Turkey blocks Twitter, Youtube over hostage photos BBC News 6 April 2015   A Turkish court has ordered blocks on Twitter and YouTube for sharing photos of a hostage taken during an armed siege last week. The blocks have been imposed because images of a deadly siege were being shared via the social networks. In the siege two gunmen reportedly from a far-left group took a prosecutor hostage at Istanbul central courthouse. All three died in a shootout

Armenia makes Centenary call for Turkey to recognise 1915 killings as genocide Centenary News 9 February 2015   Armenia issued a Centenary declaration on January 29th 2015, repeating demands for Turkey to recognize the killing of Armenians during the First World War as genocide. President Serzh Sargsyan read the 'Pan-Armenian Declaration on the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide' during a ceremony at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in the capital,

Only 9 percent of Turks say Armenian killings genocide: poll Agence France Presse, The Daily Star 13 January 2015 ANKARA: Less than 10 percent of Turks believe their government should recognize the mass killings of Armenians in World War I as genocide, according to a survey published Tuesday. On the 100th anniversary of the tragedy this year, the poll revealed that only 9.1 percent of those questioned believe Ankara should apologize for the deaths

US, Turkey Still Not in Sync on Syria By Deb Riechmann, Associated Press 21 November 2014 U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Friday became the latest in a parade of U.S. officials trying to push Turkey to step up its role in the international coalition's fight against Islamic State extremists. His visit follows weeks of public bickering between the two NATO allies. The Turkish president insists if the U.S. wants his help, it must focus less on fighting

Turkey fears influx of 2-3 million more Syrian refugees By Nick Tattersall, Reuters 18 November 2014 Turkey could face an influx of 2-3 million more Syrian refugees if President Bashar al-Assad's forces or Islamic State insurgents advance around Aleppo, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday. U.S. warplanes have been bombing Islamic State forces in parts of Syria, but Assad's military has intensified its campaign against some

Reinforcements Enter Besieged Syrian Town via Turkey, Raising Hopes By Anne Barnard, The New York Times 29 October 2014 As the first contingents of Iraqi Kurdish soldiers and Syrian rebel fighters crossed throughTurkey to enter the beleaguered Syrian town of Kobani on Wednesday, officials in Kobani hailed their arrival, saying they hoped it heralded a more cooperative international effort to fight Islamic State jihadists. Syrian Kurdish leaders

For Syrian Kurds, a Refuge in Turkey but Not a Home By kareem Fahim, The New York Times 14 October 2014 SURUC, Turkey — For Shamsa Tammi, a refugee in this city from the nearby Syrian town of Kobani, the men of the Islamic State were a scourge her family could not escape. Her husband, a Kurdish fighter, was killed in a battle with militants from the group more than a year ago. Then last week, an Islamic State sniper killed her eldest son, Recber,

Turkey Seeks Buffer Zone on the Border With Syria By Tim Arango and Ceylan Yeginsu, The New York Times 9 October 2014 With the United States continuing to pressure Turkey to do more in the fight against the Islamic State, Turkey’s position has hardened around an idea it has pushed for years as a strategy to confront the chaos of the Syrian civil war: a buffer zone along its frontier with Syria. The idea is emerging as a possible way to end the

Turkey says Syrian town about to fall as Islamic State moves in by Daren Butler and Oliver Holmes, Reuters 7 October 2014 Turkey's president said Kobani was "about to fall" after Islamic State fighters advanced into the south west of the Syrian Kurdish town, pressing home a three-week assault that has cost a reported 400 lives.The prospect that the town on the Turkish border could be captured by the militants has increased pressure on Turkey, with

Turkey builds refugee camp for Yazidis in Iraq By Today’s Zaman   August 14, 2014   Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay has said there are around 1,700 Yazidis in Turkey and that Ankara has decided to build a tent camp in the Iraqi city of Zakho for Yazidi refugees as there is a possibility that that number may increase.   In remarks to reporters on Thursday, Atalay said Turkey's efforts to protect Yazidis have been ongoing. He stated