Russia suspects Turkey is preparing for incursion into Syria

Russia suspects Turkey is preparing for incursion into Syria

Special to WorldTribune.com Moscow said it has reason to suspect that Turkey is planning a military incursion into Syria. The Russian Defense Ministry said it has observed “a growing number of signs of hidden preparation of the Turkish armed forces for active actions on the territory of Syria.” Ankara responded by saying it has the […]

Turkey: NATO radars confirmed Russian jet’s airspace violation

Turkey: NATO radars confirmed Russian jet’s airspace violation

Special to WorldTribune.com Turkey reported that NATO radars detected a Russian Su-34 warplane violating its airspace. “Russia can not cover up its violation of our airspace. It’s not possible to hide such an incident if it did happen, or to make up a violation if it didn’t happen,” Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on […]

Iraqi prime minister: No evidence Turkey wants to fight ISIL

Iraqi prime minister: No evidence Turkey wants to fight ISIL

Special to WorldTribune.com Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi said on Jan. 21 he is “not seeing evidence” of Turkey’s willingness to fight Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL). While attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Abadi told CNBC he believes Turkey views the Kurdish population within its border as a greater problem […]

Turkey arrests academics critical of Kurdish policy, condemns others including Chomsky

Turkey arrests academics critical of Kurdish policy, condemns others including Chomsky

Special to WorldTribune.com A group of academics who criticized Turkish military action against Kurds in the country’s southeast were briefly detained by Turkish security forces. The 27 academics were part of a group of 1,000 signatories of a published document critical of the military campaign against Kurdish PKK forces. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced the […]

ISIL jihadist registered as refugee one week before terror attack in Istanbul

ISIL jihadist registered as refugee one week before terror attack in Istanbul

Special to WorldTribune.com The Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) jihadist who killed 11 tourists in Turkey on Jan. 12 had registered as a refugee one week before the bombing. CCTV footage released on Jan. 13 shows 28-year-old ISIL jihadist Nabil Fadli registering as a refugee with Turkish immigration authorities. Fadli blew himself up in Sultanahmet Square […]

Turkey waging brutal battle in siege on Kurdish stronghold

Turkey waging brutal battle in siege on Kurdish stronghold

Special to WorldTribune.com Turkey is continuing to press its brutal siege on the Kurdish de facto capital. Kurds represent about 20 percent of Turkey’s population, and Kurdish fighters have been the only successful fighting force against the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL). The months-long battle for Diyarbakir, a walled city on the Tigris […]

Egypt wants assurances Israel will keep Turkey away from Gaza

Egypt wants assurances Israel will keep Turkey away from Gaza

Special to WorldTribune.com The Egyptian government has asked Israel for clarification on talks aimed at repairing relations between Jerusalem and Turkey. Egypt is calling on Israel not to give in to Turkey’s demands on the lifting of the naval blockade on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, senior clerks in Jerusalem told Haaretz on Jan. 7 on condition of […]

Petro kingdom at risk? 2016’s Mideast power matrix and the Chinese definition of ‘crisis’

Petro kingdom at risk? 2016’s Mideast power matrix and the Chinese definition of ‘crisis’

Special to WorldTribune.com By Norman Bailey Predictions that events in Saudi Arabia will be key to regional developments in 2016 have much merit. A number of analyses and New Year predictions have centered lately on what events might happen during 2016 involving Saudi Arabia. Certainly, several recent events might lead to such conclusions, to wit: […]

Turkey’s missile defense deal with notorious ‘China Precision Machinery’ worries U.S.

Turkey’s missile defense deal with notorious ‘China Precision Machinery’ worries U.S.

Special to WorldTribune.com East-Asia-Intel.com The U.S. government has sent NATO ally Turkey a message expressing “serious concerns” over Ankara’s decision to choose a Chinese state-run weapons firm to co-produce an air and missile defense system known as the Red Flag-9 or HQ-9. China is still under sanctions by the U.S. and most European Union nations. […]

Fall of ‘Islamic model’ in Egypt has Erdogan fearing coup in Turkey

Fall of ‘Islamic model’ in Egypt has Erdogan fearing coup in Turkey

Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com ANKARA — Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, alarmed by the military coup in Egypt, was said to fear a similar scenario in Turkey. Diplomatic sources said Erdogan was the only NATO or Middle East leader to have openly sided with the Muslim Brotherhood against Egypt’s military. They said the […]