Search

151. Turkish court rules to let Hagia Sophia return as mosque

152. Divided Cyprus reacts to Hagia Sophia

Cyprus has weighed in on Turkey’s controversial decision to allow Muslim prayer inside Hagia Sophia, with different reactions across the divided island and amid reports of nuanced differences in President Erdogan's statements in two different languages...

153. US ambassador sees opportunities in Cyprus

US Ambassador to Nicosia Judy Garber says the pandemic aftermath in Cyprus could be seen as an opportunity for the island, praising officials for managing the crisis and calling the country a “fantastic place for people” to do business...

154. Hagia Sophia mosque conversion verdict expected within 15 days, says report

A verdict on whether Hagia Sophia in Istanbul will be converted into a mosque is to be issued within 15 days, Turkey’s Daily Sabah reported Thursday....

155. North restores connectivity with Turkey but locals uneasy

Connectivity between the north and Turkey was officially restored on Wednesday against the backdrop of heightened concern by a large portion of the Turkish Cypriot community in view of Turkey’s post-lockdown coronavirus relapse....

156. North sending mixed signals over opening to Turkey on July 1

The Turkish Cypriot administration was giving off mixed signals over plans to restore connectivity with Turkey on July 1, with head of the administration Ersin Tatar stating Thursday it had decided to stick to the decision and double-check arrivals for the virus, contradicting statements made Wednesday by Kudret Ozersay, in charge of foreign affairs in the north, who said that the administration had failed to reach a final decision and was considering to re-evaluate the move....

157. Post-lockdown jump in coronavirus cases rattles Turkish officials

Turkey may have to adopt a harder line on social interactions following a worrying jump in coronavirus infections but it has no plans to reverse an easing of lockdown restrictions aimed at reviving the economy, officials say....

158. Greek PM says Greece ready for any challenge

Amid renewed tensions with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed on Wednesday that Greece “will face all challenges with consistency, stability, confidence and always with a commitment to international law, as it always does.”...

159. Holy Synod says yoga no good

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece rebuffed a call for dialogue between Orthodox churches regarding Holy Communion in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, while also denouncing yoga and warning cleric to stay away from the Lions...

160. Medical supplies arrive after eventful flight

Another huge load of medical supplies from China was delivered to the Republic of Cyprus on Wednesday, after an “adventurous” flight on a Russian aircraft that did not have enough fuel to make it in one go...

161. Daughter of north Cyprus civil aviation chief attempts to escape quarantine in Turkey

Reactions mounted in Turkey after the daughter of the chief of civil aviation in north Cyprus attempted with the help of Turkish police to escape from a bus transferring arrivals from abroad to quarantine premises....

162. Erdogan likens Greek authorities to Nazis

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said there is “no difference” between Nazis and the Greek authorities trying to hold the country’s border against the influx of thousands of migrants and refugees spurred to push into the European Union by Ankara....

163. EU criticizes Turkey on migration as border clashes resume

Clashes between Greek riot police and migrants attempting to cross the border from Turkey erupted anew Friday as European Union foreign ministers took aim at what they called “Turkey’s use of migratory pressure for political purposes.” ...

164. Guards use tear gas to disperse hundreds of migrants at Greek-Turkish border

Guards on Greece’s northeastern land border with Turkey made “deterrent use” of tear gas to disperse some 500 refugees and migrants trying to enter the country and the European Union after Ankara loosened controls on migrant flows....

165. 14 EU countries demand Syria govt, Russia return to 2018 ceasefire deal

Foreign ministers from 14 European countries, including France and Germany, demanded on Wednesday that Syrian government forces and their Russian backers end their offensive in Idlib province and return to the terms of a 2018 ceasefire deal....

166. Turkish clothes makers see orders shifting from coronavirus-hit China

Several fashion retailers that manufacture clothing in coronavirus-hit China are in talks with Turkish firms about shifting production to Turkey, two sector officials told Reuters, with one predicting new orders worth up to $2 billion....

167. Three killed in Istanbul plane crash

A Pegasus Airlines plane flying into Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport skidded off the end of a wet runway and broke into three pieces after landing on Wednesday, killing three people and injuring 179...

168. Istanbul street sign draws attention

A street sign in Larnaca was the topic of a heated discussion on Facebook, with social media users calling on the city to remove “Istanbul Street” in the Turkish Cypriot borough...

169. Deadly earthquake jolts eastern Turkey

A powerful earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Friday, killing at least 20 people and collapsing buildings in affected towns near the center of the tremor, which was strong enough to be felt in several neighboring countries...

170. Diplomatic hype over eastern Mediterranean

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias attended Christmas Mass in Istanbul amid diplomatic tensions and power play between Athens and Ankara over gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean...

171. Woman threatens to blow up flight to Cyprus

Passengers on a flight from Istanbul to the northern part of Cyprus had the scare of their life on Wednesday seconds before takeoff when a female passenger threatened to blow up the plane...

172. Turkey criticized over Syria offensive during EP debate

Turkey was heavily criticized on Wednesday for its military operation in north-east Syria, during a debate at the European Parliament plenary, in Strasbourg, while a relevant resolution is expected to be adopted on Thursday....

173. Sharp increase in migrant arrivals in past 5 months, says minister

Greece's migration minister said Wednesday there was a 200 percent jump in the number of migrants and refugees who have reached Greek shores in the last five months....

174. Traveler arrested over suspicious documents

A judge in Paphos ordered a male traveler of undisclosed origins to be remanded in custody for five days, after airport police said they spotted inconsistencies in his documents as he was trying to catch a flight to Mykonos...

175. Emergency flight to Ercan forced to revise plan

A Turkish flight en route to Jordan, which diverted to Ercan due to a medical emergency, was forced to perform a fly-over in Antalya before heading to its final destination...

176. Erdogan suffers defeat in Istanbul rerun

Turkey’s opposition has dealt President Tayyip Erdogan a stinging blow by winning control of Istanbul in a re-run mayoral election, breaking his aura of invincibility and delivering a message from voters unhappy over his policies...

177. 'These will not be soft measures' says Juncker

178. Bloomberg: 'Turkey Considers Russian Missile Role in Mediterranean Gas Push'

179. Turkish officials in Athens for CBM talks

180. Turkey to send second drillship