Turkey

Chinese, Russians shore up Middle East tourism

London - Muslimchronicle

Chinese and Russian visitors boosted Middle Eastern tourism last year following a 2016 slump as Europeans gave the area a wide berth on security fears, according to the World Tourism Organization (WTO). The Mideast region as a whole drew 58 million foreign tourists in 2017 -- a 4.8 percent rise on the previous year -- the Madrid-based WTO said in itsRead more

Turkish tanks roll into Syria to fight Kurdish militia

Reyhanli - Muslimchronicle

Turkey on Friday started fresh shelling of the Syrian town of Afrin in a move to oust a US-backed Kurdish militia that Ankara considers "terrorists" and vowed to press on with a full-scale operation against them. The Turkish government has repeatedly warned it will strike Syrian towns controlled by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, including Afrin, after theRead more

US calls on Turkey to 'exercise restraint' in Syria

Washington - Muslimchronicle

The United States called Sunday for Turkey to "exercise restraint" and avoid civilian casualties in its cross-border operation targeting Syrian Kurdish forces. "We urge Turkey to exercise restraint and ensure that its military operations remain limited in scope and duration and scrupulous to avoid civilian casualties," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. source: AFPRead more

Syria's Assad slams Turkey offensive as 'support for terrorism'

Damascus - Muslimchronicle

President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday condemned Turkey's offensive against Kurdish militia in the northern Syrian region of Afrin, saying it was part of Ankara's support for extremist groups. "The brutal Turkish aggression on the Syrian town of Afrin cannot be separated from the Turkish regime's policy from the first day of Syria's crisis, which was essentially built on supporting terrorismRead more

Erdogan says Turkey has launched new ground operation

Hassa - Muslimchronicle

Turkey on Saturday launched a new air and ground operation to oust a Kurdish militia from their northern Syrian enclave, defying US warnings that the action risked further destabilising the area after almost seven years of civil war. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had repeatedly vowed that Turkey would root out the "nests of terror" in Syria of the People's Protection Units (YPG) militia whichRead more

Erdogan says Turkey has launched new ground operation

Hassa - Muslimchronicle

Turkish troops shell Afrin to oust US-backed Kurdish militia

Reyhanli - Muslimchronicle

US urges Turkey not attack Syria’s Afrin

Afrin - Muslimchronicle

The US State Department urged Turkey on Thursday not to take military action against Afrin region in Syria and called instead for Ankara to remain focused on fighting ISIS militants in the region. Asked about signs that Turkey was preparing to strike a Kurdish militia in Afrin, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a briefing: "We would call ... onRead more

Turkey seeks Russian approval for air campaign against Syrian Afrin

Ankara - Muslimchronicle

Turkey dispatched its military chief to Moscow on Thursday, seeking approval for an air campaign in Syria’s Kurdish-controlled Afrin region, although Damascus warned it could shoot down any Turkish planes in its skies. Turkey’s foreign minister said the Moscow trip by Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar was part of talks with both Russia and Iran, the two main backers ofRead more