Turkey Seals Off Border Area With Iraq For Three Months

The General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces yesterday published a list of forbidden zones in several southeastern provinces of Turkey, effectively sealing off the area along the Iraqi border in a depth of 20 to 30 kilometers. Another restricted … Continue reading →

Reports about Israel’s Fighter Jets Facing Turkish Ship Near Cyprus Called a Hoax

According to the Turkish newspaper Today’s  Zaman, yesterday’s reports by Turkish media that fighter jets from  both Israel and Turkey took to the air on Friday over a disputed natural gas field south of Cyprus, are entirely baseless. The Turkish … Continue reading →

Turkey Starts Offshore Exploration – Heading For Confrontation With Cyprus?

Ankara, 21 Sept 2011: Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc confirmed yesterday that a Norwegian survey ship is on its way to Turkey to start exploration of potential oil and gas fields in the region. The minister added that his … Continue reading →

Israel and Cyprus go ahead with oil exploration despite Turkey’s protests

The Greek and the Cypriot defense ministers have urged Turkey to respect international laws over the row about a possible Greek-Cypriot oil and gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean. Cypriot Dimitris Eliadis met his Greek counterpart Panos Beglitis in Greece yesterday, … Continue reading →

Minister: Turkey might go into Iraq again at any moment to fight PKK

The Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin announced yesterday that Turkish forces could cross the border into Iraq at any time to start another series of operations against the insurgents of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The minister continued that … Continue reading →

Turkey Wants U.S. Drones For Fight Against Separatists In Kurdistan

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As reported by the Washington Post on Sunday, the U.S. government is considering a Turkish request for deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) in Turkey for counterinsurgency operations. The UAV in question is the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator, … Continue reading →

THE UNBIASED OBSERVERS, Issue 44

From 1 September 2011 this newsletter service is subscription only. See Balkan News Service for details. Wednesday, 31 August 2011   Politics and others: Bulgaria Bulgaria’s Consumer Protection Commission “Decapitated” after Dismissal of All its Members Bulgaria’s Government Adopts a Memorandum on … Continue reading →

THE UNBIASED OBSERVERS, Issue 43

From 1 September 2011 this newsletter service is subscription only. See Balkan News Service for details.  Tuesday, 30 August 2011 Politics and others: Albania The Albanian Foreign Minister Discusses Albania’s EU Integration with US Ambassador Alexander Arvizu Italy and Turkey Help Albania to Extinguish … Continue reading →

Up to 160 Killed During Latest Air Strikes in Kurdistan

Up to 160 Kurdish insurgents have been killed during the latest air raids by the Turkish air force . After a wave of air raids and artillery attacks on rebel bases in the Qandil Mountains of northern Iraq, beginning on … Continue reading →

Turkey and Germany Expect to Strike a Defense Deal with Indonesia

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A senior Turkish official confirmed on Friday that a team of Turkish and German shipbuilding companies expects to win a competition over delivery of two Class-209 Diesel submarines for the Indonesian navy. The Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News quotes an … Continue reading →