Asian power on the basis of a Eurasianism, a century-old ideology that defines Russia as a Eurasian rather than a European power. The Eurasian Economic Union, that groups Russia, Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Armenia, is a vehicle that allows Russia to establish itself as a block in the borderland between Europe and Asia. Similarly, Eurasianism has gained currency in Turkey with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who enabled by the demise of the Soviet Union and the re-emergence of a Turkic world, projects his country as a crossroads between Europe, Africa and Asia rather than a European bridge to Asia. In that vein, Turkish columnist Sinan Baykent projected this week’s fence-mending visit to Germany by Erdogan and his proposal for a summit on Syria of Turkish, Russian, German and French leaders as a Eurasian approach to problem solving. The meeting between Erdogan and German chancellor Angela Merkel was meant “to pave the way for a Eurasian solution for the region… There is a new axis forming today between Berlin, Moscow, Ankara, Tehran and maybe Paris… All of these countries are fed up with American unilateralism and excessive policies displayed by the Trump administration.,” Baykent said. If Turkey and Russia’s vision of their place in the world is defined to a large extent by geography, Iran’s topology dictates a more inward-looking view despite accusations that it is seeking to establish itself as the Middle East’s hegemon. “Iran is a fortress. Surrounded on three sides by mountains and on the fourth by the ocean, with a wasteland at its centre,” noted Stratfor, a geopolitical intelligence platform. Gulf fears are rooted not only in deep-seated distrust of Iran’s Islamic regime, but also in the fact that the foundation of past Persian empire relied on control of plains in present-day Iraq. As a result, the manoeuvring of Gulf states, in contrast to Turkey and Russia, is driven less by a conceptual framing of their place in the world and more by regional rivalry and regime survival. Countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE walk a fine line focusing geopolitically on an increasingly unpredictable United States and economically on China and the rest of Asia, including Russia, Korea and Japan. What the plight of Idlib, potential change in aviation and competition for reconstruction contracts highlight is the brittleness of Middle Eastern alliances that threatens to be reinforced by economics becoming an increasingly important factor alongside geopolitics. “Stakes for all parties are starting to divert from each other in Syria and the prospects of cooperation with Russia and Iran are becoming more challenging,” said Turkish columnist Nuray Mert commenting on the situation in Idlib. Her analysis is as valid for Idlib as it for the prospects of many of the Middle East alliances. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Fragility of Middle East alliances becomes more apparent

Turkey beefed up its military positions in Syria's rebel bastion of Idlib Tuesday as the clock ticked down on a mid-October deadline to remove jihadists from the area.

Further complicating Turkey's task, a war monitor said hundreds of members of the Islamic State group were transferred by the regime to the northwestern region from eastern Syria.

Russia, the government's main ally, and Turkey, the rebels' top sponsor, agreed last week in Sochi on a plan meant to avert a largescale regime offensive on Idlib.

The country's last major rebel stronghold is home to around three million people and the United Nations had warned an assault could have sparked a humanitarian disaster on a scale yet unseen in the seven-year conflict.

The deal reached in the Russian resort puts the onus on Turkey, which is now expected to get jihadists to hand over their heavy weapons and vacate a U-shaped demilitarised zone around Idlib.

Turkey already has 12 military "observation points" dotted across the province and on Tuesday an AFP correspondent saw a convoy of reinforcements after they crossed the border into Idlib.

Around 35 military vehicles travelled south down the main highway near the town of Saraqib after midnight.

The convoy was accompanied by pro-Ankara rebels of the National Liberation Front (NLF), who control part of the enclave on the Turkish border.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a jihadist alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, controls more than half of the rebel zone, while NLF fighters hold sway over most of the rest.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported that the government had transferred hundreds of rival IS jihadists to the area.

Excuse for an assault

On Monday, the head of the Britain-based Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, said they were brought from an area where IS still holds a few pockets near the Iraqi border in Deir Ezzor province.

"Regime forces transported more than 400 IS fighters late Sunday from the desert near the town of Albu Kamal," he said.

They arrived in the eastern countryside of Idlib at dawn on Monday, near areas where other jihadist groups are present, he said.

Abdel Rahman said the transfer came after days of negotiations and as the Syrian army with allied Iranian forces threatened an operation against IS.

"An agreement was reached with IS fighters in one of their pockets in the desert south of Albu Kamal to evacuate them," he said.

Observers have already warned that Turkey's task was almost impossible and the presence of IS, over which it has very limited sway, will further muddy the waters.

Tore Hamming, a Copenhagen-based academic specialised in the study of jihadist groups, argued that the IS transfer could spark clashes between rival factions inside Idlib.

Beyond exacerbating differences among its foes, he said the regime may have sought to create a justification for a full-blown Russian-backed offensive.

"It is easier to convince international players to accept an offensive if you can say there are substantial numbers of IS fighters," Hamming argued.

The conflict in Syria, which has killed more than 360,000 people since 2011, will feature prominently on the agenda of the UN General Assembly which opens Tuesday in New York.

Turkey beefed up its military positions in Syria's rebel bastion of Idlib Tuesday as the clock ticked down on a mid-October deadline to remove jihadists from the area.

Turkey beefed up its military positions in Syria's rebel bastion of Idlib Tuesday as the clock ticked down on a mid-October deadline to remove jihadists from the area. Further complicating Turkey's task, a war monitor said hundreds of members of the Islamic State group were transferred by the regime to the northwestern region from eastern Syria. Russia, the government's main ally, and Turkey, the rebels' top sponsor, agreed last week in Sochi on a plan meant to avert a largescale regime offensive on Idlib. The country's last major rebel stronghold is home to around three million people and the United Nations had warned an assault could have sparked a humanitarian disaster on a scale yet unseen in the seven-year conflict. The deal reached in the Russian resort puts the onus on Turkey, which is now expected to get jihadists to hand over their heavy weapons and vacate a U-shaped demilitarised zone around Idlib. Turkey already has 12 military "observation points" dotted across the province and on Tuesday an AFP correspondent saw a convoy of reinforcements after they crossed the border into Idlib. Around 35 military vehicles travelled south down the main highway near the town of Saraqib after midnight. The convoy was accompanied by pro-Ankara rebels of the National Liberation Front (NLF), who control part of the enclave on the Turkish border. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a jihadist alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, controls more than half of the rebel zone, while NLF fighters hold sway over most of the rest. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported that the government had transferred hundreds of rival IS jihadists to the area. Excuse for an assault On Monday, the head of the Britain-based Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, said they were brought from an area where IS still holds a few pockets near the Iraqi border in Deir Ezzor province. "Regime forces transported more than 400 IS fighters late Sunday from the desert near the town of Albu Kamal," he said. They arrived in the eastern countryside of Idlib at dawn on Monday, near areas where other jihadist groups are present, he said. Abdel Rahman said the transfer came after days of negotiations and as the Syrian army with allied Iranian forces threatened an operation against IS. "An agreement was reached with IS fighters in one of their pockets in the desert south of Albu Kamal to evacuate them," he said. Observers have already warned that Turkey's task was almost impossible and the presence of IS, over which it has very limited sway, will further muddy the waters. Tore Hamming, a Copenhagen-based academic specialised in the study of jihadist groups, argued that the IS transfer could spark clashes between rival factions inside Idlib. Beyond exacerbating differences among its foes, he said the regime may have sought to create a justification for a full-blown Russian-backed offensive. "It is easier to convince international players to accept an offensive if you can say there are substantial numbers of IS fighters," Hamming argued. The conflict in Syria, which has killed more than 360,000 people since 2011, will feature prominently on the agenda of the UN General Assembly which opens Tuesday in New York.

Turkey sends reinforcements to Syria's Idlib

Chancellor Angela Merkel will discuss challenging topics including the situation in Syria with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Germany next week, a spokesman for the German government said on Friday.

Russia and Turkey told a weekly meeting of the UN&nbsp;Syria humanitarian taskforce in Geneva on Thursday that they were still working out the details of their plan to avert a major battle in Syria's Idlib province but were optimistic.

Chancellor Angela Merkel will discuss challenging topics including the situation in Syria with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Germany next week, a spokesman for the German government said on Friday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel will discuss challenging topics including the situation in Syria with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Germany next week, a spokesman for the German government said on Friday. Russia and Turkey told a weekly meeting of the UN Syria humanitarian taskforce in Geneva on Thursday that they were still working out the details of their plan to avert a major battle in Syria's Idlib province but were optimistic.

Merkel to discuss Syria with Erdogan during his visit next week

According to reports, Turkey has stated that its presence will remain in northern Iraq until all terrorist groups are removed, Defence Minister Nurettin Canikli confirmed the same on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The statement came amid increasing government warnings of a military operation against Kurdish militants based in the Qandil mountains.

Canikli was speaking at a roundtable interview with the state-run Anadolu news agency wherein he added that Ankara had offered to carry out a potential operation into Qandil with Iran, who has voiced support for the offensive. Canikli also noted that Turkey was in full agreement with Baghdad on the operation.

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

The statement came amid increasing government warnings of a military operation against Kurdish militants based in the Qandil mountains

According to reports, Turkey has stated that its presence will remain in northern Iraq until all terrorist groups are removed, Defence Minister Nurettin Canikli confirmed the same on Tuesday. The statement came amid increasing government warnings of a military operation against Kurdish militants based in the Qandil mountains. Canikli was speaking at a roundtable interview with the state-run Anadolu news agency wherein he added that Ankara had offered to carry out a potential operation into Qandil with Iran, who has voiced support for the offensive. Canikli also noted that Turkey was in full agreement with Baghdad on the operation. (With inputs from Reuters)

Will remain in northern Iraq until all terrorist groups are removed: Turkey

Austria will expel "several" foreign-funded imams and shut seven mosques in a crackdown on "political Islam", Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced on Friday.

Kurz said the moves came after an investigation by the religious affairs authority into images which emerged in April of children in Turkish-backed mosques playing dead and re-enacting the World War I battle of Gallipoli.

"Parallel societies, political Islam and radicalisation have no place in our country," Kurz said.

The photos, published by the Falter weekly, showed the young boys in camouflage uniforms marching, saluting, waving Turkish flags and then playing dead.&nbsp

Their "corpses" were then lined up and draped in the flags.

The mosque in question was run by the Turkish-Islamic Cultural Associations (ATIB) organisation, based in the German city of Cologne, and a branch of Turkey's religious affairs agency Diyanet.

ATIB itself condemned the photos at the time, calling the "highly regrettable" event and said that "called off before it had even ended".

The mosque in question was run by the Turkish-Islamic Cultural Associations organisation.

Austria will expel "several" foreign-funded imams and shut seven mosques in a crackdown on "political Islam", Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced on Friday. Kurz said the moves came after an investigation by the religious affairs authority into images which emerged in April of children in Turkish-backed mosques playing dead and re-enacting the World War I battle of Gallipoli. "Parallel societies, political Islam and radicalisation have no place in our country," Kurz said. The photos, published by the Falter weekly, showed the young boys in camouflage uniforms marching, saluting, waving Turkish flags and then playing dead. Their "corpses" were then lined up and draped in the flags. The mosque in question was run by the Turkish-Islamic Cultural Associations (ATIB) organisation, based in the German city of Cologne, and a branch of Turkey's religious affairs agency Diyanet. ATIB itself condemned the photos at the time, calling the "highly regrettable" event and said that "called off before it had even ended".

Austria to shut seven mosques in crackdown over political Islam: Chancellor Kurz

More than 50 migrants drowned in the Mediterranean&nbsp;on Sunday, the majority off the coasts of Tunisia and Turkey, while Italy marked a sea change in its policy.

Tunisian authorities said 48 bodies were recovered off the country's southern coast, close to the city of Sfax, while 68 people were rescued.

"The boat had a maximum capacity of 75 to 90 people, but there were more than 180 of us," said Wael Ferjani, a Tunisian survivor from the southern region of Gabes.

While water leaked into the boat, some passengers jumped into the sea and drowned, he told AFP.

The latest death toll was published around&nbsp;7:00 pm&nbsp;(1800 GMT), after the search and rescue operation had ended for the day.

The hunt for survivors would continue&nbsp;on Monday&nbsp;morning, Mohammed Salah Sagaama from Sfax's naval base told AFP.

Tunisians and migrants regularly try to cross the Mediterranean to seek a better future in Europe, with 120 mainly Tunisians rescued by their navy in March after trying to reach Italy.

In October, a collision between a migrant boat and a Tunisian military ship left at least 44 dead, in what Prime Minister Youssef Chahed called a "national disaster".

The latest shipwreck is the most deadly in the Mediterranean since&nbsp;February 2&nbsp;when 90 people drowned off the coast of Libya, according to the IOM.

Across the Mediterranean, nine Syrians including seven children drowned when their vessel sank off the coast of Turkey.

The group were travelling in a speedboat intending to head illegally to Europe when the boat hit trouble off the coast of the southern Antalya province, state media reports said.

The oldest child to drown was 14 and the youngest just three, according to the Anadolu news agency.

Six adults were reportedly rescued including a couple who lost five of their children in the disaster.

Turkey was the main sea route for migrants to Europe in 2015 when more than a million people crossed to Greece.

That year 3,771 people were recorded as dead or missing in the Mediterranean by the United Nations refugee agency.

So far this year, 32,601 migrants and refugees have survived the sea crossing and 649 have been recorded as dead or missing.

A deal struck with the EU in 2016 has drastically reduced the amount of people trying to make the sea crossing, although observers say the numbers have been ticking up again in recent months.

The focal point for Mediterranean migration in recent years has been Italy, where more than 700,000 migrants have arrived since 2013.

On Sunday&nbsp;the country's new hardline interior minister, Matteo Salvini, headed to Sicily, one of the main landing points for those rescued at sea, to push his anti-immigration agenda.

His predecessor signed a controversial deal with authorities and militias in Libya -- the key departure point on the route to Italy -- which has driven down overall arrival numbers by 75 per cent since last summer.

But Salvini has pledged to go further still, vowing to cut the number of arrivals and speed up deportations.

"The good times for illegals is over -- get ready to pack your bags," he said&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;at a rally in Italy's north.

The latest arrivals, some 158 people, were rescued by a humanitarian boat and reached southern Sicily&nbsp;on Friday.

Meanwhile, Spanish maritime rescue units said&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;they have picked up 240 migrants since the start of the weekend, with one person reported drowned.

Migration will be high on the agenda&nbsp;Tuesday&nbsp;when EU interior ministers meet in Luxembourg and discuss the bloc's contested Dublin rule, under which would-be refugees must file for asylum in the first member country they enter.

Many of those landing on the Mediterranean coast see their arrival point as a pathway to their final destination, but the Dublin rule and tightening border checks have meant migrants are increasingly stuck in southern Europe.

Tunisian authorities said 48 bodies were recovered off the country's southern coast, close to the city of Sfax, while 68 people were rescued

More than 50 migrants drowned in the Mediterranean on Sunday, the majority off the coasts of Tunisia and Turkey, while Italy marked a sea change in its policy. Tunisian authorities said 48 bodies were recovered off the country's southern coast, close to the city of Sfax, while 68 people were rescued. "The boat had a maximum capacity of 75 to 90 people, but there were more than 180 of us," said Wael Ferjani, a Tunisian survivor from the southern region of Gabes. While water leaked into the boat, some passengers jumped into the sea and drowned, he told AFP. The latest death toll was published around 7:00 pm (1800 GMT), after the search and rescue operation had ended for the day. The hunt for survivors would continue on Monday morning, Mohammed Salah Sagaama from Sfax's naval base told AFP. Tunisians and migrants regularly try to cross the Mediterranean to seek a better future in Europe, with 120 mainly Tunisians rescued by their navy in March after trying to reach Italy. In October, a collision between a migrant boat and a Tunisian military ship left at least 44 dead, in what Prime Minister Youssef Chahed called a "national disaster". The latest shipwreck is the most deadly in the Mediterranean since February 2 when 90 people drowned off the coast of Libya, according to the IOM. Across the Mediterranean, nine Syrians including seven children drowned when their vessel sank off the coast of Turkey. The group were travelling in a speedboat intending to head illegally to Europe when the boat hit trouble off the coast of the southern Antalya province, state media reports said. The oldest child to drown was 14 and the youngest just three, according to the Anadolu news agency. Six adults were reportedly rescued including a couple who lost five of their children in the disaster. Turkey was the main sea route for migrants to Europe in 2015 when more than a million people crossed to Greece. That year 3,771 people were recorded as dead or missing in the Mediterranean by the United Nations refugee agency. So far this year, 32,601 migrants and refugees have survived the sea crossing and 649 have been recorded as dead or missing. A deal struck with the EU in 2016 has drastically reduced the amount of people trying to make the sea crossing, although observers say the numbers have been ticking up again in recent months. The focal point for Mediterranean migration in recent years has been Italy, where more than 700,000 migrants have arrived since 2013. On Sunday the country's new hardline interior minister, Matteo Salvini, headed to Sicily, one of the main landing points for those rescued at sea, to push his anti-immigration agenda. His predecessor signed a controversial deal with authorities and militias in Libya -- the key departure point on the route to Italy -- which has driven down overall arrival numbers by 75 per cent since last summer. But Salvini has pledged to go further still, vowing to cut the number of arrivals and speed up deportations. "The good times for illegals is over -- get ready to pack your bags," he said Saturday at a rally in Italy's north. The latest arrivals, some 158 people, were rescued by a humanitarian boat and reached southern Sicily on Friday. Meanwhile, Spanish maritime rescue units said Sunday they have picked up 240 migrants since the start of the weekend, with one person reported drowned. Migration will be high on the agenda Tuesday when EU interior ministers meet in Luxembourg and discuss the bloc's contested Dublin rule, under which would-be refugees must file for asylum in the first member country they enter. Many of those landing on the Mediterranean coast see their arrival point as a pathway to their final destination, but the Dublin rule and tightening border checks have meant migrants are increasingly stuck in southern Europe.

More than 50 migrants die in Mediterranean crossings

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan has said ride hailing app Uber is finished in Turkey, following pressure from Istanbul taxi drivers who said it was providing an illegal service and called for it to be banned.

About 17,400 taxis operate in Istanbul, home to about a fifth of Turkey's population of 81 million people, and since Uber entered the country in 2014 tensions have risen sharply.

Erdogan's statement came after new regulations were announced in recent weeks tightening transport licensing requirements, making it more difficult for drivers to register with Uber and threatening a two-year ban for violations.

"This thing called Uber emerged. That business is finished. That does not exist anymore," he said in a speech in Istanbul late on Friday.

"We have our taxi system. Where does this (Uber) come from? It is used in Europe, I do not care about that. We will decide by ourselves," added Erdogan, who is running for re-election in three weeks.

Uber had no immediate response to his comment. After the transport licensing changes were announced it said it wanted to work with all sides to improve transport and to be "a true partner to Turkey for the long term".

Uber said that about 2,000 yellow cab drivers use its app to find customers, while another 5,000 work for UberXL, using large vans to transport groups to parties, or take people with bulky luggage to Istanbul's airports.

It declined to reveal the number of Uber users in Turkey, where it operates in Istanbul, and in the resort towns of Bodrum and Cesme in the summer months.

Earlier this year, Istanbul's taxi drivers took Uber to court accusing it of hindering their business and operating illegally.

Several reports said that Uber vehicles, drivers and customers were either mistreated, threatened or faced violence by yellow taxi drivers.

Erdogan's statement came following pressure from Istanbul's taxi drivers who said Uber was providing an illegal service and called for it to be banned

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan has said ride hailing app Uber is finished in Turkey, following pressure from Istanbul taxi drivers who said it was providing an illegal service and called for it to be banned. About 17,400 taxis operate in Istanbul, home to about a fifth of Turkey's population of 81 million people, and since Uber entered the country in 2014 tensions have risen sharply. Erdogan's statement came after new regulations were announced in recent weeks tightening transport licensing requirements, making it more difficult for drivers to register with Uber and threatening a two-year ban for violations. "This thing called Uber emerged. That business is finished. That does not exist anymore," he said in a speech in Istanbul late on Friday. "We have our taxi system. Where does this (Uber) come from? It is used in Europe, I do not care about that. We will decide by ourselves," added Erdogan, who is running for re-election in three weeks. Uber had no immediate response to his comment. After the transport licensing changes were announced it said it wanted to work with all sides to improve transport and to be "a true partner to Turkey for the long term". Uber said that about 2,000 yellow cab drivers use its app to find customers, while another 5,000 work for UberXL, using large vans to transport groups to parties, or take people with bulky luggage to Istanbul's airports. It declined to reveal the number of Uber users in Turkey, where it operates in Istanbul, and in the resort towns of Bodrum and Cesme in the summer months. Earlier this year, Istanbul's taxi drivers took Uber to court accusing it of hindering their business and operating illegally. Several reports said that Uber vehicles, drivers and customers were either mistreated, threatened or faced violence by yellow taxi drivers.

Uber's 'business is finished' in Turkey, says Erdogan

The shimmering Mediterranean coastline of southern Turkey has provided an idyllic backdrop for Australia's World Cup preparations but coach Bert van Marwijk is far from relaxed as the Socceroos race to be fit for Russia.

Given only months to turn the world's 40th-ranked team into an outfit that can challenge France, Denmark and Peru in the group phase, the Dutchman has tried to fast-track fitness levels with an intense Bootcamp at their Antalya base.

The plans have been thwarted to an extent by late arrivals, however, and the full 27-man squad was not in place until Tuesday when captain Mile Jedinak turned up for a light session and goalkeeper Danny Vukovic finally landed after completing club duties.

Striker Tomi Juric has struggled with a knee injury, prompting the late call-up for the initially snubbed Scotland-based forward Jamie Maclaren, while midfielder Aaron Mooy had to be excused for a period to have a wisdom tooth removed.

The little frustrations have piled up for Van Marwijk, who admitted he was feeling the pressure to get the squad to meet his benchmarks before Russia.

"I am not nervous, but when I started I wanted to start with all players,” he told former Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, now a pundit for local broadcaster Optus Sport.

"The first mission we have is to get them all on the same physical level. That’s not so easy. Because players (are) coming back from injury.

"It’s a very big difference and you want to prepare but you don’t have a lot of time.

"That’s my problem. I knew it before, I knew I can’t change it, I cannot blame anybody, but I’m happy everybody is here and I can train with all players."

Barring a few minutes at the start of sessions, media have been barred from training as Van Marwijk imprints his game plan upon a squad that made hard work of Asian qualifying and struggled to score goals.

The manager has been cagey about his set-up but has shelved his predecessor Ange Postecoglou's 3-2-4-1 formation in favour of four at the back.

Players are still being tested in different roles but defensive midfielder Mark Milligan has been told he will only be used as a central defender, meaning Jedinak is likely to retain his holding midfield role.

"I don’t mind," Milligan told Australian media. "It’s nice to know what position I’m being looked at."

Australia has never lacked for hard-working footballers and their discipline has impressed Van Marwijk, but he is concerned their eagerness to follow his orders has made them reluctant to improvise.

"But what I was a little bit surprised about was they did everything exactly the way I told them," said Van Marwijk.

"In life, you (also) have to take decisions for yourself.

"Sometimes, things change. Sometimes, they are different. Then you have to anticipate that.

"I like discipline, but I also like players who develop themselves and who sometimes take their own decisions."

After a 4-1 loss to Norway and a 0-0 draw against Colombia in March, Van Marwijk will see how far his squad have come in a friendly against the 45th-ranked Czech Republic on Friday in St Polten, Austria.

The little frustrations have piled up for Van Marwijk, who admitted he was feeling the pressure to get the squad to meet his benchmarks before Russia

The shimmering Mediterranean coastline of southern Turkey has provided an idyllic backdrop for Australia's World Cup preparations but coach Bert van Marwijk is far from relaxed as the Socceroos race to be fit for Russia. Given only months to turn the world's 40th-ranked team into an outfit that can challenge France, Denmark and Peru in the group phase, the Dutchman has tried to fast-track fitness levels with an intense Bootcamp at their Antalya base. The plans have been thwarted to an extent by late arrivals, however, and the full 27-man squad was not in place until Tuesday when captain Mile Jedinak turned up for a light session and goalkeeper Danny Vukovic finally landed after completing club duties. Striker Tomi Juric has struggled with a knee injury, prompting the late call-up for the initially snubbed Scotland-based forward Jamie Maclaren, while midfielder Aaron Mooy had to be excused for a period to have a wisdom tooth removed. The little frustrations have piled up for Van Marwijk, who admitted he was feeling the pressure to get the squad to meet his benchmarks before Russia. "I am not nervous, but when I started I wanted to start with all players,” he told former Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, now a pundit for local broadcaster Optus Sport. "The first mission we have is to get them all on the same physical level. That’s not so easy. Because players (are) coming back from injury. "It’s a very big difference and you want to prepare but you don’t have a lot of time. "That’s my problem. I knew it before, I knew I can’t change it, I cannot blame anybody, but I’m happy everybody is here and I can train with all players." Barring a few minutes at the start of sessions, media have been barred from training as Van Marwijk imprints his game plan upon a squad that made hard work of Asian qualifying and struggled to score goals. The manager has been cagey about his set-up but has shelved his predecessor Ange Postecoglou's 3-2-4-1 formation in favour of four at the back. Players are still being tested in different roles but defensive midfielder Mark Milligan has been told he will only be used as a central defender, meaning Jedinak is likely to retain his holding midfield role. "I don’t mind," Milligan told Australian media. "It’s nice to know what position I’m being looked at." Australia has never lacked for hard-working footballers and their discipline has impressed Van Marwijk, but he is concerned their eagerness to follow his orders has made them reluctant to improvise. "But what I was a little bit surprised about was they did everything exactly the way I told them," said Van Marwijk. "In life, you (also) have to take decisions for yourself. "Sometimes, things change. Sometimes, they are different. Then you have to anticipate that. "I like discipline, but I also like players who develop themselves and who sometimes take their own decisions." After a 4-1 loss to Norway and a 0-0 draw against Colombia in March, Van Marwijk will see how far his squad have come in a friendly against the 45th-ranked Czech Republic on Friday in St Polten, Austria.

FIFA World Cup: Australia coach Van Marwijk hears World Cup clock ticking

Turkish police detained 51 suspected members of Islamic State in Istanbul on Friday, anti-terrorist police said.

The suspects were believed to be planning to travel back to conflict zones in Syria, they said in a statement, adding that all those detained were foreign nationals.

Islamic State has carried out numerous bombings across Turkey in recent years, including an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul on Jan. 1, 2017, in which 39 people were killed and a bombing in the city's historic heart that killed 12 in 2016.

Turkish operations against Islamic State suspects intensified at the end of last year ahead of the anniversary of the nightclub shooting.

The suspects were believed to be planning to travel back to conflict zones in Syria, they said in a statement, adding that all those detained were foreign nationals

Turkish police detained 51 suspected members of Islamic State in Istanbul on Friday, anti-terrorist police said. The suspects were believed to be planning to travel back to conflict zones in Syria, they said in a statement, adding that all those detained were foreign nationals. Islamic State has carried out numerous bombings across Turkey in recent years, including an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul on Jan. 1, 2017, in which 39 people were killed and a bombing in the city's historic heart that killed 12 in 2016. Turkish operations against Islamic State suspects intensified at the end of last year ahead of the anniversary of the nightclub shooting.

Turkey detains 51 suspected Islamic State members

By:&nbspConn Hallinan*

When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a presidential and parliamentary election on June 24 — jumping the gun by more than a year — the outcome seemed foreordained. After all, Turkey is under a state of emergency. Erdogan has imprisoned more than 50,000 of his opponents, dismissed 140,000 from their jobs, jailed a presidential candidate and launched an attack on Syria’s Kurds that is, unfortunately, popular with most Turks.

But Erdogan’s seemingly overwhelming strength isn’t as solid as it appears, and the moves the president is making to ensure a victory next month may come back to haunt him in the long run.

An economy headed for a fall

There’s a great deal at stake in the June vote. Based on the outcome of a referendum in 2017, Turkey will move from a parliamentary system to one based on a powerful executive presidency. But the referendum vote was very close, and there’s widespread suspicion that Erdogan’s narrow victory was fraudulent.

This time around, Turkey’s president is taking no chances. The electoral law has been taken out of the hands of the independent electoral commission and turned over to civil servants, whose employment is dependent on the government. The state of emergency will make campaigning by anyone but Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally, the National Action Party (MHP), problematic.

But Erdogan called for early elections not because he’s strong, but because he’s nervous about the AKP’s traditional strong suit: the economy. While growth is solid, unemployment is 11% (rising to 21% for youth), debts are piling up and inflation — 12% in 2017 — is eating away at standards of living.

The AKP’s 16-year run in power is based in no small part on raising income for most Turks. But wages fell 2% over the past year, and the lira plunged 7.5% in the last quarter, driving up the price of imported goods. Standard & Poor’s recently downgraded Turkish bonds to junk status.

Up until now, the government has managed to keep people happy by handing out low interest loans, pumping up the economy with subsidies and giving bonuses to pensioners. But the debt keeps rising, and investment — particularly the foreign variety — is lagging. The Turkish economy appears headed for a fall, and Erdogan wants to secure the presidency before that happens.

The Kurdish question

To avoid a runoff, Erdogan needs to win 50% of the vote, and most polls show him falling short, partly due to voter exhaustion with the endless state of emergency. But this also reflects fallout from the president’s war on the Kurds, domestic and foreign.

The AKP came to power in 2002 with a plan to end the long-running war with Turkey’s Kurdish minority. The government dampened its suppression of Kurdish language and culture, and called a truce in the military campaign against the Kurdish Workers Party.

But in 2015, the leftist, Kurdish-based People’s Democratic Party (HDP) broke through the 10% threshold to put deputies in parliament, denying the AKP a majority. Erdogan promptly declared war on the Kurds. Kurdish deputies were imprisoned, Kurdish mayors were dismissed, Kurdish language signs were removed, and the Turkish army demolished the centers of several majority-Kurdish cities.

Erdogan also forced a new election — widely seen as fraudulent — and reclaimed the AKP’s majority.

Ankara also turned a blind eye to tens of thousands of Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda fighters who crossed the Turkish border to attack the government of Bashar al-Assad and Syria’s Kurdish population. The move backfired badly. The Kurds — backed by American air power — defeated IS and al-Qaeda, and the Russians turned the tide in Assad’s favor.

Turkey’s subsequent invasion of Syria — operations Olive Branch and Euphrates Shield — is aimed at the Syrian Kurds and is supported by most Turks. But, no surprise, it’s alienated the Kurds, who make up between 18 and 20% of Turkey’s population.

The AKP has traditionally garnered a substantial number of Kurdish voters, in particular rural, conservative ones. But pollster Kadir Atalay says many Kurdish AKP supporters justifiably felt “deceived and abandoned” when Erdogan went after their communities following the 2015 election. Kurds have also been alienated by Erdogan’s alliance with the extreme right-wing nationalist MHP, which is violently anti-Kurdish.

According to Atalay, alienating the Kurds has cost the AKP about 4% of the voters. Considering that the AKP won 49.5% of the vote in the last national election, that figure is not insignificant.

The progressive HDP is trying hard to win over those Kurds. “The Kurds — even those who are not HDP supporters, will respond to the Afrin operation [i.e., the invasion of Syria], the removal of Kurdish language signs, and the imprisonment of [Kurdish] lawmakers,” HDP’s parliamentary whip Meral Danis Bestas told Al Monitor.

The HDP, whose imprisoned leader Selahatt Demirtas is running for president, calls for a “united stance” that poses “left-wing democracy” against “fascism.” The danger is that if the HDP fails to get at least 10% of the vote, its current seats will be taken over by the AKP.

An outside chance of failure

Erdogan has also alienated Turkey’s neighbors. He’s in a tense standoff with Greece over some tiny islands in the Aegean Sea. He’s at loggerheads with a number of European countries that have banned him from electioneering among their Turkish populations for the June 24 vote. And he’s railing against NATO for insulting Turkey. (He does have a point — a recent NATO exercise designated NATO member Turkey “the enemy.”)

However, Erdogan’s attacks on NATO and Europe are mostly posturing. He knows Turkish nationalists love to bash the European Union and NATO, and Erdogan needs those votes to go to him, not the newly formed Good Party — a split from the right-wing MHP — or the Islamist Felicity Party.

No one expects the opposition to pull off an upset, although the centrist and secular Republican People’s Party (CHP) has recently formed an alliance with the Good Party, Felicity and the Democratic Party to ensure that all pass the 10% threshold for putting deputies in parliament.

That electoral alliance excludes the leftist HDP, although it is doubtful the Kurdish-based party would find common ground with parties that supported the jailing of its lawmakers. Of the party’s 59 deputies, nine are in jail and 11 have been stripped of their seats.

There’s an outside chance that Erdogan could win the presidency but lose his majority in parliament. If the opposition does win, it has pledged to dump the new presidential system and return power to parliament.

Loaded Dice

The election will be held essentially under martial law, and Erdogan has loaded all the dice, marked every card and rigged every roulette wheel.

There are virtually no independent media left in the country, and there are rumors that the AKP and the MHP have recruited and armed “supporters” to intimidate the opposition. A disturbing number of guns have gone missing since the failed 2016 coup.

However, as Max Hoffman of the Center for American Progress notes, the election might not be a “slam dunk.” A run-off would weaken Erdogan just when he is preparing to take on a number of major problems other than the economy:

1) Turkey’s war with the Kurds has now spread into Syria and Iraq.

2) In Syria, Assad is likely to survive and Turkey will find it difficult — and expensive — to permanently occupy eastern Syria. Erdogan will also to have to deal with the thousands of Islamic State and al-Qaeda fighters now in southern Turkey.

3) Tensions are growing with Egypt over the Red Sea and Ankara’s new alliance with Sudan, which is at odds with Cairo over Nile River water rights.

4) There’s the strong possibility of a US confrontation with Iran, a nominal ally and important trading partner for Turkey.

5) There’s also the possibility — albeit a remote one — that Turkey will get into a dustup with Greece.

6) And last, there’s the rising price of oil — now over $70 a barrel — and the stress that will put on the already indebted Turkish economy.

The Turkish president may get his win next month, but when trouble comes, he won’t be able to foist it off on anyone. He will own it.

(Conn M. Hallinan is a columnist for Foreign Policy in Focus, "A Think Tank Without Walls," and an independent journalist.)

(This article was originally published on<a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/ "> Fair Observer</a>. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/turkey-elections-june-recep-tayyip-erdogan-latest-news-32490/">original article</a>.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The Turkish president may get his win next month, but when trouble comes, he’ll own it

By: Conn Hallinan* When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a presidential and parliamentary election on June 24 — jumping the gun by more than a year — the outcome seemed foreordained. After all, Turkey is under a state of emergency. Erdogan has imprisoned more than 50,000 of his opponents, dismissed 140,000 from their jobs, jailed a presidential candidate and launched an attack on Syria’s Kurds that is, unfortunately, popular with most Turks. But Erdogan’s seemingly overwhelming strength isn’t as solid as it appears, and the moves the president is making to ensure a victory next month may come back to haunt him in the long run. An economy headed for a fall There’s a great deal at stake in the June vote. Based on the outcome of a referendum in 2017, Turkey will move from a parliamentary system to one based on a powerful executive presidency. But the referendum vote was very close, and there’s widespread suspicion that Erdogan’s narrow victory was fraudulent. This time around, Turkey’s president is taking no chances. The electoral law has been taken out of the hands of the independent electoral commission and turned over to civil servants, whose employment is dependent on the government. The state of emergency will make campaigning by anyone but Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally, the National Action Party (MHP), problematic. But Erdogan called for early elections not because he’s strong, but because he’s nervous about the AKP’s traditional strong suit: the economy. While growth is solid, unemployment is 11% (rising to 21% for youth), debts are piling up and inflation — 12% in 2017 — is eating away at standards of living. The AKP’s 16-year run in power is based in no small part on raising income for most Turks. But wages fell 2% over the past year, and the lira plunged 7.5% in the last quarter, driving up the price of imported goods. Standard & Poor’s recently downgraded Turkish bonds to junk status. Up until now, the government has managed to keep people happy by handing out low interest loans, pumping up the economy with subsidies and giving bonuses to pensioners. But the debt keeps rising, and investment — particularly the foreign variety — is lagging. The Turkish economy appears headed for a fall, and Erdogan wants to secure the presidency before that happens. The Kurdish question To avoid a runoff, Erdogan needs to win 50% of the vote, and most polls show him falling short, partly due to voter exhaustion with the endless state of emergency. But this also reflects fallout from the president’s war on the Kurds, domestic and foreign. The AKP came to power in 2002 with a plan to end the long-running war with Turkey’s Kurdish minority. The government dampened its suppression of Kurdish language and culture, and called a truce in the military campaign against the Kurdish Workers Party. But in 2015, the leftist, Kurdish-based People’s Democratic Party (HDP) broke through the 10% threshold to put deputies in parliament, denying the AKP a majority. Erdogan promptly declared war on the Kurds. Kurdish deputies were imprisoned, Kurdish mayors were dismissed, Kurdish language signs were removed, and the Turkish army demolished the centers of several majority-Kurdish cities. Erdogan also forced a new election — widely seen as fraudulent — and reclaimed the AKP’s majority. Ankara also turned a blind eye to tens of thousands of Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda fighters who crossed the Turkish border to attack the government of Bashar al-Assad and Syria’s Kurdish population. The move backfired badly. The Kurds — backed by American air power — defeated IS and al-Qaeda, and the Russians turned the tide in Assad’s favor. Turkey’s subsequent invasion of Syria — operations Olive Branch and Euphrates Shield — is aimed at the Syrian Kurds and is supported by most Turks. But, no surprise, it’s alienated the Kurds, who make up between 18 and 20% of Turkey’s population. The AKP has traditionally garnered a substantial number of Kurdish voters, in particular rural, conservative ones. But pollster Kadir Atalay says many Kurdish AKP supporters justifiably felt “deceived and abandoned” when Erdogan went after their communities following the 2015 election. Kurds have also been alienated by Erdogan’s alliance with the extreme right-wing nationalist MHP, which is violently anti-Kurdish. According to Atalay, alienating the Kurds has cost the AKP about 4% of the voters. Considering that the AKP won 49.5% of the vote in the last national election, that figure is not insignificant. The progressive HDP is trying hard to win over those Kurds. “The Kurds — even those who are not HDP supporters, will respond to the Afrin operation [i.e., the invasion of Syria], the removal of Kurdish language signs, and the imprisonment of [Kurdish] lawmakers,” HDP’s parliamentary whip Meral Danis Bestas told Al Monitor. The HDP, whose imprisoned leader Selahatt Demirtas is running for president, calls for a “united stance” that poses “left-wing democracy” against “fascism.” The danger is that if the HDP fails to get at least 10% of the vote, its current seats will be taken over by the AKP. An outside chance of failure Erdogan has also alienated Turkey’s neighbors. He’s in a tense standoff with Greece over some tiny islands in the Aegean Sea. He’s at loggerheads with a number of European countries that have banned him from electioneering among their Turkish populations for the June 24 vote. And he’s railing against NATO for insulting Turkey. (He does have a point — a recent NATO exercise designated NATO member Turkey “the enemy.”) However, Erdogan’s attacks on NATO and Europe are mostly posturing. He knows Turkish nationalists love to bash the European Union and NATO, and Erdogan needs those votes to go to him, not the newly formed Good Party — a split from the right-wing MHP — or the Islamist Felicity Party. No one expects the opposition to pull off an upset, although the centrist and secular Republican People’s Party (CHP) has recently formed an alliance with the Good Party, Felicity and the Democratic Party to ensure that all pass the 10% threshold for putting deputies in parliament. That electoral alliance excludes the leftist HDP, although it is doubtful the Kurdish-based party would find common ground with parties that supported the jailing of its lawmakers. Of the party’s 59 deputies, nine are in jail and 11 have been stripped of their seats. There’s an outside chance that Erdogan could win the presidency but lose his majority in parliament. If the opposition does win, it has pledged to dump the new presidential system and return power to parliament. Loaded Dice The election will be held essentially under martial law, and Erdogan has loaded all the dice, marked every card and rigged every roulette wheel. There are virtually no independent media left in the country, and there are rumors that the AKP and the MHP have recruited and armed “supporters” to intimidate the opposition. A disturbing number of guns have gone missing since the failed 2016 coup. However, as Max Hoffman of the Center for American Progress notes, the election might not be a “slam dunk.” A run-off would weaken Erdogan just when he is preparing to take on a number of major problems other than the economy: 1) Turkey’s war with the Kurds has now spread into Syria and Iraq. 2) In Syria, Assad is likely to survive and Turkey will find it difficult — and expensive — to permanently occupy eastern Syria. Erdogan will also to have to deal with the thousands of Islamic State and al-Qaeda fighters now in southern Turkey. 3) Tensions are growing with Egypt over the Red Sea and Ankara’s new alliance with Sudan, which is at odds with Cairo over Nile River water rights. 4) There’s the strong possibility of a US confrontation with Iran, a nominal ally and important trading partner for Turkey. 5) There’s also the possibility — albeit a remote one — that Turkey will get into a dustup with Greece. 6) And last, there’s the rising price of oil — now over $70 a barrel — and the stress that will put on the already indebted Turkish economy. The Turkish president may get his win next month, but when trouble comes, he won’t be able to foist it off on anyone. He will own it. (Conn M. Hallinan is a columnist for Foreign Policy in Focus, "A Think Tank Without Walls," and an independent journalist.) (This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the original article.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Erdogan wants to be Turkey’s lone strongman

Owing to the holy month of Ramzan, a Turkish aid group organised Iftar for Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh.

According to Turkey`s Anadolu news agency, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) said it had sent food aid to 25,000 Rohingyas and organised an Iftar for approximately 1,500 people.

TIKA`s head of the Balkans and South Europe department Mahmut Cevik, during the programme, recalled the hardships of Rohingya and assured them that Turkey is with them.

The aid agency serves food to 6,000 Rohingya Muslims at the refugee camps on a daily basis.

About 750,000 Rohingya had fled Myanmar after country`s forces began a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017.

According to an NGO, Doctors Without Borders, from August 25 to September 24 in 2017, at least 9,000 Rohingya were killed in Myanmar`s Rakhine state.

The aid agency serves food to 6,000 Rohingya Muslims at the refugee camps on a daily basis

Owing to the holy month of Ramzan, a Turkish aid group organised Iftar for Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh. According to Turkey`s Anadolu news agency, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) said it had sent food aid to 25,000 Rohingyas and organised an Iftar for approximately 1,500 people. TIKA`s head of the Balkans and South Europe department Mahmut Cevik, during the programme, recalled the hardships of Rohingya and assured them that Turkey is with them. The aid agency serves food to 6,000 Rohingya Muslims at the refugee camps on a daily basis. About 750,000 Rohingya had fled Myanmar after country`s forces began a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017. According to an NGO, Doctors Without Borders, from August 25 to September 24 in 2017, at least 9,000 Rohingya were killed in Myanmar`s Rakhine state.

Turkish agency organises Iftar for Rohingya refugees

A war monitor said buses evacuated Islamic State fighters from an enclave south of Damascus on Sunday in a withdrawal deal, though state media denied the report and said the Syrian army was fighting to finish off the insurgents.

The recovery of the enclave south of Damascus will mark another milestone in President Bashar al-Assa's war effort, crushing the last besieged rebel enclave in western Syria.

Swathes of territory at the borders with Iraq, Turkey and Jordan, however, remain outside state control.

Syrian government forces and their allies have been battling to recover the enclave south of Damascus since defeating rebels in eastern Ghouta, also near the capital, in April.

The area is centred around the al-Hajar al-Aswad district and the adjoining Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk.

In a live broadcast, a reporter with Syrian state TV said the Syrian army operations in the Hajar al-Aswad area were nearing their end and insurgent lines were collapsing as columns of smoke rose from the area behind him.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights earlier said buses had entered the enclave after midnight to take out fighters and their families. They had left towards the Syrian Badia, a sparsely populated expanse of territory east of the capital that extends to the border with Jordan and Iraq, it said.&nbsp

Islamic State militants had torched their offices in the Yarmouk enclave, the Observatory said.

Negotiated withdrawals have been a common feature of the Syrian war in recent years as the government, aided by the Russian military and Iran-backed forces, has steadily clawed back territory.

The rebels have mostly been given safe passage to northwestern Syria. In the last two months alone, the United Nations says 110,000 people have been evacuated to northwestern Syria and rebel-held areas north of Aleppo.

The opposition has called it a policy of forced displacement amounting to demographic change to drive out Assad's opponents. The Syrian government has said nobody is forced to leave and those who stay must accept state rule.

While Assad has vowed to win back "every inch" of Syria, the map of the conflict suggests a more complicated time ahead from now on.&nbsp

The US&nbspmilitary is in much of the east and northeast, which is controlled by Kurdish groups that want autonomy from Damascus. It has used force to defend the territory from pro-Assad forces.

Turkey has sent forces into the northwest to counter those same Kurdish groups, carving out a buffer zone where anti-Assad rebels have regrouped.

In the southwest, where rebels hold territory at the Israeli and Jordanian border, Assad faces the risk of conflict with Israel, which wants his Iranian-backed allies kept well away from the frontier and has mounted air strikes in Syria.&nbsp

The recovery of the enclave south of Damascus will mark another milestone in President Bashar al-Assad's war effort, crushing the last besieged rebel enclave in western Syria

A war monitor said buses evacuated Islamic State fighters from an enclave south of Damascus on Sunday in a withdrawal deal, though state media denied the report and said the Syrian army was fighting to finish off the insurgents. The recovery of the enclave south of Damascus will mark another milestone in President Bashar al-Assa's war effort, crushing the last besieged rebel enclave in western Syria. Swathes of territory at the borders with Iraq, Turkey and Jordan, however, remain outside state control. Syrian government forces and their allies have been battling to recover the enclave south of Damascus since defeating rebels in eastern Ghouta, also near the capital, in April. The area is centred around the al-Hajar al-Aswad district and the adjoining Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk. In a live broadcast, a reporter with Syrian state TV said the Syrian army operations in the Hajar al-Aswad area were nearing their end and insurgent lines were collapsing as columns of smoke rose from the area behind him. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights earlier said buses had entered the enclave after midnight to take out fighters and their families. They had left towards the Syrian Badia, a sparsely populated expanse of territory east of the capital that extends to the border with Jordan and Iraq, it said. Islamic State militants had torched their offices in the Yarmouk enclave, the Observatory said. Negotiated withdrawals have been a common feature of the Syrian war in recent years as the government, aided by the Russian military and Iran-backed forces, has steadily clawed back territory. The rebels have mostly been given safe passage to northwestern Syria. In the last two months alone, the United Nations says 110,000 people have been evacuated to northwestern Syria and rebel-held areas north of Aleppo. The opposition has called it a policy of forced displacement amounting to demographic change to drive out Assad's opponents. The Syrian government has said nobody is forced to leave and those who stay must accept state rule. While Assad has vowed to win back "every inch" of Syria, the map of the conflict suggests a more complicated time ahead from now on. The US&nbspmilitary is in much of the east and northeast, which is controlled by Kurdish groups that want autonomy from Damascus. It has used force to defend the territory from pro-Assad forces. Turkey has sent forces into the northwest to counter those same Kurdish groups, carving out a buffer zone where anti-Assad rebels have regrouped. In the southwest, where rebels hold territory at the Israeli and Jordanian border, Assad faces the risk of conflict with Israel, which wants his Iranian-backed allies kept well away from the frontier and has mounted air strikes in Syria.

Syrian monitor says insurgents quit enclave, state media denies it

Turkey called on Muslim countries on Friday to stop other nations from following the United States and moving their embassies in Israel to Jerusalem, as it opened a meeting in Istanbul on Friday.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called the summit of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) after Israeli forces this week killed dozens of Palestinian protesters who were demonstrating in Gaza against the opening of the US&nbspEmbassy in Jerusalem.

Turkey has been one of the most vocal critics of the US&nbspmove and the violence in Gaza, declaring three days of mourning. Erdogan has described the actions of the Israeli forces as a "genocide" and Israel as a "terrorist state".

"We will emphasise the status of the Palestine issue for our community, and that we will not allow the status of the historic city to be changed," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an opening address. "We must prevent other countries following the US&nbspexample."

The events in Gaza have also sparked a diplomatic row between Turkey and Israel, with both countries expelling each other's senior diplomats this week.

The plight of Palestinians resonates with many Turks, particularly the nationalist and religious voters who form the base of support for Erdogan, running for re-election next month.

Trade ties

Despite the rhetoric, Israel was the 10th-biggest market for Turkish exports in 2017, buying some $3.4 billion of goods, according to IMF statistics.

"We have excellent economic ties with Turkey. And these relations are very important for both sides," Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon told Israel Radio on Friday when asked if Israel should break ties with Turkey.

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump's decision to move the embassy reversed decades of US&nbsppolicy, upsetting the Arab world and Western allies.

Guatemala this week became the second country to move its embassy to the holy city, and Paraguay said it would follow suit this month.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Iranian television after arriving in Istanbul that "Israel's recent crimes in Palestine and the relocation of the US&nbspEmbassy to Jerusalem need serious coordination between Islamic countries and the international community".

UN&nbsphuman rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein on Friday said Israel had systematically deprived Palestinians of their human rights, with 1.9 million people in Gaza "caged in a toxic slum from birth to death".

Despite the rhetoric, Israel was the 10th-biggest market for Turkish exports in 2017, buying some $3.4 billion of goods, according to IMF statistics

Turkey called on Muslim countries on Friday to stop other nations from following the United States and moving their embassies in Israel to Jerusalem, as it opened a meeting in Istanbul on Friday. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan called the summit of the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) after Israeli forces this week killed dozens of Palestinian protesters who were demonstrating in Gaza against the opening of the US&nbspEmbassy in Jerusalem. Turkey has been one of the most vocal critics of the US&nbspmove and the violence in Gaza, declaring three days of mourning. Erdogan has described the actions of the Israeli forces as a "genocide" and Israel as a "terrorist state". "We will emphasise the status of the Palestine issue for our community, and that we will not allow the status of the historic city to be changed," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an opening address. "We must prevent other countries following the US&nbspexample." The events in Gaza have also sparked a diplomatic row between Turkey and Israel, with both countries expelling each other's senior diplomats this week. The plight of Palestinians resonates with many Turks, particularly the nationalist and religious voters who form the base of support for Erdogan, running for re-election next month. Trade ties Despite the rhetoric, Israel was the 10th-biggest market for Turkish exports in 2017, buying some $3.4 billion of goods, according to IMF statistics. "We have excellent economic ties with Turkey. And these relations are very important for both sides," Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon told Israel Radio on Friday when asked if Israel should break ties with Turkey. US&nbspPresident Donald Trump's decision to move the embassy reversed decades of US&nbsppolicy, upsetting the Arab world and Western allies. Guatemala this week became the second country to move its embassy to the holy city, and Paraguay said it would follow suit this month. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Iranian television after arriving in Istanbul that "Israel's recent crimes in Palestine and the relocation of the US&nbspEmbassy to Jerusalem need serious coordination between Islamic countries and the international community". UN&nbsphuman rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein on Friday said Israel had systematically deprived Palestinians of their human rights, with 1.9 million people in Gaza "caged in a toxic slum from birth to death".

Muslims must stop other countries opening Jerusalem embassies: Turkey

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/goa-congress-to-stake-claim-to-form-government-after-karnataka-governors-invite-to-bjp--137692">Now, Goa Congress, RJD in Bihar to stake claim to form </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/goa-congress-to-stake-claim-to-form-government-after-karnataka-governors-invite-to-bjp--137692">government</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/goa-congress-to-stake-claim-to-form-government-after-karnataka-governors-invite-to-bjp--137692"> after Karnataka Governor's invite to BJP</a>

Fifteen months after the elections Goa Congress to approach the Governor tomorrow to stake claim to form the government in the state. Congress Goa in-charge Chella Kumar along with other party leaders will meet the Governor tomorrow and stake claim to form the government.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/atmosphere-of-fear-in-country-situation-similar-to-pakistan-rahul-gandhi-137744">Atmosphere of fear in country, situation similar to Pakistan: Rahul Gandhi</a>

Against the backdrop of political developments in Karnataka, Congress president Rahul Gandhi today claimed the situation in the country was similar to that in Pakistan under "dictatorship".

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jud-chief-hafiz-saeed-setting-up-offices-in-all-pakistan-districts-reveal-intelligence-sources-137682">JuD chief Hafiz Saeed setting up offices in all Pakistan districts, reveal intelligence sources</a>

Jamat ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed who India alleges is the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks is planning to setup JuD offices in all districts of Pakistan with different names to collect funds, India's intelligence sources have revealed.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkeys-erdogan-says-un-has-collapsed-in-the-face-of-gaza-violence-137688">Turkey's Erdogan says UN has 'collapsed' in the face of Gaza violence</a>

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the United Nations had "collapsed" in the face of events in Gaza where Israeli forces killed 60 Palestinian protesters on Monday as the United States relocated its Israel embassy to Jerusalem.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/after-messi-isis-threatens-to-behead-ronaldo-ahead-of-russia-world-cup--137746">After Messi, ISIS threatens to 'behead' Ronaldo ahead of Russia World Cup</a>

A pro-Islamic State(IS) organisation which earlier targeted football star Lionel Messi, has now threatened to kill and behead, Cristiano Ronaldo, ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.&nbsp;

Now, Goa Congress, RJD in Bihar to stake claim to form government after Karnataka Governor's invite to BJP Fifteen months after the elections Goa Congress to approach the Governor tomorrow to stake claim to form the government in the state. Congress Goa in-charge Chella Kumar along with other party leaders will meet the Governor tomorrow and stake claim to form the government. Atmosphere of fear in country, situation similar to Pakistan: Rahul Gandhi Against the backdrop of political developments in Karnataka, Congress president Rahul Gandhi today claimed the situation in the country was similar to that in Pakistan under "dictatorship". JuD chief Hafiz Saeed setting up offices in all Pakistan districts, reveal intelligence sources Jamat ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed who India alleges is the mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks is planning to setup JuD offices in all districts of Pakistan with different names to collect funds, India's intelligence sources have revealed. Turkey's Erdogan says UN has 'collapsed' in the face of Gaza violence Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the United Nations had "collapsed" in the face of events in Gaza where Israeli forces killed 60 Palestinian protesters on Monday as the United States relocated its Israel embassy to Jerusalem. After Messi, ISIS threatens to 'behead' Ronaldo ahead of Russia World Cup A pro-Islamic State(IS) organisation which earlier targeted football star Lionel Messi, has now threatened to kill and behead, Cristiano Ronaldo, ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the United Nations had "collapsed" in the face of events in Gaza where Israeli forces killed 60 Palestinian protesters on Monday as the United States relocated its Israel embassy to Jerusalem.

Turkey has been among the most vocal critics of the Israeli use of deadly force against protesters at the Gaza border and of the US&nbspdecision to open its new embassy in Jerusalem. It called for an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Friday.

Speaking at a dinner on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Erdogan said the majority of the international community had failed to react to the events in Gaza.

The events in Gaza have also sparked a diplomatic row between Turkey and Israel, with both countries expelling each other's senior diplomats on Tuesday.

The dispute appears to mark the worst diplomatic crisis between the two regional powers since Israeli marines stormed an aid ship to enforce a naval blockade of Gaza in 2010, killing 10 Turkish activists and prompting a downgrade in diplomatic ties that lasted until 2016.

Erdogan, who described Monday's bloodshed as genocide earlier this week, said Turkey had launched initiatives to get the issue onto the UN&nbspGeneral Assembly's agenda. He said Ankara was pressing members of the UN&nbspSecurity Council to be more active.

The events in Gaza have also sparked a diplomatic row between Turkey and Israel

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that the United Nations had "collapsed" in the face of events in Gaza where Israeli forces killed 60 Palestinian protesters on Monday as the United States relocated its Israel embassy to Jerusalem. Turkey has been among the most vocal critics of the Israeli use of deadly force against protesters at the Gaza border and of the US&nbspdecision to open its new embassy in Jerusalem. It called for an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul on Friday. Speaking at a dinner on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Erdogan said the majority of the international community had failed to react to the events in Gaza. The events in Gaza have also sparked a diplomatic row between Turkey and Israel, with both countries expelling each other's senior diplomats on Tuesday. The dispute appears to mark the worst diplomatic crisis between the two regional powers since Israeli marines stormed an aid ship to enforce a naval blockade of Gaza in 2010, killing 10 Turkish activists and prompting a downgrade in diplomatic ties that lasted until 2016. Erdogan, who described Monday's bloodshed as genocide earlier this week, said Turkey had launched initiatives to get the issue onto the UN&nbspGeneral Assembly's agenda. He said Ankara was pressing members of the UN&nbspSecurity Council to be more active.

Turkey's Erdogan says UN has 'collapsed' in the face of Gaza violence

Seven Afghan migrants, including three children, died sinking in a fibre boat off western Canakkale province in Turkey early on Tuesday.

According to Turkey's Anadolu news agency, the incident took place when the 6-meter boat was passing through an illegal route to reach the Greek island of Lesbos sank off Babakale village in Ayvacik district.

A total of 20 people were on-board out of which 13 were rescued safely to Babakale port as informed by a coast guard commander in a statement.

Further one of the survivors is identified to be a migrant smuggler belonging to Iran.&nbsp;

He was later arrested.

Turkey has been often used by a large number of refugees to cross into Europe.

Among those who have been arrested, a majority of migrants come from Pakistan followed by Afghanistan.

A total of 20 people were on board. The remaining 13 were rescued safely to Babakale Port, a coast guard commander said in a statement

Seven Afghan migrants, including three children, died sinking in a fibre boat off western Canakkale province in Turkey early on Tuesday. According to Turkey's Anadolu news agency, the incident took place when the 6-meter boat was passing through an illegal route to reach the Greek island of Lesbos sank off Babakale village in Ayvacik district. A total of 20 people were on-board out of which 13 were rescued safely to Babakale port as informed by a coast guard commander in a statement. Further one of the survivors is identified to be a migrant smuggler belonging to Iran. He was later arrested. Turkey has been often used by a large number of refugees to cross into Europe. Among those who have been arrested, a majority of migrants come from Pakistan followed by Afghanistan.

7 Afghan migrants die after boat capsizes off Turkey

Turkish football authorities on Thursday banned the country's best-known player&nbsp;Arda&nbsp;Turan, on loan at Super Lig contenders Basaksehir from Barcelona, for a record 16 games after he shoved and verbally abused a referee.

Turan&nbsp;- who will now miss the last two rounds of this season and almost half of next season -&nbsp;was banned for 10 matches for attacking the assistant referee, three matches for insulting him and another three matches for threatening him.

"In total, he is suspended for 16 matches," the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said in a statement following a meeting of its disciplinary committee.&nbsp;

Turkish media said the punishment was the lengthiest ever handed to a player in the history of the Turkish game.&nbsp;

He was also fined 39,000 lira ($9,200).

Basaksehir, contenders for the league title this season, had been leading 1-0 to Sivaspor in the May 4 game but conceded a late equaliser in a major blow to their championship hopes.&nbsp;

Seeking to launch a final attack down the wing,&nbsp;Turan&nbsp;felt the assistant referee's decision had gone against him and marched up to the official, remonstrating in his face and then shoving him firmly back with both hands.&nbsp;

Turan&nbsp;was then given an instant red card by the match referee and could be seen continuing to rant as he marched off the pitch.

'Should have been 6-8 matches'

Basaksehir chairman Goksel Gumusdag said he did not approve of&nbsp;Turan's actions and vowed the club would also punish the player.

But he accused the TFF of double standards and said that Basaksehir would go to arbitration in a bid to have the suspension reduced.

"As the Basaksehir family, we cannot agree to this...&nbsp;Arda&nbsp;Turan should have been given a ban of 6-8 matches," Gumusdag told the A Sports channel.

Turan&nbsp;joined Basaksehir this season on loan from Barcelona, where he had largely endured an unhappy spell on the bench after joining from Atletico Madrid.&nbsp;

Currently third in the Super Lig, Basaksehir have risen from obscurity to challenge the traditional Istanbul giants in the last three seasons. Critics deride the team as a pro-government outfit but this is rejected by the club.

Turan, who has won 100 caps for Turkey, makes no secret of his admiration for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who attended his wedding earlier this year.

The new incident came with Turkish football facing one of its biggest crises in recent years after an Istanbul derby Turkish Cup semi-final between Fenerbahce and Besiktas was abandoned last month due to crowd violence.

Fenerbahce will face Akhisar later Thursday in the final after being given a walkover when Besiktas refused to turn up to the resumption of the abandoned game.

Turkish football authorities on Thursday banned the country's best-known player Arda Turan, on loan at Super Lig contenders Basaksehir from Barcelona, for a record 16 games

Turkish football authorities on Thursday banned the country's best-known player Arda Turan, on loan at Super Lig contenders Basaksehir from Barcelona, for a record 16 games after he shoved and verbally abused a referee. Turan - who will now miss the last two rounds of this season and almost half of next season - was banned for 10 matches for attacking the assistant referee, three matches for insulting him and another three matches for threatening him. "In total, he is suspended for 16 matches," the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said in a statement following a meeting of its disciplinary committee. Turkish media said the punishment was the lengthiest ever handed to a player in the history of the Turkish game. He was also fined 39,000 lira ($9,200). Basaksehir, contenders for the league title this season, had been leading 1-0 to Sivaspor in the May 4 game but conceded a late equaliser in a major blow to their championship hopes. Seeking to launch a final attack down the wing, Turan felt the assistant referee's decision had gone against him and marched up to the official, remonstrating in his face and then shoving him firmly back with both hands. Turan was then given an instant red card by the match referee and could be seen continuing to rant as he marched off the pitch. 'Should have been 6-8 matches' Basaksehir chairman Goksel Gumusdag said he did not approve of Turan's actions and vowed the club would also punish the player. But he accused the TFF of double standards and said that Basaksehir would go to arbitration in a bid to have the suspension reduced. "As the Basaksehir family, we cannot agree to this... Arda Turan should have been given a ban of 6-8 matches," Gumusdag told the A Sports channel. Turan joined Basaksehir this season on loan from Barcelona, where he had largely endured an unhappy spell on the bench after joining from Atletico Madrid. Currently third in the Super Lig, Basaksehir have risen from obscurity to challenge the traditional Istanbul giants in the last three seasons. Critics deride the team as a pro-government outfit but this is rejected by the club. Turan, who has won 100 caps for Turkey, makes no secret of his admiration for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who attended his wedding earlier this year. The new incident came with Turkish football facing one of its biggest crises in recent years after an Istanbul derby Turkish Cup semi-final between Fenerbahce and Besiktas was abandoned last month due to crowd violence. Fenerbahce will face Akhisar later Thursday in the final after being given a walkover when Besiktas refused to turn up to the resumption of the abandoned game.

Arda Turan gets 16-game ban for pushing and abusing referee

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