Time ticking for Assad in Syria, says Turkey’s PM Erdogan

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will be ousted “sooner or later” by his own people as the time of dictatorial rule fades around the world, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said.

Erdogan, in an interview on CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria (more…)

US, Turkish leaders agree on ‘transition to democrac’ in Syria

US President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed during a phone call Thursday on the need for a “transition to democracy” in Syria, the White House said. (more…)

Early election results: Erdogan wins third term in Turkish vote

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is heading for a third term in office, pledging to rewrite the constitution and extend a record of economic growth that stands out amid upheaval to the east and west, early election results showed. (more…)

Israel officially apologies to Turkey over public humiliation of Ambassador

The row between Israel and Turkey over the public humiliation of the Turkish ambassador ended on Wednesday. Israel initially declined to issue a formal apology. Turkey accepted the official statement from the Israeli Prime Minister.

Turkey has accepted an official apology from Israel over the treatment of its ambassador, with the Israeli prime minister expressing the hope it would end the latest row between the two countries.

Danny Ayalon, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, embarrassed Oguz Celikkol, the Turkish envoy, on Monday, making him sit on a low couch and removing the Turkish flag from the table in a meeting called to convey Israeli protests over a Turkish television series.

At the beginning of the conversation with the Turkish envoy, the deputy foreign minister told cameramen in Hebrew: “Pay attention that he is sitting in a lower chair … that there is only an Israeli flag on the table and that we are not smiling.”

A statement from the office of the Israeli prime minister on Wednesday said: “Prime minister [Binyamin] Netanyahu, together with foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman co-ordinated the apology letter sent by deputy foreign minister Ayalon to the Turkish ambassador and hopes this would end the affair.”

“My protest of the attacks against Israel in Turkey still stands,” Ayalon said. “However, it is not my way to insult foreign ambassadors and in the future I will clarify my position by more acceptable diplomatic means.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister, said that his country had received the apology it “wanted and expected” from Israel over the dressing down of its ambassador.

Al Jazeera

Lebanon PM heading today for Turkey

Prime Minister Saad Hariri is scheduled to leave this afternoon for Ankara at the head of a ministerial delegation and businessmen for talks with the President Abdullah Gul , PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ali Shahin.
The talks to include signing of agreements on security , abolition of visas, shipping and ,agriculture. Hariri is also planning to meet with Turkish investors and businessmen to entice them to invest in Lebanon.

Assad ready but still waiting for the invitation to visit Lebanon

During a joint press conference with visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday Syrian President Bashar Assad said he was ready to visit Lebanon at the appropriate time but after receiving an official invitation from Lebanese authorities.
“I am interested in visiting Lebanon at the appropriate time,” Syrian President Bashar Assad said in response to a question. “I haven’t received an invitation and (additional) steps should be taken by both countries.”
Assad said
“I visited Lebanon in 2002 when I was president. It is natural for another visit to Lebanon to take place. This is not unusual,” Assad added
He described Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s visit to Damascus as “successful.”

Obama will ask Turkey’s PM to back Iran sanctions

US President Barack Obama will press Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, one of NATO’s two Muslim members, for more support in curbing Iran’s nuclear program and rebuilding Afghanistan.
In a White House meeting today, Obama will probe Turkey’s willingness, as a member of the United Nations Security Council, to back new sanctions against Iran, an administration official said. The U.S. also wants Turkey to increase its aid to Afghanistan, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Source: Bloomberg