Diplomatic Briefing
Your exclusive news aggregator handpicked daily!Archive for Turkey
Newsline: Iraq summons Turkish ambassador
Iraq has summoned Ankara’s ambassador in Baghdad to protest the behaviour of two Turkish diplomats, the latest episode in a drawn-out public row between the neighbors. An official from Iraq’s foreign ministry met Turkey’s ambassador, Yunus Demirer, to complain about the Turkish diplomats in the cities of Basra and Mosul, a statement on the foreign ministry website said. “Some activities conducted by the two Turkish General Consuls in Basra and Mosul … are far from their Consular duties and obligations stated in the Vienna Convention for Consular Relations of 1963,” the statement said, without elaborating. It said that the meeting took place on Tuesday but did not say what the diplomats were accused of. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Iraqi counterpart Nuri al-Maliki have traded tit-for-tat criticisms and accusations several times this year. Erdogan last month accused Maliki of fanning tensions between Shi’ite Muslims, Sunni Muslims and Kurds in Iraq through “self-centred” behavior. Maliki quickly responded that Turkey was becoming a “hostile state” with a sectarian agenda, saying it was meddling in Iraqi affairs and trying to establish regional “hegemony”. Iraq summoned Turkey’s ambassador at the time and Turkey responded by summoning Iraq’s envoy in Ankara.
http://www.news.az/articles/turkey/60503
Newsline: Iraqi Diplomat in Ankara Summoned
Charge d’affaires with the Iraqi Embassy in Ankara has been summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry headquarters over recent remarks by Iraqi prime minister. He was summoned to convey Turkey’s “strong rejection” of statements made by Nuri al-Maliki who accused Ankara of intervening in Iraq’s internal politics and branded Turkey “a hostile state.” Sources said the Iraqi diplomat was told that Iraq’s peace and stability was a top priority as they directly had repercussions in Turkey and that Turkey opposed any ethnic or sectarian discrimination.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/134737/iraqi-diplomat-in-ankara-summoned-over-remarks-of-iraqi-official.html
Newsline: Iran’s embassy in Istanbul confirms hosting on nuclear talks
Islamic Republic of Iran’s Embassy in Turkey officially confirmed its hosting of upcoming Iran – 5+1G nuclear negotiations, IRNA reported. According to IRNA, the Iranian diplomatic office in Turkish capital city announcing the news added, “These talks would be held on April 14th, 2012 between the concerned officials of our country and those of the group of six western countries in first round of a two-step negations in Istanbul, Turkey.” The spokesperson of EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton had earlier expressed hope that the first round of these talks would be held at an amicable atmosphere and lead to tangible results. Michael Mann added, “The EU is after reaching a continuous process in these talks.” Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) Fereydoun Abbasi announced late Sunday that Iran will do 20-percent uranium enrichment just to meet its own needs. After a protracted flap over the venue for the talks, Iranian state TV reported Sunday that both sides had agreed on Istanbul. It said a second round would be held in Baghdad but that its timing would be decided during the meeting in Turkey.
http://en.trend.az/regions/iran/2012397.html
Newsline: Turkey shuts embassy in Damascus
Turkey closed its embassy in Damascus on Monday because of deteriorating security conditions in Syria, a Turkish diplomatic source said. “Activities at the Turkish embassy have been suspended from this morning,” the source said on condition of anonymity, adding that all diplomatic personnel have left the Syrian capital. Turkey has called on President Bashar al-Assad to step down and imposed a number of sanctions on Damascus, while emerging as the main haven for Syrian opposition groups rebel fighters. It is due to host a “Friends of Syria” conference in Istanbul on April 1 to pressure the Damascus regime following a first such meeting in Tunis last month attended by leading officials from Western and Arab countries. Despite the closure of the embassy, Turkey’s consulate in the northern city of Aleppo will remain open, the diplomatic source said. A number of countries have already closed their embassies in Damascus, including the United States, some EU members and the Arab monarchies of the Gulf.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/world/Turkey+shuts+embassy+Damascus+diplomat/6357986/story.html
Newsline: Iran’s embassy in Turkey attacked
Three Molotov cocktails were thrown into the grounds of the Iranian Embassy in Ankara on Friday, March 23. Two Iranian suspects allegedly threw the Molotov cocktails in the morning hours, causing a fire to start in the embassy’s front yard. The fire was soon put out by officials. The suspects in custody attacked the embassy after being reportedly subjected to slow bureaucratic processes at the mission.
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/100070/
Newsline: Turkey to close its embassy in Syria
Turkey will close its embassy in Syria on March 22, according to diplomatic sources. Ankara also urged all its citizens in Syria to leave the country, and come back to Turkey. Despite this, the consulate in Aleppo will continue its work.
http://en.trend.az/news/politics/2004448.html
Newsline: Envoy denies evacuation of Turkish Embassy in Cairo
The Turkish Ambassador to Cairo, Hüseyin Avni Botsalı, denied media reports this morning that the Turkish Embassy in Cairo was evacuated due to protests in front of the building on January 30. Thousands of liberal demonstrators calling for an end to military rule in Egypt were blocked by members of the Muslim Brotherhood from reaching the Egyptian parliament yesterday. “There were two protesting groups composed of Islamists and liberals in front of the Parliament building, which is near to our embassy building,” Botsalı told Hürriyet Daily News by phone. “When the tension escalated, thousands of protestors rushed into Falaki Street where our embassy is,” he said. Botsalı said he decided to close the embassy early and send the personnel to their homes “considering the possibility of a clash between the groups and possible entries to the embassy building.” “There was no question of any protests or slogans against Turkey,” Botsalı said and added he returned to the embassy on foot at 6 p.m. without difficulty. “Currently, the Turkish Embassy in Cairo is open and working,” Botsalı concluded.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/news/politics/22599.html
Newsline: Rocket hits Turkish embassy wall in Iraq
At least one mortar round struck the outer compound wall of the Turkish embassy in Baghdad, but caused no casualties, an Iraqi official said, amid tensions between the two countries. A mortar round struck the perimeter of the mission in Waziriyah, in north Baghdad and outside the heavily fortified Green Zone that is home to the US and British embassies and parliament, an interior ministry official said. There were no casualties, and authorities claimed to have found the vehicle from which the mortar was fired. Turkey’s Anatolia news agency reported that at least two grenades were fired, with one striking the embassy’s outer wall and the other hitting a nearby road. It also said there were no casualties. Antatolia said Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, currently in Brussels, telephoned Ankara’s envoy Yunus Demirer to inquire about the incident. The attack came a day after Turkey summoned Iraq’s ambassador to protest claims it has been meddling in Baghdad’s affairs by voicing concern over a domestic political crisis. Feridun Sinirlioglu, the foreign ministry’s undersecretary, told the Iraqi envoy that the accusation was “unacceptable” and Turkey had a legitimate right to be concerned about events on the other side of its borders. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan angered his counterpart Nuri al-Maliki by phoning him last week about a standoff with his Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi whom he has accused of running a death squad.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hBqRhEKI-fZ9eSHhhqbDPedTIcoQ?docId=CNG.15ca52301f0ccb31310f2a644f54a941.3e1
Newsline: Israel boosts diplomatic mission to Turkey
The Foreign Ministry announced Monday that it will be sending another diplomatic envoy to Ankara, who will act as the chargé d’affaires of the Israeli Embassy, despite the unrelenting tensions between Israel and Turkey. It was not too long ago, in September, when Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced that following Jerusalem’s adamant refusal to apologize over the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid, Ankara will be downgrading its diplomatic relations withIsraeland suspending key military agreements. In a dramatic turn of events, Turkey announced that it was expelling Israeli Ambassador Gabby Levy from Ankara. Davutoglu said Turkey’s diplomatic representation inIsraelwould be further reduced to second-secretary level. In accordance, all lower Israeli diplomatic personnel above the second-secretary level have also been expelled.
Newsline: Syria accused over attacks on Saudi and Qatari embassy
Saudi Arabia has condemned an attack on its embassy in Damascus by supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Saudi and Qatari embassies were stormed by crowds after both countries voted to suspend Syria from meetings of the Arab League. Saudi ArabiaaccusedSyria’s government of failing to take sufficient measures to stop the attack on its building. The Arab League vote came afterSyriafailed to end a violent crackdown on opposition protesters. Syrian authorities said the vote violated the league’s charter, and accused it of serving a “Western and American agenda”. As the result became known on Saturday, groups of protesters gathered outside both the Saudi and Qatari embassies in the Syrian capital. The French and Turkish consulates in the city of Latakia were also attacked, Reuters news agency reports. The Saudi state news agency SPA said hundreds of Syrian government supporters threw rocks at its embassy. Some managed to get in, smashing windows and ransacking the building. “Syrian authorities did not carry out the necessary measures to stop” the demonstrators, the SPA quoted the Saudi foreign ministry as saying. “The Saudi government strongly condemns this incident and holds the Syrian authorities responsible for the security and protection of all Saudi interests inSyria,” the ministry said. Pro-Syrian government supporters also forced their way into the Qatari embassy – climbing to the top of the building to remove the Qatari flag and replace it with a Syrian one. Both the Saudi and Qatari ambassadors leftDamascusin the summer in protest at President Bashar al-Assad’s crack down on protests in the country since March.
