Hundreds of families fled the&nbsp;Syrian town of Afrin towards nearby villages held by pro-Syrian government forces overnight as Turkish forces shelled the town, the&nbsp;Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Turkish forces and allied&nbsp;Syrian militias are targeting Afrin in an offensive against the Kurdish YPG militia in northwestern&nbsp;Syria.

The Observatory said families left the town in buses and cars towards Nubl and al-Zahra, Shi&#39;ite Muslim villages that are loyal to the government of President Bashar al-Assad. The&nbsp;Syrian government has sided with the YPG against Turkey in Afrin.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that more than 12,000 people left&nbsp;Syria&#39;s rebel-held eastern Ghouta on Thursday.

He also said that any threat from the United States to strike the&nbsp;Syrian capital Damascus would be unacceptable.

The Observatory said Russian jets carried out the strikes, citing its activist network on the ground. Advancing&nbsp;Syrian government forces have splintered eastern Ghouta into three enclaves in an offensive that has been underway for a month.

The latest wave of air strikes hit the southern most enclave of eastern Ghouta, from which thousands of civilians fled on Thursday into government-held territory.

Turkish forces and allied Syrian militias are targeting Afrin in an offensive against the Kurdish YPG militia in northwestern Syria

Hundreds of families fled the Syrian town of Afrin towards nearby villages held by pro-Syrian government forces overnight as Turkish forces shelled the town, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Turkish forces and allied Syrian militias are targeting Afrin in an offensive against the Kurdish YPG militia in northwestern Syria. The Observatory said families left the town in buses and cars towards Nubl and al-Zahra, Shi'ite Muslim villages that are loyal to the government of President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian government has sided with the YPG against Turkey in Afrin. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that more than 12,000 people left Syria's rebel-held eastern Ghouta on Thursday. He also said that any threat from the United States to strike the Syrian capital Damascus would be unacceptable. The Observatory said Russian jets carried out the strikes, citing its activist network on the ground. Advancing Syrian government forces have splintered eastern Ghouta into three enclaves in an offensive that has been underway for a month. The latest wave of air strikes hit the southern most enclave of eastern Ghouta, from which thousands of civilians fled on Thursday into government-held territory.

As Turkey attacks, hundreds of families flee Syrian town of Afrin

A Greek appeals court on Friday rejected a Turkish demand for the handover of eight Turkish soldiers accused by Ankara of having played a direct role in the abortive coup against President Tayyip Erdogan in 2016.

It was the third extradition request Greek courts have refused, an issue which has further strained relations between the long uneasy NATO allies. The Greek court said it had concerns the eight would not face a fair trial in Turkey.

The group fled to Greece in a helicopter on July 16, 2016, as the coup attempt against Erdogan crumbled. Turkey says they are traitors and coup plotters.

In a unanimous decision, the Athens-based Court of Appeal rejected Turkey&#39;s extradition request, filed on the basis of eight charges the soldiers face in their country.

Those charges included involvement in the coup, attempted murder, participation in an armed terrorist group, military desertion and theft of military material.

In its verdict, the court said the charges were vague and had introduced no new elements to materially sway earlier verdicts.

&quot;In each case, there are valid concerns about an unfair trial, and the risk of facing torture and humiliating behaviour,&quot; a court official said, citing the verdict.

The decision can be appealed.

It was the third extradition request Greek courts have refused

A Greek appeals court on Friday rejected a Turkish demand for the handover of eight Turkish soldiers accused by Ankara of having played a direct role in the abortive coup against President Tayyip Erdogan in 2016. It was the third extradition request Greek courts have refused, an issue which has further strained relations between the long uneasy NATO allies. The Greek court said it had concerns the eight would not face a fair trial in Turkey. The group fled to Greece in a helicopter on July 16, 2016, as the coup attempt against Erdogan crumbled. Turkey says they are traitors and coup plotters. In a unanimous decision, the Athens-based Court of Appeal rejected Turkey's extradition request, filed on the basis of eight charges the soldiers face in their country. Those charges included involvement in the coup, attempted murder, participation in an armed terrorist group, military desertion and theft of military material. In its verdict, the court said the charges were vague and had introduced no new elements to materially sway earlier verdicts. "In each case, there are valid concerns about an unfair trial, and the risk of facing torture and humiliating behaviour," a court official said, citing the verdict. The decision can be appealed.

Greek court rejects Turkey's request for extradition of eight soldiers

Moscow will expel British diplomats in response to London`s move to kick out 23 Russian officials over the poisoning of ex-double agent Sergei Skripal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday.

&quot;Of course we will,&quot; Lavrov told journalists when asked whether Moscow will respond in kind to the expulsion of Russian diplomats announced by British Prime Minister Theresa May.

Lavrov was speaking in the Kazakh capital Astana following talks on Syria with the foreign ministers of Iran and Turkey.&nbsp;

The Russian foreign minister on Thursday said Moscow would respond by expelling British diplomats &quot;soon&quot;.

He said his country had no motive to target Skripal, but suggested others could use the poisoning to &quot;complicate&quot; the World Cup.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier said Vladimir Putin would ultimately choose the option that &quot;most suits Moscow`s interests&quot;.

In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the US on Thursday condemned the attack on Skripal and his daughter Yulia as an &quot;assault on UK sovereignty&quot;.&nbsp;

The escalating international scandal is unfolding as Skripal and his daughter remain in critical condition after exposure to the Soviet-designed chemical Novichok on March 4 in the English city of Salisbury.

 
&nbsp;

'Of course we will,' Lavrov told journalists when asked whether Moscow will respond in kind to the expulsion of Russian diplomats announced by British Prime Minister Theresa May

Moscow will expel British diplomats in response to London`s move to kick out 23 Russian officials over the poisoning of ex-double agent Sergei Skripal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday. "Of course we will," Lavrov told journalists when asked whether Moscow will respond in kind to the expulsion of Russian diplomats announced by British Prime Minister Theresa May. Lavrov was speaking in the Kazakh capital Astana following talks on Syria with the foreign ministers of Iran and Turkey. The Russian foreign minister on Thursday said Moscow would respond by expelling British diplomats "soon". He said his country had no motive to target Skripal, but suggested others could use the poisoning to "complicate" the World Cup. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier said Vladimir Putin would ultimately choose the option that "most suits Moscow`s interests". In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the US on Thursday condemned the attack on Skripal and his daughter Yulia as an "assault on UK sovereignty". The escalating international scandal is unfolding as Skripal and his daughter remain in critical condition after exposure to the Soviet-designed chemical Novichok on March 4 in the English city of Salisbury.

Russia will 'of course' expel British diplomats: Sergei Lavrov

A Turkish prosecutor on Tuesday requested life imprisonment for detained American pastor Andrew Brunson over alleged links to a failed coup attempt in 2016, Dogan news agency reported, a move that could undermine recent efforts to mend bilateral ties.

The U.S. believes that Brunson, who has been jailed pending trial since December 2016, is one of a number of Americans unjustly detained in Turkey. A Christian pastor from North Carolina, Brunson has been living in Turkey for 23 years, running a church, according to an online petition calling for his release.

The prosecutor has charged Brunson of being an &quot;executive&quot; of the terrorist group blamed for the 2016 failed coup, Dogan news agency said. Turkey blames the network of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Muslim cleric for the attempted putsch.

Last year President Tayyip Erdogan suggested that Turkey could free Brunson if the United States handed over Gulen.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last month called for Brunson&#39;s release during a visit to Turkey.

&quot;We continue to have serious concerns... about cases against U.S. citizens who have been arrested under the state of emergency,&quot; Tillerson said, referring to the emergency rule that has been in place since July 2016.

&quot;We call upon Turkey to release Pastor Andrew Brunson and other U.S. citizens whom we believe are being unjustly detained.&quot;

The U.S. and Turkey have been at odds over a number of issues, mainly over support to Kurdish militant group YPG in Syria, a group deemed terrorist by Turkey, and the extradition of Gulen.

Following Tillerson&#39;s visit last month, the two countries formed joint working groups to fix their relations.

The prosecutor has charged Andrew Brunson of being an 'executive' of the terrorist group blamed for the 2016 failed coup

A Turkish prosecutor on Tuesday requested life imprisonment for detained American pastor Andrew Brunson over alleged links to a failed coup attempt in 2016, Dogan news agency reported, a move that could undermine recent efforts to mend bilateral ties. The U.S. believes that Brunson, who has been jailed pending trial since December 2016, is one of a number of Americans unjustly detained in Turkey. A Christian pastor from North Carolina, Brunson has been living in Turkey for 23 years, running a church, according to an online petition calling for his release. The prosecutor has charged Brunson of being an "executive" of the terrorist group blamed for the 2016 failed coup, Dogan news agency said. Turkey blames the network of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Muslim cleric for the attempted putsch. Last year President Tayyip Erdogan suggested that Turkey could free Brunson if the United States handed over Gulen. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last month called for Brunson's release during a visit to Turkey. "We continue to have serious concerns... about cases against U.S. citizens who have been arrested under the state of emergency," Tillerson said, referring to the emergency rule that has been in place since July 2016. "We call upon Turkey to release Pastor Andrew Brunson and other U.S. citizens whom we believe are being unjustly detained." The U.S. and Turkey have been at odds over a number of issues, mainly over support to Kurdish militant group YPG in Syria, a group deemed terrorist by Turkey, and the extradition of Gulen. Following Tillerson's visit last month, the two countries formed joint working groups to fix their relations.

Turkey seeks life in prison for US pastor over 2016 failed coup: Report

Thirteen people including children were killed and 20 others injured Tuesday when a Turkish passenger bus burst into flames after colliding with a truck in northern Anatolia, state media reported. &nbsp;

The bus, which was travelling from Istanbul to the northern city of Tokat, hit the truck on a motorway in Corum province early in the morning, according to the government-run Andalou news agency.&nbsp;

Medical teams and fire engines rushed to the scene. Pictures showed that the bus had been reduced to a burnt-out shell by the fire that erupted after the crash.

The local governor&#39;s office said the truck was parked on the motorway hard shoulder when the bus hit. It added that an investigation had been launched into the accident.

Local mayor Hamza Karatas said children were among the dead without providing precise details, the private Dogan news agency reported.

One of the injured, Emine Gungor, who was rescued from the accident with her baby, said all the passengers in the bus had been sleeping.&nbsp;

&quot;It was only me who was awake and I was looking after my kid,&quot; she was quoted as saying by Anadolu.&nbsp;

&quot;Then I heard the sound of an explosion and all the windows were smashed, and the bus began shaking. The back of the vehicle began burning,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

&quot;Then an elderly man broke the window and we tried to go outside.&quot;

Turkey has a dire road safety record with nearly 500,000 accidents and 3,530 people killed in 2017, according to official statistics published by state media.

In January, 11 people were killed when a Turkish intercity bus taking families bound for a half-term skiing trip crashed into trees while travelling on a motorway from the capital Ankara to the western city of Bursa.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A Turkish passenger bus burst into flames after colliding with a truck in northern Anatolia

Thirteen people including children were killed and 20 others injured Tuesday when a Turkish passenger bus burst into flames after colliding with a truck in northern Anatolia, state media reported. The bus, which was travelling from Istanbul to the northern city of Tokat, hit the truck on a motorway in Corum province early in the morning, according to the government-run Andalou news agency. Medical teams and fire engines rushed to the scene. Pictures showed that the bus had been reduced to a burnt-out shell by the fire that erupted after the crash. The local governor's office said the truck was parked on the motorway hard shoulder when the bus hit. It added that an investigation had been launched into the accident. Local mayor Hamza Karatas said children were among the dead without providing precise details, the private Dogan news agency reported. One of the injured, Emine Gungor, who was rescued from the accident with her baby, said all the passengers in the bus had been sleeping. "It was only me who was awake and I was looking after my kid," she was quoted as saying by Anadolu. "Then I heard the sound of an explosion and all the windows were smashed, and the bus began shaking. The back of the vehicle began burning," she said. "Then an elderly man broke the window and we tried to go outside." Turkey has a dire road safety record with nearly 500,000 accidents and 3,530 people killed in 2017, according to official statistics published by state media. In January, 11 people were killed when a Turkish intercity bus taking families bound for a half-term skiing trip crashed into trees while travelling on a motorway from the capital Ankara to the western city of Bursa.

Thirteen dead in inferno after Turkey bus crash

A total of 18 Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PYD/PKK) terrorists have been neutralised in Turkey&#39;s southeastern provinces of Diyarbakir in Mardin and northern Iraq this week, Anadolu Agency quoted a Turkish General Staff as saying.

One of the neutralised terrorists was from the senior cadre of the PKK. One soldier was martyred and two were wounded during the operations in the same period.

Meanwhile, 7,858 people attempting to illegally cross Turkish borders were also detained during this period.

The Turkish military is also involved in an operation called &#39;Olive Branch&#39;, which was launched on January 20 to clear PKK and IS terrorists from Afrin in northwestern Syria.

Under operation &#39;Olive Branch&#39; 3,213 terrorists have been neutralised till now. As per the military statement, 42 soldiers were killed and 202 were wounded, out of which 117 soldiers returned to their duties after medical treatment.

It has been listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

The PKK is responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians.

An improvement of relations between Turkey and Iraq is likely to see the two sides take part in joint operations against the Kurdistan Workers&rsquo; Party (PKK) in the Qandil Mountains of northern Iraq.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, during a visit to Vienna, said the joint Iraqi-Turkish operation could start after the May 12 elections in Iraq. Iraqi authorities have yet to officially comment.

The military cooperation would target any Islamic State (ISIS) militants in northern Iraq.

One of the neutralised terrorists was from the senior cadre of the PKK. One soldier was martyred and two were wounded during the operations in the same period

A total of 18 Kurdistan Workers' Party (PYD/PKK) terrorists have been neutralised in Turkey's southeastern provinces of Diyarbakir in Mardin and northern Iraq this week, Anadolu Agency quoted a Turkish General Staff as saying. One of the neutralised terrorists was from the senior cadre of the PKK. One soldier was martyred and two were wounded during the operations in the same period. Meanwhile, 7,858 people attempting to illegally cross Turkish borders were also detained during this period. The Turkish military is also involved in an operation called 'Olive Branch', which was launched on January 20 to clear PKK and IS terrorists from Afrin in northwestern Syria. Under operation 'Olive Branch' 3,213 terrorists have been neutralised till now. As per the military statement, 42 soldiers were killed and 202 were wounded, out of which 117 soldiers returned to their duties after medical treatment. It has been listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The PKK is responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians. An improvement of relations between Turkey and Iraq is likely to see the two sides take part in joint operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Qandil Mountains of northern Iraq. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, during a visit to Vienna, said the joint Iraqi-Turkish operation could start after the May 12 elections in Iraq. Iraqi authorities have yet to officially comment. The military cooperation would target any Islamic State (ISIS) militants in northern Iraq.

18 PKK terrorists neutalised in Turkey, Iraq

Turkey neutralised at least 2,434 terrorists belonging to the Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PYD/PKK) and Islamic State (IS) group in a military operation in Syria&#39;s Afrin region, the Turkish general staff said in a statement on Saturday.

The Turkish army took control of the outer edge of Syria&#39;s Afrin region, state media said, as Ankara said it was readying for a &quot;new battle&quot; by deploying police special forces.&nbsp;

A total of 2,222 militants have been &quot;neutralized&quot; since the commencement of Turkey&#39;s &quot;Operation Olive Branch&quot; in Syria&#39;s Afrin region, the military said in a statement Thursday.&nbsp;

The word &quot;neutralised&quot; is used to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

On January 20, Turkey began an air and ground offensive supporting Syrian rebels against the US-backed YPG in its western enclave of Afrin. The main aim of the Turkish forces is to establish security and stability along Turkey&#39;s borders as well as to protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty.

&quot;The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey&#39;s rights based on international law, United Nations Security Council resolutions, its self-defence rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria&#39;s territorial integrity,&quot; the Turkish military added.

Also, 924 terror targets have been destroyed ever since the military operations began in January.

In January 2018, the Turkish military began an operation in the Kurdish-majority Afrin Canton and the Tel Rifaat Area of Shahba Canton in Northern Syria.&nbsp;

The PKK, which is based in Turkey, Iraq and parts of Syria, has been involved in an armed conflict with Turkey for the past few years. Its aim is to achieve the objective of creating an independent Kurdish state.

It has been listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

The PKK is responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians.

The Turkish army took control of the outer edge of Syria's Afrin region, state media said, as Ankara said it was readying for a 'new battle' by deploying police special forces

Turkey neutralised at least 2,434 terrorists belonging to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PYD/PKK) and Islamic State (IS) group in a military operation in Syria's Afrin region, the Turkish general staff said in a statement on Saturday. The Turkish army took control of the outer edge of Syria's Afrin region, state media said, as Ankara said it was readying for a "new battle" by deploying police special forces. A total of 2,222 militants have been "neutralized" since the commencement of Turkey's "Operation Olive Branch" in Syria's Afrin region, the military said in a statement Thursday. The word "neutralised" is used to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured. On January 20, Turkey began an air and ground offensive supporting Syrian rebels against the US-backed YPG in its western enclave of Afrin. The main aim of the Turkish forces is to establish security and stability along Turkey's borders as well as to protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty. "The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights based on international law, United Nations Security Council resolutions, its self-defence rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity," the Turkish military added. Also, 924 terror targets have been destroyed ever since the military operations began in January. In January 2018, the Turkish military began an operation in the Kurdish-majority Afrin Canton and the Tel Rifaat Area of Shahba Canton in Northern Syria. The PKK, which is based in Turkey, Iraq and parts of Syria, has been involved in an armed conflict with Turkey for the past few years. Its aim is to achieve the objective of creating an independent Kurdish state. It has been listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The PKK is responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians.

Turkey neutralised at least 2,434 terrorists belonging to PKK, IS

An Iraqi court had decided to sentence 16 Turkish women to death for being members of ISIS on Sunday, reports said.&nbsp;

The court directed the women to be hanged after they were found guilty of marrying ISIS fighters and providing the group with support.&nbsp;

Abdul Sattar Bayraktar, the spokesman of Iraq&#39;s Supreme Judicial Council said that the brides had the group with aid, including logistical support and help carrying out terrorist attacks.&nbsp;

The women, aged between 20 - 50, were sentenced in a mass trial at a criminal court in Baghdad on Sunday. Some had young children with them.&nbsp;

The public defender argued that the women had been trafficked into jihadi territory or tricked by their husbands.&nbsp;

The sentences were issued under Iraq&#39;s counterterrorism law, however, the defendants still have a chance to appeal to a higher court.

Another Turkish woman was sentenced to death last week and 10 others of various nationalities to life in prison, all for alleged ISIS membership.

Last month, a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/jihadi-bride-who-married-gave-birth-under-isis-regime-arrested-on-landing-in-uk-30262">British woman</a> who married and gave birth under the Islamic State regime in Syria became one of the first so-called jihadi brides to be arrested on her return to the UK, a media report had claimed.

The court directed that the women will be hanged after they were found guilty of marrying ISIS fighters and providing the group with support.

An Iraqi court had decided to sentence 16 Turkish women to death for being members of ISIS on Sunday, reports said. The court directed the women to be hanged after they were found guilty of marrying ISIS fighters and providing the group with support. Abdul Sattar Bayraktar, the spokesman of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council said that the brides had the group with aid, including logistical support and help carrying out terrorist attacks. The women, aged between 20 - 50, were sentenced in a mass trial at a criminal court in Baghdad on Sunday. Some had young children with them. The public defender argued that the women had been trafficked into jihadi territory or tricked by their husbands. The sentences were issued under Iraq's counterterrorism law, however, the defendants still have a chance to appeal to a higher court. Another Turkish woman was sentenced to death last week and 10 others of various nationalities to life in prison, all for alleged ISIS membership. Last month, a British woman who married and gave birth under the Islamic State regime in Syria became one of the first so-called jihadi brides to be arrested on her return to the UK, a media report had claimed.

Watch: 16 Turkish brides sentenced to death for IS links

When the Plenary meeting of Financial Action Task Force started in Paris on 18th February 2018, they had an important matter to discuss. In 2012, it had put Pakistan, the &#39;nuclear-powered&#39; nation, in its Terror Financing Watchdog list as grey. The effect caused a significant damage to their economy and after three years in 2015, it was finally bailed out because of country&rsquo;s repeated assurances and influence of some of the world leaders.&nbsp;

As a cautionary advice, Pakistan was told to crack down on Terror Financing or else face the threat to be put on the list again. One of the main agenda for the February 2018 Plenary sitting was to discuss this as Pakistan failed to act drastically. Jamat-Ud-Dawah, Taliban, and Haqqani network took advantages of Pakistan&rsquo;s poor anti-money laundering laws to promote terrorism globally.

Unlike other international organisations, Financial Action Task Force for Money Laundering (FATF) was formed by G-7 Countries in 1989 to primarily target money laundering and since a significant portion of money laundering goes to fund terror activities, terror financing became an integral part of FATF discussions. Immediately after 9/11, FATF drafted 8 recommendations to stop terror financing and since then its Financial Intelligence Unit had been monitoring the financial network of various terrorist organisations worldwide.&nbsp;

As on date, it has 35 permanent members and two regional organisations named European Union and Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) which are being represented by Saudi Arabia. As per the rules of FATF, any motion brought by a country can only be opposed by a minimum of three members.&nbsp;

Pakistan was threatened by the bill proposed by the United States to put the country back on Grey list of FATF. Their economy was going through the worst phase since 2012. The government is unstable and their debt is rising sharply. The external debt which was close to $66 Billion is now going to touch $100 Billion anytime and Current Account Deficit (CAD) which was less than a $ Billion in 2012 is now eager to cross the mark of $5 Billion. The economy is supported by some of the international Banks and financial organisations which are expected to have a negative effect in case of passing of this bill. Ultimately, foreign transactions are expected to decline which may result in widening the CAD significantly.&nbsp;

It was a do or die situation and, hence, Pakistan started campaigning among countries friendly to it in order to turn down the motion. Its ministers and diplomats made trips to China, Turkey, Malaysia, Russian Federation and members of GCC to garner support. Some of them assured the support too and as a result when on 18th February 2018, at the first meeting, when the United States of America proposed the bill for putting Pakistan in the grey list of terror financing countries, it received a strong opposition from China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia who was representing GCC. Since the opposition of this bill required three countries, it was destined to be rejected.&nbsp;

One of the representatives of these countries even informed Pakistan that the country will be bailed out this time and, in rejoice, one of their ministers tweeted too but the outcome had not been announced yet. The international diplomacy hasn&rsquo;t started yet. India is a permanent member of FATF and, on seeing this, partnered with the US and pursued hard to turn down the opposition. Soon the first talks were held with Saudi Arabia to convince it. It was reportedly said that United States offered Saudi Arabia a permanent seat in FATF in case it supports the move and the carrot diplomacy paid up. Saudi Arabia assured to back the bill.&nbsp;

The only two countries left were China and Turkey and it was a tricky situation for China now. In the absence of Saudi Arabian support, the bill was expected to be passed and in such case both the opposing countries would have been labelled&nbsp;as supporters of terrorism. So, for the sheer face-saving, China also agreed to support the move. However, it did try to negotiate with US and India to justify its stand.

As soon as the US was sure of getting the bill passed, it called another meeting on 22nd February 2018 and arranged for voting. The motion passed by 36-1 and only Turkey opposed it. FATF decided to put Pakistan on the FATF Grey list of terror financing countries with effect from June 2018 as the process and formal announcement takes time.&nbsp;

While this move is welcomed and will be helpful in cracking down on terror financing, it is highly detrimental to the economy of Pakistan too. On one hand it will discourage new potential investors to come to Pakistan and on the other hand, the existing investors will wary of transacting with Pakistani Banks. Assessing funds from International Agencies like IMF will be much tougher as they will put more conditions to be fulfilled before releasing the funds. International financial institutions which form a major part of Pakistan economy might decide to pull out in due course of time and even if they don&rsquo;t pull out immediately, their due diligence in disbursement will become much stricter.&nbsp;

International rating agencies are going to downgrade Pakistan for sure which may affect international transactions and foreign-exchange inflow and ultimately the CAD and Pakistan economy.&nbsp;

In case, it does not show visible signs of improvement after June 2018, Pakistan may further go into the Blacklist of Countries financing terrorism which will call for worldwide sanctions and act as a doomsday for Pakistan. The country is going to polls this year and there is no stable government to take strong financial decisions. With the disqualification of former PM over the corruption and money laundering charges and absence of any other strong leader, it is likely that the new government may be a puppet in the hands of Pakistan Army or the radical elements. If any such situation arises, it will be impossible for Pakistan to recover. 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

After Pakistan has been dragged back to FATF grey list of terror financing, International rating agencies are going to downgrade Pakistan which will affect international transactions, foreign-exchange inflow, CAD, and Pakistan economy as a whole.

When the Plenary meeting of Financial Action Task Force started in Paris on 18th February 2018, they had an important matter to discuss. In 2012, it had put Pakistan, the 'nuclear-powered' nation, in its Terror Financing Watchdog list as grey. The effect caused a significant damage to their economy and after three years in 2015, it was finally bailed out because of country’s repeated assurances and influence of some of the world leaders. As a cautionary advice, Pakistan was told to crack down on Terror Financing or else face the threat to be put on the list again. One of the main agenda for the February 2018 Plenary sitting was to discuss this as Pakistan failed to act drastically. Jamat-Ud-Dawah, Taliban, and Haqqani network took advantages of Pakistan’s poor anti-money laundering laws to promote terrorism globally. Unlike other international organisations, Financial Action Task Force for Money Laundering (FATF) was formed by G-7 Countries in 1989 to primarily target money laundering and since a significant portion of money laundering goes to fund terror activities, terror financing became an integral part of FATF discussions. Immediately after 9/11, FATF drafted 8 recommendations to stop terror financing and since then its Financial Intelligence Unit had been monitoring the financial network of various terrorist organisations worldwide. As on date, it has 35 permanent members and two regional organisations named European Union and Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) which are being represented by Saudi Arabia. As per the rules of FATF, any motion brought by a country can only be opposed by a minimum of three members. Pakistan was threatened by the bill proposed by the United States to put the country back on Grey list of FATF. Their economy was going through the worst phase since 2012. The government is unstable and their debt is rising sharply. The external debt which was close to $66 Billion is now going to touch $100 Billion anytime and Current Account Deficit (CAD) which was less than a $ Billion in 2012 is now eager to cross the mark of $5 Billion. The economy is supported by some of the international Banks and financial organisations which are expected to have a negative effect in case of passing of this bill. Ultimately, foreign transactions are expected to decline which may result in widening the CAD significantly. It was a do or die situation and, hence, Pakistan started campaigning among countries friendly to it in order to turn down the motion. Its ministers and diplomats made trips to China, Turkey, Malaysia, Russian Federation and members of GCC to garner support. Some of them assured the support too and as a result when on 18th February 2018, at the first meeting, when the United States of America proposed the bill for putting Pakistan in the grey list of terror financing countries, it received a strong opposition from China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia who was representing GCC. Since the opposition of this bill required three countries, it was destined to be rejected. One of the representatives of these countries even informed Pakistan that the country will be bailed out this time and, in rejoice, one of their ministers tweeted too but the outcome had not been announced yet. The international diplomacy hasn’t started yet. India is a permanent member of FATF and, on seeing this, partnered with the US and pursued hard to turn down the opposition. Soon the first talks were held with Saudi Arabia to convince it. It was reportedly said that United States offered Saudi Arabia a permanent seat in FATF in case it supports the move and the carrot diplomacy paid up. Saudi Arabia assured to back the bill. The only two countries left were China and Turkey and it was a tricky situation for China now. In the absence of Saudi Arabian support, the bill was expected to be passed and in such case both the opposing countries would have been labelled as supporters of terrorism. So, for the sheer face-saving, China also agreed to support the move. However, it did try to negotiate with US and India to justify its stand. As soon as the US was sure of getting the bill passed, it called another meeting on 22nd February 2018 and arranged for voting. The motion passed by 36-1 and only Turkey opposed it. FATF decided to put Pakistan on the FATF Grey list of terror financing countries with effect from June 2018 as the process and formal announcement takes time. While this move is welcomed and will be helpful in cracking down on terror financing, it is highly detrimental to the economy of Pakistan too. On one hand it will discourage new potential investors to come to Pakistan and on the other hand, the existing investors will wary of transacting with Pakistani Banks. Assessing funds from International Agencies like IMF will be much tougher as they will put more conditions to be fulfilled before releasing the funds. International financial institutions which form a major part of Pakistan economy might decide to pull out in due course of time and even if they don’t pull out immediately, their due diligence in disbursement will become much stricter. International rating agencies are going to downgrade Pakistan for sure which may affect international transactions and foreign-exchange inflow and ultimately the CAD and Pakistan economy. In case, it does not show visible signs of improvement after June 2018, Pakistan may further go into the Blacklist of Countries financing terrorism which will call for worldwide sanctions and act as a doomsday for Pakistan. The country is going to polls this year and there is no stable government to take strong financial decisions. With the disqualification of former PM over the corruption and money laundering charges and absence of any other strong leader, it is likely that the new government may be a puppet in the hands of Pakistan Army or the radical elements. If any such situation arises, it will be impossible for Pakistan to recover. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Pakistan will face major economic loss after FATF puts it on grey list of terror financing

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/canadian-mp-randeep-sarai-takes-responsibility-for-inviting-khalistani-terrorist-jaspal-atwal-33716" target="_blank">Canadian MP Randeep Sarai takes responsibility for inviting Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal to India</a>

As the controversy over invitation to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/khalistani-terrorist-should-never-have-been-invited-to-our-event-canada-33696">Punjab&nbsp;pro-Khalistani terrorist&nbsp;Jaspal&nbsp;</a>Atwal continued, the ministry of external affairs(MEA) said it was seeking information on how a visa was granted to Atwal.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-never-said-give-guns-to-teachers-says-trump-33729" target="_blank">&#39;I never said give guns to teachers,&#39; says Trump</a>

President Trump today denied that he said teachers should be given guns to protect students from shooters. &quot;I never said give teachers guns,&quot; the president tweeted.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-saudi-arabia-turkey-blocked-us-move-to-place-pak-on-terror-financing-watch-list-report-33707" target="_blank">China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey blocked </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-saudi-arabia-turkey-blocked-us-move-to-place-pak-on-terror-financing-watch-list-report-33707" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-saudi-arabia-turkey-blocked-us-move-to-place-pak-on-terror-financing-watch-list-report-33707" target="_blank"> move to place Pak on terror-financing watch list: Report</a>

A report in the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) said three countries -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-moves-motion-to-place-pakistan-on-a-global-terrorist-financing-watchlist-at-fatf-32787">China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey</a>&nbsp;blocked the US efforts to place Pakistan on the &nbsp;Financial Action Task Force(FATF) watchlist.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-on-modernisation-path-under-general-bajwa-33721" target="_blank">Pak army on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-on-modernisation-path-under-general-bajwa-33721" target="_blank">modernisation</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-army-on-modernisation-path-under-general-bajwa-33721" target="_blank"> path under General Bajwa</a>

Pakistan Army has formulated a training policy for next three years starting from July 1st, 2017. The latest move is being seen as Pakistan&#39;s attempt to create a territorial army.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-chief-secretary-assault-case-aap-mlas-sent-to-judicial-custody-for-14-days-33728" target="_blank">Delhi Chief Secretary assault </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-chief-secretary-assault-case-aap-mlas-sent-to-judicial-custody-for-14-days-33728" target="_blank">case :</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-chief-secretary-assault-case-aap-mlas-sent-to-judicial-custody-for-14-days-33728" target="_blank"> AAP MLAs sent to judicial custody for 14 days</a>

Canadian MP Randeep Sarai takes responsibility for inviting Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal to India As the controversy over invitation to Punjab pro-Khalistani terrorist Jaspal Atwal continued, the ministry of external affairs(MEA) said it was seeking information on how a visa was granted to Atwal. 'I never said give guns to teachers,' says Trump President Trump today denied that he said teachers should be given guns to protect students from shooters. "I never said give teachers guns," the president tweeted. China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey blocked US move to place Pak on terror-financing watch list: Report A report in the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) said three countries - China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey blocked the US efforts to place Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force(FATF) watchlist. Pak army on modernisation path under General Bajwa Pakistan Army has formulated a training policy for next three years starting from July 1st, 2017. The latest move is being seen as Pakistan's attempt to create a territorial army. Delhi Chief Secretary assault case : AAP MLAs sent to judicial custody for 14 days

WION Evening news brief, February 22, 2018

Turkey warned on Wednesday that pro-Syrian government forces entering the northwest Afrin region to support a Kurdish militia there will face &quot;serious consequences&quot; and they will be regarded as legitimate targets.

A convoy of some 40-50 vehicles carrying pro-government forces tried to enter Syria&#39;s Afrin on Tuesday, but retreated after artillery fire by Turkish forces, President Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s spokesman said.

&quot;Any step by the regime or other elements in this direction will surely have serious consequences,&quot; Ibrahim Kalin told a news conference.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Turkey&#39;s offensive continued overnight, including shelling of the main Afrin town. A commander in the pro-Assad military alliance told Reuters on Tuesday the forces had turned back after coming under fire, but then resumed their progress and were in Afrin.&nbsp;

Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies launched a military operation last month to drive Kurdish YPG fighters out of Afrin. Ankara says the YPG is a terrorist group and an extension of the PKK which has fought a three-decade insurgency in southeast Turkey.

&quot;Any step there aimed at supporting the... YPG terrorist organisation will mean they are directly siding with terrorist organisations and will, therefore, become legitimate targets for us,&quot; Kalin said.&nbsp;

He also said Turkey was not in direct talks with the Syrian government, but its messages were being conveyed indirectly. 
&nbsp;

A convoy of some 40-50 vehicles carrying pro-government forces tried to enter Syria's Afrin on Tuesday

Turkey warned on Wednesday that pro-Syrian government forces entering the northwest Afrin region to support a Kurdish militia there will face "serious consequences" and they will be regarded as legitimate targets. A convoy of some 40-50 vehicles carrying pro-government forces tried to enter Syria's Afrin on Tuesday, but retreated after artillery fire by Turkish forces, President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said. "Any step by the regime or other elements in this direction will surely have serious consequences," Ibrahim Kalin told a news conference. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Turkey's offensive continued overnight, including shelling of the main Afrin town. A commander in the pro-Assad military alliance told Reuters on Tuesday the forces had turned back after coming under fire, but then resumed their progress and were in Afrin. Turkey and its Syrian rebel allies launched a military operation last month to drive Kurdish YPG fighters out of Afrin. Ankara says the YPG is a terrorist group and an extension of the PKK which has fought a three-decade insurgency in southeast Turkey. "Any step there aimed at supporting the... YPG terrorist organisation will mean they are directly siding with terrorist organisations and will, therefore, become legitimate targets for us," Kalin said. He also said Turkey was not in direct talks with the Syrian government, but its messages were being conveyed indirectly.

Turkey warns Syrian forces entering Afrin face serious consequences

Turkey will lay siege to Afrin in northern Syria after launching an offensive against Kurdish militia in the region last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

&quot;In the coming days, swiftly, we will lay siege to the centre of the town of Afrin,&quot; Erdogan told his ruling party lawmakers in parliament.&nbsp;

His remarks came as Turkey&#39;s ground and air offensive against the People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG) militia, viewed as &quot;terrorists&quot; by Ankara, entered its second month.

His remarks came as Turkey's ground and air offensive against the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia entered its second month

Turkey will lay siege to Afrin in northern Syria after launching an offensive against Kurdish militia in the region last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. "In the coming days, swiftly, we will lay siege to the centre of the town of Afrin," Erdogan told his ruling party lawmakers in parliament. His remarks came as Turkey's ground and air offensive against the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, viewed as "terrorists" by Ankara, entered its second month.

Turkey will lay siege to Syria's Afrin in coming days: Erdogan

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-questions-rotomac-owner-vikram-kothari-freezes-14-bank-accounts-33505" target="_blank">CBI questions Rotomac owner Vikram </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-questions-rotomac-owner-vikram-kothari-freezes-14-bank-accounts-33505" target="_blank">Kothari,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-questions-rotomac-owner-vikram-kothari-freezes-14-bank-accounts-33505" target="_blank"> freezes 14 bank accounts</a>

The Income&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-registers-case-against-rotomac-directors-for-cheating-seven-banks-33364">Tax Department has attached 14 bank</a>&nbsp;accounts of Rotomac which belong to various banks&nbsp;as the CBI grilled the owner Vikram Kothari today. Reports said three accounts belong to Vikram Kothari and his family.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-stock-exchange-approves-chinas-bid-rejects-india-33511" target="_blank">Bangladesh stock exchange approves China&#39;s bid, rejects India</a>

China has emerged<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/now-india-china-battle-in-bangladesh-stock-exchange-32913">&nbsp;as the winner against India in the</a>&nbsp;battle for supremacy in the Bangladesh stock exchange. After reports of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/want-to-deepen-ties-with-china-to-gain-greater-leverage-with-india-nepals-oli-33440">&nbsp;India and China putting up bids in the&nbsp;</a>Bangladesh stock exchange took everyone by surprise, an official told AFP that Bangladesh has agreed to sell a large stake to a Chinese consortium, disregarding India&#39;s bid.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/breakdown-of-governance-say-ias-officers-after-delhi-chief-secretary-alleges-assault-by-aap-mlas-33465" target="_blank">&#39;Breakdown of governance,&#39; say IAS officers after Delhi Chief Secretary alleges assault by AAP MLAs</a>

A massive political firestorm erupted over Delhi Tuesday after the chief secretary alleged that he had been assaulted by AAP MLAs at the chief minister&#39;s residence.&nbsp;The Aam Aadmi Party has called Anshu Prakash&#39;s allegation &quot;ludicrous&quot;, adding that he was acting on the BJP&#39;s behest.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/three-killed-in-blast-in-afghan-city-jalalabad-33494">Three killed in blast in Afghan city Jalalabad</a>

&nbsp;An explosion killed at least three tribal elders and wounded two when it hit a hotel in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Tuesday, officials said. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear and there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-will-lay-siege-to-syrias-afrin-in-coming-days-erdogan-33487" target="_blank">Turkey will lay siege to Syria&#39;s Afrin in coming days: Erdogan</a>

Turkey will lay siege to Afrin in northern Syria after launching an offensive against Kurdish militia in the region last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

CBI questions Rotomac owner Vikram Kothari, freezes 14 bank accounts The Income Tax Department has attached 14 bank accounts of Rotomac which belong to various banks as the CBI grilled the owner Vikram Kothari today. Reports said three accounts belong to Vikram Kothari and his family. Bangladesh stock exchange approves China's bid, rejects India China has emerged as the winner against India in the battle for supremacy in the Bangladesh stock exchange. After reports of India and China putting up bids in the Bangladesh stock exchange took everyone by surprise, an official told AFP that Bangladesh has agreed to sell a large stake to a Chinese consortium, disregarding India's bid. 'Breakdown of governance,' say IAS officers after Delhi Chief Secretary alleges assault by AAP MLAs A massive political firestorm erupted over Delhi Tuesday after the chief secretary alleged that he had been assaulted by AAP MLAs at the chief minister's residence. The Aam Aadmi Party has called Anshu Prakash's allegation "ludicrous", adding that he was acting on the BJP's behest. Three killed in blast in Afghan city Jalalabad An explosion killed at least three tribal elders and wounded two when it hit a hotel in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Tuesday, officials said. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear and there was no immediate claim of responsibility. Turkey will lay siege to Syria's Afrin in coming days: Erdogan Turkey will lay siege to Afrin in northern Syria after launching an offensive against Kurdish militia in the region last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

WION Evening News brief, February 20, 2018

Turkey never used chemical weapons in its operations in Syria, and takes the utmost care of civilians, a Turkish diplomatic source said, after Syrian Kurdish forces and a monitoring group accused it of carrying out a gas attack in Syria&#39;s Afrin region.

&quot;These are baseless accusations. Turkey never used chemical weapons. We take utmost care of civilians in Operation Olive Branch,&quot; the source said.

Syrian Kurdish forces and a monitoring group said the Turkish military carried out a suspected gas attack that wounded six people in Syria&#39;s Afrin region on Friday.

The source also described the accusations of wounding six civilians through a suspected gas attack as &quot;black propaganda&quot;.

Turkey launched an air and ground offensive last month on the Afrin region, opening a new front in the multi-sided Syrian war, to target Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.&nbsp;

Birusk Hasaka, a spokesman for the Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin, told Reuters that Turkish bombardment hit a village in the northwest of the region, near the Turkish border. He said it caused six people to suffer breathing problems and other symptoms indicative of a gas attack.&nbsp;

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters that Turkish forces and their Syrian insurgent allies hit the village on Friday with shells. The Britain-based war monitoring group said medical sources in Afrin reported that six people in the attack suffered breathing difficulties and dilated pupils, indicating a suspected gas attack.

Syrian state news agency SANA, citing a doctor in an Afrin hospital, said Turkish shelling of the village caused choking in six people.

On February 6, the United Nations called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Syria.

Since the onset of the conflict in 2011, the YPG and its allies have set up three autonomous cantons in the north, including Afrin. Their sphere of influence expanded as they seized territory from Islamic State with US&nbsp;help, though Washington opposes their autonomy plans as does the Syrian government.&nbsp;

US&nbsp;support for Kurdish-led forces in Syria has infuriated Ankara, which views them as a security threat along its frontier. Turkey sees the YPG as terrorists and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has waged a three-decade insurgency on Turkish soil.

Syrian Kurdish forces and a monitoring group said the Turkish military carried out a suspected gas attack that wounded six people in Syria's Afrin region on Friday

Turkey never used chemical weapons in its operations in Syria, and takes the utmost care of civilians, a Turkish diplomatic source said, after Syrian Kurdish forces and a monitoring group accused it of carrying out a gas attack in Syria's Afrin region. "These are baseless accusations. Turkey never used chemical weapons. We take utmost care of civilians in Operation Olive Branch," the source said. Syrian Kurdish forces and a monitoring group said the Turkish military carried out a suspected gas attack that wounded six people in Syria's Afrin region on Friday. The source also described the accusations of wounding six civilians through a suspected gas attack as "black propaganda". Turkey launched an air and ground offensive last month on the Afrin region, opening a new front in the multi-sided Syrian war, to target Kurdish fighters in northern Syria. Birusk Hasaka, a spokesman for the Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin, told Reuters that Turkish bombardment hit a village in the northwest of the region, near the Turkish border. He said it caused six people to suffer breathing problems and other symptoms indicative of a gas attack. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Reuters that Turkish forces and their Syrian insurgent allies hit the village on Friday with shells. The Britain-based war monitoring group said medical sources in Afrin reported that six people in the attack suffered breathing difficulties and dilated pupils, indicating a suspected gas attack. Syrian state news agency SANA, citing a doctor in an Afrin hospital, said Turkish shelling of the village caused choking in six people. On February 6, the United Nations called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Syria. Since the onset of the conflict in 2011, the YPG and its allies have set up three autonomous cantons in the north, including Afrin. Their sphere of influence expanded as they seized territory from Islamic State with US help, though Washington opposes their autonomy plans as does the Syrian government. US support for Kurdish-led forces in Syria has infuriated Ankara, which views them as a security threat along its frontier. Turkey sees the YPG as terrorists and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has waged a three-decade insurgency on Turkish soil.

Turkey denies use of chemicals in Syria's Afrin, says accusations baseless

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkish-court-sentences-six-journalists-to-life-for-2016-failed-coup-33100" target="_blank">A Turkish court freed German-Turkish journalist</a> Deniz Yucel on Friday pending trial after indicting him for alleged security offences, in a move welcomed by Berlin and which could lead to an easing of tensions between the two NATO allies.

Germany has been pressing for months for the release of Yucel, detained since last February on suspicion of spreading propaganda in support of a terrorist organisation and inciting violence. He denies the accusations.

After his release, Yucel headed straight to Germany. A Reuters photographer saw his plane taxiing after landing at Berlin`s Tegel airport. German ARD television reported that he had disembarked the aircraft.

&quot;This is a good day. Deniz Yucel is free,&quot; German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel earlier told reporters. &quot;I can assure you there are no agreements, trade-offs, or deals in connection with this.&quot;

Turkey`s state-run Anadolu news agency said the court had accepted an indictment seeking up to 18 years in jail for Yucel but had also opted to free him ahead of trial.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the release, but she also called on Ankara to guarantee fast judicial proceedings for other German citizens still being held in Turkish custody.

&quot;I`m pleased, just like many, many others, that he was able to leave jail today,&quot; said Merkel, who on Thursday held talks in Berlin with Turkey`s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. Earlier this week Yildirim had raised the prospect of Yucel being freed.

&quot;We know that there are also other cases of people, maybe not as prominent, who remain in custody, and also for them we hope that there will be fast and constitutional judicial proceedings,&quot; Merkel told a news conference in Berlin.

There are currently five other German citizens who are being held in Turkish custody over alleged security offences.

&quot;BEST NEWS EVER&quot;

Yucel`s newspaper, Die Welt, had earlier announced his release from custody, citing his lawyer.

&quot;Finally! Best news ever. Deniz Yucel is free&quot;, German Justice Minister Heiko Maas said in a tweet.

German government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer told a regular news conference on Friday that Yucel`s release would be &quot;an important first step&quot; after massive diplomatic efforts.

Last month Turkey urged Germany, its biggest trading partner, to mend fences and they have since resumed bilateral government consultations suspended after Yucel`s arrest.

A foreign ministry spokesman cautioned that there were still contentious issues between Germany and Turkey, whose ties deteriorated sharply after Ankara`s crackdown on suspected supporters of a failed military coup in 2016.

In the indictment Yucel is accused of spreading propaganda in support of both Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric accused by Ankara of plotting the failed coup, and also of the outlawed PKK group waging an insurgency in southeast Turkey.

Turkey says its crackdown since the coup attempt &ndash; with the arrest of some 50,000 people - is needed for security reasons. It has criticised Germany for not handing over asylum seekers it accuses of involvement in the failed coup.

The court indicted him for alleged security offences

A Turkish court freed German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel on Friday pending trial after indicting him for alleged security offences, in a move welcomed by Berlin and which could lead to an easing of tensions between the two NATO allies. Germany has been pressing for months for the release of Yucel, detained since last February on suspicion of spreading propaganda in support of a terrorist organisation and inciting violence. He denies the accusations. After his release, Yucel headed straight to Germany. A Reuters photographer saw his plane taxiing after landing at Berlin`s Tegel airport. German ARD television reported that he had disembarked the aircraft. "This is a good day. Deniz Yucel is free," German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel earlier told reporters. "I can assure you there are no agreements, trade-offs, or deals in connection with this." Turkey`s state-run Anadolu news agency said the court had accepted an indictment seeking up to 18 years in jail for Yucel but had also opted to free him ahead of trial. German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the release, but she also called on Ankara to guarantee fast judicial proceedings for other German citizens still being held in Turkish custody. "I`m pleased, just like many, many others, that he was able to leave jail today," said Merkel, who on Thursday held talks in Berlin with Turkey`s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. Earlier this week Yildirim had raised the prospect of Yucel being freed. "We know that there are also other cases of people, maybe not as prominent, who remain in custody, and also for them we hope that there will be fast and constitutional judicial proceedings," Merkel told a news conference in Berlin. There are currently five other German citizens who are being held in Turkish custody over alleged security offences. "BEST NEWS EVER" Yucel`s newspaper, Die Welt, had earlier announced his release from custody, citing his lawyer. "Finally! Best news ever. Deniz Yucel is free", German Justice Minister Heiko Maas said in a tweet. German government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer told a regular news conference on Friday that Yucel`s release would be "an important first step" after massive diplomatic efforts. Last month Turkey urged Germany, its biggest trading partner, to mend fences and they have since resumed bilateral government consultations suspended after Yucel`s arrest. A foreign ministry spokesman cautioned that there were still contentious issues between Germany and Turkey, whose ties deteriorated sharply after Ankara`s crackdown on suspected supporters of a failed military coup in 2016. In the indictment Yucel is accused of spreading propaganda in support of both Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based cleric accused by Ankara of plotting the failed coup, and also of the outlawed PKK group waging an insurgency in southeast Turkey. Turkey says its crackdown since the coup attempt – with the arrest of some 50,000 people - is needed for security reasons. It has criticised Germany for not handing over asylum seekers it accuses of involvement in the failed coup.

Turkey frees German-Turkish journalist, who flies to Berlin

In a major policy shift, Pakistan has decided to deploy troops in <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Saudi-Arabia" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-to-deploy-troops-in-saudi-arabia/articleshow/62945805.cms~Saudi Arabia-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Saudi-Arabia">Saudi Arabia</a> under bilateral security cooperation with the kingdom which is involved in the ongoing civil war in neighbouring Yemen. 
The <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pakistan-Army" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-to-deploy-troops-in-saudi-arabia/articleshow/62945805.cms~Pakistan Army-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Pakistan-Army">Pakistan Army</a> announced the decision after a meeting between Army Chief General <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Qamar-Javed-Bajwa" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-to-deploy-troops-in-saudi-arabia/articleshow/62945805.cms~Qamar Javed Bajwa-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Qamar-Javed-Bajwa">Qamar Javed Bajwa</a> and Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Saeed-Al-Maliki" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-to-deploy-troops-in-saudi-arabia/articleshow/62945805.cms~Saeed Al-Maliki-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Saeed-Al-Maliki">Saeed Al-Maliki</a>, at army headquarters in Rawalpindi yesterday. 
 
&quot;In continuation of ongoing Pak-Saudi bilateral security cooperation, a Pakistan Army contingent is being sent to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on training and advise mission. These or troops already there will not be employed outside KSA,&quot; the army said. 
 
It also said the army &quot;maintains bilateral security cooperation with many other Gulf/regional countries&quot;. 
 
About the meeting of the ambassador with Bajwa, it said that matters of mutual interest including regional security situation were discussed during the meeting. 
 
Already around 1,000 Pakistani troops are deployed in Saudi Arabia in various advisory and training roles, according to officials 
 
There was no official word on the number of additional troops being sent to the kingdom but the Dawn newspaper quoted &quot;multiple sources&quot; hinting that it might be the size of a composite brigade. 
 
It also quoted army spokesman, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, that the new deployment would be much lesser than a division, and that he would give details later. 
 
Saudi Arabia has been pushing Pakistan to provide troops since 2015 when it joined Yemen&#39;s civil war but Pakistan steadily refused, saying it would not become the party to any regional conflict.

The war in Yemen stalemated and the situation has aggravated with the rebels firing missiles at regular intervals towards the kingdom. 
 
The alliance of Muslim nations set up by Saudi Arabia and led by former Pakistan Army chief Raheel Sharif is also still in an early stage to play any role in the conflict. 
 
Bajwa earlier this month visited Saudi Arabia for three days and met officials including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Commander of Ground Forces Lt Gen Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz. 
 
It was his second visit to the kingdom in two months and reportedly played a role in Pakistan&#39;s decision to deploy troops.

Pakistan is treading a fine line in maintaining relations with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Qatar and other regional players and the decision of deploying troops may annoy Saudi Arabia&#39;s rivals like Iran and Qatar. 
 
Bajwa has been playing a major role in addressing concerns of regional countries and met with ambassadors of Iran and Turkey earlier this week. He also recently visited Qatar and met its &#39;emir&#39;.

The decision may also create tension in Pakistan&#39;s internal politics as parliament had passed a resolution at the start of the Yemen crisis that said Pakistan would stay neutral in the conflict.

Saudi Arabia has been pushing Pakistan to provide troops since 2015 when it joined Yemen's civil war

In a major policy shift, Pakistan has decided to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia under bilateral security cooperation with the kingdom which is involved in the ongoing civil war in neighbouring Yemen. The Pakistan Army announced the decision after a meeting between Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf Saeed Al-Maliki, at army headquarters in Rawalpindi yesterday. "In continuation of ongoing Pak-Saudi bilateral security cooperation, a Pakistan Army contingent is being sent to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on training and advise mission. These or troops already there will not be employed outside KSA," the army said. It also said the army "maintains bilateral security cooperation with many other Gulf/regional countries". About the meeting of the ambassador with Bajwa, it said that matters of mutual interest including regional security situation were discussed during the meeting. Already around 1,000 Pakistani troops are deployed in Saudi Arabia in various advisory and training roles, according to officials There was no official word on the number of additional troops being sent to the kingdom but the Dawn newspaper quoted "multiple sources" hinting that it might be the size of a composite brigade. It also quoted army spokesman, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, that the new deployment would be much lesser than a division, and that he would give details later. Saudi Arabia has been pushing Pakistan to provide troops since 2015 when it joined Yemen's civil war but Pakistan steadily refused, saying it would not become the party to any regional conflict. The war in Yemen stalemated and the situation has aggravated with the rebels firing missiles at regular intervals towards the kingdom. The alliance of Muslim nations set up by Saudi Arabia and led by former Pakistan Army chief Raheel Sharif is also still in an early stage to play any role in the conflict. Bajwa earlier this month visited Saudi Arabia for three days and met officials including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Commander of Ground Forces Lt Gen Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz. It was his second visit to the kingdom in two months and reportedly played a role in Pakistan's decision to deploy troops. Pakistan is treading a fine line in maintaining relations with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Qatar and other regional players and the decision of deploying troops may annoy Saudi Arabia's rivals like Iran and Qatar. Bajwa has been playing a major role in addressing concerns of regional countries and met with ambassadors of Iran and Turkey earlier this week. He also recently visited Qatar and met its 'emir'. The decision may also create tension in Pakistan's internal politics as parliament had passed a resolution at the start of the Yemen crisis that said Pakistan would stay neutral in the conflict.

Pakistan to deploy troops in Saudi Arabia

Turkey has killed at least 260 Syrian Kurdish fighters and Islamic State militants in its four-day-old offensive into the Kurdish-dominated Afrin region of northwest Syria, the Turkish military said on Tuesday.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump plans to raise concerns with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call expected on Wednesday about Ankara&#39;s offensive against US-backed Kurdish YPG forces in Afrin, a senior US&nbsp;official said.

French President Emmanuel Macron also voiced disquiet, a few hours after Turkey&#39;s foreign minister said it wanted to avoid any clash with US, Russian or Syrian government forces during its offensive but would do whatever necessary for its security.

The air and ground operation has opened a new front in Syria&#39;s multi-sided civil war and could threaten US&nbsp;plans to stabilise and rebuild a large area of northeast Syria - beyond President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s control - where Washington helped a force dominated by the YPG to drive out Islamic State militants.

The United States and Russia both have military forces in Syria backing opposing sides and have called for restraint on the part of Ankara&#39;s &quot;Operation Olive Branch&quot; to crush the YPG in the Afrin region near Turkey&#39;s southern border.

A senior Trump administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said Ankara had sent &quot;conflicting signals&quot; about the scope of the offensive.

&quot;We would urge them to limit the incursion as much as possible,&quot; the official said, who said the phone call would happen soon. Another official - as well as Turkey&#39;s foreign minister - said Erdogan and Trump planned to speak on Wednesday.

A statement by Macron&#39;s office said: &quot;Taking into account Turkey&#39;s security imperatives, the president expressed to his Turkish counterpart his concerns following the military intervention launched on Saturday in Afrin.&quot;

Erdogan told Macron on Tuesday Turkey was taking all measures to prevent civilian casualties in the Afrin operation, sources at the presidential palace said. The two leaders agreed to stay in close contact on the issue.

The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin had also discussed Turkey&#39;s military operation Erdogan by phone and that Syria&#39;s territorial integrity and sovereignty had to be respected.

A Kremlin statement said both men stressed the importance of continuing their two countries&#39; joint work to try to find a peaceful resolution to Syria&#39;s crisis. Russia has been Assad&#39;s most powerful ally against rebels and militants in Syria.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu reiterated Ankara&#39;s demand that Washington stops supporting the YPG.

Ankara has said the operation will be swift, but Erdogan&#39;s spokesman signalled an open-ended cross-border campaign, saying it would end only when some 3.5 million Syrian refugees now living in Turkey could safely return home.

The United States hopes to use the YPG&#39;s control in northern Syria to give it the diplomatic muscle it needs to revive U.N.-led talks in Geneva on a deal that would end Syria&rsquo;s civil war.

Near breaking point&nbsp;

Ankara has been infuriated by the U.S. support for the YPG, which is one of several issues that have brought ties between Washington and its Muslim NATO ally close to breaking point.

&quot;The future of our relations depends on the step the United States will take next,&quot; Cavusoglu said.

Turkey&#39;s military, the second largest in NATO, has conducted air strikes and artillery barrages against targets in Afrin, and its soldiers and allied Syrian rebels tried to thrust into the Kurdish-held district from west, north and eastern flanks.

With heavy cloud cover hindering air support in the last 24 hours, advances have been limited and the Kurdish militia have retaken some territory. Turkish troops and the Syrian fighters have been trying to take the summit of Bursaya Hill, overlooking the eastern approach to Afrin town.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said 23 civilians had been killed in Turkish shelling and air strikes, and thousands were fleeing the fighting.

However, Syrian government forces were preventing people from crossing government-held checkpoints to reach the Kurdish-held districts of nearby Aleppo city, it said.

YPG Threat

US&nbsp;Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Turkey&#39;s offensive distracted from efforts to defeat Islamic State. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the United States wanted to see Turkey &quot;de-escalate,&quot; which Trump would raise in the call with Erdogan.

Ankara says the jihadist group is largely finished in Syria and that the greater threat comes from the YPG, which it sees as an extension of a Kurdish group that has waged a decades-long separatist insurgency inside Turkey.

Erdogan has said Turkey aims to destroy YPG control not just in the Afrin enclave but also in the mainly Arab town of Manbij to the east. &quot;Terrorists in Manbij are constantly firing provocation shots. If the United States doesn&#39;t stop this, we will stop it,&quot; Cavusoglu was reported as saying on Tuesday.

&quot;Our goal is not to clash with Russians, the Syrian regime or the United States, it is to battle the terrorist organisation,&quot; broadcaster Haberturk quoted him as saying.

&quot;We will not live with fear and threats,&quot; Cavusoglu said.

He tweeted that a lieutenant had become the second Turkish soldier to be killed in the operation. The Observatory said 43 rebels fighting alongside the Turks had also been killed, as well as 38 on the Kurdish side.

Later on Tuesday Cavusoglu discussed the crisis with US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during a conference in Paris.

Erdogan&#39;s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said the military operations would continue until Syrian refugees in Turkey &quot;return home safely and the separatist terror organisation has been cleansed from the region&quot;.

The Kurdish-led administration of northeastern Syria appealed for a mass mobilisation in defence of Afrin. &quot;We call on all our people to defend Afrin and its pride, and contribute in all the related activities,&quot; it said, without elaborating.

AUN&nbsp;report, citing local sources, said about 5,000 people in the Afrin district had been displaced as of Monday but that some of the most vulnerable had been unable to flee. It said the United Nations was ready to provide aid to 50,000 in Afrin. 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump plans to raise concerns with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call expected on Wednesday

Turkey has killed at least 260 Syrian Kurdish fighters and Islamic State militants in its four-day-old offensive into the Kurdish-dominated Afrin region of northwest Syria, the Turkish military said on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump plans to raise concerns with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call expected on Wednesday about Ankara's offensive against US-backed Kurdish YPG forces in Afrin, a senior US official said. French President Emmanuel Macron also voiced disquiet, a few hours after Turkey's foreign minister said it wanted to avoid any clash with US, Russian or Syrian government forces during its offensive but would do whatever necessary for its security. The air and ground operation has opened a new front in Syria's multi-sided civil war and could threaten US plans to stabilise and rebuild a large area of northeast Syria - beyond President Bashar al-Assad's control - where Washington helped a force dominated by the YPG to drive out Islamic State militants. The United States and Russia both have military forces in Syria backing opposing sides and have called for restraint on the part of Ankara's "Operation Olive Branch" to crush the YPG in the Afrin region near Turkey's southern border. A senior Trump administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said Ankara had sent "conflicting signals" about the scope of the offensive. "We would urge them to limit the incursion as much as possible," the official said, who said the phone call would happen soon. Another official - as well as Turkey's foreign minister - said Erdogan and Trump planned to speak on Wednesday. A statement by Macron's office said: "Taking into account Turkey's security imperatives, the president expressed to his Turkish counterpart his concerns following the military intervention launched on Saturday in Afrin." Erdogan told Macron on Tuesday Turkey was taking all measures to prevent civilian casualties in the Afrin operation, sources at the presidential palace said. The two leaders agreed to stay in close contact on the issue. The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin had also discussed Turkey's military operation Erdogan by phone and that Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty had to be respected. A Kremlin statement said both men stressed the importance of continuing their two countries' joint work to try to find a peaceful resolution to Syria's crisis. Russia has been Assad's most powerful ally against rebels and militants in Syria. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu reiterated Ankara's demand that Washington stops supporting the YPG. Ankara has said the operation will be swift, but Erdogan's spokesman signalled an open-ended cross-border campaign, saying it would end only when some 3.5 million Syrian refugees now living in Turkey could safely return home. The United States hopes to use the YPG's control in northern Syria to give it the diplomatic muscle it needs to revive U.N.-led talks in Geneva on a deal that would end Syria’s civil war. Near breaking point Ankara has been infuriated by the U.S. support for the YPG, which is one of several issues that have brought ties between Washington and its Muslim NATO ally close to breaking point. "The future of our relations depends on the step the United States will take next," Cavusoglu said. Turkey's military, the second largest in NATO, has conducted air strikes and artillery barrages against targets in Afrin, and its soldiers and allied Syrian rebels tried to thrust into the Kurdish-held district from west, north and eastern flanks. With heavy cloud cover hindering air support in the last 24 hours, advances have been limited and the Kurdish militia have retaken some territory. Turkish troops and the Syrian fighters have been trying to take the summit of Bursaya Hill, overlooking the eastern approach to Afrin town. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said 23 civilians had been killed in Turkish shelling and air strikes, and thousands were fleeing the fighting. However, Syrian government forces were preventing people from crossing government-held checkpoints to reach the Kurdish-held districts of nearby Aleppo city, it said. YPG Threat US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Turkey's offensive distracted from efforts to defeat Islamic State. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the United States wanted to see Turkey "de-escalate," which Trump would raise in the call with Erdogan. Ankara says the jihadist group is largely finished in Syria and that the greater threat comes from the YPG, which it sees as an extension of a Kurdish group that has waged a decades-long separatist insurgency inside Turkey. Erdogan has said Turkey aims to destroy YPG control not just in the Afrin enclave but also in the mainly Arab town of Manbij to the east. "Terrorists in Manbij are constantly firing provocation shots. If the United States doesn't stop this, we will stop it," Cavusoglu was reported as saying on Tuesday. "Our goal is not to clash with Russians, the Syrian regime or the United States, it is to battle the terrorist organisation," broadcaster Haberturk quoted him as saying. "We will not live with fear and threats," Cavusoglu said. He tweeted that a lieutenant had become the second Turkish soldier to be killed in the operation. The Observatory said 43 rebels fighting alongside the Turks had also been killed, as well as 38 on the Kurdish side. Later on Tuesday Cavusoglu discussed the crisis with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during a conference in Paris. Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said the military operations would continue until Syrian refugees in Turkey "return home safely and the separatist terror organisation has been cleansed from the region". The Kurdish-led administration of northeastern Syria appealed for a mass mobilisation in defence of Afrin. "We call on all our people to defend Afrin and its pride, and contribute in all the related activities," it said, without elaborating. AUN report, citing local sources, said about 5,000 people in the Afrin district had been displaced as of Monday but that some of the most vulnerable had been unable to flee. It said the United Nations was ready to provide aid to 50,000 in Afrin.

Turkey kills at least 260 Kurdish, Islamic State fighters in Syria offensive

Turkey continued to fire artillery at a US-backed Kurdish militia in northern Syria on Sunday, after Turkey&#39;s state media said four rockets from Syria had hit a Turkish border town.

The cross-border fire marked the second day of Turkey&#39;s new front in the nearly seven-year-old Syrian civil war. Under &quot;Operation Olive Branch&quot;, Turkish airstrikes on Saturday pounded positions of the Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia in the northern Afrin province.

A Reuters reporter at the Oncupinar gate on the Turkish side of the border with Syria, could hear the boom of outgoing artillery, with one being fired roughly every three minutes.

Military convoys were travelling near the gate, with one transporter carrying several tanks.

&quot;In its second day, #OliveBranchOperation continues to ensure peace and security for our people, protect Syria&rsquo;s territorial integrity and eliminate all terrorist elements in the region,&quot; Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said on Twitter.

&quot;Turkey expects its allies to support its fight against terrorism in all of its forms.&quot;

Turkey&#39;s state-run Anadolu news agency earlier reported that four rockets fired from Syria hit the border town of Kilis overnight, damaging houses.

Turkish security forces retaliated in kind, it said.

The operation pits Turkey against Kurdish fighters allied to the United States at a time when ties between Turkey and Washington - NATO allies and members of the coalition against Islamic State - appear dangerously close to a breaking point.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-air-strikes-hit-syrias-afrin-province-in-push-to-secure-borders-30182">Saturday&#39;s strikes</a> on the Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia hit some 108 targets, the Turkish military said. On land, the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army rebels were also helping the operation in Afrin, Turkish officials have said.

Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has carried out a deadly, three-decade insurgency in Turkey&#39;s mainly Kurdish southeast.

The United States is backing the YPG in Syria, seeing it as an effective partner in the fight against Islamic State.

Turkish airstrikes had on Saturday pounded positions of the Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia in the northern Afrin province

Turkey continued to fire artillery at a US-backed Kurdish militia in northern Syria on Sunday, after Turkey's state media said four rockets from Syria had hit a Turkish border town. The cross-border fire marked the second day of Turkey's new front in the nearly seven-year-old Syrian civil war. Under "Operation Olive Branch", Turkish airstrikes on Saturday pounded positions of the Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia in the northern Afrin province. A Reuters reporter at the Oncupinar gate on the Turkish side of the border with Syria, could hear the boom of outgoing artillery, with one being fired roughly every three minutes. Military convoys were travelling near the gate, with one transporter carrying several tanks. "In its second day, #OliveBranchOperation continues to ensure peace and security for our people, protect Syria’s territorial integrity and eliminate all terrorist elements in the region," Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said on Twitter. "Turkey expects its allies to support its fight against terrorism in all of its forms." Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency earlier reported that four rockets fired from Syria hit the border town of Kilis overnight, damaging houses. Turkish security forces retaliated in kind, it said. The operation pits Turkey against Kurdish fighters allied to the United States at a time when ties between Turkey and Washington - NATO allies and members of the coalition against Islamic State - appear dangerously close to a breaking point. Saturday's strikes on the Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia hit some 108 targets, the Turkish military said. On land, the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army rebels were also helping the operation in Afrin, Turkish officials have said. Turkey sees the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has carried out a deadly, three-decade insurgency in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast. The United States is backing the YPG in Syria, seeing it as an effective partner in the fight against Islamic State.

Four rockets from Syria hit Turkish border town

On Saturday Turkey urged the United States to &quot;immediately withdraw&quot; its personnel from Manbij, northern Syria.

The city of Manbij has been held by a Syrian Kurdish militia. Turkey launched an offensive last week to fight the Syrian Kurdish militia.&nbsp;

&quot;It is necessary for the US to immediately withdraw from Manbij,&quot; Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu noted. 
&nbsp; 
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also threatened to expand the military operation against the People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG) on Friday.&nbsp;

The Turkish President threatened to expand military operations from its Syrian enclave in Afrin to Manbij.&nbsp;

The city of Manbij has been held by a Syrian Kurdish militia

On Saturday Turkey urged the United States to "immediately withdraw" its personnel from Manbij, northern Syria. The city of Manbij has been held by a Syrian Kurdish militia. Turkey launched an offensive last week to fight the Syrian Kurdish militia. "It is necessary for the US to immediately withdraw from Manbij," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu noted. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also threatened to expand the military operation against the People's Protection Units (YPG) on Friday. The Turkish President threatened to expand military operations from its Syrian enclave in Afrin to Manbij.

'Immediately withdraw from Manbij' Turkey urges US personnel in Syria

Turkish warplanes struck positions of a US-backed Kurdish militia in Syria`s Afrin province on Saturday, opening a new front in the Syrian civil war and raising the prospect of deeper strains between Turkey and Washington.

The operation sees Ankara confronting Kurdish fighters allied to the United States at a time when relations between Turkey and Washington - NATO allies and members of the coalition against Islamic State - appear dangerously close to a breaking point.

Turkey`s move could also complicate its push to improve ties with Russia. Moscow will demand in the United Nations that Turkey halt its military operation, a member of the upper house of the Russian parliament`s security committee told RIA news on Saturday.&nbsp;

The bombing raids targeted the Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia, a senior Turkish official said. A Turkey-backed rebel group in Syria, the Free Syrian Army, was also providing assistance to the Turkish military`s operation in Afrin, the official added.

The YPG said a number of people had been wounded in the air strikes, but said it remained unclear how many. There were currently no clashes between Turkish forces and the YPG, &quot;only skirmishes&quot; at the edge of the Afrin region, according to Rojhat Roj, a YPG spokesman in Afrin.

Reuters cameramen in Hassa, near the border with Syria, heard the sound of heavy bombardment and saw thick plumes of smoke rising from the Syrian side of the border. The warplanes appeared to be striking from the Turkish side of the border, one of the cameramen said.

The attacks, which Turkey is calling Operation Olive Branch, follow weeks of warnings against the YPG in Syria from President Tayyip Erdogan and his ministers. Turkey considers the YPG to be an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has carried out a deadly, three-decade insurgency in Turkey`s mainly Kurdish southeast.

Friends and Brothers&nbsp;

The YPG`s growing strength across a swath of northern Syria has alarmed Ankara, which fears the creation of an independent Kurdish state on its southern border.

The Turkish military said its operation in Afrin was to provide safety for Turkey`s border and to &quot;eliminate terrorists... and save friends and brothers, the people of the region, from their cruelty.&quot;

&quot;We will destroy the terror corridor gradually as we did in Jarabulus and Al-Bab operations, starting from the west,&quot; Turkey`s Erdogan said, referring to previous operations in northern Syria designed to push out Islamic State and check the YPG`s advance.

Earlier on Saturday, the military said it hit shelters and hideouts used by the YPG and other Kurdish fighters, saying Kurdish militants had fired on Turkish positions inside Turkey.

But the Us-backed Syrian Democratic Forces - of which the YPG is a major component - accused Turkey on Saturday of using cross-border shelling as a false pretext to launch an offensive in Syria.

Differences over Syria policy have further complicated Turkey`s already difficult relationship with NATO ally the United States. Washington has backed the YPG, seeing it as an effective partner in the fight against Islamic State.

A US State Department official on Friday said military intervention by Turkey in Syria would undermine regional stability and would not help protect Turkey`s border security.

Instead, the United States has called on Turkey to focus on the fight against Islamic State. Ankara accuses Washington of using one terrorist group to fight another in Syria.&nbsp;

Turkish warplanes struck positions of a US-backed Kurdish militia in Syria`s Afrin province on Saturday, opening a new front in the Syrian civil war and raising the prospect of deeper strains between Turkey and Washington

Turkish warplanes struck positions of a US-backed Kurdish militia in Syria`s Afrin province on Saturday, opening a new front in the Syrian civil war and raising the prospect of deeper strains between Turkey and Washington. The operation sees Ankara confronting Kurdish fighters allied to the United States at a time when relations between Turkey and Washington - NATO allies and members of the coalition against Islamic State - appear dangerously close to a breaking point. Turkey`s move could also complicate its push to improve ties with Russia. Moscow will demand in the United Nations that Turkey halt its military operation, a member of the upper house of the Russian parliament`s security committee told RIA news on Saturday. The bombing raids targeted the Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia, a senior Turkish official said. A Turkey-backed rebel group in Syria, the Free Syrian Army, was also providing assistance to the Turkish military`s operation in Afrin, the official added. The YPG said a number of people had been wounded in the air strikes, but said it remained unclear how many. There were currently no clashes between Turkish forces and the YPG, "only skirmishes" at the edge of the Afrin region, according to Rojhat Roj, a YPG spokesman in Afrin. Reuters cameramen in Hassa, near the border with Syria, heard the sound of heavy bombardment and saw thick plumes of smoke rising from the Syrian side of the border. The warplanes appeared to be striking from the Turkish side of the border, one of the cameramen said. The attacks, which Turkey is calling Operation Olive Branch, follow weeks of warnings against the YPG in Syria from President Tayyip Erdogan and his ministers. Turkey considers the YPG to be an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has carried out a deadly, three-decade insurgency in Turkey`s mainly Kurdish southeast. Friends and Brothers The YPG`s growing strength across a swath of northern Syria has alarmed Ankara, which fears the creation of an independent Kurdish state on its southern border. The Turkish military said its operation in Afrin was to provide safety for Turkey`s border and to "eliminate terrorists... and save friends and brothers, the people of the region, from their cruelty." "We will destroy the terror corridor gradually as we did in Jarabulus and Al-Bab operations, starting from the west," Turkey`s Erdogan said, referring to previous operations in northern Syria designed to push out Islamic State and check the YPG`s advance. Earlier on Saturday, the military said it hit shelters and hideouts used by the YPG and other Kurdish fighters, saying Kurdish militants had fired on Turkish positions inside Turkey. But the Us-backed Syrian Democratic Forces - of which the YPG is a major component - accused Turkey on Saturday of using cross-border shelling as a false pretext to launch an offensive in Syria. Differences over Syria policy have further complicated Turkey`s already difficult relationship with NATO ally the United States. Washington has backed the YPG, seeing it as an effective partner in the fight against Islamic State. A US State Department official on Friday said military intervention by Turkey in Syria would undermine regional stability and would not help protect Turkey`s border security. Instead, the United States has called on Turkey to focus on the fight against Islamic State. Ankara accuses Washington of using one terrorist group to fight another in Syria.

Turkey air strikes hit Syria's Afrin province in push to secure borders

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President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday approved a recommendation by the Election Commission (EC) to disqualify 20 AAP MLAs for allegedly holding offices of profit.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkish-troops-enter-syria-in-operation-against-kurdish-militia-30239" target="_blank">Turkish troops enter Syria in operation against Kurdish militia</a>

Turkish ground troops entered Syria on Sunday to push an offensive against Kurdish militia as rocket fire hit a border town in apparent retaliation.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jharkhand-8-dead-1-injured-as-truck-car-collide-30252">Jharkhand: 8 dead, 1 injured as truck-car collide</a>

As many as 8 people lost their lives while one 1 injured in a collision between a truck and a Tata Sumo in&nbsp; Jharkhand&#39;s Dumka.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-will-lead-congress-to-victory-in-2019-ahmed-patel-30243" target="_blank">Rahul will lead Congress to victory in 2019: Ahmed Patel</a>

The Gujarat poll outcome has instilled the belief in Congress workers that the BJP can be defeated, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said today and exuded confidence that the party would emerge victorious in the 2019 general elections under Rahul Gandhi&#39;s leadership.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uk-school-reverses-ban-on-hijab-after-criticism-30249" target="_blank">UK school reverses ban on hijab after criticism</a>

One of the UK&rsquo;s leading state-funded schools which had hit the headlines as one of the first to impose a ban on the hijab for girls under eight has been forced to reverse its decision after widespread criticism.

Office of profit case: President Kovind approves EC's recommendation to disqualify 20 AAP MLAs President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday approved a recommendation by the Election Commission (EC) to disqualify 20 AAP MLAs for allegedly holding offices of profit. Turkish troops enter Syria in operation against Kurdish militia Turkish ground troops entered Syria on Sunday to push an offensive against Kurdish militia as rocket fire hit a border town in apparent retaliation. Jharkhand: 8 dead, 1 injured as truck-car collide As many as 8 people lost their lives while one 1 injured in a collision between a truck and a Tata Sumo in Jharkhand's Dumka. Rahul will lead Congress to victory in 2019: Ahmed Patel The Gujarat poll outcome has instilled the belief in Congress workers that the BJP can be defeated, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said today and exuded confidence that the party would emerge victorious in the 2019 general elections under Rahul Gandhi's leadership. UK school reverses ban on hijab after criticism One of the UK’s leading state-funded schools which had hit the headlines as one of the first to impose a ban on the hijab for girls under eight has been forced to reverse its decision after widespread criticism.

WION News brief, January 21, 2018

Iran&#39;s Foreign Ministry on Sunday urged Turkey to protect the territorial integrity of Syria.

Iranian Foreign Minister&#39;s spokesman Bahram Qasemi on Sunday noted that the Islamic republic is concerned about the recent developments in Syria.&nbsp;

Qasemi&#39;s statement came in the wake of the Turkish launch of operation against Kurdish militants entering Syria.

Iran also hoped the Turkish operation to end immediately in order to prevent any more border-region crisis between the two nations.&nbsp;

The foreign ministry urged Turkey to remain committed to political measures to settle the Syrian crisis.

Turkey&#39;s Operation Olive Branch was launched on Saturday with an aim to clear its borders from the People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG).

Ankara considers the YPG as a Kurdish group tied to Syria&#39;s Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK).

The Ankara-led military operation aims to establish a security zone in Afrin -- 30kms from the Turkish border.&nbsp;

The foreign minister urged Turkey to remain committed to political measures to settle the Syrian crisis

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Sunday urged Turkey to protect the territorial integrity of Syria. Iranian Foreign Minister's spokesman Bahram Qasemi on Sunday noted that the Islamic republic is concerned about the recent developments in Syria. Qasemi's statement came in the wake of the Turkish launch of operation against Kurdish militants entering Syria. Iran also hoped the Turkish operation to end immediately in order to prevent any more border-region crisis between the two nations. The foreign ministry urged Turkey to remain committed to political measures to settle the Syrian crisis. Turkey's Operation Olive Branch was launched on Saturday with an aim to clear its borders from the People's Protection Units (YPG). Ankara considers the YPG as a Kurdish group tied to Syria's Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The Ankara-led military operation aims to establish a security zone in Afrin -- 30kms from the Turkish border.

Respect Syria's territorial integrity, Iran urges Turkey

Syria`s US-backed Kurds are getting indirect help from an unlikely source in their war against Turkey in the northwestern region of Afrin: President Bashar al-Assad.

Pro-government forces and Kurdish-led forces have fought each other elsewhere in Syria and Damascus opposes the Kurds` demands for autonomy. But in Afrin they have a common enemy and a mutual interest in blocking Turkish advances.&nbsp;

Turkey, which regards the Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin as a threat on its southern border, launched an assault on the region last month. Seeking to shield Afrin, the Kurds asked Damascus to send forces into action to defend the border.

The government shows no sign of doing so, but it is providing indirect help by allowing Kurdish fighters, civilians and politicians to reach Afrin through territory it holds, representatives of both sides told Reuters. 
Assad stands to gain while doing little.

The arrival of reinforcements is likely to sustain Kurdish resistance, bog down the Turkish forces and prolong a conflict that is sapping the resources of military powers that rival him for control of Syrian territory.

For the United States, it is yet another complication in Syria`s seven-year-old war, and a reminder of how its Syrian Kurdish ally must at times make deals with Assad even as it builds military ties with the United States.

Lacking international protection, the Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria say they have reached agreements with Damascus to allow reinforcements to be sent to Afrin from other Kurdish-dominated areas -- Kobani and the Jazeera region.

&quot;There are different ways to get reinforcements to Afrin but the fundamental route is via regime forces. There are understandings between the two forces ... for the sake of delivering reinforcements to Afrin,&quot; Kino Gabriel, spokesman for the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said.

While the Kurds depend on Assad to reach Afrin, Kurdish sources say they also enjoy leverage over Damascus because it needs their cooperation to source grain and oil from areas of the northeast under Kurdish control.&nbsp;

A commander in the military alliance fighting in support of Assad said &quot;the Kurds have no option but coordination with the regime&quot; to defend Afrin.&nbsp;

&quot;The Syrian regime is helping the Kurds with humanitarian support and some logistics, like turning a blind eye and allowing Kurdish support to reach some fronts,&quot; said the commander, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Turkish campaign moves slowly&nbsp;

The Turkish military is making slow gains nearly three weeks into the operation it calls &quot;Olive Branch&quot;.

Ankara views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK), which has fought a three-decade insurgency in Turkey and is regarded as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.

The United States has relied on the YPG as a vital ground component of its war against Islamic State, and has backed the group in other Kurdish-run regions in northern Syria along the border with Turkey.

But US forces are not in Afrin, so have been unable to shield Afrin from the attack by Turkey, its NATO ally.

The Kurds meanwhile accuse Russia of giving a green light for the Turkish attack by withdrawing observers it deployed in Afrin last year.

The Afrin war marks another twist in the complicated story of relations between Assad and the Syrian Kurdish groups, spearheaded by the YPG, that have carved out autonomous regions in northern Syria since the war began in 2011.

The YPG controls nearly all of Syria`s frontier with Turkey. But Afrin is separated from the bigger Kurdish-controlled region further east by a 100 km-wide zone controlled by the Turkish military and its Syrian militia allies.

For much of the war, Damascus and the YPG have avoided confrontation, at times fighting common enemies, including the rebel groups that are now helping Turkey attack Afrin.

But tensions have mounted in recent months, with Damascus threatening to march into parts of eastern and northern Syria captured by the SDF with support from the US-led coalition.

Underlining that, pro-Syrian government forces attacked the SDF in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor, drawing coalition air strikes overnight that killed more than 100 of the attackers, the coalition said.

&quot;The regime has allowed the YPG to bring people into Afrin, while attacking it east of Euphrates (River). I think that is indicative of the state of relations right,&quot; said Noah Bonsey, International Crisis Group`s Senior Analyst on Syria.

He added: &quot;There is still a significant gap between the YPG and regime positions on the future of northeastern Syria.&quot;

Fighting for Afrin

The main Syrian Kurdish groups remain wedded to their vision of a Syria where they enjoy autonomy in a form of federalism that is at odds with Assad`s determination to recover all Syria.

Each side has allowed the other to maintain footholds in its territory. In Kurdish-held Qamishli, the government still controls the airport. In the Sheikh Maqsoud district of Aleppo, a government city, Kurdish security forces patrol the streets.

Scores of Kurds from Sheikh Maqsoud have gone to Afrin to support the fight, Kurdish officials there said. The short journey requires movement through areas held by the government or its Iran-backed Shi`ite militia allies.

&quot;Of course people went from Sheikh Maqsoud - in the hundreds - to bear arms and defend Afrin,&quot; said Badran Himo, a Kurdish official from Sheikh Maqsoud.&nbsp;

&quot;Around 10 of them were martyred (killed),&quot; he told Reuters as Kurdish security forces held a rally to commemorate one of the dead.

Earlier this week, witnesses say a civilian convoy of hundreds of cars drove to Afrin from other Kurdish-held areas in a show of solidarity.

The Syrian government has ignored appeals by the Kurdish authorities to guard the Syrian border at Afrin.&nbsp;

&quot;We tried to convince them, via the Russians, to at least protect the borders, to take a position, but we did not reach (get?) a result,&quot; Aldar Khalil, a top Kurdish politician, said.

&quot;If they don`t protect the borders, then at least they don`t have the right to block the way for Syrian patriots who are protecting these borders, regardless of other domestic issues.&quot;

Pro-government forces and Kurdish-led forces have fought each other elsewhere in Syria and Damascus opposes the Kurds` demands for autonomy. But in Afrin they have a common enemy and a mutual interest in blocking Turkish advances

Syria`s US-backed Kurds are getting indirect help from an unlikely source in their war against Turkey in the northwestern region of Afrin: President Bashar al-Assad. Pro-government forces and Kurdish-led forces have fought each other elsewhere in Syria and Damascus opposes the Kurds` demands for autonomy. But in Afrin they have a common enemy and a mutual interest in blocking Turkish advances. Turkey, which regards the Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin as a threat on its southern border, launched an assault on the region last month. Seeking to shield Afrin, the Kurds asked Damascus to send forces into action to defend the border. The government shows no sign of doing so, but it is providing indirect help by allowing Kurdish fighters, civilians and politicians to reach Afrin through territory it holds, representatives of both sides told Reuters. Assad stands to gain while doing little. The arrival of reinforcements is likely to sustain Kurdish resistance, bog down the Turkish forces and prolong a conflict that is sapping the resources of military powers that rival him for control of Syrian territory. For the United States, it is yet another complication in Syria`s seven-year-old war, and a reminder of how its Syrian Kurdish ally must at times make deals with Assad even as it builds military ties with the United States. Lacking international protection, the Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria say they have reached agreements with Damascus to allow reinforcements to be sent to Afrin from other Kurdish-dominated areas -- Kobani and the Jazeera region. "There are different ways to get reinforcements to Afrin but the fundamental route is via regime forces. There are understandings between the two forces ... for the sake of delivering reinforcements to Afrin," Kino Gabriel, spokesman for the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said. While the Kurds depend on Assad to reach Afrin, Kurdish sources say they also enjoy leverage over Damascus because it needs their cooperation to source grain and oil from areas of the northeast under Kurdish control. A commander in the military alliance fighting in support of Assad said "the Kurds have no option but coordination with the regime" to defend Afrin. "The Syrian regime is helping the Kurds with humanitarian support and some logistics, like turning a blind eye and allowing Kurdish support to reach some fronts," said the commander, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Turkish campaign moves slowly The Turkish military is making slow gains nearly three weeks into the operation it calls "Olive Branch". Ankara views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK), which has fought a three-decade insurgency in Turkey and is regarded as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union. The United States has relied on the YPG as a vital ground component of its war against Islamic State, and has backed the group in other Kurdish-run regions in northern Syria along the border with Turkey. But US forces are not in Afrin, so have been unable to shield Afrin from the attack by Turkey, its NATO ally. The Kurds meanwhile accuse Russia of giving a green light for the Turkish attack by withdrawing observers it deployed in Afrin last year. The Afrin war marks another twist in the complicated story of relations between Assad and the Syrian Kurdish groups, spearheaded by the YPG, that have carved out autonomous regions in northern Syria since the war began in 2011. The YPG controls nearly all of Syria`s frontier with Turkey. But Afrin is separated from the bigger Kurdish-controlled region further east by a 100 km-wide zone controlled by the Turkish military and its Syrian militia allies. For much of the war, Damascus and the YPG have avoided confrontation, at times fighting common enemies, including the rebel groups that are now helping Turkey attack Afrin. But tensions have mounted in recent months, with Damascus threatening to march into parts of eastern and northern Syria captured by the SDF with support from the US-led coalition. Underlining that, pro-Syrian government forces attacked the SDF in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor, drawing coalition air strikes overnight that killed more than 100 of the attackers, the coalition said. "The regime has allowed the YPG to bring people into Afrin, while attacking it east of Euphrates (River). I think that is indicative of the state of relations right," said Noah Bonsey, International Crisis Group`s Senior Analyst on Syria. He added: "There is still a significant gap between the YPG and regime positions on the future of northeastern Syria." Fighting for Afrin The main Syrian Kurdish groups remain wedded to their vision of a Syria where they enjoy autonomy in a form of federalism that is at odds with Assad`s determination to recover all Syria. Each side has allowed the other to maintain footholds in its territory. In Kurdish-held Qamishli, the government still controls the airport. In the Sheikh Maqsoud district of Aleppo, a government city, Kurdish security forces patrol the streets. Scores of Kurds from Sheikh Maqsoud have gone to Afrin to support the fight, Kurdish officials there said. The short journey requires movement through areas held by the government or its Iran-backed Shi`ite militia allies. "Of course people went from Sheikh Maqsoud - in the hundreds - to bear arms and defend Afrin," said Badran Himo, a Kurdish official from Sheikh Maqsoud. "Around 10 of them were martyred (killed)," he told Reuters as Kurdish security forces held a rally to commemorate one of the dead. Earlier this week, witnesses say a civilian convoy of hundreds of cars drove to Afrin from other Kurdish-held areas in a show of solidarity. The Syrian government has ignored appeals by the Kurdish authorities to guard the Syrian border at Afrin. "We tried to convince them, via the Russians, to at least protect the borders, to take a position, but we did not reach (get?) a result," Aldar Khalil, a top Kurdish politician, said. "If they don`t protect the borders, then at least they don`t have the right to block the way for Syrian patriots who are protecting these borders, regardless of other domestic issues."

Friend or foe? Assad quietly aids Syrian Kurds against Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildrim on Saturday said two Turkish troops were killed as a Turkish helicopter was shot down in northern Syria.

The Turkish military helicopter had been shot down during Ankara&#39;s military offensive against a Kurdish militia, AFP reported.

&quot;A little earlier, one of our helicopters was shot down,&quot; Turkey&#39;s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in televised remarks.

&nbsp;Erdogan did not attribute responsibility for the attack but vowed that the attackers would pay a &quot;heavier price.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
State-run news agency Anadolu said the incident happened in the southern border province of Hatay.

On January 20, Turkey launched a military operation against the Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG) militia in its western enclave of Afrin, backing Syrian rebels with air strikes and ground troops.

(With inputs from AFP)

&nbsp;

Turkey's President Erdogan said the Turkish military helicopter had been shot down during Ankara's military offensive against a Kurdish militia

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildrim on Saturday said two Turkish troops were killed as a Turkish helicopter was shot down in northern Syria. The Turkish military helicopter had been shot down during Ankara's military offensive against a Kurdish militia, AFP reported. "A little earlier, one of our helicopters was shot down," Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in televised remarks. Erdogan did not attribute responsibility for the attack but vowed that the attackers would pay a "heavier price." State-run news agency Anadolu said the incident happened in the southern border province of Hatay. On January 20, Turkey launched a military operation against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in its western enclave of Afrin, backing Syrian rebels with air strikes and ground troops. (With inputs from AFP)

2 Turkish troops killed as chopper shot down in Syria

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson faces &quot;difficult&quot; talks next week with NATO ally Turkey on Syria and human rights, his delegation said Friday before a regional tour.

Late last month, Ankara began a cross-border offensive in northwestern Syria against what it calls a &quot;terrorist&quot; Kurdish militia supported and armed by Washington whose troops are back local militias against the Islamic State group (IS).

The Turkish operation further raised tensions between the two countries, whose relations were already complicated.

&quot;We are urging them to show restraint in their operations in Afrin, and to show restraint further along the line across the border in northern Syria,&quot; a senior US State Department official told reporters ahead of Tillerson&#39;s tour that begins Sunday and will also take him to Cairo, Kuwait City, Amman and Beirut.

&quot;You start with asking for restraint and look for ways that you can help bring it to an end as quickly as possible,&quot; the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the US to pull its troops back from Syria&#39;s Manbij, which is east of Afrin.

&quot;Obviously we need to work with the Turks to figure out more about what their long-term intentions are,&quot; and to try to find a way &quot;to address their legitimate security concerns while, at the same time, minimizing civilian casualties and above all else keeping everything focused on the defeat-ISIS fight, which is not over,&quot; the official said.&nbsp;

It will be &quot;a difficult conversation,&quot; the official continued, referring to the &quot;very hot&quot; Turkish rhetoric on the subject.

Tillerson&#39;s visit is also expected to touch on other sensitive topics.

These include human rights and arrests that the US called &quot;arbitrary&quot; following a state of emergency declared after an attempted coup in 2016.&nbsp;

Turkey last year detained local employees of American diplomatic missions in the country, and arrested Taner Kilic, the president of Amnesty International in Turkey.

&quot;There&#39;s no pulling punches on that,&quot; a second senior State Department official said.

&quot;We&#39;ve been very public in our call to the Turks to let these folks go, and we&#39;ve been very firm in our private conversations with them as well.&quot;

He conceded: &quot;The Turks are angry and this is a difficult time to do business.&quot;

But Washington believes the two countries share fundamental underlying interests including Syria&#39;s stability, the defeat of IS, and countering the Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK) which both Ankara and the West consider terrorists.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson faces "difficult" talks next week with NATO ally Turkey on Syria and human rights, his delegation said Friday before a regional tour

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson faces "difficult" talks next week with NATO ally Turkey on Syria and human rights, his delegation said Friday before a regional tour. Late last month, Ankara began a cross-border offensive in northwestern Syria against what it calls a "terrorist" Kurdish militia supported and armed by Washington whose troops are back local militias against the Islamic State group (IS). The Turkish operation further raised tensions between the two countries, whose relations were already complicated. "We are urging them to show restraint in their operations in Afrin, and to show restraint further along the line across the border in northern Syria," a senior US State Department official told reporters ahead of Tillerson's tour that begins Sunday and will also take him to Cairo, Kuwait City, Amman and Beirut. "You start with asking for restraint and look for ways that you can help bring it to an end as quickly as possible," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the US to pull its troops back from Syria's Manbij, which is east of Afrin. "Obviously we need to work with the Turks to figure out more about what their long-term intentions are," and to try to find a way "to address their legitimate security concerns while, at the same time, minimizing civilian casualties and above all else keeping everything focused on the defeat-ISIS fight, which is not over," the official said. It will be "a difficult conversation," the official continued, referring to the "very hot" Turkish rhetoric on the subject. Tillerson's visit is also expected to touch on other sensitive topics. These include human rights and arrests that the US called "arbitrary" following a state of emergency declared after an attempted coup in 2016. Turkey last year detained local employees of American diplomatic missions in the country, and arrested Taner Kilic, the president of Amnesty International in Turkey. "There's no pulling punches on that," a second senior State Department official said. "We've been very public in our call to the Turks to let these folks go, and we've been very firm in our private conversations with them as well." He conceded: "The Turks are angry and this is a difficult time to do business." But Washington believes the two countries share fundamental underlying interests including Syria's stability, the defeat of IS, and countering the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which both Ankara and the West consider terrorists.

Tough Turkey talks await Tillerson: Officials

A United Nations humanitarian task force has been unable to make deliveries to desperate Syrians for the past two months as President Bashar al-Assad&rsquo;s government has withheld approval for aid convoys, the UN humanitarian adviser said on Thursday.

Before they can move into besieged areas or across front lines, the convoys require letters from the government and security guarantees from armed groups.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s an all-time low in giving us the facilitation letters,&rdquo; adviser Jan Egeland told reporters after meeting senior diplomats in Geneva.

Insurgents fighting Assad&rsquo;s forces were also creating obstacles, contributing to the worst situation since 2015, he said.

Egeland called on Russia, Turkey and Iran to de-escalate the fighting in Idlib governorate, which he said was &ldquo;screaming for a ceasefire&rdquo;.

&ldquo;When we need their ability to influence the parties the most, in this bleak hour for humanitarian work, humanitarian diplomacy seems to be totally impotent. We&rsquo;re getting nowhere at the moment.&rdquo;

This week Russia convened a Syrian peace congress in Sochi. Egeland said it had so far not resulted in any progress but he hoped that it would.

Air strikes hit two crowded markets in Idlib this week, killing at least 31 people, and have deprived hundreds of thousands of healthcare.

&ldquo;I told the members of the humanitarian task force, we cannot have conventional warfare in what is essentially a refugee camp,&rdquo; Egeland said.

Further north, a Turkish offensive in Afrin district has displaced about 15,000 people, Egeland said, adding: &ldquo;There are also reports...that local authorities have made it hard for people to flee from the Afrin area.&rdquo;

And outside Damascus, the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, where almost 400,000 people are under siege and about 750 need urgent medical evacuation, desperately needs a pause in the fighting, he said.

&ldquo;We have indications from both sides that they want it, but it hasn&rsquo;t happened. And it&rsquo;s both sides that have to help us here. There are air raids, fighting from the government side, but there is a barrage of mortars and grenades going from this area going into civilian neighbourhoods in Damascus.&rdquo;

He also said 112 people had been killed by explosions in the town of Raqqa since it was recaptured from Islamic State fighters in October because people had been allowed back to their homes before the town had been cleared of bombs.

A United Nations humanitarian task force has been unable to make deliveries to desperate Syrians for the past two months as President Bashar al-Assad’s government has withheld approval for aid convoys, the UN humanitarian adviser said on Thursday

A United Nations humanitarian task force has been unable to make deliveries to desperate Syrians for the past two months as President Bashar al-Assad’s government has withheld approval for aid convoys, the UN humanitarian adviser said on Thursday. Before they can move into besieged areas or across front lines, the convoys require letters from the government and security guarantees from armed groups. “It’s an all-time low in giving us the facilitation letters,” adviser Jan Egeland told reporters after meeting senior diplomats in Geneva. Insurgents fighting Assad’s forces were also creating obstacles, contributing to the worst situation since 2015, he said. Egeland called on Russia, Turkey and Iran to de-escalate the fighting in Idlib governorate, which he said was “screaming for a ceasefire”. “When we need their ability to influence the parties the most, in this bleak hour for humanitarian work, humanitarian diplomacy seems to be totally impotent. We’re getting nowhere at the moment.” This week Russia convened a Syrian peace congress in Sochi. Egeland said it had so far not resulted in any progress but he hoped that it would. Air strikes hit two crowded markets in Idlib this week, killing at least 31 people, and have deprived hundreds of thousands of healthcare. “I told the members of the humanitarian task force, we cannot have conventional warfare in what is essentially a refugee camp,” Egeland said. Further north, a Turkish offensive in Afrin district has displaced about 15,000 people, Egeland said, adding: “There are also reports...that local authorities have made it hard for people to flee from the Afrin area.” And outside Damascus, the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta, where almost 400,000 people are under siege and about 750 need urgent medical evacuation, desperately needs a pause in the fighting, he said. “We have indications from both sides that they want it, but it hasn’t happened. And it’s both sides that have to help us here. There are air raids, fighting from the government side, but there is a barrage of mortars and grenades going from this area going into civilian neighbourhoods in Damascus.” He also said 112 people had been killed by explosions in the town of Raqqa since it was recaptured from Islamic State fighters in October because people had been allowed back to their homes before the town had been cleared of bombs.

UN calls on Russia, Iran and Turkey to break Syria aid deadlock

Turkey on Sunday seized a strategic outpost from Kurdish militia in Syria, pressing ahead with a campaign that has strained relations with the United States.

After several days of poor visibility because of heavy rain and fog, Turkish warplanes and artillery took advantage of the clear skies and seized Mount Barsaya near the Kurdish town of Afrin in northwestern Syria, the military said in a statement.

The hill is significant because it overlooks the towns of Kilis and Azaz, either side of the Turkish-Syrian border.

Turkey launched operation &quot;Olive Branch&quot; on January 20 against the Syrian Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG) in Afrin, supporting Syrian opposition fighters with ground troops and air strikes.

While Turkey brands the YPG a &quot;terror&quot; group, the militia has received support from the US, its fighters spearheading the battle against the Islamic State group across swathes of Syria.&nbsp;

Despite souring relations with NATO ally Washington, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to expand the offensive against the YPG to Manbij, east of Afrin.

In a sign the Turkish campaign has rendered prospects for peace in Syria even fainter, authorities in the war-torn country&#39;s Kurdish autonomous region said they will not attend peace talks in Russia.

&quot;We said before that if the situation remained the same in Afrin we could not attend,&quot; regional official Fawza al-Yussef said.

Rebel backer Turkey is one of the sponsors of the talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday and Tuesday, along with Damascus allies Russia and Iran.

Turkey&#39;s air and artillery strikes on Sunday were even fiercer than the preceding days, said an AFP correspondent on the Syrian-Turkish border who saw towers of smoke rising into the sky.

Turkish channel NTV broadcast live footage Sunday showing rocket fire targeting Mount Barsaya.

Turkish troops and their Syrian opposition allies said last Monday that they had captured the hill, before losing it a few hours later.Turkish relations with the US have dipped over their stances on the YPG -- which Ankara says is a &quot;terrorist&quot; offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&#39;&nbsp;Party (PKK).

The PKK, which has waged a war against the Turkish state for three decades, is prescribed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies.

US President Donald Trump earlier this week urged Erdogan to &quot;de-escalate&quot; his forces` assault on Afrin as he expressed concern about &quot;the destructive and false&quot; anti-American rhetoric emanating from Turkey.

Adding fuel to the fire, Turkey&#39;s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Saturday urged the US to &quot;immediately withdraw&quot; its personnel from Kurdish-held Manbij.

&quot;We are going to cleanse Manbij&quot; after Afrin, government spokesman Bekir Bozdag said Sunday, according to Anadolu.

Manbij was retaken from IS by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in 2016 as part of a push that would later recapture the city of Raqa from the jihadists.

Faced with the Turkish onslaught, the YPG&#39;s political arm the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) appealed to the international community to pressure Ankara into halting its offensive.&nbsp;

Seven Turkish soldiers have died since &quot;Olive Branch&quot; was launched, Erdogan said, while around 40 others have been injured.

Sixty-nine pro-Turkish rebels have been killed, as well as 78 Kurdish fighters.

The fighting has also led to a heavy loss of civilian lives.&nbsp;

According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 44 civilians have been killed in the fighting, including 12 children, most of them in Turkish air strikes.&nbsp;

At Afrin&#39;s main hospital on Sunday, a reporter working with AFP saw two boys crying in bloodied clothes, while outside an ambulance unloaded the bodies of a man and a child.

As well as human losses, on Sunday Syria&#39;s antiquities department said that Turkish airstrikes have damaged a 3,000-year-old temple in the country&#39;s north.&nbsp;

&quot;This attack reflects the hatred and barbarism of the Turkish regime against the Syrian identity and against the past, present and future of the Syrian people,&quot; a statement on the government agency website said.

Ankara denies shelling any civilian areas.

Several nations, including Germany and France, as well as the European Union, have expressed concern over the Turkish offensive against a country where over 340,000 people have already been killed since war erupted in 2011.

Turkey on Sunday seized a strategic outpost from Kurdish militia in Syria

Turkey on Sunday seized a strategic outpost from Kurdish militia in Syria, pressing ahead with a campaign that has strained relations with the United States. After several days of poor visibility because of heavy rain and fog, Turkish warplanes and artillery took advantage of the clear skies and seized Mount Barsaya near the Kurdish town of Afrin in northwestern Syria, the military said in a statement. The hill is significant because it overlooks the towns of Kilis and Azaz, either side of the Turkish-Syrian border. Turkey launched operation "Olive Branch" on January 20 against the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Afrin, supporting Syrian opposition fighters with ground troops and air strikes. While Turkey brands the YPG a "terror" group, the militia has received support from the US, its fighters spearheading the battle against the Islamic State group across swathes of Syria. Despite souring relations with NATO ally Washington, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to expand the offensive against the YPG to Manbij, east of Afrin. In a sign the Turkish campaign has rendered prospects for peace in Syria even fainter, authorities in the war-torn country's Kurdish autonomous region said they will not attend peace talks in Russia. "We said before that if the situation remained the same in Afrin we could not attend," regional official Fawza al-Yussef said. Rebel backer Turkey is one of the sponsors of the talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday and Tuesday, along with Damascus allies Russia and Iran. Turkey's air and artillery strikes on Sunday were even fiercer than the preceding days, said an AFP correspondent on the Syrian-Turkish border who saw towers of smoke rising into the sky. Turkish channel NTV broadcast live footage Sunday showing rocket fire targeting Mount Barsaya. Turkish troops and their Syrian opposition allies said last Monday that they had captured the hill, before losing it a few hours later.Turkish relations with the US have dipped over their stances on the YPG -- which Ankara says is a "terrorist" offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK, which has waged a war against the Turkish state for three decades, is prescribed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies. US President Donald Trump earlier this week urged Erdogan to "de-escalate" his forces` assault on Afrin as he expressed concern about "the destructive and false" anti-American rhetoric emanating from Turkey. Adding fuel to the fire, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Saturday urged the US to "immediately withdraw" its personnel from Kurdish-held Manbij. "We are going to cleanse Manbij" after Afrin, government spokesman Bekir Bozdag said Sunday, according to Anadolu. Manbij was retaken from IS by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in 2016 as part of a push that would later recapture the city of Raqa from the jihadists. Faced with the Turkish onslaught, the YPG's political arm the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) appealed to the international community to pressure Ankara into halting its offensive. Seven Turkish soldiers have died since "Olive Branch" was launched, Erdogan said, while around 40 others have been injured. Sixty-nine pro-Turkish rebels have been killed, as well as 78 Kurdish fighters. The fighting has also led to a heavy loss of civilian lives. According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 44 civilians have been killed in the fighting, including 12 children, most of them in Turkish air strikes. At Afrin's main hospital on Sunday, a reporter working with AFP saw two boys crying in bloodied clothes, while outside an ambulance unloaded the bodies of a man and a child. As well as human losses, on Sunday Syria's antiquities department said that Turkish airstrikes have damaged a 3,000-year-old temple in the country's north. "This attack reflects the hatred and barbarism of the Turkish regime against the Syrian identity and against the past, present and future of the Syrian people," a statement on the government agency website said. Ankara denies shelling any civilian areas. Several nations, including Germany and France, as well as the European Union, have expressed concern over the Turkish offensive against a country where over 340,000 people have already been killed since war erupted in 2011.

Turkey intensifies Syria campaign against Kurdish militia

Turkish authorities on Friday reinstated more than 1,800 civil servants in an emergency decree after finding they had no links to a group blamed for the 2016 failed coup.

The public sector employees were sacked after being accused of downloading an encrypted messaging app known as ByLock, which the authorities say was used by the movement of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen who is blamed for the attempted putsch.

But late last year, the authorities said that the app had been unknowingly downloaded by thousands of people.

Gulen denies Turkey&#39;s accusations and insists his movement is a peaceful group.

A total of 1,823 civil servants will return to work, including 544 personnel from the education ministry and 204 health ministry staff.

The decree also said 458 personnel from the police force could return to their jobs.

Following the failed overthrow of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey imposed a state of emergency which has been renewed five times and is likely to be extended again this month.

Using emergency decrees, more than 140,000 public workers have been sacked or suspended including teachers, judges, police officers and academics since July 2016.

Over 50,000 people have been arrested, including many with suspected links to Gulen because they had allegedly downloaded ByLock.

Last month the Ankara chief prosecutor said that 11,480 people were directed to the ByLock app without realising or giving permission.

But in Friday&#39;s decree, 262 people including 48 military personnel were sacked, state-run news agency Anadolu said, while two organisations were shut down.

The employees will have to return to work within 10 days and will receive their wages for the period they were not working but cannot apply for compensation.

A total of 1,823 civil servants will return to work

Turkish authorities on Friday reinstated more than 1,800 civil servants in an emergency decree after finding they had no links to a group blamed for the 2016 failed coup. The public sector employees were sacked after being accused of downloading an encrypted messaging app known as ByLock, which the authorities say was used by the movement of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen who is blamed for the attempted putsch. But late last year, the authorities said that the app had been unknowingly downloaded by thousands of people. Gulen denies Turkey's accusations and insists his movement is a peaceful group. A total of 1,823 civil servants will return to work, including 544 personnel from the education ministry and 204 health ministry staff. The decree also said 458 personnel from the police force could return to their jobs. Following the failed overthrow of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey imposed a state of emergency which has been renewed five times and is likely to be extended again this month. Using emergency decrees, more than 140,000 public workers have been sacked or suspended including teachers, judges, police officers and academics since July 2016. Over 50,000 people have been arrested, including many with suspected links to Gulen because they had allegedly downloaded ByLock. Last month the Ankara chief prosecutor said that 11,480 people were directed to the ByLock app without realising or giving permission. But in Friday's decree, 262 people including 48 military personnel were sacked, state-run news agency Anadolu said, while two organisations were shut down. The employees will have to return to work within 10 days and will receive their wages for the period they were not working but cannot apply for compensation.

1800 civil servants reinstated in Turkey after post-coup purges

A young Syrian refugee in Turkey got a new year surprise Tuesday from a gym owner when a photo of his went viral on social media.&nbsp;

Identified as&nbsp;Muhammad Hussein, the 12-year-old who earns a living as a shoeshine boy in Turkey&#39;s Adiyaman province was clicked one evening wishfully looking inside the compound of a gym from the street.

His photo posted anonymously on social media instantly clicked with the netizens who showed eagerness to help him get inside the gym.&nbsp;

With an outpour of support for the boy, the supposed gym owner decided to gift the boy a free lifetime pass.&nbsp;

The gym owner then clicked photos of the boy working on the machines and shared it with the media, much to their joy.&nbsp;

Speaking to a local news channel, the owner said, &quot;A boy, looking through the gym window, wearing slippers in the middle of winter and carrying his backpack. Our aim was to find him and offer him a lifetime membership here. And, we did it. He is one of our members now.&quot;

Excited with all the attention, the boy said, &ldquo;&#39;I had always dreamed of losing weight and now I believe I can do that by working out.&rdquo;

Muhammad&nbsp;Hussein fled the brutal war in Syria and is now working to earn a living in Turkey.&nbsp;

Gym owner decided to gift him a new year surprise after social media showered love for him

A young Syrian refugee in Turkey got a new year surprise Tuesday from a gym owner when a photo of his went viral on social media. Identified as Muhammad Hussein, the 12-year-old who earns a living as a shoeshine boy in Turkey's Adiyaman province was clicked one evening wishfully looking inside the compound of a gym from the street. His photo posted anonymously on social media instantly clicked with the netizens who showed eagerness to help him get inside the gym. With an outpour of support for the boy, the supposed gym owner decided to gift the boy a free lifetime pass. The gym owner then clicked photos of the boy working on the machines and shared it with the media, much to their joy. Speaking to a local news channel, the owner said, "A boy, looking through the gym window, wearing slippers in the middle of winter and carrying his backpack. Our aim was to find him and offer him a lifetime membership here. And, we did it. He is one of our members now." Excited with all the attention, the boy said, “'I had always dreamed of losing weight and now I believe I can do that by working out.” Muhammad Hussein fled the brutal war in Syria and is now working to earn a living in Turkey.

Turkey gym gifts free lifetime pass to Syrian refugee after his 'heart-breaking' photo goes viral

Germany&#39;s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Saturday hosts his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu for talks as Berlin and Ankara try to end a festering crisis.

Relations between the NATO partners have been badly strained, especially since Turkey&#39;s 2016 failed coup and subsequent crackdown which saw tens of thousands arrested, including several German or dual citizens.

Germany, home to a three-million-strong ethnic Turkish community, last year advised its investors and holiday-makers to avoid Turkey and urged a cut in EU funding linked to its stalled membership talks.

However, Ankara has in recent weeks sent a flurry of signals that it wants a return to warmer relations with the EU and Germany, at a time it is on tense terms with the United States, Israel and some Gulf states.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, having declared last month that Turkey &quot;must reduce the number of enemies and increase the number of friends&quot;, met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris Friday.

Adding a personal touch to Saturday&#39;s talks, Gabriel has invited Turkey&#39;s foreign minister to his home town of Goslar, after the two had meet in November in Cavusoglu`s southern home region of Antalya.

Following press statements around 1000 GMT, Gabriel will take his guest on a stroll through the heritage-listed medieval old town of Goslar, situated near Brunswick on the slopes of the Harz mountains.

Cavusoglu in a newspaper commentary Friday urged an end to the &quot;megaphone diplomacy&quot; between Turkey and Germany and a &quot;fresh start&quot; based on friendship and cooperation between &quot;equal partners&quot;.

Germany also sought a &quot;step by step&quot; rapprochement and said Saturday&#39;s talks would cover a full range of topics including the &quot;difficult&quot; ones, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said.The main hurdle now is the detention of Die Welt daily&#39;s German-Turkish correspondent Deniz Yucel on terror charges since last February, and of another six Germans Berlin says are jailed for &quot;political reasons&quot;.

Turkey has in recent weeks released several of the Germans whom Gabriel has labelled &quot;hostages&quot;, among them journalist Mesale Tolu.

Hopes grew that Yucel&#39;s case too could be resolved after the Turkish government this week addressed it for the first time in 10 months with a submission to the constitutional court, which could soon rule on whether to release him from pre-trial detention.

Cavusoglu stressed the independence of Turkish courts but pledged that &quot;we`re doing everything in our political power to speed up the judicial process&quot;.

The bilateral crisis of recent years has been fuelled by other disputes -- over a German TV comic harshly lampooning Erdogan, a 2016 German parliamentary resolution on the Armenian genocide, and Turkey denying military base visits to German MPs.

Ankara has accused Berlin of failing to pursue followers of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom it blames for the 2016 coup attempt, and of failing to crack down on Kurdish militants.

When Germany last year repeatedly denied Turkish politicians&#39;&nbsp;requests to campaign for votes among the Turkish-German community, Ankara accused the government of &quot;Nazi methods&quot;.

But Gabriel recently suggested to news weekly Der Spiegel that Western countries should tone down lecturing Erdogan&#39;s Turkey on democratic values because it could be counterproductive.

Calling for an &quot;enlightened debate&quot; on the issue, Gabriel said that &quot;to constantly accuse each other of betraying values will neither get someone out of jail nor will it strengthen us&quot;.

Relations between the NATO partners have been badly strained, especially since Turkey's 2016 failed coup

Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on Saturday hosts his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu for talks as Berlin and Ankara try to end a festering crisis. Relations between the NATO partners have been badly strained, especially since Turkey's 2016 failed coup and subsequent crackdown which saw tens of thousands arrested, including several German or dual citizens. Germany, home to a three-million-strong ethnic Turkish community, last year advised its investors and holiday-makers to avoid Turkey and urged a cut in EU funding linked to its stalled membership talks. However, Ankara has in recent weeks sent a flurry of signals that it wants a return to warmer relations with the EU and Germany, at a time it is on tense terms with the United States, Israel and some Gulf states. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, having declared last month that Turkey "must reduce the number of enemies and increase the number of friends", met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris Friday. Adding a personal touch to Saturday's talks, Gabriel has invited Turkey's foreign minister to his home town of Goslar, after the two had meet in November in Cavusoglu`s southern home region of Antalya. Following press statements around 1000 GMT, Gabriel will take his guest on a stroll through the heritage-listed medieval old town of Goslar, situated near Brunswick on the slopes of the Harz mountains. Cavusoglu in a newspaper commentary Friday urged an end to the "megaphone diplomacy" between Turkey and Germany and a "fresh start" based on friendship and cooperation between "equal partners". Germany also sought a "step by step" rapprochement and said Saturday's talks would cover a full range of topics including the "difficult" ones, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said.The main hurdle now is the detention of Die Welt daily's German-Turkish correspondent Deniz Yucel on terror charges since last February, and of another six Germans Berlin says are jailed for "political reasons". Turkey has in recent weeks released several of the Germans whom Gabriel has labelled "hostages", among them journalist Mesale Tolu. Hopes grew that Yucel's case too could be resolved after the Turkish government this week addressed it for the first time in 10 months with a submission to the constitutional court, which could soon rule on whether to release him from pre-trial detention. Cavusoglu stressed the independence of Turkish courts but pledged that "we`re doing everything in our political power to speed up the judicial process". The bilateral crisis of recent years has been fuelled by other disputes -- over a German TV comic harshly lampooning Erdogan, a 2016 German parliamentary resolution on the Armenian genocide, and Turkey denying military base visits to German MPs. Ankara has accused Berlin of failing to pursue followers of US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom it blames for the 2016 coup attempt, and of failing to crack down on Kurdish militants. When Germany last year repeatedly denied Turkish politicians' requests to campaign for votes among the Turkish-German community, Ankara accused the government of "Nazi methods". But Gabriel recently suggested to news weekly Der Spiegel that Western countries should tone down lecturing Erdogan's Turkey on democratic values because it could be counterproductive. Calling for an "enlightened debate" on the issue, Gabriel said that "to constantly accuse each other of betraying values will neither get someone out of jail nor will it strengthen us".

German, Turkish top diplomats meet to ease row

French President Emmanuel Macron told Turkey&#39;s Tayyip Erdogan on Friday that democratic countries must respect the rule of law in their fight against terrorism as he voiced concerns about the fate of students, teachers and journalists detained by Ankara.

Macron also said after his talks with the Turkish president at the Elysee presidential palace that they had disagreed about human rights.

&quot;Our democracies must be strong standing up to terrorism... But at the same time our democracies must completely protect the rule of law,&quot; Macron said in a joint news conference.

Macron said that recent developments in Turkey did not allow for progress in Ankara&#39;s decades-long push to join the European Union.

Discussions should change focus, he said, mentioning the possibility of a &quot;partnership&quot; that would fall short of full membership.

The EU has expressed concern over Turkey&#39;s crackdown on suspected supporters of an abortive 2016 coup that has seen some 50,000 people arrested pending trial and 150,000, including teachers, journalists and judges, sacked or suspended from their jobs.

Macron said he had raised with Erdogan the cases of specific journalists and members of Galatasaray University who had been detained but declined to give details.

Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for 15 years, defended the crackdown, saying that some journalists encouraged terrorism with their writing, comparing them to gardeners nurturing plants.&nbsp;

&quot;These gardeners are those people viewed as thinkers. They water ... from their newspaper columns,&quot; Erdogan said. &quot;And one day, you find, these people show up as a terrorist in front of you.&quot;

Even before the coup and the subsequent crackdown, France has long been sceptical about admitting Turkey, a large, relatively poor and overwhelmingly Muslim nation with a population of around 80 million people, into the EU.

Erdogan was visibly irritated when a French journalist suggested that Turkish intelligence had sent arms to Syria.

Erdogan said the operation had been conducted by supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based Muslim cleric blamed by Turkish authorities for orchestrating the failed coup, and accused the French journalist of speaking like one of them.

Several deals were signed during Erdogan&#39;s visit, including a tentative accord for Turkish Airlines to buy 25 A350-900 aircraft.

The EU has expressed concern over Turkey's crackdown on suspected supporters of an abortive 2016 coup

French President Emmanuel Macron told Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan on Friday that democratic countries must respect the rule of law in their fight against terrorism as he voiced concerns about the fate of students, teachers and journalists detained by Ankara. Macron also said after his talks with the Turkish president at the Elysee presidential palace that they had disagreed about human rights. "Our democracies must be strong standing up to terrorism... But at the same time our democracies must completely protect the rule of law," Macron said in a joint news conference. Macron said that recent developments in Turkey did not allow for progress in Ankara's decades-long push to join the European Union. Discussions should change focus, he said, mentioning the possibility of a "partnership" that would fall short of full membership. The EU has expressed concern over Turkey's crackdown on suspected supporters of an abortive 2016 coup that has seen some 50,000 people arrested pending trial and 150,000, including teachers, journalists and judges, sacked or suspended from their jobs. Macron said he had raised with Erdogan the cases of specific journalists and members of Galatasaray University who had been detained but declined to give details. Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for 15 years, defended the crackdown, saying that some journalists encouraged terrorism with their writing, comparing them to gardeners nurturing plants. "These gardeners are those people viewed as thinkers. They water ... from their newspaper columns," Erdogan said. "And one day, you find, these people show up as a terrorist in front of you." Even before the coup and the subsequent crackdown, France has long been sceptical about admitting Turkey, a large, relatively poor and overwhelmingly Muslim nation with a population of around 80 million people, into the EU. Erdogan was visibly irritated when a French journalist suggested that Turkish intelligence had sent arms to Syria. Erdogan said the operation had been conducted by supporters of Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based Muslim cleric blamed by Turkish authorities for orchestrating the failed coup, and accused the French journalist of speaking like one of them. Several deals were signed during Erdogan's visit, including a tentative accord for Turkish Airlines to buy 25 A350-900 aircraft.

France's Macron urges respect of rule of law in talks with Erdogan

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