Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
March 2021 - Turkey Special Weapons News
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- Turkey sets new daily record of 37,303 COVID-19 infections; Jordan's caseload tops 600,000 People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- Turkey reported 37,303 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, breaking its record of single-day infections since the outbreak of the pandemic last year. Meanwhile, Jordan's total COVID-19 infections exceeded 600,000.
- Turkey continues its efforts for Afghanistan's lasting security, through the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission NATO 31 Mar 2021 -- On 30 March 2021, Turkish Brigadier General Selçuk Yurtsizoğlu assumed command of the NATO-led Train, Advise, Assist Command-Capital, receiving his flag from Lieutenant General Nicola Zanelli, Deputy Commander of the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission. Brigadier General Yurtsizoğlu replaced Brigadier General Ahmet Yaşar Dener.
- Kosovar Foreign Minister Rebuffs Turkish Pressure Over Jerusalem Embassy RFE/RL 31 Mar 2021 -- Kosovo's foreign minister has rejected pressure from Turkey over Pristina's recent opening of an embassy in the western part of Jerusalem by calling the move "a done deal."
- Turkey's COVID-19 cases top 3.2 mln; Iran slams U.S. for hindering vaccine procurement People's Daily 29 Mar 2021 -- Turkey's total COVID-19 cases surpassed 3.2 million on Sunday. Meanwhile, Iran has blasted the United States for hindering its efforts to buy vaccines from foreign countries.
- Uyghur Leader Detained in Turkey as China Foreign Minister Visits VOA 26 Mar 2021 -- The house detention of a Uyghur leader during the Chinese foreign minister's visit to Turkey this week is stoking concerns among Turkey's large Uyghur refugee community about deepening ties between Ankara and Beijing.
- Blinken Urges Turkey To Give Up Russian S-400 System RFE/RL 24 Mar 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told Turkey to abandon Russia's S-400 missile defense system, the U.S. State Department said in a statement issued after Blinken met with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Brussels.
- US Secretary of State Blinken Urges Turkey to Ditch Russian S-400s Sputnik 24 Mar 2021 -- Ankara's acquisition of the Russian air-defence system has been a stumbling block in US-Turkish relations. In December, Washington punished the Turkish defence sector with sanctions for buying the package.
- Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu US Dept. of State 24 Mar 2021
- Erdogan Says National Currency's Fall Does Not Reflect State of Turkish Economy Sputnik 24 Mar 2021 -- The depreciation of the Turkish lira does not reflect the state of the country's economy, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
- Turkey's withdrawal from women's protection treaty, 'worrying step backwards' UN News 23 Mar 2021 -- Turkey's decision to withdraw from an important treaty on protecting women is "a very worrying step backwards", a group of independent UN human rights experts said on Tuesday.
- Russia Offers Turkey to Resume Operation of Checkpoints in Idlib, Aleppo Sputnik 23 Mar 2021 -- Russia has offered Turkey to resume the operation of several checkpoints in Idlib and Aleppo from March 25 due to the difficult humanitarian situation, Rear Adm. Alexander Karpov, deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Warring Parties in Syria, said on Tuesday.
- US Seeks Further Dialogue With Turkey on S-400 Bilaterally and Through NATO, Diplomat Says Sputnik 22 Mar 2021 -- The United States will continue discussions with Turkey bilaterally and through NATO on issues related to Ankara's purchase of Russian-made S-400 air defence systems, US mission to NATO Charge d'Affaires Douglas Jones told reporters on Monday.
- Turkish warplane bombs positions held by US-backed SDF militants in Syria's Raqqah: SOHR Press TV 21 Mar 2021 -- A so-called war monitor says a Turkish fighter jet has carried out airstrikes against an area held by US-sponsored SDF militants in Syria's northern province of Raqqah.
- Biden Condemns Turkish Withdrawal from Treaty Aimed at Protecting Women VOA 21 Mar 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's surprise withdrawal from a European treaty aimed at protecting women against violence.
- Statement by President Biden on Turkey's Withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention The White House 21 Mar 2021
- Turkey arrests, expels pro-Kurdish MP after parliament immunity revoked Press TV 21 Mar 2021 -- Turkish pro-Kurdish opposition lawmaker Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu was detained and dragged away from parliament by police as he refused to leave parliament for several days after his seat was revoked.
- Ankara Not Seeking US Permit for Use of Russia's S-400 Systems, Turkish Official Says Sputnik 20 Mar 2021 -- Ankara's stance on the use of the Russian S-400 air defense systems remains unchanged: Turkey does not need the US permit for that, a spokesman for the parliamentary defense committee told Sputnik.
- Turkey's Political Crackdown Draws More International Concern VOA 19 Mar 2021 -- A crackdown on Turkey's main pro-Kurdish political party appears to be broadening following Friday's detention of a leading member of the country's human rights movement. The arrest comes in the face of growing concern from Turkey's western allies.
- Fourth Circuit Upholds Jury Conviction in Foreign-Agent Prosecution US Dept. of Justice 18 Mar 2021 -- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit today upheld an Eastern District of Virginia jury verdict convicting a man of acting and conspiring to act as an agent of the Turkish government within the United States without disclosing that relationship to the U.S. government. The Fourth Circuit also vacated an order granting a new trial and remanded the case for further proceedings before the district court.
- US Media Brands Turkey's Possible Purchase of Russian Su-57 Stealth Jet 'NATO's Nightmare' Sputnik 17 Mar 2021 -- Ankara is at present mulling various options to upgrade its Air Force after the US refused to sell F-35 jets to the country over its purchase of the Russian air-defence systems. The announced primary option has so far been the creation of a domestic fighter jet TF-X.
- Actions in Turkey's Parliament US Dept. of State 17 Mar 2021 -- The United States is closely following events in Turkey, including troubling moves on March 17 to strip Member of Parliament Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu of his parliamentary seat.
- Turkish Forces Prevent Return of Residents to 3 Villages in Northern Syria, Russian Military Says Sputnik 17 Mar 2021 -- Turkish troops have blocked three settlements in Syria's northern province of Raqqah to prevent the return of locals who left their homes due to combat, Rear Adm. Alexander Karpov, deputy head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, said on Wednesday.
- LNA Allows Turkish Merchant Ships to Enter Ports in Eastern Libya, Source Reveals Sputnik 17 Mar 2021 -- The Libyan National Army (LNA) under Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar allowed Turkish merchant ships to enter ports in eastern Libya, a source confirmed to Sputnik on Wednesday.
- Turkey, Greece start round of exploratory talks on maritime dispute Press TV 16 Mar 2021 -- Greece and Turkey have begun another round of exploratory talks on a long-standing dispute over energy exploration and territorial rights in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
- Erdogan Stresses Turkey's Preeminence in Eastern Mediterranean Sputnik 16 Mar 2021 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday emphasized his country's key role in everything that takes place in the Eastern Mediterranean.
- Turkey captures top Syrian Kurdish commander: Report Press TV 15 Mar 2021 -- Turkish intelligence agents have captured a senior figure from a US-backed Kurdish militant group operating in Syria.
- Russia Alarmed by Transfer of Turkish Army's Equipment in Syria's Raqqa, Military Says Sputnik 15 Mar 2021 -- Russia is alarmed by the transfer of equipment of the Turkish Armed Forces and the ongoing fortification works in the Syrian province of Raqqa, Rear Adm. Alexander Karpov, the deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Warring Parties in Syria, said at a briefing.
- Russia ready for talks with Turkey on sale of SU-35, SU-57 fighter jets: Military official Press TV 13 Mar 2021 -- A Russian military official says Russia is ready for holding talks with Turkey on the possible delivery of Russian-made SU-35 and SU-57 fighter jets providing that Moscow receives the corresponding request Ankara.
- Turkey won't bow to US pressure, will advance S-400 purchase: Russian official Press TV 12 Mar 2021 -- A Russian military official says Turkey would not cave in to pressure from the United States over advancing the purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense systems.
- Turkey Announces Talks to Reset Ties with Egypt VOA 12 Mar 2021 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced high-level intelligence and diplomatic talks with Egypt on Friday. The bilateral talks are the first since the 2013 ousting of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
- Joint Statement of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, Republic of Turkey, and Russian Federation, Doha, 11 March 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 11 Mar 2021
- Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's statement and answers to media questions at a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani following a trilateral meeting, Doha, March 11, 2021 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 11 Mar 2021
- Turkey to Buy All Necessary Air Defence Systems From Different Countries, Foreign Minister Says Sputnik 11 Mar 2021 -- Turkey needs more air defence systems and is well within its rights to acquire them from various sources, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.
- Ankara-Moscow Talks on S-400 Joint Production Ongoing, Turkish Industry Minister Says Sputnik 11 Mar 2021 -- Talks between Ankara and Moscow on the procurement of the second set of S-400 air defence missile systems and the possibility of future joint production are ongoing, the Turkish Minister of Industry and Technology, Mustafa Varank, said on Thursday.
- Turkey Not Ruling Out Buying Russia's Fifth-Gen Jet, Turkish Industry Minister Says Sputnik 11 Mar 2021 -- Turkish officials first began hinting at an interest in Russian military aircraft, including the Sukhoi Su-35 4++ generation fighter and the fifth generation Sukhoi Su-57 jet, after Ankara was kicked out of Lockheed Martin's F-35 programme over its purchase of a Russian-made air defence system.
- Russia, Turkey, Qatar jointly making attempt to seek political resolution to Syria's conflict Press TV 11 Mar 2021 -- Russia, Turkey, and Qatar are making a joint attempt to help find a lasting, political solution to Syria's decade-long conflict, the Turkish foreign minister says.
- Erdogan, Putin Witness Launch Of Construction At Turkish Nuclear Plant RFE/RL 10 Mar 2021 -- The Russian and Turkish presidents have witnessed the launch of construction of a new reactor at Turkey's first nuclear power plant.
- In the Face of Isolation, Erdogan Reaches Out to Egypt VOA 09 Mar 2021 -- Turkey is looking to reset relations with Egypt after years of animosity in a move analysts say is part of a broader strategic shift in the face of its growing isolation.
- Turkey gives life sentences to 5 over 2016 killing of Russian ambassador Press TV 09 Mar 2021 -- A Turkish court has handed down life sentences to five individuals in the 2016 assassination of the then-Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov in Ankara, local media reports say.
- Turkey Jails Five People For Life Over Killing Of Russian Envoy In 2016 RFE/RL 09 Mar 2021 -- A Turkish court has sentenced five people to life in prison over the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Ankara more than four years ago, state media reported on March 9.
- Turkey Cracks Down on Uighur Protesters After China Complains VOA 05 Mar 2021 -- Turkey has been a vocal champion for China's Uighur ethnic minority, pressing Beijing to end harsh policies in Xinjiang that then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called a genocide in 2009.
- 11 troops killed in helicopter crash in SE Turkey: Ministry Press TV 04 Mar 2021 -- Eleven Turkish forces are killed after their military helicopter crashes in tumultuous weather in the country's southeast, Turkey's Defense Ministry says.
- Turkey Hasn't Felt 'Any Impact' From US' S-400 Sanctions, Plans to Buy Second Batch, Official Says Sputnik 03 Mar 2021 -- Ankara and Moscow penned a $2.5 billion contract for the sale of four batteries of S-400s to Turkey in late 2017. The US responded by kicking Turkey out of the F-35 fighter programme, and sanctioning the Presidency of Defence Industries – a government agency responsible for coordinating the country's defence sector.
- Turkey Arrests 10 Foreigners Suspected of Links to Daesh, Reports Suggest Sputnik 03 Mar 2021 -- Turkish security forces arrested 10 foreign nationals over suspected links to the Daesh* terrorist group during a special operation in Istanbul, media reported on Wednesday, citing a source.
- Turkey Ready to Negotiate With Egypt on Delimitation of Maritime Zones, Foreign Minister Says Sputnik 03 Mar 2021 -- Turkey is ready to start negotiations with Egypt on the delimitation of maritime zones in the Mediterranean Sea provided that Cairo respects the borders of Ankara's continental shelf and relations between the countries improve, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday.
- Turkey's daily COVID-19 cases set new record in 2 months; Iraq receives shipment of donated Chinese vaccines People's Daily 03 Mar 2021 -- Turkey on Tuesday reported 11,837 new COVID-19 cases, as its daily infections exceeded 10,000 for the first time in about two months. Meanwhile, Iraq received a shipment of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China.
- US, EU Remain Wary of Erdogan's Diplomatic Charm Offensive VOA 03 Mar 2021 -- Since U.S. President Joe Biden's election, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been making diplomatic overtures to the West, pledging democratic reforms at home and promising a serious effort to improve ties with Turkey's NATO partners.
- Turkey-Iran Tensions Rise as Ankara Expands Operations in Iraq VOA 02 Mar 2021 -- Turkish-Iranian tensions are rising over Turkey's ongoing military operations against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq. The regional rivals are engaged in increasingly bitter diplomatic sparring as Ankara threatens to expand its Iraqi operations to a strategically important region used by an Iranian-backed militia.
- Australia, Turkey to Join Nations Debating Label of Genocide Over Xinjiang Abuses Radio Free Asia 02 Mar 2021 -- Australia and Turkey are moving to investigate whether to label human rights violations in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) as genocide, following a similar designation by the White House and recent parliamentary motions in Canada and the Netherlands.
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