Special to WorldTribune.com ANKARA — Turkey, in the first such incident, has reported shooting down a Syrian military helicopter. Officials said the Turkish Air Force downed a Syrian military helicopter on Sept. 16 in Turkish air space. The officials said the Syrian Mi-17 helicopter ignored Turkish warnings to return to Syria. “It was continuously warned […]
Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — Turkey and the United States have conducted a review of defense and military cooperation. The two countries discussed existing and new projects during a meeting in Washington on May 17 between Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and his Turkish counterpart, Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz. Officials said the meeting was dominated by […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ANKARA — Turkey has assessed that Syrian President Bashar Assad ordered bombings in the NATO country. On May 11, at least 43 people were killed and 140 injured when two car bombs exploded in Reyhanli, a city of 60,000 near the Syrian border. Officials said the Assad regime was suspected of ordering […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ANKARA — Turkey has assigned elite security units to prevent the assassination of its political leadership. The government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has intensified efforts to foil what officials said were plots to kill senior members of the pro-Islamist civilian leadership. They said the Turkish intelligence community has been alerted to […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ANKARA — The United States has agreed to allow Turkey’s participation in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, including developing the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. U.S. and Turkish officials said Washington would enable Ankara to support and intervene in Israeli talks with the Palestinian Authority. They said the effort would include Turkish efforts to woo the […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Gerald Robbins The culprit in last week’s suicide bombing at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara was not, as expected, an Islamic terror group bent on attacking American interests. Rather, a Marxist organization known as the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party Front claimed responsibility. The group’s communiqué explained the assault as a response […]
Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA — Sunni rebels have assumed control over parts of Syria’s border with Turkey. Opposition sources said Sunni rebels have captured Syrian facilities along the 900-kilometer border with Turkey. They said at least two border crossings were in the hands of Sunni fighters linked to the Turkish-based Free Syrian Army. “This has […]
Special to WorldTribune.com ANKARA — France is reportedly training rebels in their effort to topple the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. A major Turkish newspaper reported that France has sent military advisers to train the Free Syrian Army. FSA, based in Turkey, was said to have received training in weapons and combat skills in […]