Middle East

ANKARA, Turkey (ViaNews) - Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem spoke to Russia Today: “We do not want to come into conflict with Turkey but they must understand that Idlib is Syrian soil!” Muallim’s words were a direct response to countries that could potentially take part in the attack against the city of Idlib. Syrian FM said the purpose of...

ISTANBUL, Turkey (ViaNews) - Two suspects have been taken into custody by the Turkish police after several gunshots were fired at the US Embassy in Ankara on August 20. The Turkish government condemned the attack as “a clear provocation” according to Hurriyet. The spokesperson of the US Embassy David Gainer told Hurriyet that a security incident took place at the...

ISTAMBUL, Turkey (ViaNews) – In the latest Justice and Development Party Congress, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that “Some people are trying to threaten us by manipulating our economy, enforcing sanctions, devaluing our currency, distorting the exchange rates, and increasing the inflation rate in our country but we see their malicious intent and we challenge them.” He also added...

ANKARA, Turkey (ViaNews) - Following the tensions between both countries, Erdoğan said he wants to expand trade with China, Russia, Iran, Ukraine and wishes to trade in Turkish Liras. He goes even further by inviting the EU to do the same. "Who does Mr. Trump think he is dealing with? This is Turkey! We are not your servants. We are...

ANKARA, Turkey (ViaNews) - The Supreme Electoral Council (SEC) of Turkey had recently confirmed the use of tactile ballot papers for the June 24 election but later denied the budget request for the process. Engin Yilmaz, the head of Engelsiz Erişim Derneği (Barrier-free Access Association), a charity organisation that supports disabled people, stated to the Turkish news publication, Bianet, that...

JERUSALEM, Israel (ViaNews) - Several letters written by Albert Einstein are on sale by an auction house based in Jerusalem, Israel. In one of those letters, written seven months prior to the first atomic bombing attack in history, Einstein foresees that a nuclear weapon will decide the fate of war. In another letter, Albert Einstein warns that without a supranational...

ANKARA, Turkey (ViaNews) - A group of doctorate students in the Institute of Nuclear Sciences Department at Ege University developed a clothing material for their medical staff who had been exposed to radiation on a daily basis due to their professions. Professor Fatma Yurt Onaran said to Diken, a Turkish newspaper, that the medical staff working in the radiology...

ANKARA, Turkey (ViaNews) - On Wednesday, Turkey’s presidency held an emergency meeting with top economic advisors and said that they would take measures to reduce interest and exchange rate pressures and prevent the Turkish lira’s record low slide after losing its value against other currencies, a wake up call for high inflation. FT writer Laura Pitel in relation to...

ANKARA, Turkey (ViaNews) - Last week, Erdogan called early presidential elections for June 24. This Wednesday, on April 25, Turkey’s electoral body announced that 11 political parties will compete in the June 24 polls. Even though Turkish politicians campaigning abroad was banned by some European countries, Turkish President Erdogan, without identifying the country, stated: “God willing, in May, we will hold...

ANKARA, Turkey (ViaNews) - On Jan. 20, Turkey launched “Operation Olive Branch” along with the FSA (Free Syrian Army) to clear YPG militants (Kurdish defence forces) from the Afrin district. Subsequently, a group of students opened a stand on the campus of Bosphorus University, one of Turkey’s top universities, distributing sweets dubbed “Afrin delight” to commemorate fallen soldiers in...

CAIRO, Egypt (ViaNews) - As the deadline for applying to become a presidential candidate approaches, current Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi barely has any competition. There were three other potential contenders for the presidency but one by one they all dropped out of the race. The first strong potential candidate was Ahmed Shafik: a former military man and a very successful...

ANKARA, Turkey (ViaNews) - The history of cannabis use is as old as the history of humanity. In Divan literature during the Ottoman Empire, many poets wrote about intoxicating substances, including cannabis. Also, it was widely used in the shamanic times, before the Islam religion was recognized by the Turks. It was believed that cannabis enabled the shamans to...