by WorldTribune Staff, May 23, 2016 Turkey’s new prime minister wasted no time in confirming he stood firmly behind President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s pursuit of a new constitution that will grant the president more power. Binali Yildirim, a close Erdogan ally for two decades and a co-founder of the ruling Justice and Development (AKP) Party, […]
By World Tribune Staff on May 17, 2016 Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) blew up several pumping stations at a major Syrian gas field on May 16. The explosions at the Shaer gas field were reportedly felt as far away as Palmyra, which is 50 meters (30 miles) southeast of Shaer. “There were […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty The number of people uprooted within their own countries by war and conflict rose last year to a record 40.8 million, a report published on May 10 found. “This is the highest figure ever recorded and twice the number of refugees worldwide,” said Jan Egeland, head […]
Special to WorldTribune.com The one thing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan enjoys more than a turn of phrase is the filet mignon of raw power. Erdogan has had a voracious appetite for that red meat, moving quickly to shift the center of power in Turkey to the presidency, saying that the parliamentary system has outlived […]
Special to WorldTribune.com The UN is calling for an investigation into alleged human rights abuses in Turkey’s southeast region, citing instances of unarmed civilians being shot and rescue personnel being prevented from attending to those injured by Turkish troops. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, on May 10 said […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Two Turkish journalists have been sentenced to nearly six years each in prison for revealing “state secrets.” The verdict was reached on May 6, just hours after one of the journalists narrowly escaped an attack by a gunman in front of the courthouse. Can Dundar, the editor in chief of the opposition […]
Special to WorldTribune.com GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu resigned on May 5, in a move initiated by President Reçep Tayyip Erdoğan in order to circumvent the lack of parliamentary numbers which could change the constitution to create an executive presidency. The increasing consolidation of power in the president’s hands, however, has […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Germany fully expects Turkey to honor a deal limiting refugee flows to Europe despite the resignation of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, with whom German Chancellor Angela Merkel hammered out the deal. “The chancellor has worked very well until now with Davutoglu and all Turkish representatives and we assume that this good and […]
Special to WorldTribune.com Stripped of a large chunk of his authority, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on May 5 announced he would step down, boosting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s grip on power. The shock announcement, dubbed a “palace coup” by Erdogan’s opposition, unnerved Turkey’s financial markets, with the lira losing almost four percent its value […]
Special to WorldTribune.com A brawl erupted in Turkish parliament on May 2 after a committee approved an amendment clearing the way for the prosecution of pro-Kurdish lawmakers on terror-related charges. The amendment, which still requires approval from the full assembly, was proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development (AKP) party, which accused […]
