In light of Turkey&#39;s Prime Minister Binali Yildarim&nbsp;saying there was &quot;almost no doubt&quot; Saturday&#39;s bombings were carried out by the Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK), WION&nbsp;publishes an&nbsp;interview&nbsp;with&nbsp;Cemil&nbsp;Bayik, one of the organisation&#39;s founders and leaders, and one of Turkey&#39;s most wanted men. The interview&nbsp;was taken at the end of October 2016 in&nbsp;Iraq&#39;s&nbsp;Qandil&nbsp;mountains, where the group&nbsp;has its headquarters.

&nbsp;

Many states consider the&nbsp;Kurdistan&nbsp;Workers&#39; Party (PKK)&nbsp;a terrorist group. How do you answer to this?&nbsp;

Those who have designated PKK as a terrorist&nbsp;organisation&nbsp;know themselves it is false. PKK is a movement which struggles for freedom, democracy, human rights and the values of humanity. It was included in the list of terrorist&nbsp;groups&nbsp;on the basis of Turkey&rsquo;s demand.&nbsp;According to article five&nbsp;of the NATO treaty, every country which is under threat from any&nbsp;organisation&nbsp;must be defended by other members, who must act according to its requests. Turkey demanded NATO members to include PKK in the terrorist list and they had to accept.&nbsp;

NATO members share many economic, political and military interests in the region and they did not want to endanger these for not accepting Turkey&rsquo;s request.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://wion.azureedge.net/photos/cemil-20161212073204.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
&#39;Turkey has been pursuing a policy of assimilation, a cultural and recently also physical genocide against the Kurds. PKK is a movement which aims to resist against these policies, to defend Kurds and other people against such policies,&#39; says Bayik. (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

As PKK we do not regard as ourselves as a terrorist&nbsp;organisation. Turkey has been pursuing a policy of assimilation, a cultural and recently also physical genocide against the Kurds. PKK is a movement which aims to resist against these policies, to defend Kurds and other people against such policies.&nbsp;

In doing so PKK does not mean to establish a new state, nor changing the borders nor conquering the land of other peoples. We want Kurds to live on their own lands, to express themselves freely, to&nbsp;organise&nbsp;and practice their own traditions according to their identity. And the same for any other people in the region.&nbsp;

US and Europe may claim PKK is a terrorist&nbsp;organisation&nbsp;but the party has never carried any action against the US or Europe, it has not harmed any interest of the people of America and Europe. The inclusion of PKK in the terror list is an injustice, a violation of rights done against the Kurdish people.&nbsp;

A coalition force is fighting against the Islamic State (IS), an&nbsp;organisation&nbsp;which is considered terrorist. Many international actors&nbsp;recognised&nbsp;and appreciated the successful fight of PKK against IS, especially in&nbsp;Sinjiar&nbsp;where we saved hundreds of thousands of Yazidi from massacre. If the world now is fighting back IS, it is also because they have been encouraged by the fight of PKK. At a time when everybody run away in front of the flag of the Islamic State, the PKK went to the forefront and fought.&nbsp;

It has been well documented that Turkey, which claims that PKK is a terrorist&nbsp;organisation, has been the main force behind strengthening, developing, helping and arming the Islamic State. Even now Turkey intervenes and supports IS. So the main terrorist state which is supporting the terror of the Islamic State is Turkey and we can prove it by looking at what Turkey is doing especially in North Kurdistan, to the Kurdish cities there and what they are doing in Syria and Iraq.&nbsp;

Time has come for the international forces to stop calling PKK terrorist. People of Europe know that PKK is a major force fighting against the Islamic State and defending the people against them, especially the Yazidis.&nbsp;

Turkey has done worse&nbsp;than what the Islamic State has done in Kobane in many cities in North Kurdistan. I call on people who call PKK terrorist to go and witness what Turkey has done against those cities. What Erdogan has done against the Kurds in Turkey is the same Saddam Hussain and Bashar Assad have been doing against their own people. How come&nbsp;the&nbsp;forces which call them a&nbsp;sponsor&nbsp;for state terror are not calling Erdogan the same?&nbsp;What he has done to the Kurds far exceeds what the previous two have done.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Ankara has witnessed two major suicide attacks, in February and March 2016, resulting in the death of 67 people&nbsp;and&nbsp;more than 180 injured. The PKK has been pointed out as the mastermind, how do you respond to these accusations?&nbsp;

PKK has claimed responsibility for any action it has done. The secret state agencies active in Turkey have committed many crimes and then blamed the PKK. I call on the international community to set up an independent fact-finding commission to come and make an investigation about who has truly committed the many crimes we have been accused of.&nbsp;

During the past two years PKK has committed only one single action in Istanbul which has been claimed by&nbsp;the People Defence Forces (HPG). As PKK we have not done any military action in any big Turkish city.&nbsp;

There are several examples about actions committed by groups active within the Turkish State. The most recent is about the killing of two policemen for which the PKK was accused. This murder provided the ground for Turkey to move war against the PKK as a retaliation. We declared we have had no part in that killing but no investigation has been done. These are all measures meant to&nbsp;demonise the PKK.&nbsp;

I also want to call upon the international community for a fact-finding commission regarding young&nbsp;Kurds&nbsp;who want to join the guerrillas. We have evidence that when Turkey intercepts them, they are raped, male or female does not make any difference, and we consider this as a crime&nbsp;against&nbsp;humanity.&nbsp;

(WION was not able to&nbsp;independently verify Mr&nbsp;Bayik&#39;s claims.)

&nbsp;

What is your understating of the Turkish willingness to take part at any cost to the Mosul offensive and other anti-Islamic State offensives?&nbsp;

At the end of the First World War the issue of Mosul was still an open question. The city was part of the Ottoman territories, but after a treaty signed in 1926 Turkey was forced to withdraw. At that time Mosul was a region which comprehended almost all Kurdistan, to the point that&nbsp;the &quot;Kurdish question&quot;&nbsp;used to be called the &quot;Mosul question&quot;.&nbsp;

The condition that Turkey imposed while leaving Mosul was that Arabs and not Kurds should have ruled the region, a request which represents the beginning of nearly one hundred years of denial of rights for the Kurdish population.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Now a new world war is taking place and the issue of Mosul is again at the core of this conflict. This war, in the Middle East, is between three main actors: global financial markets, nation states and populations. Turkey and Iran are the main forces representing the nation state. Turkey has openly declared its policy to pursue its national interests; Iran does the same, but in a more hidden way. Turkish President Erdogan stated that they have not accepted to withdraw from Mosul voluntarily, a clear manifestation of his willingness to restore an Ottoman empire. This attitude paves the way for a future conflict between Iraq and Turkey.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The fight for Mosul is not the fight for one single city, it will determine who will have a voice in the administration of the Middle East. It is a conflict between interests of different regional and international powers and will set the road for the new Middle East.&nbsp;

In this conflict, Kurds do not&nbsp;want to continue their life without enjoying a&nbsp;status of legitimacy. This desire extends also to all populations which have&nbsp;to face the same policy of denial.

(WION was not able to&nbsp;independently verify Mr&nbsp;Bayik&#39;s claims.)

&nbsp;

What is the &quot;new Middle East&quot;&nbsp;which could come after Mosul?&nbsp;

It is not clear yet on which basis the Middle East will be&nbsp;reorganised. It is clear that the region is undergoing a change and the current conflict will shape it accordingly. Mosul represents the fight of the entire region and it will not end easily and soon. It may open the way to new sectarian conflicts which could last long.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In order to understand the present situation, culture is what matters the most. Religion is one of the parameters of the western Asian culture and a clear understanding of its role within the communities is fundamental.&nbsp;

When we talk about religion, one of its main characteristics is to pay allegiance and this paves the way for dogmatism and conservatism in the Middle East. It prevents making new developments and progress because it makes mandatory to pay allegiance to different structures.&nbsp;

Without questioning this culture of allegiance, it is impossible to bring change in the Middle East. Reform and renaissance are based on negotiation, discussion, controversy and criticism. If one wants to bring change in the Middle East it is imperative to go through such reform and renaissance process.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As PKK we believe that change in the region can only happen by enhancing the struggle for the freedom of women and the Democratic Nation. For us, these are the two bases to bring enlightenment in a new Middle East.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Given the many sectarian actors fighting against the Islamic State,&nbsp;will Iraq survive as a&nbsp;united country or&nbsp;will it become&nbsp;a&nbsp;confederation of states based on religious beliefs?

Even if the Islamic State ends, sectarian conflicts will be even more dangerous. There are two main hegemonic powers competing against each other in the Middle East, Iran and Turkey. Iran supports Al-Hasd&nbsp;Al-Shaabi&nbsp;(the mainly Shiite paramilitary forces) and Turkey is supporting Al-Hash Al-Watani&nbsp;(a mainly Sunni paramilitary group).&nbsp;&nbsp;

Iran aims to create a Shiite belt extended till Lebanon and Turkey, with the support of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and using the Islamic State wants to establish its own new Ottoman hegemony.&nbsp;

Sectarian violence leads to disintegration and division within the society and create lasting hostilities between different communities, bringing a lot of ruin and destruction among the people.&nbsp;

The notion of Democratic Nation is a cure for this. It relies on unity between different religions and ethnic identities; only through implementing Democratic Nation it is possible to hold different entities together. We must insist on this concept to prevent sectarian conflicts in the region. The idea of Democratic Nation is gaining ground in Iraq and Syria, we have to develop it more if we want more freedom, unity, justice and equality for the people of the region.&nbsp;

Kurds should not take part in any sectarian conflict. There are different religious identities among Kurds and the only way to avoid division and sufferings is to stand against sectarian conflicts and work for the unity of all ethnic groups and religions. Only through that, Kurds will be able to defend themselves and the peoples of the Middle East.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Sectarian conflict is a threat for the future of Middle East. You have long been fighting for Kurdistan, the land of the Kurds. Isn&rsquo;t this a sectarian struggle itself?

At the present time, we have no aim of creating an independent Kurdistan. If the Kurds, in every part of Kurdistan are allowed to enjoy their democratic rights, the Kurdish question will be solved.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Different Kurdish communities have their own peculiarities; if the Kurdish question will be resolved democratically in every country that will lead to the ultimate solution of the matter.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This exactly is what we mean with the concept of Democratic Nation: an entity which does not deny to any people their rights. We want the same also for other peoples. Democratic Nation does not mean setting up a separate nation for the Kurds, it means implementing notions such as freedom, democracy, brotherhood and justice among different peoples. Whatever the PKK wants for the Kurds, it wants it for other people too.&nbsp;&nbsp;

We are no longer fighting to create a separate state, borders are losing their meaning. The European Union is a sort of confederation of states where borders have not the same meaning as before; we want the same model for the Middle East. A region where borders will no longer be a problem for the unity of the people.&nbsp;

We do not intend democracy as the rule of majority over minority. It is instead a matter of rights. Every religious or ethnic group should be able to enjoy its own rights, irrespective of their number. This is the pillar of&nbsp;Democratic Nation.&nbsp;

(WION)

Turkey has blamed Saturday's twin bomb attack outside Istanbul's Besiktas stadium on the PKK

In light of Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildarim saying there was "almost no doubt" Saturday's bombings were carried out by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), WION publishes an interview with Cemil Bayik, one of the organisation's founders and leaders, and one of Turkey's most wanted men. The interview was taken at the end of October 2016 in Iraq's Qandil mountains, where the group has its headquarters. Many states consider the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) a terrorist group. How do you answer to this? Those who have designated PKK as a terrorist organisation know themselves it is false. PKK is a movement which struggles for freedom, democracy, human rights and the values of humanity. It was included in the list of terrorist groups on the basis of Turkey’s demand. According to article five of the NATO treaty, every country which is under threat from any organisation must be defended by other members, who must act according to its requests. Turkey demanded NATO members to include PKK in the terrorist list and they had to accept. NATO members share many economic, political and military interests in the region and they did not want to endanger these for not accepting Turkey’s request. 'Turkey has been pursuing a policy of assimilation, a cultural and recently also physical genocide against the Kurds. PKK is a movement which aims to resist against these policies, to defend Kurds and other people against such policies,' says Bayik. (WION) × As PKK we do not regard as ourselves as a terrorist organisation. Turkey has been pursuing a policy of assimilation, a cultural and recently also physical genocide against the Kurds. PKK is a movement which aims to resist against these policies, to defend Kurds and other people against such policies. In doing so PKK does not mean to establish a new state, nor changing the borders nor conquering the land of other peoples. We want Kurds to live on their own lands, to express themselves freely, to organise and practice their own traditions according to their identity. And the same for any other people in the region. US and Europe may claim PKK is a terrorist organisation but the party has never carried any action against the US or Europe, it has not harmed any interest of the people of America and Europe. The inclusion of PKK in the terror list is an injustice, a violation of rights done against the Kurdish people. A coalition force is fighting against the Islamic State (IS), an organisation which is considered terrorist. Many international actors recognised and appreciated the successful fight of PKK against IS, especially in Sinjiar where we saved hundreds of thousands of Yazidi from massacre. If the world now is fighting back IS, it is also because they have been encouraged by the fight of PKK. At a time when everybody run away in front of the flag of the Islamic State, the PKK went to the forefront and fought. It has been well documented that Turkey, which claims that PKK is a terrorist organisation, has been the main force behind strengthening, developing, helping and arming the Islamic State. Even now Turkey intervenes and supports IS. So the main terrorist state which is supporting the terror of the Islamic State is Turkey and we can prove it by looking at what Turkey is doing especially in North Kurdistan, to the Kurdish cities there and what they are doing in Syria and Iraq. Time has come for the international forces to stop calling PKK terrorist. People of Europe know that PKK is a major force fighting against the Islamic State and defending the people against them, especially the Yazidis. Turkey has done worse than what the Islamic State has done in Kobane in many cities in North Kurdistan. I call on people who call PKK terrorist to go and witness what Turkey has done against those cities. What Erdogan has done against the Kurds in Turkey is the same Saddam Hussain and Bashar Assad have been doing against their own people. How come the forces which call them a sponsor for state terror are not calling Erdogan the same? What he has done to the Kurds far exceeds what the previous two have done. Ankara has witnessed two major suicide attacks, in February and March 2016, resulting in the death of 67 people and more than 180 injured. The PKK has been pointed out as the mastermind, how do you respond to these accusations? PKK has claimed responsibility for any action it has done. The secret state agencies active in Turkey have committed many crimes and then blamed the PKK. I call on the international community to set up an independent fact-finding commission to come and make an investigation about who has truly committed the many crimes we have been accused of. During the past two years PKK has committed only one single action in Istanbul which has been claimed by the People Defence Forces (HPG). As PKK we have not done any military action in any big Turkish city. There are several examples about actions committed by groups active within the Turkish State. The most recent is about the killing of two policemen for which the PKK was accused. This murder provided the ground for Turkey to move war against the PKK as a retaliation. We declared we have had no part in that killing but no investigation has been done. These are all measures meant to demonise the PKK. I also want to call upon the international community for a fact-finding commission regarding young Kurds who want to join the guerrillas. We have evidence that when Turkey intercepts them, they are raped, male or female does not make any difference, and we consider this as a crime against humanity. (WION was not able to independently verify Mr Bayik's claims.) What is your understating of the Turkish willingness to take part at any cost to the Mosul offensive and other anti-Islamic State offensives? At the end of the First World War the issue of Mosul was still an open question. The city was part of the Ottoman territories, but after a treaty signed in 1926 Turkey was forced to withdraw. At that time Mosul was a region which comprehended almost all Kurdistan, to the point that the "Kurdish question" used to be called the "Mosul question". The condition that Turkey imposed while leaving Mosul was that Arabs and not Kurds should have ruled the region, a request which represents the beginning of nearly one hundred years of denial of rights for the Kurdish population. Now a new world war is taking place and the issue of Mosul is again at the core of this conflict. This war, in the Middle East, is between three main actors: global financial markets, nation states and populations. Turkey and Iran are the main forces representing the nation state. Turkey has openly declared its policy to pursue its national interests; Iran does the same, but in a more hidden way. Turkish President Erdogan stated that they have not accepted to withdraw from Mosul voluntarily, a clear manifestation of his willingness to restore an Ottoman empire. This attitude paves the way for a future conflict between Iraq and Turkey. The fight for Mosul is not the fight for one single city, it will determine who will have a voice in the administration of the Middle East. It is a conflict between interests of different regional and international powers and will set the road for the new Middle East. In this conflict, Kurds do not want to continue their life without enjoying a status of legitimacy. This desire extends also to all populations which have to face the same policy of denial. (WION was not able to independently verify Mr Bayik's claims.) What is the "new Middle East" which could come after Mosul? It is not clear yet on which basis the Middle East will be reorganised. It is clear that the region is undergoing a change and the current conflict will shape it accordingly. Mosul represents the fight of the entire region and it will not end easily and soon. It may open the way to new sectarian conflicts which could last long. In order to understand the present situation, culture is what matters the most. Religion is one of the parameters of the western Asian culture and a clear understanding of its role within the communities is fundamental. When we talk about religion, one of its main characteristics is to pay allegiance and this paves the way for dogmatism and conservatism in the Middle East. It prevents making new developments and progress because it makes mandatory to pay allegiance to different structures. Without questioning this culture of allegiance, it is impossible to bring change in the Middle East. Reform and renaissance are based on negotiation, discussion, controversy and criticism. If one wants to bring change in the Middle East it is imperative to go through such reform and renaissance process. As PKK we believe that change in the region can only happen by enhancing the struggle for the freedom of women and the Democratic Nation. For us, these are the two bases to bring enlightenment in a new Middle East. Given the many sectarian actors fighting against the Islamic State, will Iraq survive as a united country or will it become a confederation of states based on religious beliefs? Even if the Islamic State ends, sectarian conflicts will be even more dangerous. There are two main hegemonic powers competing against each other in the Middle East, Iran and Turkey. Iran supports Al-Hasd Al-Shaabi (the mainly Shiite paramilitary forces) and Turkey is supporting Al-Hash Al-Watani (a mainly Sunni paramilitary group). Iran aims to create a Shiite belt extended till Lebanon and Turkey, with the support of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and using the Islamic State wants to establish its own new Ottoman hegemony. Sectarian violence leads to disintegration and division within the society and create lasting hostilities between different communities, bringing a lot of ruin and destruction among the people. The notion of Democratic Nation is a cure for this. It relies on unity between different religions and ethnic identities; only through implementing Democratic Nation it is possible to hold different entities together. We must insist on this concept to prevent sectarian conflicts in the region. The idea of Democratic Nation is gaining ground in Iraq and Syria, we have to develop it more if we want more freedom, unity, justice and equality for the people of the region. Kurds should not take part in any sectarian conflict. There are different religious identities among Kurds and the only way to avoid division and sufferings is to stand against sectarian conflicts and work for the unity of all ethnic groups and religions. Only through that, Kurds will be able to defend themselves and the peoples of the Middle East. Sectarian conflict is a threat for the future of Middle East. You have long been fighting for Kurdistan, the land of the Kurds. Isn’t this a sectarian struggle itself? At the present time, we have no aim of creating an independent Kurdistan. If the Kurds, in every part of Kurdistan are allowed to enjoy their democratic rights, the Kurdish question will be solved. Different Kurdish communities have their own peculiarities; if the Kurdish question will be resolved democratically in every country that will lead to the ultimate solution of the matter. This exactly is what we mean with the concept of Democratic Nation: an entity which does not deny to any people their rights. We want the same also for other peoples. Democratic Nation does not mean setting up a separate nation for the Kurds, it means implementing notions such as freedom, democracy, brotherhood and justice among different peoples. Whatever the PKK wants for the Kurds, it wants it for other people too. We are no longer fighting to create a separate state, borders are losing their meaning. The European Union is a sort of confederation of states where borders have not the same meaning as before; we want the same model for the Middle East. A region where borders will no longer be a problem for the unity of the people. We do not intend democracy as the rule of majority over minority. It is instead a matter of rights. Every religious or ethnic group should be able to enjoy its own rights, irrespective of their number. This is the pillar of Democratic Nation. (WION)

WION interviews Cemil Bayik, a founder-leader of the PKK or Kurdistan Workers' Party

Turkish police detained nearly 200 pro-Kurdish Peoples` Democratic Party (HDP) officials on Monday over alleged links to Kurdish militants after deadly twin weekend blasts claimed by a radical Kurdish group.

The raids saw 198 HDP officials rounded up on suspicion of belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK) or producing propaganda for the group, state news agency Anadolu said.

Part of an anti-terror probe, the sweeping arrest operation came after weekend attacks killed 44 people in Istanbul, mostly police, which were claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), seen as a radical offshoot of the PKK.

According to Anadolu, 20 officials in Istanbul -- including the HDP`s provincial head in the city, Aysel Guzel -- were taken into custody while another 18 were detained in the Turkish capital, among them the party`s Ankara chief Ibrahim Binici.

The other detentions took place in the southern provinces of Adana and Mersin, Manisa in western Turkey as well as Hakkari, Sanliurfa and Gaziantep in the country`s restive southeast.&nbsp;

The majority of detentions were in Mersin where 93 officials were taken into custody and accused of being PKK members, Anadolu said.

Last month, 10 HDP lawmakers -- including co-leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag -- were arrested, causing international alarm. They are also accused of PKK membership or of promoting the group and are being held in pre-trial detention.&nbsp;

The PKK, which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Ankara, Brussels and Washington, has been waging an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984.

Since the collapse of a ceasefire in July last year, Ankara has vowed to wipe out the PKK and has conducted several military operations against the group.

There have been frequent clashes between security forces and PKK militants and almost daily attacks on the military carried out by the group`s fighters in the southeast.

The sweeping arrest operation came after weekend attacks killed 44 people in Istanbul, which were claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons

Turkish police detained nearly 200 pro-Kurdish Peoples` Democratic Party (HDP) officials on Monday over alleged links to Kurdish militants after deadly twin weekend blasts claimed by a radical Kurdish group. The raids saw 198 HDP officials rounded up on suspicion of belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK) or producing propaganda for the group, state news agency Anadolu said. Part of an anti-terror probe, the sweeping arrest operation came after weekend attacks killed 44 people in Istanbul, mostly police, which were claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), seen as a radical offshoot of the PKK. According to Anadolu, 20 officials in Istanbul -- including the HDP`s provincial head in the city, Aysel Guzel -- were taken into custody while another 18 were detained in the Turkish capital, among them the party`s Ankara chief Ibrahim Binici. The other detentions took place in the southern provinces of Adana and Mersin, Manisa in western Turkey as well as Hakkari, Sanliurfa and Gaziantep in the country`s restive southeast. The majority of detentions were in Mersin where 93 officials were taken into custody and accused of being PKK members, Anadolu said. Last month, 10 HDP lawmakers -- including co-leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag -- were arrested, causing international alarm. They are also accused of PKK membership or of promoting the group and are being held in pre-trial detention. The PKK, which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Ankara, Brussels and Washington, has been waging an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984. Since the collapse of a ceasefire in July last year, Ankara has vowed to wipe out the PKK and has conducted several military operations against the group. There have been frequent clashes between security forces and PKK militants and almost daily attacks on the military carried out by the group`s fighters in the southeast.

200 pro-Kurdish Peoples` Democratic Party officials detained by Turkish police

Australia is seeking the extradition of its most wanted Islamic State terror suspect who was thought to be dead but has been caught alive by Turkey, the government said Saturday.&nbsp;

The announcement followed a New York Times report that so-called Islamic State group operative Neil Prakash had been caught by Turkish forces several weeks ago as he tried to enter their country from Syria.

&quot;An individual we believe to be Neil Prakash has been arrested and detained in Turkey,&quot; a government spokesperson said in a statement.

&quot;Prakash is subject to a formal extradition request from Australia.&quot;

Prakash was a senior recruiter for Islamic State and has been linked to terror plots to kill Australians.

In May Prakash was reported dead by Canberra on advice from Washington that he had been killed in a US airstrike in northern Iraq.

However, the Times said he was only wounded, not killed, in Mosul on April 29.

Prakash, who is in his early twenties, left Australia in 2013.

He has been linked to a failed Melbourne plot to behead a police officer in April last year, as well as to an 18-year-old who was killed after stabbing two police officers in Melbourne in 2014.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has called Prakash the senior Australian operative in IS.

Reported to be of Indian, Fijian and Cambodian background, Prakash used the internet &quot;to promote the evil ideology&quot; of the jihadist group &quot;and recruit Australian men, women and children -- many of whom are either still in the conflict zone or dead.

&quot;Prakash and others ruthlessly target and groom our children -- vulnerable children -- with hateful propaganda of terrorism which perverts the religion of Islam,&quot; Turnbull told parliament in May.

Known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, Prakash was reportedly on a list of high-value IS recruiters targeted by the US in drone attacks in Iraq.

He worked with an English-speaking cell trying to radicalise people in the West to fight for Islamic State.

The government statement said Canberra had worked with Ankara on Prakash&#39;s arrest and would collaborate further on the extradition process.

The arrest was &quot;the result of close collaboration between Australian and Turkish authorities,&quot; it said.

&quot;We are conscious that this individual has been arrested by Turkish authorities and their processes need to be respected and allowed to be completed.&nbsp;

&quot;Australia will collaborate closely with Turkish authorities... Australia and Turkey have a longstanding history cooperation to combat terrorism.&quot;&nbsp;

(AFP)

Neil Prakash, who is linked to terror plots to kill Australians, was detained in Turkey as he tried to enter via Syria

Australia is seeking the extradition of its most wanted Islamic State terror suspect who was thought to be dead but has been caught alive by Turkey, the government said Saturday. The announcement followed a New York Times report that so-called Islamic State group operative Neil Prakash had been caught by Turkish forces several weeks ago as he tried to enter their country from Syria. "An individual we believe to be Neil Prakash has been arrested and detained in Turkey," a government spokesperson said in a statement. "Prakash is subject to a formal extradition request from Australia." Prakash was a senior recruiter for Islamic State and has been linked to terror plots to kill Australians. In May Prakash was reported dead by Canberra on advice from Washington that he had been killed in a US airstrike in northern Iraq. However, the Times said he was only wounded, not killed, in Mosul on April 29. Prakash, who is in his early twenties, left Australia in 2013. He has been linked to a failed Melbourne plot to behead a police officer in April last year, as well as to an 18-year-old who was killed after stabbing two police officers in Melbourne in 2014. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has called Prakash the senior Australian operative in IS. Reported to be of Indian, Fijian and Cambodian background, Prakash used the internet "to promote the evil ideology" of the jihadist group "and recruit Australian men, women and children -- many of whom are either still in the conflict zone or dead. "Prakash and others ruthlessly target and groom our children -- vulnerable children -- with hateful propaganda of terrorism which perverts the religion of Islam," Turnbull told parliament in May. Known as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, Prakash was reportedly on a list of high-value IS recruiters targeted by the US in drone attacks in Iraq. He worked with an English-speaking cell trying to radicalise people in the West to fight for Islamic State. The government statement said Canberra had worked with Ankara on Prakash's arrest and would collaborate further on the extradition process. The arrest was "the result of close collaboration between Australian and Turkish authorities," it said. "We are conscious that this individual has been arrested by Turkish authorities and their processes need to be respected and allowed to be completed. "Australia will collaborate closely with Turkish authorities... Australia and Turkey have a longstanding history cooperation to combat terrorism." (AFP)

Australia asks Turkey to extradite top IS terror suspect

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday threatened to open Turkey&#39;s borders to allow migrants to reach the EU, in a move that would tear up a landmark deal that has reduced the flow.

Erdogan&#39;s comments, some of his toughest in recent times against the European Union, prompted an immediate warning from Germany which helped broker the deal that such &quot;threats&quot; were unhelpful.

The threat came a day after the European Parliament angered Ankara by backing a freeze in EU accession talks, already hit by alarm over its crackdown in the wake of the July 15 failed coup.

&quot;Listen to me. If you go any further, then the frontiers will be opened, bear that in mind,&quot; Erdogan told the EU during a speech in Istanbul.

He said Brussels had cried out for help in 2015 as tens of thousands of migrants massed at Turkey&#39;s border crossing with EU member Bulgaria.

&quot;You began to ask us &#39;what will we do if Turkey opens its borders&#39;?&quot; he asked.On March 18, Ankara and Brussels forged a deal for Turkey to halt the flow of migrants to Europe -- an accord that has largely been successful in reducing numbers crossing the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), just over 171,000 have crossed to Greece so far this year, much lower than the comparable figure for 2015 of almost 740,000.

Hundreds of migrants drowned while trying to cross the Aegean in 2015 on unseaworthy boats, including three-year-old Syrian Aylan Kurdi. The images of his lifeless body washed up on a Turkish beach spurred the international community into action.&nbsp;

Turkey agreed to step up maritime and land border controls in exchange for incentives on its long-stalled membership bid, including visa-free travel for its citizens and an acceleration of accession talks.

However with an October target passing, no apparent progress on the visa issue and the accession talks stalled, Ankara has accused Brussels of failing to keep its side of the bargain.

In response to Erdogan&#39;s remarks, Chancellor Angela Merkel`s spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said the deal was in the interest &quot;of all parties&quot; and that &quot;threats on either side are not helpful&quot;.

EU Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said it would not get involved in &quot;statements about hypothetical scenarios&quot; and was still committed to implementing the agreement.

But the European Parliament&#39;s rapporteur on Turkey Kati Piri tweeted that &quot;linking (the) deal on migration with (the) EU accession talks was wrong from the beginning.&quot;

Erdogan said while Turkey itself was looking after three million refugees,mainly 2.7 million Syrians from the civil war, but also Iraqis,&nbsp;but &quot;you (the EU) did not fulfil your promises&quot;.

&quot;You never acted honourably,&quot; he told the bloc.

He has also accused Brussels of failing to fulfil a promise to deliver some six billion euros ($6.3 billion) in aid for refugees.&nbsp;

The EU says the money is to be transferred gradually for individual projects and not in a single payment. The European Parliament vote reflected spiralling tensions with Ankara after Brussels repeatedly expressed alarm over the magnitude of Turkey&#39;s crackdown after the coup. Turkey in turn accused Brussels of failing to show solidarity.

The parliamentary vote is non-binding and earlier this month, all EU foreign ministers,with the exception of Austria ,said they were in favour of continuing the accession talks.

But analysts say the entire membership process is in deep trouble, with little hope of progress and several risk factors that could lead to its collapse.

&quot;Realistically, moving forward is also nearly impossible... Both Brussels and Ankara remain stuck and are playing for time,&quot; Asli Aydintasbas of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) said in a research paper.

She suggested an alternative form of engagement between Turkey and the EU, other than full membership, could be agreed to save face and move forwards.

&quot;In reality, most officials privately concede that full membership is not a possibility at this point,&quot; she said.

Austria&#39;s Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, a hardliner on Turkey, said Europe should strengthen its own borders after Erdogan&#39;s comments and &quot;must not give into blackmail&quot;.

(AFP)

The threat came a day after the European Parliament angered Ankara by backing a freeze in EU accession talks

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday threatened to open Turkey's borders to allow migrants to reach the EU, in a move that would tear up a landmark deal that has reduced the flow. Erdogan's comments, some of his toughest in recent times against the European Union, prompted an immediate warning from Germany which helped broker the deal that such "threats" were unhelpful. The threat came a day after the European Parliament angered Ankara by backing a freeze in EU accession talks, already hit by alarm over its crackdown in the wake of the July 15 failed coup. "Listen to me. If you go any further, then the frontiers will be opened, bear that in mind," Erdogan told the EU during a speech in Istanbul. He said Brussels had cried out for help in 2015 as tens of thousands of migrants massed at Turkey's border crossing with EU member Bulgaria. "You began to ask us 'what will we do if Turkey opens its borders'?" he asked.On March 18, Ankara and Brussels forged a deal for Turkey to halt the flow of migrants to Europe -- an accord that has largely been successful in reducing numbers crossing the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), just over 171,000 have crossed to Greece so far this year, much lower than the comparable figure for 2015 of almost 740,000. Hundreds of migrants drowned while trying to cross the Aegean in 2015 on unseaworthy boats, including three-year-old Syrian Aylan Kurdi. The images of his lifeless body washed up on a Turkish beach spurred the international community into action. Turkey agreed to step up maritime and land border controls in exchange for incentives on its long-stalled membership bid, including visa-free travel for its citizens and an acceleration of accession talks. However with an October target passing, no apparent progress on the visa issue and the accession talks stalled, Ankara has accused Brussels of failing to keep its side of the bargain. In response to Erdogan's remarks, Chancellor Angela Merkel`s spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said the deal was in the interest "of all parties" and that "threats on either side are not helpful". EU Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said it would not get involved in "statements about hypothetical scenarios" and was still committed to implementing the agreement. But the European Parliament's rapporteur on Turkey Kati Piri tweeted that "linking (the) deal on migration with (the) EU accession talks was wrong from the beginning." Erdogan said while Turkey itself was looking after three million refugees,mainly 2.7 million Syrians from the civil war, but also Iraqis, but "you (the EU) did not fulfil your promises". "You never acted honourably," he told the bloc. He has also accused Brussels of failing to fulfil a promise to deliver some six billion euros ($6.3 billion) in aid for refugees. The EU says the money is to be transferred gradually for individual projects and not in a single payment. The European Parliament vote reflected spiralling tensions with Ankara after Brussels repeatedly expressed alarm over the magnitude of Turkey's crackdown after the coup. Turkey in turn accused Brussels of failing to show solidarity. The parliamentary vote is non-binding and earlier this month, all EU foreign ministers,with the exception of Austria ,said they were in favour of continuing the accession talks. But analysts say the entire membership process is in deep trouble, with little hope of progress and several risk factors that could lead to its collapse. "Realistically, moving forward is also nearly impossible... Both Brussels and Ankara remain stuck and are playing for time," Asli Aydintasbas of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) said in a research paper. She suggested an alternative form of engagement between Turkey and the EU, other than full membership, could be agreed to save face and move forwards. "In reality, most officials privately concede that full membership is not a possibility at this point," she said. Austria's Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, a hardliner on Turkey, said Europe should strengthen its own borders after Erdogan's comments and "must not give into blackmail". (AFP)

Turkey: Erdogan threatens EU with new migrant influx

Turkey&#39;s ruling&nbsp;AK&nbsp;Party will withdraw a&nbsp;controversial bill on underage marriage for further consultations, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday.

The AK party is withdrawing the bill&nbsp;after Opposition and rights groups said it could allow men accused of sexually abusing girls to evade punishment -- should the men marry their victims.

The proposal&nbsp;would have allowed sentencing in cases of sexual abuse committed &quot;without force, threat or trick&quot; before November&nbsp;16, 2016 to be postponed indefinitely&nbsp;should a perpetrator marry his victim, Reuters reported.

Yildirim said the AKP would seek the opinion of the Opposition and civil society groups and&nbsp;reformulate the proposal, in line with a call from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Reuters reported.

He has said the bill&nbsp;aimed to look into and remedy&nbsp;the situation of men who are in jail and&nbsp;married to women under 18 in a religious ceremony&nbsp;with the consent of their family.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Rights groups said the bill could have allowed men accused of sexually abusing girls to evade punishment -- if they married their victims

Turkey's ruling AK Party will withdraw a controversial bill on underage marriage for further consultations, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday. The AK party is withdrawing the bill after Opposition and rights groups said it could allow men accused of sexually abusing girls to evade punishment -- should the men marry their victims. The proposal would have allowed sentencing in cases of sexual abuse committed "without force, threat or trick" before November 16, 2016 to be postponed indefinitely should a perpetrator marry his victim, Reuters reported. Yildirim said the AKP would seek the opinion of the Opposition and civil society groups and reformulate the proposal, in line with a call from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Reuters reported. He has said the bill aimed to look into and remedy the situation of men who are in jail and married to women under 18 in a religious ceremony with the consent of their family. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Turkey: Ruling party to withdraw controversial bill on underage marriage

Pakistan has ordered more than 100 Turkish teachers to leave the country along with their family members by November 20, in an apparent attempt to &ldquo;woo&rdquo; the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who starts his two-day visit to Islamabad today.

About 108 Turkish teachers have been working in the Pak-Turk schools. They have been denied extension to their visas on the request of the Erdogan administration as Turkey alleges these schools to be &nbsp;run by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen whom Erdogan blamed for July&#39;s failed military coup.

 
The administrative body of the Pak-Turk Schools has expressed shock over the government&#39;s decision, which it says has been taken under pressure.&nbsp;

 
&quot;Pak-Turk International Schools and Colleges are extremely concerned over the abrupt decision of the government,&quot; Pak-Turk Education Foundation Board of Directors Chairman, Alamgir Khan told news agency PTI.

 
An official also told PTI that since all Turkish principals have been replaced with the Pakistanis and the administration has publicly announced that it has no connection with Gulen movement there has been no justification of this decision.

 
The network of Pak-Turk schools and colleges was launched in 1995 under the international NGO registered with the Turkish government.

 
The official told PTI that these schools will now be operating under a local NGO registered with the Pakistani government. &quot;However, these schools will remain functional under the Pakistani administration,&quot; he said.

 
The chain of 28 schools and colleges runs in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Multan, Karachi, Hyderabad, Khairpur, Jamshoro and Quetta. Over 11,000 students from pre-school to &quot;A&quot; levels are studying in these institutions.

 
&quot;Initially funding was made from Turkey to establish state of art campuses in Pakistan. But for the last 15 years or so it is generating its own funds here, offering free education and boarding facilities to 35 per cent of the students besides awarding foreign scholarships to them,&quot; the official said.

 
In August, Pakistan had promised Turkey&#39;s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu that it would investigate the network of schools Ankara wanted shut for its alleged links with Gulen.

 
&quot;It is not secret that Gulen&#39;s organisation has institutions or their presence in Pakistan and in many other countries. I am sure the necessary measures will be taken. We have to be very careful with such organisations and their causing risk and threat for the security and stability of every country that they have presence,&quot; Cavusoglu had said.

 
(WION with inputs from PTI)

 
&nbsp;

Turkey says that they were teaching in schools run by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Erdogan blames for July's failed military coup

Pakistan has ordered more than 100 Turkish teachers to leave the country along with their family members by November 20, in an apparent attempt to “woo” the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who starts his two-day visit to Islamabad today. About 108 Turkish teachers have been working in the Pak-Turk schools. They have been denied extension to their visas on the request of the Erdogan administration as Turkey alleges these schools to be run by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen whom Erdogan blamed for July's failed military coup. The administrative body of the Pak-Turk Schools has expressed shock over the government's decision, which it says has been taken under pressure. "Pak-Turk International Schools and Colleges are extremely concerned over the abrupt decision of the government," Pak-Turk Education Foundation Board of Directors Chairman, Alamgir Khan told news agency PTI. An official also told PTI that since all Turkish principals have been replaced with the Pakistanis and the administration has publicly announced that it has no connection with Gulen movement there has been no justification of this decision. The network of Pak-Turk schools and colleges was launched in 1995 under the international NGO registered with the Turkish government. The official told PTI that these schools will now be operating under a local NGO registered with the Pakistani government. "However, these schools will remain functional under the Pakistani administration," he said. The chain of 28 schools and colleges runs in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Multan, Karachi, Hyderabad, Khairpur, Jamshoro and Quetta. Over 11,000 students from pre-school to "A" levels are studying in these institutions. "Initially funding was made from Turkey to establish state of art campuses in Pakistan. But for the last 15 years or so it is generating its own funds here, offering free education and boarding facilities to 35 per cent of the students besides awarding foreign scholarships to them," the official said. In August, Pakistan had promised Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu that it would investigate the network of schools Ankara wanted shut for its alleged links with Gulen. "It is not secret that Gulen's organisation has institutions or their presence in Pakistan and in many other countries. I am sure the necessary measures will be taken. We have to be very careful with such organisations and their causing risk and threat for the security and stability of every country that they have presence," Cavusoglu had said. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Pakistan: More than 100 Turkish teachers ordered to leave country in bid to 'please' visiting Turkish President

About 2,000 Kurds and pro-Kurdish supporters peacefully gathered in Paris on Saturday,&nbsp;protesting against the Turkish government following the arrests of leading Kurdish politicians.

The leaders of Turkey&#39;s pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples&#39;&nbsp;Democratic Party (HDP) were jailed pending trial on Friday&nbsp;as part of a terrorism investigation, drawing condemnation in the West of a crackdown on dissent under President Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish authorities also detained nine officials from the country&#39;s main pro-Kurdish opposition party on Saturday, a party official said, a day after the formal arrests of HDP co-leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag.

In Paris, demonstrators gathered at Place de la Republique holding up anti-Erdogan signs and unfurling large Kurdish flags.

&quot;Yes we are here because in Turkey they imprison our Kurdish lawmakers who represent the Kurdish people and we don&#39;t agree with that. We will never agree with that. The Kurdish people are on their feet,&quot; said a Kurdish protester named Emilie.

The HDP, Turkey&#39;s&nbsp;third-largest party, made history last year by becoming the first Kurdish-rooted party to win the 10 per cent of the vote required to enter parliament.

European officials have raised concerns about Turkey&#39;s detention or suspension of more than 110,000 officials in the wake of the failed coup in July, including judges, teachers, police and civil servants. Some 170 newspapers, magazines, TV stations and news agencies have been closed in the crackdown, leaving 2,500 journalists unemployed, Turkey&#39;s journalists&#39;&nbsp;association has said.

&quot;We are gathered to show everyone, especially Europeans what we want, what is happening in Turkey and get them to stop helping Turkey continue in their anti-democratic activities,&quot; said Kurdish representative in France Ismail Cakici.

Erdogan and the ruling AK Party accuse the HDP of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has carried out a violent insurgency in Turkey&#39;s mainly Kurdish southeast for three decades. The HDP denies direct links and says it is working for a peaceful resolution of the Kurdish conflict.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The leaders of Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples'?Democratic Party (HDP) were jailed Friday, drawing condemnation from the West

About 2,000 Kurds and pro-Kurdish supporters peacefully gathered in Paris on Saturday, protesting against the Turkish government following the arrests of leading Kurdish politicians. The leaders of Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) were jailed pending trial on Friday as part of a terrorism investigation, drawing condemnation in the West of a crackdown on dissent under President Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish authorities also detained nine officials from the country's main pro-Kurdish opposition party on Saturday, a party official said, a day after the formal arrests of HDP co-leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag. In Paris, demonstrators gathered at Place de la Republique holding up anti-Erdogan signs and unfurling large Kurdish flags. "Yes we are here because in Turkey they imprison our Kurdish lawmakers who represent the Kurdish people and we don't agree with that. We will never agree with that. The Kurdish people are on their feet," said a Kurdish protester named Emilie. The HDP, Turkey's third-largest party, made history last year by becoming the first Kurdish-rooted party to win the 10 per cent of the vote required to enter parliament. European officials have raised concerns about Turkey's detention or suspension of more than 110,000 officials in the wake of the failed coup in July, including judges, teachers, police and civil servants. Some 170 newspapers, magazines, TV stations and news agencies have been closed in the crackdown, leaving 2,500 journalists unemployed, Turkey's journalists' association has said. "We are gathered to show everyone, especially Europeans what we want, what is happening in Turkey and get them to stop helping Turkey continue in their anti-democratic activities," said Kurdish representative in France Ismail Cakici. Erdogan and the ruling AK Party accuse the HDP of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has carried out a violent insurgency in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast for three decades. The HDP denies direct links and says it is working for a peaceful resolution of the Kurdish conflict. (Reuters)

Thousands of Kurdish supporters in Paris protest against Turkish authorities

Turkey today blocked access to the social media sites, Twitter and Whatapp,&nbsp;an internet monitoring group said, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Access was being blocked by throttling, an expert from the monitoring group Turkey Blocks said, a method of slowing certain websites to the point where they are unusable.

&nbsp;

Restrictions on messaging service WhatsApp and Instagram have also now been detected, Turkey blocks said.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
Confirmed: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube blocked by throttling in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Turkey?src=hash">#Turkey</a> - developing incident<a href="https://t.co/XA9JZaxn54">https://t.co/XA9JZaxn54</a> <a href="https://t.co/3sAjwikGY5">pic.twitter.com/3sAjwikGY5</a>
&mdash; Turkey Blocks (@TurkeyBlocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/TurkeyBlocks/status/794313477628239872">3 November 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
Update: WhatsApp messaging service block in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Turkey?src=hash">#Turkey</a> confirmed, joining Twitter, Facebook and YouTube shutdowns<a href="https://t.co/XA9JZaxn54">https://t.co/XA9JZaxn54</a> <a href="https://t.co/XNusUu2rgW">pic.twitter.com/XNusUu2rgW</a>
&mdash; Turkey Blocks (@TurkeyBlocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/TurkeyBlocks/status/794325628464091139">3 November 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

According to the monitoring group, internet restrictions are increasingly being used in Turkey in a bid to suppress media coverage of political incidents.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The crackdown comes shortly after &nbsp;11 pro-Kurdish lawmakers were detained in the mainly Kurdish southeast overnight.

(WION)&nbsp;

The crackdown comes shortly after the detention of pro-Kurdish leaders

Turkey today blocked access to the social media sites, Twitter and Whatapp, an internet monitoring group said, Reuters reported. Access was being blocked by throttling, an expert from the monitoring group Turkey Blocks said, a method of slowing certain websites to the point where they are unusable. Restrictions on messaging service WhatsApp and Instagram have also now been detected, Turkey blocks said. Confirmed: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube blocked by throttling in #Turkey - developing incidenthttps://t.co/XA9JZaxn54 pic.twitter.com/3sAjwikGY5 — Turkey Blocks (@TurkeyBlocks) 3 November 2016 × Update: WhatsApp messaging service block in #Turkey confirmed, joining Twitter, Facebook and YouTube shutdownshttps://t.co/XA9JZaxn54 pic.twitter.com/XNusUu2rgW — Turkey Blocks (@TurkeyBlocks) 3 November 2016 × According to the monitoring group, internet restrictions are increasingly being used in Turkey in a bid to suppress media coverage of political incidents. The crackdown comes shortly after 11 pro-Kurdish lawmakers were detained in the mainly Kurdish southeast overnight. (WION)

Turkey blocks access to Twitter, Whatsapp, says monitoring group

Turkish police on Friday detained the two co-leaders of the country&#39;s main pro-Kurdish party, the Peoples&#39; Democratic Party (HDP), and several other MPs in a major escalation of the crackdown in the wake of a failed July 15 coup.

Selahattin Demirtas was detained at his home in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir while the co-chairperson Figen Yuksekdag was held in Ankara as part of a terror investigation, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.

Their detention appeared part of a large-scale operation against the HDP, which is the third largest party in the Turkish parliament with 59 seats and the main political representative of the Kurdish minority.

Demirtas and Yuksekdag had been targeted by several separate probes over the last months but this is the first time that either has been detained.

The security operations took place after midnight, with Demirtas tweeting at 0130 local time (2230 GMT) that police had arrived at his home and he was about to be detained.

NTV television said the pair were accused of spreading propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) while Anadolu said Demirtas was accused of provoking violence in deadly protests in October 2014.

Those detained also failed to respond to demands to give statements to prosecutors, Anadolu said.

According to the Turkish interior ministry, a total of 11 HDP MPs were detained, including the two co-leaders, NTV said.

Coordinated raids took place throughout the southeast of&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;including the cities of Diyarbakir, Van and Bingol.

A police search was also in progress at the party&#39;s general headquarters in Ankara.

Those detained including the prominent lawmaker Sirri Surreya Onder, who in the past has been a pointman for contacts with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.&nbsp;

The head of the HDP&#39;s faction in the Turkish parliament, Idris Baluken, was also held.

Their detention followed a previous resolution by parliament allowing the immunity of MPs to be lifted.

Rising tensions

Two more wanted HDP MPs &mdash;&nbsp;Faysal Sariyildiz and Tugba Hezer Ozturk &mdash;&nbsp;were found to be abroad while efforts were still under way to detain two others, Imam Tascier and Nihat Akdogan, Anadolu said.

The raids come as&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;remains under a state of emergency imposed in the wake of the July 15 failed coup, which critics say has gone well beyond targeting the actual coup plotters.

Thirteen staff from the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper, including the editor-in-chief, were detained on Monday, further heightening strains in Turkish society.

Tensions have surged in the Kurdish-dominated southeast of&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;since a fragile ceasefire declared by the PKK collapsed in 2015.

It has since stepped up its insurgency against the Turkish security forces, staging regular attacks that have claimed hundreds of lives among the military and the police.

The HDP seeks to promote the cause of&nbsp;Turkey&#39;s Kurdish minority and defend the rights of Kurds as well as those of women, gays and workers.

The charisma in particular of Demirtas &mdash;&nbsp;dubbed the &quot;Kurdish Obama&quot; by some admirers after the US president &mdash;&nbsp;earned it success at the ballot box.

It also divides all its top jobs between a man and a woman, as with the party chairmanship, which is shared between Demirtas and Yuksekdag.

But the authorities accuse the party of being a front for the PKK and failing to distance itself from terror, claims it has always vehemently denied.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched repeated personal attacks on Demirtas, who analysts have seen as the sole politician in&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;who comes anywhere near to rivalling his charisma.

Demirtas has made it a personal crusade to oppose Erdogan&#39;s plan for a presidential system in&nbsp;Turkey, which the HDP says would lead to dictatorship.

Erdogan had earlier Thursday held talks with Devlet Bahceli, the head of the fourth largest party in parliament, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which despises the HDP and whose votes could be crucial in agreeing a presidential system.

The HDP strongly opposed the coup that aimed to unseat Erdogan but Demirtas told AFP in an interview after the putsch bid there was no contradiction in resisting both the plotters and the president.

(AFP)

Nine other lawmakers of the same party were detained in the overnight operation

Turkish police on Friday detained the two co-leaders of the country's main pro-Kurdish party, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), and several other MPs in a major escalation of the crackdown in the wake of a failed July 15 coup. Selahattin Demirtas was detained at his home in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir while the co-chairperson Figen Yuksekdag was held in Ankara as part of a terror investigation, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. Their detention appeared part of a large-scale operation against the HDP, which is the third largest party in the Turkish parliament with 59 seats and the main political representative of the Kurdish minority. Demirtas and Yuksekdag had been targeted by several separate probes over the last months but this is the first time that either has been detained. The security operations took place after midnight, with Demirtas tweeting at 0130 local time (2230 GMT) that police had arrived at his home and he was about to be detained. NTV television said the pair were accused of spreading propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) while Anadolu said Demirtas was accused of provoking violence in deadly protests in October 2014. Those detained also failed to respond to demands to give statements to prosecutors, Anadolu said. According to the Turkish interior ministry, a total of 11 HDP MPs were detained, including the two co-leaders, NTV said. Coordinated raids took place throughout the southeast of Turkey including the cities of Diyarbakir, Van and Bingol. A police search was also in progress at the party's general headquarters in Ankara. Those detained including the prominent lawmaker Sirri Surreya Onder, who in the past has been a pointman for contacts with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. The head of the HDP's faction in the Turkish parliament, Idris Baluken, was also held. Their detention followed a previous resolution by parliament allowing the immunity of MPs to be lifted. Rising tensions Two more wanted HDP MPs — Faysal Sariyildiz and Tugba Hezer Ozturk — were found to be abroad while efforts were still under way to detain two others, Imam Tascier and Nihat Akdogan, Anadolu said. The raids come as Turkey remains under a state of emergency imposed in the wake of the July 15 failed coup, which critics say has gone well beyond targeting the actual coup plotters. Thirteen staff from the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper, including the editor-in-chief, were detained on Monday, further heightening strains in Turkish society. Tensions have surged in the Kurdish-dominated southeast of Turkey since a fragile ceasefire declared by the PKK collapsed in 2015. It has since stepped up its insurgency against the Turkish security forces, staging regular attacks that have claimed hundreds of lives among the military and the police. The HDP seeks to promote the cause of Turkey's Kurdish minority and defend the rights of Kurds as well as those of women, gays and workers. The charisma in particular of Demirtas — dubbed the "Kurdish Obama" by some admirers after the US president — earned it success at the ballot box. It also divides all its top jobs between a man and a woman, as with the party chairmanship, which is shared between Demirtas and Yuksekdag. But the authorities accuse the party of being a front for the PKK and failing to distance itself from terror, claims it has always vehemently denied. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched repeated personal attacks on Demirtas, who analysts have seen as the sole politician in Turkey who comes anywhere near to rivalling his charisma. Demirtas has made it a personal crusade to oppose Erdogan's plan for a presidential system in Turkey, which the HDP says would lead to dictatorship. Erdogan had earlier Thursday held talks with Devlet Bahceli, the head of the fourth largest party in parliament, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which despises the HDP and whose votes could be crucial in agreeing a presidential system. The HDP strongly opposed the coup that aimed to unseat Erdogan but Demirtas told AFP in an interview after the putsch bid there was no contradiction in resisting both the plotters and the president. (AFP)

Turkey coup crackdown: Police detain pro-Kurdish party leaders

Iraqi Counter Terrorism Forces (ICTF) officially entered the eastern outskirt of Mosul, stabilising their presence in the village of Gogjali. Taleb Kanani, the ICTF commander, told reporters on the ground that the area is now under full control of the Iraqi army.

According to a BBC reporter who followed the operation embedded, regular forces faced strong resistance.

The advance is ongoing and Iraqi troops are moving forward. According to Lieutenant&nbsp;General&nbsp;Abdul Amir Rasheed Jarallah, the deputy-commander for the Joint Operations, the ninth&nbsp;division has entered Judaydat al-Mufti, a neighbourhood located south of Gogjali.

It is the first time in&nbsp;two years that a regular force has crossed&nbsp;the border&nbsp;of the Islamic State&#39;s (IS) de facto Iraqi capital. However,&nbsp;it is unlikely that this battle could represent an early end to&nbsp;the offensive:&nbsp;there are still many villages located on the belt surrounding Mosul which&nbsp;need to be reconquered and secured, especially on the northern side.&nbsp;

But the possibility of&nbsp;conquering and securing&nbsp;even a small&nbsp;portion of the city&nbsp;represents a major success in the offensive to drive&nbsp;IS out of Mosul.&nbsp;

The Iraqi army will have the possibility to launch regular raids to weaken and test the enemy&rsquo;s line of defence and to intercept their communications, opening an entire new phase of the offensive based on urban-style guerrilla combat.

The offensive proceeds as scheduled and the plan to choke the city from several areas is taking place. Mosul is also under attack from the western front, where several militias, predominantly Shiite, launched an offensive to reconquer the town of Tal Afar.

Meanwhile, Turkey is deploying a significant number of soldiers&nbsp;and tanks in the town of Silopi, near the Iraqi border. Turkish defence minister Fikri Isik declared that his country has&nbsp;the right&nbsp;to act in order to protect its citizens from terrorism, and that they have no &ldquo;obligation&rdquo; to wait behind its borders while threats increase.

&nbsp;

A war with parallel wars&nbsp;

It seems, though, that Isik&#39;s main concern is not the Islamic State but the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)&nbsp;and the Shia militias based west of&nbsp;Mosul, both perceived as threats to the ethnic Sunni Turkmen population living in the area.&nbsp;

Turkish&nbsp;President Erdogan declared on Saturday that Ankara will have a &ldquo;different response&rdquo; in case Shiite militias would &ldquo;cause terror&rdquo; in Tal Afar. Erdogan&rsquo;s fears are not unfounded: the NGO Human Rights Watch documented and reported the many abuses perpetrated by Shia militias against Sunni civilians in recent operations, especially the ones to reconquer the city of Fallujah.

Defending human rights is not the only variable.&nbsp;Many Shia militias are under direct Iranian influence, and by tackling them&nbsp;Turkey is also tackling Tehran&#39;s willingness to extend its area of influence beyond its western borders.

The PKK, a socialist organisation classified as terrorists by Turkey, has a significant presence in the western Iraqi constituency of Sinjar, a mainly Yazidi town which their guerrilla soldiers contributed to reconquer from Islamic State in 2015. The PKK guerrillas have also participated in the operation to defeat the Islamic State commando who attacked the city of Kirkuk one week ago, and are&nbsp;willing to take part in the Mosul offensive. This could earn further political legitimacy to an organisation with whom Turkey fought a three-decade separatist insurgency, an eventuality Ankara would certainly not permit.

The situation between the PKK and Turkey is currently at its lowest. After the July coup, Ankara gave new lifeline to its attacks against the organisation&nbsp;and are generally against the Kurds living on its soil;&nbsp;many government employees hit by the purge were Kurdish. Ankara is also constantly bombing the Qandil mountains in Iraq.&nbsp;

Kurdistan, where the organisation has its headquarters as well as many cities in southeast Turkey, is&nbsp;traditionally a PKK controlled area.

For the last three weeks the Turkish presence on Iraqi soil has been the object of a dispute with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Habadi, who has repeatedly asked Turkey not to deploy its troops during the Mosul offensive. Ankara did not follow this request&nbsp;since Turkish tanks have been deployed on the frontline during the offensive against Bashiqa, on the eastern front.

The offensive to reconquer Mosul is not only a matter of national Iraqi interest, but also a war made of parallel wars where two major regional players, Iran and Turkey, are trying to expand their influence.&nbsp;

(WION)

While Iraqi forces enter the IS stronghold's boundaries for the first time in two years, Turkey deploys soldiers and tanks on the border

Iraqi Counter Terrorism Forces (ICTF) officially entered the eastern outskirt of Mosul, stabilising their presence in the village of Gogjali. Taleb Kanani, the ICTF commander, told reporters on the ground that the area is now under full control of the Iraqi army. According to a BBC reporter who followed the operation embedded, regular forces faced strong resistance. The advance is ongoing and Iraqi troops are moving forward. According to Lieutenant General Abdul Amir Rasheed Jarallah, the deputy-commander for the Joint Operations, the ninth division has entered Judaydat al-Mufti, a neighbourhood located south of Gogjali. It is the first time in two years that a regular force has crossed the border of the Islamic State's (IS) de facto Iraqi capital. However, it is unlikely that this battle could represent an early end to the offensive: there are still many villages located on the belt surrounding Mosul which need to be reconquered and secured, especially on the northern side. But the possibility of conquering and securing even a small portion of the city represents a major success in the offensive to drive IS out of Mosul. The Iraqi army will have the possibility to launch regular raids to weaken and test the enemy’s line of defence and to intercept their communications, opening an entire new phase of the offensive based on urban-style guerrilla combat. The offensive proceeds as scheduled and the plan to choke the city from several areas is taking place. Mosul is also under attack from the western front, where several militias, predominantly Shiite, launched an offensive to reconquer the town of Tal Afar. Meanwhile, Turkey is deploying a significant number of soldiers and tanks in the town of Silopi, near the Iraqi border. Turkish defence minister Fikri Isik declared that his country has the right to act in order to protect its citizens from terrorism, and that they have no “obligation” to wait behind its borders while threats increase. A war with parallel wars It seems, though, that Isik's main concern is not the Islamic State but the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Shia militias based west of Mosul, both perceived as threats to the ethnic Sunni Turkmen population living in the area. Turkish President Erdogan declared on Saturday that Ankara will have a “different response” in case Shiite militias would “cause terror” in Tal Afar. Erdogan’s fears are not unfounded: the NGO Human Rights Watch documented and reported the many abuses perpetrated by Shia militias against Sunni civilians in recent operations, especially the ones to reconquer the city of Fallujah. Defending human rights is not the only variable. Many Shia militias are under direct Iranian influence, and by tackling them Turkey is also tackling Tehran's willingness to extend its area of influence beyond its western borders. The PKK, a socialist organisation classified as terrorists by Turkey, has a significant presence in the western Iraqi constituency of Sinjar, a mainly Yazidi town which their guerrilla soldiers contributed to reconquer from Islamic State in 2015. The PKK guerrillas have also participated in the operation to defeat the Islamic State commando who attacked the city of Kirkuk one week ago, and are willing to take part in the Mosul offensive. This could earn further political legitimacy to an organisation with whom Turkey fought a three-decade separatist insurgency, an eventuality Ankara would certainly not permit. The situation between the PKK and Turkey is currently at its lowest. After the July coup, Ankara gave new lifeline to its attacks against the organisation and are generally against the Kurds living on its soil; many government employees hit by the purge were Kurdish. Ankara is also constantly bombing the Qandil mountains in Iraq. Kurdistan, where the organisation has its headquarters as well as many cities in southeast Turkey, is traditionally a PKK controlled area. For the last three weeks the Turkish presence on Iraqi soil has been the object of a dispute with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Habadi, who has repeatedly asked Turkey not to deploy its troops during the Mosul offensive. Ankara did not follow this request since Turkish tanks have been deployed on the frontline during the offensive against Bashiqa, on the eastern front. The offensive to reconquer Mosul is not only a matter of national Iraqi interest, but also a war made of parallel wars where two major regional players, Iran and Turkey, are trying to expand their influence. (WION)

Iraqi forces gain foothold in Mosul's eastern outskirt

Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday (Dec 21) said that the possibility of reaching a ceasefire deal with Israel is "closer than ever" if the enemy stops setting new conditions.&nbsp;

The delegation of leaders from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine met on Friday in Cairo to discuss the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal.&nbsp;

All these three groups have been holding hostages throughout Gaza.&nbsp;

The Hamas statement read that the factions "stressed everyone's keenness to stop the aggression against our people", apparently referring to its demand for a permanent ceasefire.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/idf-destroyed-gaza-tunnel-hamas-used-to-attack-soldiers-784724">Also read:&nbsp;Hamas concerned Trump would allow Israel to resume Gaza war after first phase of ceasefire: Report</a>

The key area of disagreement in the talks is the nature of the ceasefire deal, with Hamas demanding a permanent end to the fighting, while Israel is seeking a temporary pause during which some of the hostages would be released followed by a resumption of its fighting.&nbsp;

This has been demanded in order to finish demolishing the Palestinian group's military and governing capabilities, an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel.&nbsp;

Israel has sought an agreement that "ends the military operation". Meanwhile, Hamas is insisting that the text states that the ceasefire will "end the war".&nbsp;

The statement further read that all the sides appreciated the Egyptian effort to strike a reconciliation deal between the various Palestinian factions.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Israel-Hamas War: 34 Hostages Could Be Released In First Phase, Says Hamas Official

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/israel-hamas-war-34-hostages-could-be-released-in-first-phase-says-hamas-official-785234/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The delegation is scheduled to hold another meeting as soon as possible.&nbsp;

Earlier this week, Hamas said that talks in Qatar's Doha aimed at a truce and hostage-prisoner exchange in Gaza were "serious and positive."

Israel and Hamas have been fighting a war in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. Since the Gaza war began, Qatar, along with the United States (US) and Egypt, has been working for months to secure a truce and hostage release deal.

Disclaimer: WION takes the utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and non-state actors like the Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)

According to reports, 13 arrest warrants were issued for journalists and executives from the daily

Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday (Dec 21) said that the possibility of reaching a ceasefire deal with Israel is "closer than ever" if the enemy stops setting new conditions. The delegation of leaders from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine met on Friday in Cairo to discuss the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal. All these three groups have been holding hostages throughout Gaza. The Hamas statement read that the factions "stressed everyone's keenness to stop the aggression against our people", apparently referring to its demand for a permanent ceasefire. Also read: Hamas concerned Trump would allow Israel to resume Gaza war after first phase of ceasefire: Report The key area of disagreement in the talks is the nature of the ceasefire deal, with Hamas demanding a permanent end to the fighting, while Israel is seeking a temporary pause during which some of the hostages would be released followed by a resumption of its fighting. This has been demanded in order to finish demolishing the Palestinian group's military and governing capabilities, an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel. Israel has sought an agreement that "ends the military operation". Meanwhile, Hamas is insisting that the text states that the ceasefire will "end the war". The statement further read that all the sides appreciated the Egyptian effort to strike a reconciliation deal between the various Palestinian factions. Watch | Israel-Hamas War: 34 Hostages Could Be Released In First Phase, Says Hamas Official × The delegation is scheduled to hold another meeting as soon as possible. Earlier this week, Hamas said that talks in Qatar's Doha aimed at a truce and hostage-prisoner exchange in Gaza were "serious and positive." Israel and Hamas have been fighting a war in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. Since the Gaza war began, Qatar, along with the United States (US) and Egypt, has been working for months to secure a truce and hostage release deal. Disclaimer: WION takes the utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and non-state actors like the Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos. (With inputs from agencies)

Turkey: Opposition newspaper editor detained

The Mosul offensive, arguably one of the most important military attacks in the past five years in Western Asia, is approaching. It is most likely only&nbsp;days before the Iraqi Prime Minister orders its forces to advance towards the de facto capital of the Islamic State in Iraq. Everything seems to be ready and coordinated except one thing: the role of Turkey.&nbsp;

Turkey&#39;s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is willing to deploy&nbsp;troops to&nbsp;attack&nbsp;Mosul, whatever the cost. Iraqi&nbsp;Prime Minister&nbsp;Haider al-Habadi, who is also the Iraqi army&#39;s commander-in-chief, does not share the same idea. Recently, he&nbsp;defined Turkish troops as an &ldquo;occupying force&rdquo;. Tones of the dispute are heated.&nbsp;Erdogan, speaking at&nbsp;the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul, told the Iraqi Prime Minister,&nbsp;&ldquo;know your place&rdquo; and &ldquo;you are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level&rdquo;. The two countries have withdrawn their respective ambassadors for consultation.

Ankara&rsquo;s military presence does not come out of the blue.&nbsp;Turkish forces have been located in Iraqi Kurdistan&nbsp;on the basis of an agreement with Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani. In the past few years, Barzani&nbsp;has become&nbsp;the main interlocutor and advocate of a Turkish presence in the region, especially due to the volume of investments Ankara is undertaking in the territories he administers. 
&nbsp; 
Erdogan considers the right to participate in the battle of Mosul as the natural right of Turkey to fight against the Islamic State, but this seems&nbsp;more of a pretext for a renewed activism of the Turkish President, who aims to become a major power,&nbsp;if not the major power,&nbsp;in Western Asia.

After the failed coup, Erdogan needs&nbsp;to project an image of strength in order to stabilise his position both on the national and international stage. It is no secret that the purges against more than 100,000 workers&nbsp;have contributed in worsening Turkey&rsquo;s international reputation.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Erdogan, speaking at&nbsp;the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul, told the Iraqi Prime Minister,&nbsp;&ldquo;know your place&rdquo; and &ldquo;you are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level&rdquo;.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Erdogan, speaking at?the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul, told the Iraqi Prime Minister,??know your place? and ?you are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level?. " target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&nbsp;

Repression has been particularly tough in Turkey&rsquo;s south-east&nbsp;where a majority of Kurds live.&nbsp;The iron-fist&nbsp;Erdogan is showing the Iraqi Prime Minister is part of a series of Turkish aggressive initiatives, starting&nbsp;with the purge.

A month after the coup, Turkey launched operation Euphrates Shield in order to secure the last 95 kilometres&nbsp;of Syrian border under Islamic State control, an action which was presented as a major success. Too few asked themselves what took so long to secure such a small area which was commonly known as the &ldquo;terror corridor&rdquo; and from which foreign fighters, supplies, oil and ammunitions kept going and coming from IS territories.

Erdogan&rsquo;s offensive began soon after the Kurdish militias, known as the People&rsquo;s Protection Units (YPG), crossed the western banks of the Euphrates river, the red line Ankara established for them. That very segment of border&nbsp;divides the Kurdish-controlled region of Rojava in north Syria and the Kurdish-controlled area of Afrin, in north-west Syria. Turkey wanted to&nbsp;secure&nbsp;it&nbsp;to avoid an autonomous Kurdish area right across the border, and President Erdogan made it clear then that the war will not end until every terrorist organisation, including the YPG and the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), is defeated. Turkey&nbsp;directly links the YPG with the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), an organisation they classify as terrorists, against&nbsp;whom they fought a three-decade guerrilla war.

Soon after the operation, Turkish forces and Turkish-backed&nbsp;rebels of the undefined Islamist assortment under the name of Free Syrian Army, started fighting against the Kurds, forcing them to retreat.

This created diplomatic problems with the Department of State, which was a direct ally of the Syrian Kurds, with whom they liberated a significant part of Northern Syria and important cities like Kobane and Manbij from the IS.

The situation paved the way for Russia that is also using the Syrian civil war to renew its presence in Western Asia. During their last meeting in Istanbul on October 10, Russia&rsquo;s President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Erdogan agreed to normalise relations, which became tense after the Turkish forces shot down a Russian jet in November 2015. They signed an agreement to build two gas pipelines&nbsp;and other trade agreements which will help Russia to overcome the EU sanctions.

Another reason for Turkey to insist on keeping their troops in Iraqi Kurdistan is the presence of the PKK in the Qandil mountains. Turkey&#39;s&nbsp;air force is constantly bombing the area behind the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, close to the Iranian border, where the PKK has its headquarters. Airstrikes were registered less than three days ago.&nbsp;

The conflict between Ankara and the Kurdish Workers&#39; Party is another phenomenon the Iraqi Prime Minister wants to eradicate from his territory, and an additional reason to ask Ankara to withdraw its troops. Al-Habadi declared at the end of September that &ldquo;Iraq is not a place for the PKK and Turkey&rsquo;s struggle&rdquo;.

Deteriorating relations between Turkey and the Iraqi central government could result&nbsp;in the delaying of the Mosul offensive which is a symbol of the war against Islamic State in Syria in Iraq. A highly fragmented conflict, made of wars-within-the-wars where regional powers, ethnic groups and political parties use the fight against the Islamic State as a pretext to increase their military presence and areas of influence on the ground.&nbsp;

(WION)

While an international coalition prepares to attack IS's Iraqi base, Mosul, Turkey's diplomatic fight with Iraq could delay things

The Mosul offensive, arguably one of the most important military attacks in the past five years in Western Asia, is approaching. It is most likely only days before the Iraqi Prime Minister orders its forces to advance towards the de facto capital of the Islamic State in Iraq. Everything seems to be ready and coordinated except one thing: the role of Turkey. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is willing to deploy troops to attack Mosul, whatever the cost. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Habadi, who is also the Iraqi army's commander-in-chief, does not share the same idea. Recently, he defined Turkish troops as an “occupying force”. Tones of the dispute are heated. Erdogan, speaking at the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul, told the Iraqi Prime Minister, “know your place” and “you are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level”. The two countries have withdrawn their respective ambassadors for consultation. Ankara’s military presence does not come out of the blue. Turkish forces have been located in Iraqi Kurdistan on the basis of an agreement with Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani. In the past few years, Barzani has become the main interlocutor and advocate of a Turkish presence in the region, especially due to the volume of investments Ankara is undertaking in the territories he administers. Erdogan considers the right to participate in the battle of Mosul as the natural right of Turkey to fight against the Islamic State, but this seems more of a pretext for a renewed activism of the Turkish President, who aims to become a major power, if not the major power, in Western Asia. After the failed coup, Erdogan needs to project an image of strength in order to stabilise his position both on the national and international stage. It is no secret that the purges against more than 100,000 workers have contributed in worsening Turkey’s international reputation. Erdogan, speaking at the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council in Istanbul, told the Iraqi Prime Minister, “know your place” and “you are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level”. × Repression has been particularly tough in Turkey’s south-east where a majority of Kurds live. The iron-fist Erdogan is showing the Iraqi Prime Minister is part of a series of Turkish aggressive initiatives, starting with the purge. A month after the coup, Turkey launched operation Euphrates Shield in order to secure the last 95 kilometres of Syrian border under Islamic State control, an action which was presented as a major success. Too few asked themselves what took so long to secure such a small area which was commonly known as the “terror corridor” and from which foreign fighters, supplies, oil and ammunitions kept going and coming from IS territories. Erdogan’s offensive began soon after the Kurdish militias, known as the People’s Protection Units (YPG), crossed the western banks of the Euphrates river, the red line Ankara established for them. That very segment of border divides the Kurdish-controlled region of Rojava in north Syria and the Kurdish-controlled area of Afrin, in north-west Syria. Turkey wanted to secure it to avoid an autonomous Kurdish area right across the border, and President Erdogan made it clear then that the war will not end until every terrorist organisation, including the YPG and the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), is defeated. Turkey directly links the YPG with the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), an organisation they classify as terrorists, against whom they fought a three-decade guerrilla war. Soon after the operation, Turkish forces and Turkish-backed rebels of the undefined Islamist assortment under the name of Free Syrian Army, started fighting against the Kurds, forcing them to retreat. This created diplomatic problems with the Department of State, which was a direct ally of the Syrian Kurds, with whom they liberated a significant part of Northern Syria and important cities like Kobane and Manbij from the IS. The situation paved the way for Russia that is also using the Syrian civil war to renew its presence in Western Asia. During their last meeting in Istanbul on October 10, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Erdogan agreed to normalise relations, which became tense after the Turkish forces shot down a Russian jet in November 2015. They signed an agreement to build two gas pipelines and other trade agreements which will help Russia to overcome the EU sanctions. Another reason for Turkey to insist on keeping their troops in Iraqi Kurdistan is the presence of the PKK in the Qandil mountains. Turkey's air force is constantly bombing the area behind the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, close to the Iranian border, where the PKK has its headquarters. Airstrikes were registered less than three days ago. The conflict between Ankara and the Kurdish Workers' Party is another phenomenon the Iraqi Prime Minister wants to eradicate from his territory, and an additional reason to ask Ankara to withdraw its troops. Al-Habadi declared at the end of September that “Iraq is not a place for the PKK and Turkey’s struggle”. Deteriorating relations between Turkey and the Iraqi central government could result in the delaying of the Mosul offensive which is a symbol of the war against Islamic State in Syria in Iraq. A highly fragmented conflict, made of wars-within-the-wars where regional powers, ethnic groups and political parties use the fight against the Islamic State as a pretext to increase their military presence and areas of influence on the ground. (WION)

Turkey's parallel war in Iraq and Syria

Eighteen people were killed on Sunday when a van loaded with five tonnes of explosives blew up in Turkey&rsquo;s restive southeast, the prime minister said, in an attack blamed on Kurdish militants, AFP reported.

10 soldiers and eight civilians were killed in the bombing that is one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in Turkey since the failed coup attempt of July 15.

&quot;The attack was perpetrated by a suicide bomber who detonated a van (packed) with five tonnes of explosives,&quot; Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a news conference in Istanbul, AFP reported.

 
A security post in the Hakkari province was targeted in the attack when security personnel were searching vehicles in Semdinli district, the official news agency Anadolu said. 
&nbsp;

The Hakkari governor said in a statement that a vehicle refused to stop as it approached the &nbsp;checkpoint, resulting in soldiers responding with gunfire. 
&nbsp;

Militants then started shooting, the governor&rsquo;s office said, quoted by Dogan news agency.

27 people were injured in the blast caused by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&rsquo; Party (PKK), Erdogan said in a written statement.

Soon after the attack, which Anadolu said left a seven-metre deep hole in the road, the military began a large-scale air operation which the governor&rsquo;s office said was launched to &quot;neutralise&quot; PKK militants.

Commando units on the ground were continuing to search for PKK fighters.

The White House also condemned &quot;in the strongest terms the deadly terrorist attack today against a military checkpoint in southeastern Turkey that left many dead, including civilians, and scores more wounded.&quot;, AFP reported.

&quot;We remain steadfast in our support for our NATO ally, Turkey, and reaffirm our commitment to continue working together to defeat all forms of terrorism,&quot; Ned Price, the White House National Security Council spokesman said, AFP reported.

The bombing comes only a day after two suspects believed to have been preparing a car bomb attack blew themselves up on the outskirts of Ankara when police ordered them to surrender.

Turkish officials told AFP they believed the pair were linked to the PKK.

 
&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The vehicle was loaded with five tonnes of explosives, Kurdish militants are being blamed for the attack

Eighteen people were killed on Sunday when a van loaded with five tonnes of explosives blew up in Turkey’s restive southeast, the prime minister said, in an attack blamed on Kurdish militants, AFP reported. 10 soldiers and eight civilians were killed in the bombing that is one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in Turkey since the failed coup attempt of July 15. "The attack was perpetrated by a suicide bomber who detonated a van (packed) with five tonnes of explosives," Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a news conference in Istanbul, AFP reported. A security post in the Hakkari province was targeted in the attack when security personnel were searching vehicles in Semdinli district, the official news agency Anadolu said. The Hakkari governor said in a statement that a vehicle refused to stop as it approached the checkpoint, resulting in soldiers responding with gunfire. Militants then started shooting, the governor’s office said, quoted by Dogan news agency. 27 people were injured in the blast caused by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Erdogan said in a written statement. Soon after the attack, which Anadolu said left a seven-metre deep hole in the road, the military began a large-scale air operation which the governor’s office said was launched to "neutralise" PKK militants. Commando units on the ground were continuing to search for PKK fighters. The White House also condemned "in the strongest terms the deadly terrorist attack today against a military checkpoint in southeastern Turkey that left many dead, including civilians, and scores more wounded.", AFP reported. "We remain steadfast in our support for our NATO ally, Turkey, and reaffirm our commitment to continue working together to defeat all forms of terrorism," Ned Price, the White House National Security Council spokesman said, AFP reported. The bombing comes only a day after two suspects believed to have been preparing a car bomb attack blew themselves up on the outskirts of Ankara when police ordered them to surrender. Turkish officials told AFP they believed the pair were linked to the PKK. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Car bomb attack at Turkish military checkpoint kills 18

Turkey issued detention warrants against 166 people, including police chiefs, for allegedly participating in the July coup, state-run Anadolu agency reported.&nbsp;

This was initially aimed at Istanbul police headquarters but later spread across 35 provinces.

Anadolu reported that people who used a smartphone application&nbsp;ByLock&nbsp;were targeted in the operation.

People close to Fethullah Gulen, who is believed to have masterminded the July coup to overthrow Turkish President Recep Erdogan, have been known to use the app since 2014, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

Turkish intelligence agency had identified at least 56,000 Gulen&#39;s operatives through ByLock, a senior official had said in August.&nbsp;

Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States, has&nbsp;denied any involvement.&nbsp;

Since then, at least 32,000 have been arrested and are pending trail and around 100,000 security officials, civil servants, university professors have been suspended or fired.

Critics are calling this a purge while NATO and European Union have raised concerns over innocent people getting punished.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

Police chiefs are among those who face detention for allegedly participating in the failed July coup, state-run Anadolu agency reported

Turkey issued detention warrants against 166 people, including police chiefs, for allegedly participating in the July coup, state-run Anadolu agency reported. This was initially aimed at Istanbul police headquarters but later spread across 35 provinces. Anadolu reported that people who used a smartphone application ByLock were targeted in the operation. People close to Fethullah Gulen, who is believed to have masterminded the July coup to overthrow Turkish President Recep Erdogan, have been known to use the app since 2014, Reuters reported. Turkish intelligence agency had identified at least 56,000 Gulen's operatives through ByLock, a senior official had said in August. Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States, has denied any involvement. Since then, at least 32,000 have been arrested and are pending trail and around 100,000 security officials, civil servants, university professors have been suspended or fired. Critics are calling this a purge while NATO and European Union have raised concerns over innocent people getting punished. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Turkey orders detention of 166 people on coup-related charges

Within 24 hours of being released, a prominent Turkish journalist and writer was detained by authorities on Thursday in connection with the July 15 coup bid.&nbsp; 
 
An arrest warrant was issued against Ahmet Altan, a day after he was released, &nbsp;news agency Dogan reported.&nbsp; 
 
Professor Mehmet Altan, Ahmet Altan&#39;s brother, was also arrested under the charges of &ldquo;attempting to remove the government or attempting to obstruct its work&quot; and &ldquo;being a member of the terrorist organisation&rdquo;, reported Turkish news agency Anadolu.&nbsp; 
 
The Altan brothers have contributed to Turkey&#39;s most popular dailies and written extensively on Turkish politics. They founded the opposition daily Taraf, a liberal newspaper of Turkey, which was shut down under statutory degree during the emergency imposed after the coup.&nbsp; 
 
In a talk show on a local TV channel just a day before the coup, the brother duo had passed messages signalling that the putsch was imminent, according to the state media.&nbsp; 
 
Gulen ties 
 
Altan brothers were first detained on September 10 and were accused of supporting the movement of United States-based cleric Fethullah Gulen whose group is accused of &nbsp;masterminding the failed coup.&nbsp; 
 
The broadcaster that aired the brothers&#39; talk show was also seen by authorities as pro-Gulen, according to media reports.&nbsp; 
 
Gulen, however, &nbsp;has denied any involvement and has condemened the putsch.&nbsp; 
 
Condemnation by rights groups 
 
Rights groups condemned the brothers&#39; detention and lashed out at the Turkish authorities for clamping down on freedom of speech, according to international news agency AFP.&nbsp; 
 
Nobel-winning Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk called the crackdown as being driven by &ldquo;ferocious hatred&rdquo; and was among renowned novelists like Salman Rushdie and JM Coetzee to have signed an open letter urging authorities to release the journalists.&nbsp; 
 
Turkey led a massive crackdown on media after the attempted coup, imprisoning hundreds of journalists and shutting down media outlets.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

Ahmet Altan was detained in less than 24 hours after he was released in connection with probe into the attempted putsch in July

Within 24 hours of being released, a prominent Turkish journalist and writer was detained by authorities on Thursday in connection with the July 15 coup bid. An arrest warrant was issued against Ahmet Altan, a day after he was released, news agency Dogan reported. Professor Mehmet Altan, Ahmet Altan's brother, was also arrested under the charges of “attempting to remove the government or attempting to obstruct its work" and “being a member of the terrorist organisation”, reported Turkish news agency Anadolu. The Altan brothers have contributed to Turkey's most popular dailies and written extensively on Turkish politics. They founded the opposition daily Taraf, a liberal newspaper of Turkey, which was shut down under statutory degree during the emergency imposed after the coup. In a talk show on a local TV channel just a day before the coup, the brother duo had passed messages signalling that the putsch was imminent, according to the state media. Gulen ties Altan brothers were first detained on September 10 and were accused of supporting the movement of United States-based cleric Fethullah Gulen whose group is accused of masterminding the failed coup. The broadcaster that aired the brothers' talk show was also seen by authorities as pro-Gulen, according to media reports. Gulen, however, has denied any involvement and has condemened the putsch. Condemnation by rights groups Rights groups condemned the brothers' detention and lashed out at the Turkish authorities for clamping down on freedom of speech, according to international news agency AFP. Nobel-winning Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk called the crackdown as being driven by “ferocious hatred” and was among renowned novelists like Salman Rushdie and JM Coetzee to have signed an open letter urging authorities to release the journalists. Turkey led a massive crackdown on media after the attempted coup, imprisoning hundreds of journalists and shutting down media outlets. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Turkey detains top journalist within 24 hours of release

Turkey on Sunday ousted 28 mayors for their alleged links to Kurdish militants and the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. They were replaced with state-appointed trustees. 
 
The mayors are suspected to have links with the Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK), blamed for the failed July 15 coup, an interior ministry statement said. 
 
The interior ministry said 24 of the 28 mayors are accused of links to the Kurdistan Workers Party, and four to Gulen.&nbsp; 
 
The move has been taken by new interior minister Suleyman Soylu, who took over from Efkan Ala in a reshuffle earlier this month. 
 
The mayors were elected in the 2014 local polls and the affected municipalities include Sur and Silvan in the Diyarbakir region and Nusaybin in the Mardin region. 
 
Twelve of the suspended mayors are already under arrest. 
 
The pro-Kurdish Peoples&#39; Democratic Party (HDP) denounced the reshuffle as a &quot;coup&quot;. 
 
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag accused the suspended mayors of funnelling revenues to &quot;terror&quot; groups. 
 
&quot;Being elected does not grant a right to commit a crime,&quot; he tweeted. 
 
(WION)

The interior ministry said 24 of the 28 mayors are accused of links to the Kurdistan Workers Party, and four to Gulen

Turkey on Sunday ousted 28 mayors for their alleged links to Kurdish militants and the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. They were replaced with state-appointed trustees. The mayors are suspected to have links with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), blamed for the failed July 15 coup, an interior ministry statement said. The interior ministry said 24 of the 28 mayors are accused of links to the Kurdistan Workers Party, and four to Gulen. The move has been taken by new interior minister Suleyman Soylu, who took over from Efkan Ala in a reshuffle earlier this month. The mayors were elected in the 2014 local polls and the affected municipalities include Sur and Silvan in the Diyarbakir region and Nusaybin in the Mardin region. Twelve of the suspended mayors are already under arrest. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) denounced the reshuffle as a "coup". Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag accused the suspended mayors of funnelling revenues to "terror" groups. "Being elected does not grant a right to commit a crime," he tweeted. (WION)

Turkey ousts 28 mayors over Gulen, Kurdish militia links

A series of bomb attacks rocked mostly Syrian government-controlled areas, leaving at least 48 people, Syrian media reported. 
 
The attacks come after Turkish forces and their allies in Syria ejected Islamic State from northern Syria. 
 
One of the bombings occurred in Tartus, a coastal city in Syria&nbsp;and also Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s stronghold. 
 
Islamic State claimed responsibility for a blast against a security post in Hasakeh. The handiwork of other bombings in Tartus, Homs city and an army checkpoint outside Damascus remains unknown.&nbsp; 
 
The&nbsp;Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, believed the attacks to be coordinated.&nbsp;

&quot;Clearly these attacks were simultaneous and they all targeted security posts,&quot; Rami Abdel Rahman, the Observatory director, told AFP. 
 
The deadliest attack occurred in Tartus, which left 30 dead and dozens injured. 
 
All the four blasts happened between 05:00 and 06:00 GMT. 
 
United States President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met to discuss the Syrian crisis in the G20 summit in China. 
 
Later, Obama called the talks &quot;productive&quot;, while Putin said the 90-minute discussion has led to some &quot;alignment&quot; on the issue. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

 
 
 
 
 
A string of bomb attacks hit across mostly government-controlled areas of&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;on Monday, killing several dozen people including at least 35 in President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s coastal stronghold of Tartus, state media said.

At least 48 people died in the multiple blasts, with dozens also wounded in the double bombing outside of Tartus city, which is home to a Russian naval base.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for one of the blasts, against a Kurdish security post in Hasakeh, but there were no immediate claims for the other attacks in Tartus, on government-held Homs city and at an army checkpoint on a road outside Damascus.

In Tartus, two blasts targeted the Arzuna bridge, &quot;the first a car bomb and the second a suicide bomber who detonated his explosive belt when people gathered to help the wounded,&quot; according to state television.

Quoting the head of Al-Bassel hospital in Tartus, the channel said 35 people had been killed and 43 others wounded in the attack.&nbsp;

Tartus has been largely spared the worst violence of&nbsp;Syria&#39;s conflict since it began with anti-government protests in March 2011.

It has become a refuge for many Syrians fleeing the fighting that has displaced more than half the country&#39;s population.

In&nbsp;the northeast of the country, at least eight people were killed by a bomber on a motorbike in the city of Hasakeh, which is mostly controlled by Kurdish forces, though the regime is also present.

Syrian state media said the dead were six members of the Asayesh security forces and two civilians.

IS claimed the attack in a statement circulated on social media.

Hasakeh city has been regularly targeted by IS, including in July when a motorcycle bomber killed at least 16 people outside a bakery in the city.

&nbsp;

<h2>- &#39;Coordinated attacks&#39; -</h2>

&nbsp;

Monday&#39;s bombings came after advances by Turkish forces and allied Syrian rebels expelled IS from the last stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border under their control.

The jihadist group has been losing ground to both an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters known as the Syrian Democratic Forces and, more recently, to a Turkish offensive involving rebels loyal to Ankara.

In central Homs city, state media said at least four people were killed in a car bomb at the entrance to Al-Zahraa, a neighbourhood whose residents mostly belong to the same Alawite sect as Assad.

Al-Zahraa has also been regularly targeted in attacks, including a devastating double bomb blast in February that killed 57 people and was claimed by IS.

State television broadcast images from the aftermath of the blast in Homs, showing rubble strewn on the streets and smoke rising from the charred remains of vehicles.

Another bomb attack was also reported on Al-Sabura road west of the capital Damascus, with state media saying one person had been killed and three wounded.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said that attack targeted a checkpoint and gave a toll of three dead.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the dead in both the Homs and Al-Sabura road attacks were government security forces manning checkpoints.

He said the blasts appeared to be coordinated.

&quot;Clearly these attacks were simultaneous and they all targeted security posts,&quot; he told AFP.

More than 290,000 people have been killed in&nbsp;Syria&nbsp;since its conflict erupted in March 2011, and millions displaced by the fighting.

Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack in Tartus, which is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's base

A series of bomb attacks rocked mostly Syrian government-controlled areas, leaving at least 48 people, Syrian media reported. The attacks come after Turkish forces and their allies in Syria ejected Islamic State from northern Syria. One of the bombings occurred in Tartus, a coastal city in Syria and also Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's stronghold. Islamic State claimed responsibility for a blast against a security post in Hasakeh. The handiwork of other bombings in Tartus, Homs city and an army checkpoint outside Damascus remains unknown. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, believed the attacks to be coordinated. "Clearly these attacks were simultaneous and they all targeted security posts," Rami Abdel Rahman, the Observatory director, told AFP. The deadliest attack occurred in Tartus, which left 30 dead and dozens injured. All the four blasts happened between 05:00 and 06:00 GMT. United States President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met to discuss the Syrian crisis in the G20 summit in China. Later, Obama called the talks "productive", while Putin said the 90-minute discussion has led to some "alignment" on the issue. (WION with inputs from agencies) A string of bomb attacks hit across mostly government-controlled areas of Syria on Monday, killing several dozen people including at least 35 in President Bashar al-Assad's coastal stronghold of Tartus, state media said. At least 48 people died in the multiple blasts, with dozens also wounded in the double bombing outside of Tartus city, which is home to a Russian naval base. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for one of the blasts, against a Kurdish security post in Hasakeh, but there were no immediate claims for the other attacks in Tartus, on government-held Homs city and at an army checkpoint on a road outside Damascus. In Tartus, two blasts targeted the Arzuna bridge, "the first a car bomb and the second a suicide bomber who detonated his explosive belt when people gathered to help the wounded," according to state television. Quoting the head of Al-Bassel hospital in Tartus, the channel said 35 people had been killed and 43 others wounded in the attack. Tartus has been largely spared the worst violence of Syria's conflict since it began with anti-government protests in March 2011. It has become a refuge for many Syrians fleeing the fighting that has displaced more than half the country's population. In the northeast of the country, at least eight people were killed by a bomber on a motorbike in the city of Hasakeh, which is mostly controlled by Kurdish forces, though the regime is also present. Syrian state media said the dead were six members of the Asayesh security forces and two civilians. IS claimed the attack in a statement circulated on social media. Hasakeh city has been regularly targeted by IS, including in July when a motorcycle bomber killed at least 16 people outside a bakery in the city. - 'Coordinated attacks' - Monday's bombings came after advances by Turkish forces and allied Syrian rebels expelled IS from the last stretch of the Syrian-Turkish border under their control. The jihadist group has been losing ground to both an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters known as the Syrian Democratic Forces and, more recently, to a Turkish offensive involving rebels loyal to Ankara. In central Homs city, state media said at least four people were killed in a car bomb at the entrance to Al-Zahraa, a neighbourhood whose residents mostly belong to the same Alawite sect as Assad. Al-Zahraa has also been regularly targeted in attacks, including a devastating double bomb blast in February that killed 57 people and was claimed by IS. State television broadcast images from the aftermath of the blast in Homs, showing rubble strewn on the streets and smoke rising from the charred remains of vehicles. Another bomb attack was also reported on Al-Sabura road west of the capital Damascus, with state media saying one person had been killed and three wounded. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said that attack targeted a checkpoint and gave a toll of three dead. Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the dead in both the Homs and Al-Sabura road attacks were government security forces manning checkpoints. He said the blasts appeared to be coordinated. "Clearly these attacks were simultaneous and they all targeted security posts," he told AFP. More than 290,000 people have been killed in Syria since its conflict erupted in March 2011, and millions displaced by the fighting.

Multiple bombings leave at least 48 dead in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed claims that a US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia has retreated east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria following Turkish strikes against the group. 
 
&quot;Right now, people say they have gone to the east but we say no, they haven&#39;t crossed,&quot; he said during a speech in Ankara. 
 
A US defence official had told AFP on Monday that &quot;all&quot; Kurdish forces had moved east of the Euphrates. 
 
Erdogan said that Ankara would be aware if the militia had retreated. 
 
Turkey had warned that it would continue bombarding the Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG) militia, which Ankara sees as a terror organisation linked to separatist rebels, unless they moved east. 
 
Ankara&#39;s operation against the YPG is to prevent the militia joiningup with a Kurdish-held area to the west of the Euphrates. 
 
&quot;No one can expect us to permit a terror corridor to be created. We will not allow it,&quot; the president added, referring to a desire by Syrian Kurdish groups to unite the three &quot;cantons&quot; already in place in northern Syria. 
 
Ankara on Thursday announced that it had cleared dozens of villages of &quot;terrorists&quot; after claiming the key border town of Jarabulus without much resistance on the first day of the offensive on August 24. 
 
During the operation, dubbed &quot;Euphrates Shield&quot;, Turkey has also carried out strikes against the YPG. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

A US defence official had said on Monday that 'all' Kurdish forces had moved east of the Euphrates.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed claims that a US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia has retreated east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria following Turkish strikes against the group. "Right now, people say they have gone to the east but we say no, they haven't crossed," he said during a speech in Ankara. A US defence official had told AFP on Monday that "all" Kurdish forces had moved east of the Euphrates. Erdogan said that Ankara would be aware if the militia had retreated. Turkey had warned that it would continue bombarding the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, which Ankara sees as a terror organisation linked to separatist rebels, unless they moved east. Ankara's operation against the YPG is to prevent the militia joiningup with a Kurdish-held area to the west of the Euphrates. "No one can expect us to permit a terror corridor to be created. We will not allow it," the president added, referring to a desire by Syrian Kurdish groups to unite the three "cantons" already in place in northern Syria. Ankara on Thursday announced that it had cleared dozens of villages of "terrorists" after claiming the key border town of Jarabulus without much resistance on the first day of the offensive on August 24. During the operation, dubbed "Euphrates Shield", Turkey has also carried out strikes against the YPG. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Erdogan rejects claims US-backed Kurds have retreated

Turkey dismissed nearly 8,000 security personnel from duty on Thursday, state media reported, as crackdowns on those suspected of links to the failed July coup continued.
State media reports said a total of 7,669 police were removed along with 323 personnel in the gendarmerie, responsible for domestic security. 
 
Ankara has accused US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his Hizmet (service) movement for plotting and organising the failed coup, which left 240 dead excluding 24 coup plotters. 
 
He is also accused of running a &quot;parallel state&quot; and his followers of infiltrating state institutions. 
 
Gulen strongly denies all accusations. 
 
The latest purge was not just limited to the security forces. 
 
According to the official gazette, about 520 people were removed from the religious affairs directorate. 
 
On Thursday, 543 prosecutors and judges were dismissed, bringing the total of those removed from the judiciary to 3,390, NTV channel reported. 
 
The gazette has decreed that any judge or prosecutor who voluntarily retired could apply to return within the next two months. 
 
A total of 4,451 military personnel has been dismissed since July including 151 generals and admirals. 
 
Nearly 80,000 civil servants have been suspended, he said, while around 5,000 have been dismissed. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

A total of 4,451 military personnel have been dismissed since July including 151 generals and admirals

Turkey dismissed nearly 8,000 security personnel from duty on Thursday, state media reported, as crackdowns on those suspected of links to the failed July coup continued. State media reports said a total of 7,669 police were removed along with 323 personnel in the gendarmerie, responsible for domestic security. Ankara has accused US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his Hizmet (service) movement for plotting and organising the failed coup, which left 240 dead excluding 24 coup plotters. He is also accused of running a "parallel state" and his followers of infiltrating state institutions. Gulen strongly denies all accusations. The latest purge was not just limited to the security forces. According to the official gazette, about 520 people were removed from the religious affairs directorate. On Thursday, 543 prosecutors and judges were dismissed, bringing the total of those removed from the judiciary to 3,390, NTV channel reported. The gazette has decreed that any judge or prosecutor who voluntarily retired could apply to return within the next two months. A total of 4,451 military personnel has been dismissed since July including 151 generals and admirals. Nearly 80,000 civil servants have been suspended, he said, while around 5,000 have been dismissed. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Action against alleged Turkey coup plotters continues, 8,000 security personnel removed

Turkey warned Monday it would carry out more strikes on a US-backed Kurdish militia in Syria if it fails to retreat, as Washington said President Barack Obama will meet his Turkish counterpart over the weekend. 
 
Turkish forces pressed on with a two-pronged operation inside Syria against Islamic State (IS) jihadists and the Syrian Kurdish People&#39;s Protection Units (YPG), shelling over a dozen targets. 
 
The strikes against the YPG are hugely sensitive as the outfit -- seen as a terror group by Ankara -- is allied with Turkey&#39;s NATO partner the United States in the fight against IS in Syria. 
 
Ankara has said it killed 25 Kurdish &quot;terrorists&quot; in strikes on YPG positions on Sunday -- meaning the two US-backed partner forces are now fighting each other. 
 
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the clashes were &quot;unacceptable and a source of deep concern.&quot; 
 
He called for steps to de-escalate the situation and said Washington had once again told the YPG to retreat east of the Euphrates. This has &quot;largely occurred,&quot; he added. 
 
US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter later said he had appealed to both sides not to fight. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s the basis of our cooperation with both of them -- specifically not to engage one another,&quot; Carter said. 
 
Two US defense officials told AFP that SDF forces had &quot;all&quot; withdrawn east of the Euphrates, but they said some Kurdish people remained to the west. 
 
Turkey&#39;s operation aims to push the YPG back across the Euphrates to prevent it joining up a region east of the river already under its control with a Kurdish-held area to the west.
<h2>&#39;Ethnic cleansing&#39;</h2>
Ankara fears the emergence of an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria would bolster Kurdish rebels across the border in southeastern Turkey. 
 
The situation in northern Syria is yet another complication in the country&#39;s already tangled civil war, and potentially throws a wrench in US plans to defeat the Islamic State group in the region. 
 
US Vice President Joe Biden said last week that Washington had ordered the YPG to retreat or risk losing American support. But Ankara says it had seen no evidence of this. 
 
President Obama will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday in China on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit, with Syria high on the agenda, top aide Ben Rhodes announced Monday, stressing the need &quot;to stay united.&quot; 
 
It will be the first meeting between the two leaders since a failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15. 
 
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the Kurdish militia of &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot; in the mainly Arab area around the city of Manbij, west of the Euphrates, which the YPG wrested from IS earlier this month. 
 
Turkey considers the YPG an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a deadly insurgency on Turkish territory for over three decades. 
 
On Monday, the Turkish air force launched air strikes on PKK bases in northern Iraq, state media said.
<h2>&#39;Deep concern&#39;</h2>
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 40 civilians were killed in Turkish shelling and air strikes on pro-Kurdish positions in northern Syria on Sunday. 
 
Ankara strongly denies killing any civilians. 
 
The army said 10 more villages had &quot;been cleared of terrorist elements&quot; Monday by Turkish-backed anti-regime Syrian fighters. 
 
A 400-square-kilometre (154-square-mile) area has been cleared since the operation began on August 24, it added. 
 
President Erdogan said in a statement the offensive would continue until &quot;the threat of Daesh and YPG/PKK is over.&quot; Daesh is an acronym for IS. 
 
On Monday, at least five people were injured in the Turkish town of Kilis by rockets fired across the border from an IS-held area, NTV television reported. The army returned fire, the report said. 
 
Ankara-backed forces faced little resistance when they captured the IS border stronghold of Jarabulus last week, days after a suspected IS suicide bombing killed 55 people in southeast Turkey. 
 
But the standoff with the Kurdish militia has been intense, with a Turkish soldier killed on Saturday in a YPG rocket attack on his tank.
<h2> 
&#39;Turkey&#39;s crimes against humanity&#39;&nbsp;</h2>
The Turkish army said it had fired 61 times on targets in northern Syria in the previous 24 hours. It did not say which group was targeted. 
 
Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said all relevant parties had been forewarned of Turkey&#39;s operation in Syria, including the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, a bitter enemy of Ankara who had been informed by its ally Russia. 
 
Syria&#39;s official Sana agency said Damascus had written to the UN Security Council to protest Turkey&#39;s &quot;crimes against humanity&quot; in the country. 
 
(AFP)

Strikes against YPG are sensitive as the outfit is allied with Turkey's NATO partner, the United States, in its fight against IS in Syria

Turkey warned Monday it would carry out more strikes on a US-backed Kurdish militia in Syria if it fails to retreat, as Washington said President Barack Obama will meet his Turkish counterpart over the weekend. Turkish forces pressed on with a two-pronged operation inside Syria against Islamic State (IS) jihadists and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), shelling over a dozen targets. The strikes against the YPG are hugely sensitive as the outfit -- seen as a terror group by Ankara -- is allied with Turkey's NATO partner the United States in the fight against IS in Syria. Ankara has said it killed 25 Kurdish "terrorists" in strikes on YPG positions on Sunday -- meaning the two US-backed partner forces are now fighting each other. Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the clashes were "unacceptable and a source of deep concern." He called for steps to de-escalate the situation and said Washington had once again told the YPG to retreat east of the Euphrates. This has "largely occurred," he added. US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter later said he had appealed to both sides not to fight. "That's the basis of our cooperation with both of them -- specifically not to engage one another," Carter said. Two US defense officials told AFP that SDF forces had "all" withdrawn east of the Euphrates, but they said some Kurdish people remained to the west. Turkey's operation aims to push the YPG back across the Euphrates to prevent it joining up a region east of the river already under its control with a Kurdish-held area to the west. 'Ethnic cleansing' Ankara fears the emergence of an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria would bolster Kurdish rebels across the border in southeastern Turkey. The situation in northern Syria is yet another complication in the country's already tangled civil war, and potentially throws a wrench in US plans to defeat the Islamic State group in the region. US Vice President Joe Biden said last week that Washington had ordered the YPG to retreat or risk losing American support. But Ankara says it had seen no evidence of this. President Obama will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday in China on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit, with Syria high on the agenda, top aide Ben Rhodes announced Monday, stressing the need "to stay united." It will be the first meeting between the two leaders since a failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the Kurdish militia of "ethnic cleansing" in the mainly Arab area around the city of Manbij, west of the Euphrates, which the YPG wrested from IS earlier this month. Turkey considers the YPG an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a deadly insurgency on Turkish territory for over three decades. On Monday, the Turkish air force launched air strikes on PKK bases in northern Iraq, state media said. 'Deep concern' The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 40 civilians were killed in Turkish shelling and air strikes on pro-Kurdish positions in northern Syria on Sunday. Ankara strongly denies killing any civilians. The army said 10 more villages had "been cleared of terrorist elements" Monday by Turkish-backed anti-regime Syrian fighters. A 400-square-kilometre (154-square-mile) area has been cleared since the operation began on August 24, it added. President Erdogan said in a statement the offensive would continue until "the threat of Daesh and YPG/PKK is over." Daesh is an acronym for IS. On Monday, at least five people were injured in the Turkish town of Kilis by rockets fired across the border from an IS-held area, NTV television reported. The army returned fire, the report said. Ankara-backed forces faced little resistance when they captured the IS border stronghold of Jarabulus last week, days after a suspected IS suicide bombing killed 55 people in southeast Turkey. But the standoff with the Kurdish militia has been intense, with a Turkish soldier killed on Saturday in a YPG rocket attack on his tank. 'Turkey's crimes against humanity' The Turkish army said it had fired 61 times on targets in northern Syria in the previous 24 hours. It did not say which group was targeted. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said all relevant parties had been forewarned of Turkey's operation in Syria, including the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, a bitter enemy of Ankara who had been informed by its ally Russia. Syria's official Sana agency said Damascus had written to the UN Security Council to protest Turkey's "crimes against humanity" in the country. (AFP)

Turkey warns Syrian Kurd militia of more strikes

Around 35 civilians were killed as Turkish warplanes and artillery struck areas held by Kurdish YPG (people protection units) militia in north Syria on Sunday, said reports. 
 
Turkey is involved in a cross-border campaign launched last week with its Syrian rebel allies and says that its campaign is against the Islamic State while attempting to stop Kurdish forces from extending their control in other territories. 
 
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday that Turkish warplanes had struck areas north of Manbij, a city south of Jarablus captured by Kurdish-aligned Syrian Democratic Forces this month in a US-backed operation. 
 
&nbsp;25 Kurdish militants were killed in its air strikes.&nbsp; 
 
Turkish officials say their goal in Syria is as much about ensuring Kurdish forces do not expand the territory they already control along Turkey&#39;s border as it is about driving Islamic State from its strongholds. 
 
The Observatory, a Britain-based monitoring group with a network of sources in Syria, said Turkish-allied forces had seized at least two villages south of Jarablus, Jub al-Kousa and al-Amarna, that were held by militias loyal to the SDF. 
 
The fighting killed 20 civilians in Jub al-Kousa and 15 in al-Amarna, while scores more were wounded, the group said. 
 
Ankara wants to stop Kurdish forces gaining control of an unbroken swathe of Syrian territory on Turkey&#39;s frontier, which it fears could embolden the Kurdish PKK militant group that has waged a three-decade insurgency in Turkey. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Turkey last week launched a cross-border campaign with its Syrian rebel allies against the Islamic State

Around 35 civilians were killed as Turkish warplanes and artillery struck areas held by Kurdish YPG (people protection units) militia in north Syria on Sunday, said reports. Turkey is involved in a cross-border campaign launched last week with its Syrian rebel allies and says that its campaign is against the Islamic State while attempting to stop Kurdish forces from extending their control in other territories. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday that Turkish warplanes had struck areas north of Manbij, a city south of Jarablus captured by Kurdish-aligned Syrian Democratic Forces this month in a US-backed operation. 25 Kurdish militants were killed in its air strikes. Turkish officials say their goal in Syria is as much about ensuring Kurdish forces do not expand the territory they already control along Turkey's border as it is about driving Islamic State from its strongholds. The Observatory, a Britain-based monitoring group with a network of sources in Syria, said Turkish-allied forces had seized at least two villages south of Jarablus, Jub al-Kousa and al-Amarna, that were held by militias loyal to the SDF. The fighting killed 20 civilians in Jub al-Kousa and 15 in al-Amarna, while scores more were wounded, the group said. Ankara wants to stop Kurdish forces gaining control of an unbroken swathe of Syrian territory on Turkey's frontier, which it fears could embolden the Kurdish PKK militant group that has waged a three-decade insurgency in Turkey. (WION with inputs from agencies)

At least 35 civilians killed as Turkish warplanes hit north Syria

Turkey on Saturday sent six more tanks into Syria as pro-Ankara forces pressed on with de-mining work in a town captured from Islamic State (IS) jihadists this week, an AFP correspondent said. 
 
The Turkish military on Wednesday launched an operation codenamed &quot;Euphrates Shield&quot; inside Syria to oust IS from the border region and also counter advances by a Kurdish militia detested by Ankara. 
 
An AFP photographer in the village of Karkamis on the Turkish side of the border watched six Turkish tanks roll over the frontier into Syria on Saturday. 
 
The Hurriyet daily had reported earlier that the Turkish armed forces had 50 tanks and 380 personnel on the ground in Syria after three days of operations. 
 
Turkish troops are supporting an even larger force of hundreds of Syrian rebels. 
 
The photographer said that sporadic explosions were audible on the Turkish side of the border as the rebels carried out de-mining work in the town of Jarabulus seized from IS on Wednesday. 
 
The state-run Anadolu news agency confirmed in a story datelined from Jarabulus that the rebels were working to destroy explosives left behind by IS militants. 
 
It said that on Friday alone 20 different sets of explosives had been destroyed. 
 
Turkey&#39;s leadership has made clear that the offensive is also aimed at ensuring that the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) militia, which has led the fight against IS in the area, stay east of the Euphrates River. 
 
Ankara says that the YPG has failed to stick to a promise made by its US allies that the militia would move back east across the Euphrates following the seizure of the town of Manbij from IS earlier this month. 
 
On Thursday, Turkey shelled positions of the YPG near Manbij but there have been no reports of further activity against the group since then. 
 
Hurriyet said that the Turkish armed forces had been given an order to &quot;strike immediately&quot; should the YPG be seen to make any move towards Jarabulus. 
 
Turkey sees the YPG militia and its Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing, which have links to Kurdish rebels in Turkey, as &quot;terror groups&quot; bent on carving out an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria. 
 
(AFP)

Turkey's military launched an operation codenamed 'Euphrates Shield' inside Syria on Wednesday to oust IS from the border region

Turkey on Saturday sent six more tanks into Syria as pro-Ankara forces pressed on with de-mining work in a town captured from Islamic State (IS) jihadists this week, an AFP correspondent said. The Turkish military on Wednesday launched an operation codenamed "Euphrates Shield" inside Syria to oust IS from the border region and also counter advances by a Kurdish militia detested by Ankara. An AFP photographer in the village of Karkamis on the Turkish side of the border watched six Turkish tanks roll over the frontier into Syria on Saturday. The Hurriyet daily had reported earlier that the Turkish armed forces had 50 tanks and 380 personnel on the ground in Syria after three days of operations. Turkish troops are supporting an even larger force of hundreds of Syrian rebels. The photographer said that sporadic explosions were audible on the Turkish side of the border as the rebels carried out de-mining work in the town of Jarabulus seized from IS on Wednesday. The state-run Anadolu news agency confirmed in a story datelined from Jarabulus that the rebels were working to destroy explosives left behind by IS militants. It said that on Friday alone 20 different sets of explosives had been destroyed. Turkey's leadership has made clear that the offensive is also aimed at ensuring that the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG) militia, which has led the fight against IS in the area, stay east of the Euphrates River. Ankara says that the YPG has failed to stick to a promise made by its US allies that the militia would move back east across the Euphrates following the seizure of the town of Manbij from IS earlier this month. On Thursday, Turkey shelled positions of the YPG near Manbij but there have been no reports of further activity against the group since then. Hurriyet said that the Turkish armed forces had been given an order to "strike immediately" should the YPG be seen to make any move towards Jarabulus. Turkey sees the YPG militia and its Democratic Union Party (PYD) political wing, which have links to Kurdish rebels in Turkey, as "terror groups" bent on carving out an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria. (AFP)

Turkey sends more tanks into Syria after IS-held town capture

Turkey has, for the first time, allowed policewomen to wear the Islamic headscarf as part of their uniform, according to a ruling published in the official gazette Saturday. 
 
Women serving in the police force &quot;will be able to cover their heads&quot; under their caps or berets so long as the headscarf is &quot;the same colour as the uniform and without pattern&quot;, said the ruling published in the official gazette. 
 
Rulings published in the official gazette come into force immediately. 
 
The ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) has long pressed for the removal of restrictions on women wearing the headscarf in the officially secular state.&nbsp; 
 
Turkey lifted a ban on the wearing of the Muslim headscarf, known as the hijab, on university campuses in 2010.&nbsp; 
 
It allowed female students to wear the headscarf in state institutions from 2013 and in high school in 2014. 
 
Erdogan&#39;s critics have long accused the president of eating away at the secular pillars of modern Turkey as set up by its founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk when he established the Turkish republic in 1923. 
 
But pro-government media pointed out that several Western states have already granted female officers permission to wear the headscarf. 
 
Police in Scotland this month allowed women to wear the headscarf while on duty, following a lead set by their counterparts in London over a decade ago. 
 
Hoping to boost recruiting of Muslim women, the Canadian government this week said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police would allow its officers to wear hijabs as part of their uniforms. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

They 'will be able to cover their heads' under their caps so long as the headscarf is 'the same colour as the uniform' said the ruling

Turkey has, for the first time, allowed policewomen to wear the Islamic headscarf as part of their uniform, according to a ruling published in the official gazette Saturday. Women serving in the police force "will be able to cover their heads" under their caps or berets so long as the headscarf is "the same colour as the uniform and without pattern", said the ruling published in the official gazette. Rulings published in the official gazette come into force immediately. The ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) has long pressed for the removal of restrictions on women wearing the headscarf in the officially secular state. Turkey lifted a ban on the wearing of the Muslim headscarf, known as the hijab, on university campuses in 2010. It allowed female students to wear the headscarf in state institutions from 2013 and in high school in 2014. Erdogan's critics have long accused the president of eating away at the secular pillars of modern Turkey as set up by its founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk when he established the Turkish republic in 1923. But pro-government media pointed out that several Western states have already granted female officers permission to wear the headscarf. Police in Scotland this month allowed women to wear the headscarf while on duty, following a lead set by their counterparts in London over a decade ago. Hoping to boost recruiting of Muslim women, the Canadian government this week said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police would allow its officers to wear hijabs as part of their uniforms. (AFP)

Turkey allows policewomen to wear Islamic headscarf

Turkish special forces units and jets supported by warplanes from the US-led coalition launched an operation in Northern Syria today to wipe out IS militants along the border with Turkey, Turkish officials said. 
 
The Turkish army began firing artillery rounds into the Syrian border town of Jarablus at around 0100 GMT and Turkish and US warplanes pounded IS targets with airstrikes as part of the operation, Turkish military sources said. 
? 
This is the first time warplanes from NATO member Turkey have struck in Syria since November, when Turkey downed a Russian jet near the border, and the first significant incursion by Turkish special forces since a brief operation to relocate the tomb of Suleyman Shah, a revered Ottoman figure, in February 2015. 
 
Turkey and the US hope that by sweeping IS from the border, they can deprive it of a smuggling route which long saw its ranks swollen with foreign fighters and its coffers boosted by illicit trade. 
&nbsp;
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Turkey had vowed on Monday to &quot;completely cleanse&quot; Islamic State militants from its border region after a suicide bomber suspected of links to the group killed 54 people at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Turkey had vowed on Monday to &quot;completely cleanse&quot; Islamic State militants from its border region after a suicide bomber suspected of links to the group killed 54 people at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
 
 
White and grey plumes of smoke rose from atop the hills of Jarablus, visible from the Turkish town of Karkamis across the border. The boom of artillery fire was audible as tanks opened fire from just inside Turkish territory. 
 
Turkish military sources said a ground incursion had yet to start, but a group of Turkish special forces had entered Syria while Turkish and US-led coalition jets hit four Islamic State targets and Turkish artillery struck more than 60 targets. Tanks were being positioned to secure the border, they said. 
 
&quot;The aim of the operation is to ensure border security and Syria&#39;s territorial integrity while supporting the US-led coalition against Islamic State,&quot; one military source said, adding work to open a passage for ground forces was underway. 
 
US vice-president Joe Biden is due to visit Turkey later today, the most senior US &nbsp;official to visit since the failed July 15 coup shook confidence in the ability of the NATO member to step up the fight against Islamic State. 
 
Turkey had vowed on Monday to &quot;completely cleanse&quot; Islamic State militants from its border region after a suicide bomber suspected of links to the group killed 54 people at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep. 
 
Military sources said the air strikes hit 12 Islamic State targets, while artillery fire hit 70 targets. Counter-terrorism police launched dawn raids targeting Islamic State members across Istanbul on Wednesday, the Dogan news agency said. 
 
Turkey is also concerned about the growing influence of Syrian Kurdish militant groups along its border, where they have captured large areas of territory since the start of the Syrian war in 2011. Ankara sees them as tied to the Kurdish militants fighting an insurgency in Turkey.&nbsp; 
 
At least nine mortar shells from Jarablus landed in Karkamis and nearby on Tuesday, forcing many residents to flee, a Reuters witness said. Another hit an empty field on Wednesday. 
 
The Syria operation came as Syrian rebels backed by Turkey had said they were in the final stages of preparing an assault from Turkish territory on Jarablus, aiming to preempt a potential attempt by Syrian Kurdish YPG militia to take it. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Turkey and the US hope that by sweeping IS from Jarablus, they can deprive it of a smuggling route which long saw its ranks swollen

Turkish special forces units and jets supported by warplanes from the US-led coalition launched an operation in Northern Syria today to wipe out IS militants along the border with Turkey, Turkish officials said. The Turkish army began firing artillery rounds into the Syrian border town of Jarablus at around 0100 GMT and Turkish and US warplanes pounded IS targets with airstrikes as part of the operation, Turkish military sources said. ? This is the first time warplanes from NATO member Turkey have struck in Syria since November, when Turkey downed a Russian jet near the border, and the first significant incursion by Turkish special forces since a brief operation to relocate the tomb of Suleyman Shah, a revered Ottoman figure, in February 2015. Turkey and the US hope that by sweeping IS from the border, they can deprive it of a smuggling route which long saw its ranks swollen with foreign fighters and its coffers boosted by illicit trade. Turkey had vowed on Monday to "completely cleanse" Islamic State militants from its border region after a suicide bomber suspected of links to the group killed 54 people at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep. White and grey plumes of smoke rose from atop the hills of Jarablus, visible from the Turkish town of Karkamis across the border. The boom of artillery fire was audible as tanks opened fire from just inside Turkish territory. Turkish military sources said a ground incursion had yet to start, but a group of Turkish special forces had entered Syria while Turkish and US-led coalition jets hit four Islamic State targets and Turkish artillery struck more than 60 targets. Tanks were being positioned to secure the border, they said. "The aim of the operation is to ensure border security and Syria's territorial integrity while supporting the US-led coalition against Islamic State," one military source said, adding work to open a passage for ground forces was underway. US vice-president Joe Biden is due to visit Turkey later today, the most senior US official to visit since the failed July 15 coup shook confidence in the ability of the NATO member to step up the fight against Islamic State. Turkey had vowed on Monday to "completely cleanse" Islamic State militants from its border region after a suicide bomber suspected of links to the group killed 54 people at a Kurdish wedding in the southeastern city of Gaziantep. Military sources said the air strikes hit 12 Islamic State targets, while artillery fire hit 70 targets. Counter-terrorism police launched dawn raids targeting Islamic State members across Istanbul on Wednesday, the Dogan news agency said. Turkey is also concerned about the growing influence of Syrian Kurdish militant groups along its border, where they have captured large areas of territory since the start of the Syrian war in 2011. Ankara sees them as tied to the Kurdish militants fighting an insurgency in Turkey. At least nine mortar shells from Jarablus landed in Karkamis and nearby on Tuesday, forcing many residents to flee, a Reuters witness said. Another hit an empty field on Wednesday. The Syria operation came as Syrian rebels backed by Turkey had said they were in the final stages of preparing an assault from Turkish territory on Jarablus, aiming to preempt a potential attempt by Syrian Kurdish YPG militia to take it. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Turkish military, US-led coalition strike Islamic State to free Syrian border town

Turkey&#39;s border region with Syria must be &quot;completely cleansed&quot; of Islamic State and Ankara continues to support operations in the fight against the jihadists, foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday. 
 
Syrian rebels are preparing to launch an attack to seize the Syrian town of Jarablus from Islamic State on the border with Turkey, a senior rebel said on Sunday, in a move that would frustrate Kurdish hopes to expand in the area. 
 
Cavusoglu was speaking to reporters at a news conference after holding talks with his Lithuanian counterpart Linas Linkevicius. Turkey said Islamic State sent a child as young as 12 laden with explosives into a wedding party late on Saturday and killed 53 people. 
 
(Reuters)

Turkey's finance minister Mevlut Cavusoglu added that Ankara continues to support the fight against IS

Turkey's border region with Syria must be "completely cleansed" of Islamic State and Ankara continues to support operations in the fight against the jihadists, foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday. Syrian rebels are preparing to launch an attack to seize the Syrian town of Jarablus from Islamic State on the border with Turkey, a senior rebel said on Sunday, in a move that would frustrate Kurdish hopes to expand in the area. Cavusoglu was speaking to reporters at a news conference after holding talks with his Lithuanian counterpart Linas Linkevicius. Turkey said Islamic State sent a child as young as 12 laden with explosives into a wedding party late on Saturday and killed 53 people. (Reuters)

Turkey says border region with Syria must be 'completely cleansed' of Islamic State

Syrian rebels are preparing to launch an attack to seize a town from Islamic State on the border with Turkey, a senior rebel said on Sunday, in a move that would frustrate Kurdish hopes to expand in the area.&nbsp; 
 
The rebels, Turkish-backed groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), are expected to assault Jarablus from inside Turkey in the next few days, said the rebel official, who is familiar with the plans but declined to be identified.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The factions are gathering in an area near the border (inside Turkey),&quot; the rebel said. 
 
Another rebel source said they were gathering at a Turkish military camp near the town of Qarqamish just opposite Jarablus. 
 
&quot;Every day there are groups of fighters entering from inside Syria across a secret crossing to a Turkish base where they are gathering in preparation of the assault on Jarablus,&quot; the source said. 
 
Fighters mostly drawn from Failaq al Sham, Sultan Murad, Ahrar al-Sham and Jabha al Shamiya groups were coming from Syria`s northwestern rebel-held Idlib province and also from the town of Azaz. 
 
Another source, in Ahrar al-Sham, expected the assault on Jarablus to begin in the next few days. 
 
Jarablus, on the western bank of the Euphrates river, is the last significant town held by the militant Islamist group on Syria`s border with Turkey.&nbsp; 
 
It is 34 miles (54 km) east of al-Rai, a border town FSA rebel groups recently took from Islamic State.&nbsp; 
 
Rivalry with Kurds 
 
By taking Jarablus themselves, the rebel groups would preclude an assault on the town by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish-dominated militias who on August 6 took the city of Manbij, 20 miles (30 km) to the south, from IS.&nbsp; 
 
A group allied to the SDF and calling itself the Jarablus military council issued a statement on Sunday accusing Turkey of supporting radical jihadist groups and calling on the US-led coalition to back the council. 
 
The US-led coalition has helped the SDF to make significant gains against Islamic State militants in northern Syria since it was established last year. 
 
Turkey, an important supporter of the FSA groups, is worried that Kurds are using the SDF&#39;s westwards expansion against IS to extend their influence across northern Syria. The SDF already holds the eastern bank of the Euphrates opposite Jarablus. 
 
On Saturday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Ankara would play a more active role in addressing the conflict in Syria in the coming six months to stop it being torn along ethnic lines. 
 
The rebel source from Ahrar al Sham said Turkish artillery had since Friday been pounding several Islamic State positions in villages on the outskirts of Jarablus near the border strip. 
 
The mainly Sunni Arab rebel groups are now aiming to regain control of the strategic towns of Tal Rifaat and Marea in the northern Aleppo countryside, currently in the hands of the YPG, the powerful Kurdish militia. 
 
Islamic State has pulled personnel out of Jarablus in recent days, the rebel leader said.&nbsp;On Friday, families of IS fighters were evacuated from Jarablus and another city nearby, al-Bab, to the group`s stronghold of Raqqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 
 
The rebel operation aimed to effectively end Islamic State`s presence on the Turkish border, the official said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There will certainly be resistance. They will have mined it heavily,&quot; he said. &quot;The operation of entering Jarablus will not be easy.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The onslaught will also dent Kurdish hopes of expansion along the Syria-Turkey border area

Syrian rebels are preparing to launch an attack to seize a town from Islamic State on the border with Turkey, a senior rebel said on Sunday, in a move that would frustrate Kurdish hopes to expand in the area. The rebels, Turkish-backed groups fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), are expected to assault Jarablus from inside Turkey in the next few days, said the rebel official, who is familiar with the plans but declined to be identified. "The factions are gathering in an area near the border (inside Turkey)," the rebel said. Another rebel source said they were gathering at a Turkish military camp near the town of Qarqamish just opposite Jarablus. "Every day there are groups of fighters entering from inside Syria across a secret crossing to a Turkish base where they are gathering in preparation of the assault on Jarablus," the source said. Fighters mostly drawn from Failaq al Sham, Sultan Murad, Ahrar al-Sham and Jabha al Shamiya groups were coming from Syria`s northwestern rebel-held Idlib province and also from the town of Azaz. Another source, in Ahrar al-Sham, expected the assault on Jarablus to begin in the next few days. Jarablus, on the western bank of the Euphrates river, is the last significant town held by the militant Islamist group on Syria`s border with Turkey. It is 34 miles (54 km) east of al-Rai, a border town FSA rebel groups recently took from Islamic State. Rivalry with Kurds By taking Jarablus themselves, the rebel groups would preclude an assault on the town by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a group of Kurdish-dominated militias who on August 6 took the city of Manbij, 20 miles (30 km) to the south, from IS. A group allied to the SDF and calling itself the Jarablus military council issued a statement on Sunday accusing Turkey of supporting radical jihadist groups and calling on the US-led coalition to back the council. The US-led coalition has helped the SDF to make significant gains against Islamic State militants in northern Syria since it was established last year. Turkey, an important supporter of the FSA groups, is worried that Kurds are using the SDF's westwards expansion against IS to extend their influence across northern Syria. The SDF already holds the eastern bank of the Euphrates opposite Jarablus. On Saturday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Ankara would play a more active role in addressing the conflict in Syria in the coming six months to stop it being torn along ethnic lines. The rebel source from Ahrar al Sham said Turkish artillery had since Friday been pounding several Islamic State positions in villages on the outskirts of Jarablus near the border strip. The mainly Sunni Arab rebel groups are now aiming to regain control of the strategic towns of Tal Rifaat and Marea in the northern Aleppo countryside, currently in the hands of the YPG, the powerful Kurdish militia. Islamic State has pulled personnel out of Jarablus in recent days, the rebel leader said. On Friday, families of IS fighters were evacuated from Jarablus and another city nearby, al-Bab, to the group`s stronghold of Raqqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The rebel operation aimed to effectively end Islamic State`s presence on the Turkish border, the official said. "There will certainly be resistance. They will have mined it heavily," he said. "The operation of entering Jarablus will not be easy." (Reuters)

Syrian rebels prepare to seize IS town from inside Turkey

Hundreds protested peacefully yesterday in Istanbul calling for justice after the brutal murder of a transgender woman earlier this month in Turkey. 
 
The body of Hande Kader, an activist for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) cause, was found in a forest on August 8 after she was killed. 
 
The 22-year-old`s burnt body was identified in a morgue by a friend, Turkish media reported. 
 
More than 200 demonstrators carried banners saying &quot;justice for Hande Kader&quot; and &quot;let`s fight for our survival&quot; under the supervision of anti-riot police close to the famous Istiklal Avenue near Taksim Square. 
 
&quot;We will not stop until we find those responsible for Hande Kader&#39;s murder,&quot; Ebru Kiranci, spokeswoman for Istanbul&#39;s LGBTI Solidarity Association, said. 
 
Another transgender activist read a statement saying &quot;transgender murders are political&quot; because those responsible advocate a &quot;hetero-normative&quot; and &quot;conservative educational system that does not take us into consideration&quot;. 
 
Although police had water cannons, they were not used. Previous LGBT demonstrations have seen the use of water cannon and tear gas against protesters. 
 
The murdered sex worker became an iconic figure in the LGBT community after she sat in front of water cannon and anti-riot officers in June last year as authorities tried to ban a gay pride parade in Istanbul. 
 
A lawyer for the LGBT cause, Levent Piskin, told AFP that the penal code made no mention of murder committed out of hate. 
&quot;There is no legal recognition and no will on the part of the court&quot; to change this. 
 
No arrests have been made in Kader&#39;s case. In a report published in March this year, the rights group Transgender Europe said Turkey had the highest rate of trans murders in Europe. 
 
Between January 2008 and December 2015, 41 trans and gender diverse individuals were killed in Turkey compared with the second highest in Italy of 33, the group said. 
 
Kader was the second murder to shock the LGBT community in recent weeks after Syrian refugee Muhammed Wisam Sankari was found mutilated and decapitated on July 25, his friends said. 
 
Homosexuality has been legal in Turkey since 1923 and was also legalised in the Ottoman Empire from the mid-nineteenth century. 
But the LGBT community in Turkey often describes the harassment and abuse they face in a largely conservative Muslim society where open displays of same-sex love and being transgender are severely frowned upon. 
 
Authorities in Istanbul banned gay pride in June this year over security concerns, sparking anger from gay rights activists. In previous years, Istanbul Pride had been the biggest LGBTI gathering in a Muslim country in the region. 
 
(AFP)

More than 200 demonstrators carried banners saying 'justice for Hande Kader' under the supervision of anti-riot police

Hundreds protested peacefully yesterday in Istanbul calling for justice after the brutal murder of a transgender woman earlier this month in Turkey. The body of Hande Kader, an activist for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) cause, was found in a forest on August 8 after she was killed. The 22-year-old`s burnt body was identified in a morgue by a friend, Turkish media reported. More than 200 demonstrators carried banners saying "justice for Hande Kader" and "let`s fight for our survival" under the supervision of anti-riot police close to the famous Istiklal Avenue near Taksim Square. "We will not stop until we find those responsible for Hande Kader's murder," Ebru Kiranci, spokeswoman for Istanbul's LGBTI Solidarity Association, said. Another transgender activist read a statement saying "transgender murders are political" because those responsible advocate a "hetero-normative" and "conservative educational system that does not take us into consideration". Although police had water cannons, they were not used. Previous LGBT demonstrations have seen the use of water cannon and tear gas against protesters. The murdered sex worker became an iconic figure in the LGBT community after she sat in front of water cannon and anti-riot officers in June last year as authorities tried to ban a gay pride parade in Istanbul. A lawyer for the LGBT cause, Levent Piskin, told AFP that the penal code made no mention of murder committed out of hate. "There is no legal recognition and no will on the part of the court" to change this. No arrests have been made in Kader's case. In a report published in March this year, the rights group Transgender Europe said Turkey had the highest rate of trans murders in Europe. Between January 2008 and December 2015, 41 trans and gender diverse individuals were killed in Turkey compared with the second highest in Italy of 33, the group said. Kader was the second murder to shock the LGBT community in recent weeks after Syrian refugee Muhammed Wisam Sankari was found mutilated and decapitated on July 25, his friends said. Homosexuality has been legal in Turkey since 1923 and was also legalised in the Ottoman Empire from the mid-nineteenth century. But the LGBT community in Turkey often describes the harassment and abuse they face in a largely conservative Muslim society where open displays of same-sex love and being transgender are severely frowned upon. Authorities in Istanbul banned gay pride in June this year over security concerns, sparking anger from gay rights activists. In previous years, Istanbul Pride had been the biggest LGBTI gathering in a Muslim country in the region. (AFP)

Hundreds protest in Istanbul over transgender woman's murder

Three soldiers and a local guard were killed today in an attack on a Turkish military convoy in the town of Bitlis in the country&#39;s troubled southeast, state-run media reported. 
 
Another six soldiers were injured in the bombing blamed on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers&#39; Party (PKK), news agency Anadolu said. 
 
The attack was carried out using a handmade bomb that detonated as the armoured vehicle drove by, the agency added. 
 
The guard killed was part of a group of local residents who cooperate with Turkish security forces in the fight against the PKK, listed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies. 
 
The latest attack came after three police officers were killed in an assault earlier Thursday on the police headquarters in the eastern city of Elazig. 
 
Two more policemen and a civilian were killed in another car bombing on Wednesday night in Van, another city in the east which has a mixed ethnic Kurdish and Turkish population. 
 
The PKK, which has been fighting a deadly insurgency against the Turkish state for three decades, appear to have intensified their attacks since the July 15 failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 
 
Over 40,000 people have been killed since the group first took up arms in 1984 in a separatist rebellion led by now jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The attack on a military convoy was blamed on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party

Three soldiers and a local guard were killed today in an attack on a Turkish military convoy in the town of Bitlis in the country's troubled southeast, state-run media reported. Another six soldiers were injured in the bombing blamed on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), news agency Anadolu said. The attack was carried out using a handmade bomb that detonated as the armoured vehicle drove by, the agency added. The guard killed was part of a group of local residents who cooperate with Turkish security forces in the fight against the PKK, listed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies. The latest attack came after three police officers were killed in an assault earlier Thursday on the police headquarters in the eastern city of Elazig. Two more policemen and a civilian were killed in another car bombing on Wednesday night in Van, another city in the east which has a mixed ethnic Kurdish and Turkish population. The PKK, which has been fighting a deadly insurgency against the Turkish state for three decades, appear to have intensified their attacks since the July 15 failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Over 40,000 people have been killed since the group first took up arms in 1984 in a separatist rebellion led by now jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan. (AFP)

Turkey hit by third bomb attack; four dead, 6 injured

A wildly popular Turkish television and film thriller franchise staring an action hero dubbed the &quot;Turkish James Bond&quot; will make a movie about the failed July 15 coup, its producer announced. 
 
The &quot;Valley of the Wolves&quot; franchise, has resulted in dozens of television episodes and several spin-off films since it was first created in 2003, enthralling many Turks.&nbsp;But it has long been accused by critics of having a strong ideological bent, alongside a potent streak of Turkish nationalism and anti- American and Israeli sentiment. 
 
&quot;In response to intense public demand to make a film or television series about the coup bid, our firm has taken the decision to make the film &#39;Valley of the Wolves: Coup&#39;,&quot; the production company Pana Film said in a statement on its official Twitter account late Monday. 
 
It did not give further details but the film will most likely see the return of Turkish secret service action hero Polat Alemdar, played by Necati Sasmaz, to do battle with the coup plotters who aimed to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 
 
 
Stormier waters 
 
Always ending up on top against the odds, like British spy hero James Bond, Polat Alemdar takes on a panoply of Turkey&#39;s enemies, be it the mafia, militants or even the West. 
 
The franchise did not shy away from controversy with its first film &quot;Valley of the Wolves: Iraq&quot; which centred on the US-invasion of Iraq and the story of the capture of 11 Turkish soldiers by a US military unit.&nbsp;It then ventured into even stormier waters with a film on the deadly raid by Israeli commandos on the Mavi Marmara Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza in 2010.&nbsp;The movie further ratcheted up diplomatic tensions between Turkey and the Jewish State, prompting accusations of anti-Semitism that were vehemently denied by the producers. 
 
&quot;Valley of the Wolves&quot; has always been seen as in tune with the ambitious foreign policy and projection of a powerful Turkey espoused by Erdogan, who became prime minister in the year the series first came out.&nbsp;However it has not been spared from controversy within the country, with the producers pulling the plug on a 2007 series &quot;Valley of the Wolves: Terror&quot;, which dealt with the fight against Kurdish militants, after just one episode. 
 
(AFP)

The 'Valley of the Wolves' franchise has led to dozens of TV episodes and several spin-off films, but critics say it has an ideological bent

A wildly popular Turkish television and film thriller franchise staring an action hero dubbed the "Turkish James Bond" will make a movie about the failed July 15 coup, its producer announced. The "Valley of the Wolves" franchise, has resulted in dozens of television episodes and several spin-off films since it was first created in 2003, enthralling many Turks. But it has long been accused by critics of having a strong ideological bent, alongside a potent streak of Turkish nationalism and anti- American and Israeli sentiment. "In response to intense public demand to make a film or television series about the coup bid, our firm has taken the decision to make the film 'Valley of the Wolves: Coup'," the production company Pana Film said in a statement on its official Twitter account late Monday. It did not give further details but the film will most likely see the return of Turkish secret service action hero Polat Alemdar, played by Necati Sasmaz, to do battle with the coup plotters who aimed to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Stormier waters Always ending up on top against the odds, like British spy hero James Bond, Polat Alemdar takes on a panoply of Turkey's enemies, be it the mafia, militants or even the West. The franchise did not shy away from controversy with its first film "Valley of the Wolves: Iraq" which centred on the US-invasion of Iraq and the story of the capture of 11 Turkish soldiers by a US military unit. It then ventured into even stormier waters with a film on the deadly raid by Israeli commandos on the Mavi Marmara Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza in 2010. The movie further ratcheted up diplomatic tensions between Turkey and the Jewish State, prompting accusations of anti-Semitism that were vehemently denied by the producers. "Valley of the Wolves" has always been seen as in tune with the ambitious foreign policy and projection of a powerful Turkey espoused by Erdogan, who became prime minister in the year the series first came out. However it has not been spared from controversy within the country, with the producers pulling the plug on a 2007 series "Valley of the Wolves: Terror", which dealt with the fight against Kurdish militants, after just one episode. (AFP)

'Turkish James Bond' to take on failed coup in new movie

Turkish prosecutors have demanded two life sentences and an additional 1,900 years in prison for US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for masterminding last month&#39;s failed coup, state media reported today. 
 
In a 2,527-page indictment approved by prosecutors in the Usak region of western Turkey, Gulen is charged with &quot;attempting to destroy the constitutional order by force&quot; and &quot;forming and running an armed terrorist group&quot; among other accusations, the Anadolu news agency reported. 
 
Thirteen out of 111 suspects in the case are remanded in custody, it said. All face prison terms ranging from two years to life in jail. 
 
The so-called Fethullah Terror Organisation (FETO), the name Ankara gives for the group led by Gulen, had infiltrated state archives through its members in the state institutions and intelligence units, according to the indictment. 
 
The group has used foundations, private schools, companies, student dormitories, media outlets and insurance companies to serve its purpose of taking control of all state institutions, it added. 
 
It has also collected funds from businessmen in the name of &quot;donations&quot; and transferred the money to the United States by means of front companies, and by using banks in the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan and Germany, Anadolu reported. 
 
The case dates back to September 2015, even before the failed coup, and had been launched by the Usak prosecutor&#39;s office into the financial assets of FETO. 
 
Gulen, the reclusive cleric in who has lived in the United States since 1999, has been repeatedly accused of running a &quot;parallel state&quot; since a corruption scandal embroiling President, then premier, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and several of his ministers erupted in 2013. 
 
Since July 15, Turkey&#39;s crackdown on his supporters has intensified with tens of thousands of people from the military, judiciary, civil service and education sector dismissed from their jobs or detained. 
 
Turkey has pressed the United States to extradite Gulen to face trial at home and expressed frustration that Washington seems in no hurry to consider the matter. From his secluded Pennsylvania base, Gulen has vehemently denied playing any part in the coup. 
 
(AFP) 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Gulen is charged with 'attempting to destroy the constitutional order by force' and 'forming and running an armed terrorist group'

Turkish prosecutors have demanded two life sentences and an additional 1,900 years in prison for US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for masterminding last month's failed coup, state media reported today. In a 2,527-page indictment approved by prosecutors in the Usak region of western Turkey, Gulen is charged with "attempting to destroy the constitutional order by force" and "forming and running an armed terrorist group" among other accusations, the Anadolu news agency reported. Thirteen out of 111 suspects in the case are remanded in custody, it said. All face prison terms ranging from two years to life in jail. The so-called Fethullah Terror Organisation (FETO), the name Ankara gives for the group led by Gulen, had infiltrated state archives through its members in the state institutions and intelligence units, according to the indictment. The group has used foundations, private schools, companies, student dormitories, media outlets and insurance companies to serve its purpose of taking control of all state institutions, it added. It has also collected funds from businessmen in the name of "donations" and transferred the money to the United States by means of front companies, and by using banks in the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan and Germany, Anadolu reported. The case dates back to September 2015, even before the failed coup, and had been launched by the Usak prosecutor's office into the financial assets of FETO. Gulen, the reclusive cleric in who has lived in the United States since 1999, has been repeatedly accused of running a "parallel state" since a corruption scandal embroiling President, then premier, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and several of his ministers erupted in 2013. Since July 15, Turkey's crackdown on his supporters has intensified with tens of thousands of people from the military, judiciary, civil service and education sector dismissed from their jobs or detained. Turkey has pressed the United States to extradite Gulen to face trial at home and expressed frustration that Washington seems in no hurry to consider the matter. From his secluded Pennsylvania base, Gulen has vehemently denied playing any part in the coup. (AFP)

Turkish prosecutors demand 2 life sentences, 1,900 years in prison for Gulen: Reports

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the European Union of &quot;humiliating&quot; Ankara, and reiterated his government&#39;s demand for visa-free travel in exchange for stemming the migrant flow, in an interview with a German daily. 
 
&quot;The Turkish people are traumatised&quot; by the failed putsch of July 15, Cavusoglu told Bild newspaper, in remarks that will be published on today.&nbsp;Rather than helping Turkey, (European nations) are humiliating us,&quot; he said. 
 
EU-Turkish relations have soured since the coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with Europe concerned by Ankara&#39;s subsequent crackdown. 
 
Turkey has angrily rejected EU criticism that the purges might violate rights norms Ankara must meet under the agreement in return for visa-free travel and accelerated negotiations for bloc membership.&nbsp;According to Cavusoglu, Turkey has made intense efforts, &quot;like few other nations, to fulfil the conditions of accession to the EU&quot;. 
 
In return, Turkey has received &quot;only threats, insults and a total blockage&quot; from the 28-nation union.&nbsp;&quot;I ask myself, what crime have we committed? Why this hostility?&quot; said Cavusoglu, who on Wednesday accused the EU of &quot;encouraging&quot; the coup plotters. 
 
He again raised Turkey&#39;s demand for visa-free travel for its citizens in the EU, in return for upholding a controversial deal reached in March to stem the flow of migrants to Europe. 
 
&quot;It is clear: either we apply all the agreements together, or we set them all aside,&quot; Cavusoglu said in response to a question from Bild over whether Turkey would allow hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees to try to reach Greece from its shores. 
 
(AFP)

The EU is angered over Turkey's crackdown after the failed putsch, while Ankara says it isn't being recognised for resettling migrants

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused the European Union of "humiliating" Ankara, and reiterated his government's demand for visa-free travel in exchange for stemming the migrant flow, in an interview with a German daily. "The Turkish people are traumatised" by the failed putsch of July 15, Cavusoglu told Bild newspaper, in remarks that will be published on today. Rather than helping Turkey, (European nations) are humiliating us," he said. EU-Turkish relations have soured since the coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with Europe concerned by Ankara's subsequent crackdown. Turkey has angrily rejected EU criticism that the purges might violate rights norms Ankara must meet under the agreement in return for visa-free travel and accelerated negotiations for bloc membership. According to Cavusoglu, Turkey has made intense efforts, "like few other nations, to fulfil the conditions of accession to the EU". In return, Turkey has received "only threats, insults and a total blockage" from the 28-nation union. "I ask myself, what crime have we committed? Why this hostility?" said Cavusoglu, who on Wednesday accused the EU of "encouraging" the coup plotters. He again raised Turkey's demand for visa-free travel for its citizens in the EU, in return for upholding a controversial deal reached in March to stem the flow of migrants to Europe. "It is clear: either we apply all the agreements together, or we set them all aside," Cavusoglu said in response to a question from Bild over whether Turkey would allow hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees to try to reach Greece from its shores. (AFP)

Turkey continues post-coup feud with European Union

turkey

Turkey, News on Turkey, stories on Turkey, articles on Turkey, Turkey stories at Wion, Turkey news, Turkey latest news