Day: February 11, 2024

ISTANBUL: Trkiye rescued 15 irregular migrants in the Aegean Sea after Greek authorities pushed them back into Turkish territorial waters, authorities said Sunday. Coast guard units rescued the migrants from a rubber boat off the Marmaris district of the western Mugla province, the Turkish Coast Guard said in a statement. Separately, 57 migrants on board a rubber boat were apprehended off the coast of the Bodrum district in Mugla. Irregular immigrants were taken to local immigration authorities for deportation. Trkiye and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece's illegal practice of pushing back asylum seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children. Source:Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Trkiye rescued 15 irregular migrants in the Aegean Sea after Greek authorities pushed them back into Turkish territorial waters, authorities said Sunday. Coast guard units rescued the migrants from a rubber boat off the Marmaris district of the western Mugla province, the Turkish Coast Guard said in a statement. Separately, 57 migrants on board a rubber boat were apprehended off the coast of the Bodrum district in Mugla. Irregular immigrants were taken to local immigration authorities for deportation. Trkiye and global rights groups have repeatedly condemned Greece's illegal practice of pushing back asylum seekers, saying it violates humanitarian values and international law by endangering the lives of vulnerable migrants, including women and children. Source:Anadolu Agency

WASHINGTON: An important stage regarding the sale of F-16s from the US to Trkiye passed on Saturday, as the review and objection process in Congress was overcome. In the 15-day review and objection process that began after the official notification sent to Congress by the US State Department on Jan. 26, the only objection presented to the Senate was by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. While Paul's proposal was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, no action was taken on the proposal there. So, after the official notification from the US administration, the 15-day period in Congress ended Saturday night, and there is no obstacle to the start of the process related to the sale among relevant institutions under the US Arms Export Control Act (AECA). ??????'Great step' "Congress's decision this week to approve Trkiye's acquisition of 40 new and 79 upgraded F-16 aircraft is a great step forward. Trkiye's F-16 fleet is critical to NATO's strength, ensuring future interoperability among Allies,' said U S Ambassador to Ankara Jeffry L. Flake, about the recent development on F-16 sale to Trkiye. This period is specified as 15 days for NATO member countries, and 30 days for non-NATO member countries, according to the AECA. The US State Department approved on Jan. 27 the pending $23 billion sale of F-16 aircraft and modernization kits to Trkiye, sending formal notification to Congress. The approval came after Trkiye ratified Sweden's NATO membership. Trkiye made a request to the US in October 2021 to purchase 40 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft, as well as 79 modernization kits to upgrade its remaining aircraft. Source:Anadolu Agency

WASHINGTON: An important stage regarding the sale of F-16s from the US to Trkiye passed on Saturday, as the review and objection process in Congress was overcome. In the 15-day review and objection process that began after the official notification sent to Congress by the US State Department on Jan. 26, the only objection presented to the Senate was by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. While Paul's proposal was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, no action was taken on the proposal there. So, after the official notification from the US administration, the 15-day period in Congress ended Saturday night, and there is no obstacle to the start of the process related to the sale among relevant institutions under the US Arms Export Control Act (AECA). ??????'Great step' "Congress's decision this week to approve Trkiye's acquisition of 40 new and 79 upgraded F-16 aircraft is a great step forward. Trkiye's F-16 fleet is critical to NATO's strength, ensuring future interoperability among Allies,' said U S Ambassador to Ankara Jeffry L. Flake, about the recent development on F-16 sale to Trkiye. This period is specified as 15 days for NATO member countries, and 30 days for non-NATO member countries, according to the AECA. The US State Department approved on Jan. 27 the pending $23 billion sale of F-16 aircraft and modernization kits to Trkiye, sending formal notification to Congress. The approval came after Trkiye ratified Sweden's NATO membership. Trkiye made a request to the US in October 2021 to purchase 40 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft, as well as 79 modernization kits to upgrade its remaining aircraft. Source:Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Feb. 12-13 and Egypt on Feb. 14, Trkiye's Communications Directorate said on Sunday. Erdogan will attend the World Government Summit, which will be held in Dubai on Feb. 13, as the guest of honor, according to a directorate statement. The Turkish president will address as the main speaker at the summit, which brings together state and government officials from various countries, international organizations, the private sector, academia, civil society, think tanks and media representatives, and business people. As part of the summit, Erdogan is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the participating countries, especially UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During Erdogan's visit to Cairo, steps to be taken to develop relations between Trkiye and Egypt and revitalize high-level bilateral cooperation mechanisms will be discussed. The agenda of the meetings is to exchange vi ews on current global and regional issues, especially the Israeli attacks on Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. Source:Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Feb. 12-13 and Egypt on Feb. 14, Trkiye's Communications Directorate said on Sunday. Erdogan will attend the World Government Summit, which will be held in Dubai on Feb. 13, as the guest of honor, according to a directorate statement. The Turkish president will address as the main speaker at the summit, which brings together state and government officials from various countries, international organizations, the private sector, academia, civil society, think tanks and media representatives, and business people. As part of the summit, Erdogan is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the participating countries, especially UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During Erdogan's visit to Cairo, steps to be taken to develop relations between Trkiye and Egypt and revitalize high-level bilateral cooperation mechanisms will be discussed. The agenda of the meetings is to exchange vi ews on current global and regional issues, especially the Israeli attacks on Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. Source:Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Sunday with, including Israeli preparations for a ground offensive in the Gazan city of Rafah, candidates backed by Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan winning the most seats in Pakistan elections, and Israeli strikes in Lebanon. TOP STORIES Netanyahu asks army to remobilize reserve soldiers in preparation for ground offensive in Rafah Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the army to remobilize reserve soldiers in preparation for a ground offensive in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Netanyahu had earlier asked to submit a dual plan to evacuate Palestinian residents from Rafah, home to more than 1 million residents seeking refuge from war, and to defeat the remaining "Hamas battalions." ?According to Channel 13, Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi said "the army will be able to handle any mission, but there are political aspects that must be addressed first.' Pakistan polls: Imran Khan-backed candidates ahead as final results near As final results near conclusion, independent candidates, mainly backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, are in the lead in Pakistan's elections. The independents supported by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party are ahead of two major parties, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan People's Party and three-time ex-Premier Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. Khan's party has called for protests, and mounted legal challenges over results it alleges were manipulated. While the former prime minister claims to have numbers to form the government, two other main parties advance talks to form a governing coalition. Casualties as Israel conducts strike in central Lebanon Israel struck the coastal area of Wadi al-Zeina in central Lebanon on Saturday, causing casualties, Anadolu learned. Witnesses said an Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle in the Wadi al-Zeina area, Chouf district. The move came as Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited Beirut to meet Hezbollah S ecretary General Hassan Nasrallah and others. NEWS IN BRIEF EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned that a potential Israeli operation in Rafah would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. Thousands of Israelis demonstrated Saturday in Tel Aviv and Haifa to demand the dismissal of the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, the holding of early elections and a hostage swap deal with Hamas, according to media reports. At least three police officers and a candidate were killed during a protest against alleged rigging in Feb. 8 Pakistan polls in North Waziristan tribal district. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said charges accusing him of mishandling classified documents should be dropped now that a special counsel investigation declined to charge President Joe Biden. Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech at Columbia University, and called her a 'war criminal.' UAE Defense Ministry said three personnel from its armed forces and an offic er from the Bahrain Defense Force was killed and two others wounded in a terror attack in Somalia. Trkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country's main goal is to attain 'complete energy independence.' The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Defense Ministry announced Sunday that three personnel from its armed forces and an officer from the Bahrain Defense Force were killed with two others wounded in a terror attack in Somalia. The Yemeni Houthi group announced on Saturday that 17 of its fighters were killed in airstrikes carried out by the US and UK on Yemen. SPORTS Qatar win 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qatar won the 2023 AFC Asian Cup after beating Jordan 3-1 in the final. Akram Afif was person of the match, sealing the win with a hat-trick of penalties. South Africa finish 3rd in Africa Cup of Nations South Africa finished third in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) by beating the Democratic Republic of Congo 6-5 on penalties. South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams saved a fifth penalty by Congo defende r Chancel Mbemba to give their fans hope. Williams took center stage again and became the hero for South Africa as he saved a seventh penalty taken by Elia Meschak and brought his team victory. BUSINESS and ECONOMY Moody's lowers Israel's ratings to A2, changes outlook to negative Moody's said it lowered Israel's foreign-currency and local-currency senior unsecured ratings to A2 from A1, and changed its outlook to negative. The global rating agency said "the ongoing military conflict with Hamas, its aftermath and wider consequences materially raise political risk for Israel as well as weaken its executive and legislative institutions and its fiscal strength, for the foreseeable future." Freight rates see slight decrease, ship traffic in Red Sea continues to decline Freight rates have seen a slight decrease in the last two weeks after they skyrocketed amid geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea. But the rates still are well above last year's levels. The 40-foot container composite index stood at $1,38 2 on Nov. 30, according to data from the Drewry World Container Index compiled by Anadolu. Source:Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Sunday with, including Israeli preparations for a ground offensive in the Gazan city of Rafah, candidates backed by Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan winning the most seats in Pakistan elections, and Israeli strikes in Lebanon. TOP STORIES Netanyahu asks army to remobilize reserve soldiers in preparation for ground offensive in Rafah Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the army to remobilize reserve soldiers in preparation for a ground offensive in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Netanyahu had earlier asked to submit a dual plan to evacuate Palestinian residents from Rafah, home to more than 1 million residents seeking refuge from war, and to defeat the remaining "Hamas battalions." ?According to Channel 13, Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi said "the army will be able to handle any mission, but there are political aspects that must be addressed first.' Pakistan polls: Imran Khan-backed candidates ahead as final results near As final results near conclusion, independent candidates, mainly backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, are in the lead in Pakistan's elections. The independents supported by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party are ahead of two major parties, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's Pakistan People's Party and three-time ex-Premier Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. Khan's party has called for protests, and mounted legal challenges over results it alleges were manipulated. While the former prime minister claims to have numbers to form the government, two other main parties advance talks to form a governing coalition. Casualties as Israel conducts strike in central Lebanon Israel struck the coastal area of Wadi al-Zeina in central Lebanon on Saturday, causing casualties, Anadolu learned. Witnesses said an Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle in the Wadi al-Zeina area, Chouf district. The move came as Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited Beirut to meet Hezbollah S ecretary General Hassan Nasrallah and others. NEWS IN BRIEF EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned that a potential Israeli operation in Rafah would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. Thousands of Israelis demonstrated Saturday in Tel Aviv and Haifa to demand the dismissal of the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, the holding of early elections and a hostage swap deal with Hamas, according to media reports. At least three police officers and a candidate were killed during a protest against alleged rigging in Feb. 8 Pakistan polls in North Waziristan tribal district. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said charges accusing him of mishandling classified documents should be dropped now that a special counsel investigation declined to charge President Joe Biden. Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech at Columbia University, and called her a 'war criminal.' UAE Defense Ministry said three personnel from its armed forces and an offic er from the Bahrain Defense Force was killed and two others wounded in a terror attack in Somalia. Trkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country's main goal is to attain 'complete energy independence.' The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Defense Ministry announced Sunday that three personnel from its armed forces and an officer from the Bahrain Defense Force were killed with two others wounded in a terror attack in Somalia. The Yemeni Houthi group announced on Saturday that 17 of its fighters were killed in airstrikes carried out by the US and UK on Yemen. SPORTS Qatar win 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qatar won the 2023 AFC Asian Cup after beating Jordan 3-1 in the final. Akram Afif was person of the match, sealing the win with a hat-trick of penalties. South Africa finish 3rd in Africa Cup of Nations South Africa finished third in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) by beating the Democratic Republic of Congo 6-5 on penalties. South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams saved a fifth penalty by Congo defende r Chancel Mbemba to give their fans hope. Williams took center stage again and became the hero for South Africa as he saved a seventh penalty taken by Elia Meschak and brought his team victory. BUSINESS and ECONOMY Moody's lowers Israel's ratings to A2, changes outlook to negative Moody's said it lowered Israel's foreign-currency and local-currency senior unsecured ratings to A2 from A1, and changed its outlook to negative. The global rating agency said "the ongoing military conflict with Hamas, its aftermath and wider consequences materially raise political risk for Israel as well as weaken its executive and legislative institutions and its fiscal strength, for the foreseeable future." Freight rates see slight decrease, ship traffic in Red Sea continues to decline Freight rates have seen a slight decrease in the last two weeks after they skyrocketed amid geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea. But the rates still are well above last year's levels. The 40-foot container composite index stood at $1,38 2 on Nov. 30, according to data from the Drewry World Container Index compiled by Anadolu. Source:Anadolu Agency

ANTARCTICA: Trkiye carries out space research in coordination with expeditions in Antarctica, a Turkish scientist explained. 'Preliminary work of space research is being carried out in Antarctica. Many joint projects are currently being conducted simultaneously. "Our flag is being flown in Antarctica and space at the same time,' Ersan Basar, the deputy leader of an expedition of 24 scientists, told Anadolu. Basar said the team, after reaching their research base at the Horseshoe Island, unfurled the Turkish flag, and started conducting studies. The Turkish science team, traveling as part of the 8th National Antarctic Science Expedition, has completed their research activities on Dismal Island, the last stop before reaching the science camp on Horseshoe Island in Antarctica. Under the presidency and the Industry and Technology Ministry, with coordination by the Turkish-based TUBITAK MAM Polar Research Institute, seven scientists from the expedition arrived at Dismal Island, the largest among the archipela gos opening into the Southern Ocean. The team, located 40 nautical miles from Horseshoe Island, did maintenance and repair work on Trkiye's first permanent Global Navigation Satellite System station located outside Turkish borders. Measures were taken while examining the island, where the science camp is located, to prevent the spread of bird flu, which was previously seen in places close to Antarctica and recently detected in the white continent, in the region. After the inspections, the team started working safely. On Friday, SpaceX's Dragon Capsule, carrying Italian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish space travelers, splashed down successfully off Florida at 8.30 a.m. Eastern Time (1330GMT). Source:Anadolu Agency