Turkey
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Jun- 2020 -18 JuneMiddle East
Turkey Hits PKK in Iraq: Why Now and How Far Could It Go?
Turkey launched a rare ground assault into northern Iraq, deploying special forces against rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party which is blacklisted by Ankara as a 'terrorist' group.
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17 JuneMiddle East
Turkey Deploys Troops Against Kurdish Rebels in Iraq
Turkey launched an air and ground offensive against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq on Wednesday, in a move likely to increase friction with the Baghdad government. The defense ministry said “commandos” moved in supported by drones and helicopters, following a bombardment with rocket launchers and artillery guns that hit more than 150 targets. It added that the operation, dubbed “Claw-Tiger,” came after a “recent upsurge in attacks on our police stations and military bases” near the Iraqi border. Turkey carried out air strikes earlier this week that drew an angry response from Iraq, which labeled them “a violation of sovereignty.” The Turkish military regularly carries out operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in southeast Turkey and its rear bases across the border. The operation on Sunday night saw raids in the northern Iraqi territories of Kandil, Sinjar, and Hakurk. ‘Natural Right’ President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan‘s ruling party spokesman defended Turkey’s actions. “Turkey continues its effective fight against terror using its rights based on international law,” Omer Celik said on Twitter. “It is our most natural right and duty to fight against terrorists who attack our borders, citizens and security forces.” The PKK, which has fought an insurgency against the Turkish state since …
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15 JuneMiddle East
Drone Strike in Syria Kills Two Jihadist Leaders: Monitor
A drone attack in northwestern Syria killed two commanders of an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group on Sunday, a war monitor said.
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9 JuneMiddle East
Syria Jihadist-Regime Clashes Leave 41 Fighters Dead
An Al-Qaeda offshoot led an offensive Monday against regime forces in northwest Syria, sparking clashes that left 19 pro-government fighters and 22 jihadists dead, a war monitor said.
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2 JuneAfrica
Libya Rivals Agree Return to Ceasefire Talks: UN
The United Nations’ Libya mission said Tuesday the country’s warring parties had agreed to restart talks aimed at reaching a lasting ceasefire, after a three-month suspension. In a statement, UNSMIL “welcomed” moves by the Government of National Accord and forces backing eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar to accept “restarting negotiations on a ceasefire and the related security arrangements.” Pro-Haftar forces have been battling since April last year to seize the capital Tripoli from the UN-recognised GNA, in fighting that has left hundreds dead and forced 200,000 to flee their homes. A military commission made up of five GNA loyalists and five Haftar delegates held talks in February, but the dialogue was suspended. A January truce brokered by GNA backer Turkey and key Haftar ally Russia has been repeatedly violated. Neither side immediately commented on the UN statement. Haftar’s rapid advance on Tripoli last year stalled to a bloody stalemate on the edges of the capital. In recent weeks, GNA forces buoyed by Turkish drones and air defense systems have taken back a string of coastal towns and a key airbase, Haftar is supported by neighboring Egypt and the United Arab Emirates as well as Russia. The UN mission urged “states backing either …
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May- 2020 -28 MayMiddle East
Turkish Soldier Killed in Syria’s Idlib
One Turkish soldier was killed by a roadside bomb Wednesday while on patrol in Syria’s Idlib region, the defense ministry said. The soldier “succumbed to his injuries after being taken to hospital,” the ministry said. The private DHA news agency said a bomb exploded on the key M4 highway in Idlib as a Turkish military convoy passed by. It is an area where Turkish-Russian joint patrols take place but it was not immediately clear if the Russian military were present at the time of the blast. In March, Russia and Turkey launched their first joint military patrol along the M4 highway following a ceasefire agreement. The deal raised hopes of an end to one of the bloodiest phases in the 9-year conflict in Syria. A Russian-backed government offensive on the last rebel bastion in the country has killed hundreds of civilians since December and displaced close to a million people.
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Apr- 2020 -29 AprilMiddle East
Amid condemnation, Syria’s YPG disavows deadly car bomb in Efrin
Syria's Kurdish-led YPG denied responsibility for a truck bomb in the Turkey-occupied city of Efrin that killed at least 40 people
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1 AprilEurope
Turkish defense ministry sends COVID-19 supplies to Italy and Spain
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) – Turkey on Wednesday sent health supplies including masks to Italy and Spain, the two European countries worst hit by the novel coronavirus, the defense ministry said. “Health supplies prepared to fight COVID-19 together, and with the hopes of seeing brighter days were sent en route to Spain and Italy” by a military plane, the ministry tweeted in English. An accompanying video clip showed a Turkish military A-400M cargo plane preparing to take off. Health supplies prepared to fight COVID-19 together, and with the hopes of seeing brighter days were sent en route to Spain and Italy by A-400M type planes belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces.https://t.co/o7zcZJ6JEP pic.twitter.com/Fp3GWs5yTH — T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) April 1, 2020 The defense ministry posted the same message in Turkish, Spanish and Italian. The supplies including masks, overalls and anti-bacterial fluids, produced in the defense ministry’s factories and sewing facilities. Local resources were being sent “on the instructions of President” Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the ministry statement. The coronavirus pandemic has killed over 30,000 people in Europe, more than three-quarters of the deaths registered in Italy and Spain, according to an AFP tally at 0700 GMT Wednesday using official figures. The …
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Mar- 2020 -13 March
Turkey and Russia agree to start joint patrols in northwest Syria
Turkey and Russia agreed to start joint patrols in Syria's Idlib province at the weekend, Turkey's defense minister Hului Akar said
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5 MarchMiddle East
Syria: Russia and Turkey agree to ceasefire in battered Idlib
Erdogan and Putin announce plans for a joint buffer zone to halt Syria's offensive against Idlib province, ceasefire to begin at midnight
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