Turkey as a rising power… 🇹🇷
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International report - Turkey and Italy consider teaming up to seek new influence in Africa
Turkey and Italy are finding common ground as they seek to expand their economic and diplomatic influence in Africa. The two nations are eyeing opportunities to cooperate on security, energy and migration as…
www.rfi.fr
Turkey, Iran and Morocco joust for influence in Africa's Sahel
Turkey, Iran and Morocco are vying for a greater economic and military role in Africa's Sahel after former colonial ruler France's forced withdrawal from the volatile region.
www.france24.com
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Turkish citizens were attacked by the police as they protested the illegal decision by the electoral authority to invalidate the pro-Kurdish mayoral victor. Abdullah Zeydan of the DEM party won with over 55% of the vote, despite this the candidate from President Erdogan's AKP party was certified the winner after only receiving 27% of the total vote.
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In the country's local elections held on Sunday, Abdullah Zeydan of the DEM party secured over 55% of the vote in Van, only for electoral authorities to overturn his election based on a last-minute court decision.
Article:
Turkish citizens were attacked by the police as they protested the illegal decision by the electoral authority to invalidate the pro-Kurdish mayoral victor. Abdullah Zeydan of the DEM party won with over 55% of the vote, despite this the candidate from President Erdogan's AKP party was certified the winner after only receiving 27% of the total vote.
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In the country's local elections held on Sunday, Abdullah Zeydan of the DEM party secured over 55% of the vote in Van, only for electoral authorities to overturn his election based on a last-minute court decision.
Article:
Turkey pressing U.S. to rethink Kurdish alliance in Syria
Summarize
November 11, 20246:02 AM ESTUpdated 12 hours ago
Smoke rises from Syria's Kurdish-controlled northeast city of Qamishli, Syria October 5, 2023. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
ANKARA, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Turkey is pressing the United States to reconsider its support for Kurdish militants in Syria, according to comments by its leaders including President Tayyip Erdogan, who has again floated the possibility of a new cross-border offensive.
"We are constantly reminding our American counterparts that they need to stop the cooperation they have with the terrorist organisation in Syria," Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was quoted on Monday as telling the Milliyet newspaper.
"Our contacts on this issue have increased. We see that the U.S. side is keen on more talks and negotiations too," he added.
On Sunday, Erdogan said Turkey could mount a new offensive into northern Syria to create new safe zones along its border, after saying on Friday that he would discuss a possible U.S. troop withdrawal from Syria with President-elect Donald Trump.
Strains in U.S.-Turkey ties include U.S. support for the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, Washington's main ally against Islamic State in Syria. Ankara calls it a terrorist organisation and extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which the United States also deems a terror group.
NATO member Turkey has carried out several cross-border operations against the YPG in recent years and has since threatened more.
Erdogan said on Sunday these moves established safe zones in Syria that had "thwarted attempts to surround" it from the southern borders, and Turkey was determined to "completely cut off contact between terrorist organisations."
"God willing, we will complete the missing links of the safe zone we have established along our borders in coming period," he said.
In recent months Erdogan has also made overtures to repair severed ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government after a decade of animosity.
Ankara has complained that Damascus has not reciprocated its attempts at rapprochement, after Erdogan said in July he wanted to invite Assad for talks. Assad said those attempts have yielded no results and Damascus wants Turkish troops to withdraw from Syrian territories.
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Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever and Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Angus MacSwan
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Ethiopia and Somalia reach deal in Turkey to end Somaliland port feud
Ethiopia's deal to build a port in Somaliland had infuriated Somalia, prompting fears of wider conflict.
www.bbc.com
Ethiopia and Somalia agree to end bitter Somaliland port feud
9 hours ago
Kalkidan Yibeltal in Addis Ababa & Basillioh Rukanga in Nairobi
BBC News
Reuters Turkish President Erdogan (centre) holds hands with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (right) and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (left) - all in suits and ties - posing for the cameras after a press conference in Ankara, Turkey - 11 December 2024Reuters
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C) said the agreement was "the first step towards a new beginning"
Ethiopia and Somalia have agreed to end their bitter dispute over Addis Ababa's plans to build a port in the breakaway republic of Somaliland following talks in Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the "historic agreement", which he said would eventually ensure landlocked Ethiopia's access to the sea.
At the press conference he held hands with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who both agreed to respect one another's "sovereignty".
The two neighbours have been at loggerheads since January when Ethiopia signed a maritime deal with Somaliland - which Somalia considers as part of its territory.
It prompted fears of a wider regional conflict as Egypt has been backing Somalia - largely due to its anger with Ethiopia for building a dam on the River Nile.
Turkey has in recent years become an important geopolitical player in the Horn of Africa as it has close economic ties with Addis Ababa and security deals with Mogadishu.
Ethiopia-Somaliland deal: Can the Horn of Africa rift be healed?
Ethiopia warns against invasion amid regional tensions
Why Ethiopia is so alarmed by an Egypt-Somalia alliance
Erdogan said the agreement - announced on Wednesday night in the Turkish capital, Ankara - was "the first step towards a new beginning".
"I congratulate both my brothers for reaching to this historic reconciliation with devotion and thank them for their constructive attitude," he said.
President Mohamud said his country was "ready to work with the Ethiopian leadership and the Ethiopian people".
While Prime Minister Abiy insisted Ethiopia's efforts to secure and reliable access to the sea did not threaten Somalia and the two had "addressed the misunderstandings that have occurred over the past year".
The feud began on New Year's Day, when Abiy signed a controversial deal with Somaliland to lease a 20km (12-mile) section of its coastline for 50 years to set up a naval base.
In exchange, Ethiopia - the world's most-populous landlocked nation - was to reportedly recognise Somaliland as an independent country, although Addis Ababa never explicitly confirmed this.
Somaliland, which broke away from Somalia more than 30 years ago, has long been pushing for recognition - but Mogadishu described the move as an act of "aggression".
According to the Ankara joint declaration, the two Horn of Africa neighbours are to reconvene in February to hold "technical talks".
In the interim they will strive to reach "mutually beneficial commercial arrangements" to ensure Ethiopia gains access to the sea "under Somalia's sovereignty".
It is not clear if Ethiopia has discarded the deal it signed with Somaliland - something demanded by Somalia at earlier mediation efforts.
Last month, Somaliland elected a new president - former opposition leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi - who promised to "review" the maritime deal.
During his inauguration speech on Thursday morning he made no mention of it.
Somaliland is located in a strategic part of the world, and is seen as a gateway to the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
Additional reporting by Bidhaan Dahir in Hargeisa.
