Author: Anadolu Agency

Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Washington has been working with Türkiye, which “has very legitimate concerns,” regarding the PKK terror group and terrorism. “We’ve been working very closely as well with our ally, our partner … (Türkiye) which has very legitimate concerns, of course, about the PKK and about terrorism, to navigate this transition, to navigate it in a way that I think leads to a resolution of many of those concerns,” Blinken said in a joint news conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris. He emphasized efforts to address these challenges…

The UN deputy high commissioner for human rights on Wednesday called on Russia to halt the summary executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war, saying such executions “constitute a war crime.”
 “I am deeply concerned by a significant increase in credible allegations of executions of Ukrainian military personnel captured by Russian armed forces. Summary executions constitute a war crime,” Nada Al-Nashif said in her speech on the findings of the human rights office’s periodic report on the situation of human rights in Ukraine. According to Al-Nashif, the office recorded 62 such executions in 19 separate incidents between September and November and…

Türkiye’s permanent representative to the UN on Wednesday called for the removal of sanctions and delisting measures against Syria to support the country’s recovery. “While the end of the (Bashar) Assad regime brings hope for the Syrian people and the region, the challenges ahead remain immense,” Ahmet Yildiz said at a UN Security Council session on Syria. He said that Syrians endured “years of unimaginable suffering and widespread destruction” under the Assad regime. “We must ensure accountability for the human rights violations and uses of chemical weapons by the Assad regime.” “In light of the dramatically changed dynamics in Syria,…

With a baby gorilla falling unexpectedly into its hands at Istanbul Airport, the government is asking the public for help in giving him a good name. On social media, the Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Ministry invited public suggestions for the young ape with the hashtag #BenceIsmi or #MyNameOfChoice. The gorilla, a 5-month-old male, was discovered in a shipment from Nigeria, seeking to transit through Türkiye without the necessary documentation. On Dec. 22, the ape was seized by Turkish Customs Protection teams as part of their efforts to combat illegal wildlife trafficking. Following the confiscation, the critically endangered infant was handed…

The Algerian parliament accused French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday of “blatant interference” in the North African country’s internal affairs. Macron on Monday criticized Algeria, calling the detention of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal at Algiers airport in November a “disgraceful matter.” In a statement, the People’s National Assembly, the first house of parliament, called Macron’s remarks “irresponsible” and represented an “affront to Algeria’s sovereignty and dignity” in a case currently under judicial review under Algerian law. The statement termed Macron’s comments an “overt attempt to tarnish the image of Algeria and its sovereign institutions.” The assembly emphasized Algeria’s firm rejection…

Two people were found dead in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue airplane after it landed at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in the US state of Florida late Monday. “On Monday evening, January 6, at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLHIA), two individuals were found in the landing gear compartment of one of our aircraft during the routine post-flight maintenance inspection. Tragically, both individuals were deceased,” the company said in a statement that was reported by the media. The plane had taken off earlier in the day from JFK Airport in New York. According to CBS News, authorities are investigating…

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Tuesday that the visit of US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming special envoy for Russia and Ukraine to Kyiv will take place “in due time.” “The meeting and visit of General (Keith) Kellogg are extremely important for us. I am sure that this meeting will take place in due time. We are in contact to clearly define the timeframe for its implementation and to fill it with maximum content,” Sybiha told a joint press conference with his Icelandic counterpart Katrin Gunnarsdottir in Kyiv. Sybiha said Kyiv hopes the first visits to Ukraine by officials…

Türkiye on Tuesday offered condolences to the people and government of China over an earthquake that struck China’s Tibet region, killing over 126 people, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Expressing sorrow over the loss of lives as a result of the earthquake, the ministry also wished a swift recovery to the wounded. Earlier, a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Tibet region on Tuesday morning.

North Korea on Tuesday called for global action to halt Israel’s “ruthless” massacre of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The Foreign Ministry described Israeli military actions in Gaza as having “reached an unprecedented level beyond imagination” and “arousing the rage of the international community.” “Now is the time to defend world peace by waging a resilient fight to stop and frustrate Israel’s ruthless massacre of Palestinians through the united strength of all justice- and peace-loving countries,” the statement said. Drawing historical parallels, the ministry compared current events to actions of Nazi Germany during World War II and US military operations…

Four Palestinian children were killed on Tuesday as an Israeli drone struck a tent housing displaced people in the al-Mawasi area of western Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, which Israel has designated as a “safe zone.” Four children were killed, and 10 others, mostly children, were injured in the Israeli strike, a medical source told Anadolu. An Israeli drone targeted the tent in “Wijdan Camp,” resulting in the deaths of four children and numerous injuries, eyewitnesses informed Anadolu. The witnesses added that the dead and injured were transported to Nasser Medical Hospital in western Khan Younis using animal-drawn…