Special to WorldTribune.com CAIRO — Turkey is preparing to launch a training program for Libya’s security forces. A Turkish security delegation arrived in Libya on Jan. 5 to discuss a program to train Libyan police and security forces. Officials said Ankara would conduct training in Turkey and Libya for both Libyan cadets and veteran officers. […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ANKARA — Turkey has demanded the software codes of the U.S.-origin Joint Strike Fighter as a condition for purchase. Officials said the government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has determined that the F-35 would not comprise a feasible purchase unless the Turkish Air Force acquired software codes of the fifth-generation fighter-jet. They […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — Qatar has become the first to call for foreign troop deployment in Syria. Qatar, deemed the leading supporter of the revolt against President Bashar Assad, has demanded that Arab League forces arrive in Syria to stop the bloodshed. Qatar’s Emir Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani said the Arab League must […]
Special to WorldTribune.com LONDON — Syria’s rebel army, based in Turkey, has reported shortages in weapons and funds. The Free Syrian Army has urged Arab and other opponents of the regime of President Bashar Assad to rush aid to the rebel force. “If the FSA had greater capabilities the situation on the ground would be […]
Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — The Turkish Navy last month held live fire exercises near the natural gas fields of Israel and the Republic of Cyprus. Diplomats said Turkish warships were conducting live-fire maneuvers in the eastern Mediterranean in an apparent show of force toward Israel and Cyprus. They said the Turkish ships were firing […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ANKARA — Turkey has reported the first seizure of an Iranian weapons shipment to Syria in 2012. Officials said four trucks loaded with Iranian military equipment were stopped and impounded in the border province of Kilis on Jan. 10. They said the equipment, destined for neighboring Syria, was sent to Turkish authorities […]
Special to WorldTribune.com CAIRO — Jordan has been urged to establish a buffer zone along the kingdom’s border with Syria. Syrian opposition sources said the Hashemite kingdom has been considering a series of moves to help the revolt against President Bashar Assad. They said the most feasible proposal was for a safe haven zone for […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Fariborz Saremi, FreePressers.com Iraq is facing a very uncertain future now that the Americans, worn down by the military (4,500 dead) and financial costs (over $1 trillion) have withdrawn their military forces. The tide of sectarian conflict is rising, driven in part by Iranian ambition and Saudi Arabian fears. The Shi’ite […]
Special to WorldTribune.com CAIRO — Arab League states have been ignoring the Palestine Liberation Organization for the Islamist opposition. Arab diplomats said Hamas has threatened to overshadow the PLO in numerous Middle East capitals. They said Hamas delegations were given the red-carpet treatment in such countries as Egypt, Qatar, Tunisia and Turkey. “Hamas is being […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ANKARA — Turkey has arrested the highest level military official on charges of plotting against the Islamic government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan. Former Chief of Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug was imprisoned as part of the latest crackdown on secular opponents of the Erdogan government. Erdogan, deemed a close friend of U.S. […]