Foreign Policy
- Erdoğan, Obama discuss pressing issues
- Turkish politicians head to Washington over worries about Armenian resolution
- Turkey Moves to Close All Gates at Border With Syria
- Turkey supports Saudi mission in Yemen, says Iran must withdraw
Economy and Energy
- Turkey enters election year with ‘zero’ growth
- Turkey’s foreign investment rises to $1.8 bln in January
- Turkish Cypriots halt gas search for peace talks restart
Domestic Politics
- Turkey Passes Tough New Security Law
- Turkey’s main opposition CHP completes primaries, hopeful for June polls
- Turkey launches operation against PKK hideouts
Foreign Policy
Erdoğan, Obama discuss pressing issues
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan on March 26 about pressing issues in the Middle East, including the crisis in Yemen, the White House said.
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Hurriyet Daily News, March 26, 2015, Erdoğan, Obama discuss pressing issues, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogan-obama-discuss-pressing-issues.aspx?pageID=238&nID=80249&NewsCatID=510
White House, March 26, 2015, Readout of the President’s Call with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/26/readout-president-s-call-president-recep-tayyip-erdogan-turkey
Turkish politicians head to Washington over worries about Armenian resolution
Worried about a draft resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives that recognizes the 1915 killings of Ottoman Armenians as genocide, Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek met with his U.S. counterpart John Boehner.
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Hurriyet Daily News, March 24, 2015, Turkish politicians head to Washington over worries about Armenian resolution, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-politicians-head-to-washington-over-worries-about-armenian-resolution.aspx?pageID=238&nID=80127&NewsCatID=510
Hurriyet Daily News, March 25, 2015, Armenia focused on hampering bilateral relations, says Turkish parliament speaker, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/armenia-focused-on-hampering-bilateral-relations-says-turkish-parliament-speaker-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=80172&NewsCatID=510
Today’s Zaman, March 27, 2015, Speaker Çiçek meets with US counterpart, discusses Syria, http://www.todayszaman.com/diplomacy_speaker-cicek-meets-with-us-counterpart-discusses-syria_376403.html
Turkey Moves to Close All Gates at Border With Syria
After maintaining an open-door policy throughout the four-year conflict in neighboring Syria, Turkey has moved this month to close the two remaining border gates between the countries, shutting out displaced Syrian refugees amid fears of a potential terrorist attack.
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New York Times, March 29, 2015, Turkey Moves to Close All Gates at Border With Syria, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/30/world/europe/turkey-moves-to-close-all-gates-at-border-with-syria.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=1
Turkey supports Saudi mission in Yemen, says Iran must withdraw
In an interview with FRANCE 24 on Thursday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey supports the Saudi-led mission to rout Shiite rebels from Yemen and criticised Iran’s regional ambitions in both Yemen and Iraq.
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France 24, March 27, 2015, Turkey supports Saudi mission in Yemen, says Iran must withdraw, http://www.france24.com/en/20150326-turkey-support-saudi-yemen-erdogan-interview-france-24/
Economy and Energy
Turkey’s foreign investment rises to $1.8 bln in January
Turkey received foreign direct investment worth $1.8 billion in January, Turkey’s Economy Ministry said in a statement late March 23.
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Hurriyet Daily News, March 24, 2015, Turkey’s foreign investment rises to $1.8 bln in January, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-foreign-investment-rises-to-18-bln-in-january.aspx?pageID=238&nID=80118&NewsCatID=344
Turkish Cypriots halt gas search for peace talks restart
Hopes of a restart to talks to reunify the small Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus swelled Monday after breakaway Turkish Cypriots said they will halt their own search for gas off Cyprus’ coast.
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Washington Post, March 30, 2015, Turkish Cypriots halt gas search for peace talks restart, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/turkish-cypriots-halt-gas-search-for-peace-talks-restart/2015/03/30/50924d0e-d6e1-11e4-bf0b-f648b95a6488_story.html
Domestic Politics
Turkey Passes Tough New Security Law
Turkey’s government passed a new security law that centralizes and expands police powers, amid widespread concern that the measure will be used to crack down on political dissent.
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Wall Street Journal, March 27, 2015, Turkey Passes Tough New Security Law, http://www.wsj.com/articles/turkey-passes-tough-new-security-law-1427448854
Turkey’s main opposition CHP completes primaries, hopeful for June polls
Hundreds of thousands of main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) members flocked to the polling stations on March 29 to vote to elect their candidates for the June 7 parliamentary elections, making them the sole party in putting primaries in place.
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Hurriyet Daily News, March 29, 2015, Turkey’s main opposition CHP completes primaries, hopeful for June polls, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-main-opposition-chp-completes-primaries-hopeful-for-june-polls.aspx?pageID=238&nID=80325&NewsCatID=338
Turkey launches operation against PKK hideouts
Turkish security forces have launched an operation against hideouts and shelters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in southeastern Anatolia, the military said on March 24.
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Hurriyet Daily News, March 24, 2015, Turkey launches operation against PKK hideouts, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-launches-operation-against-pkk-hideouts-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=80115&NewsCatID=341