Middle East

Turkey

EU warns Turkey over press freedom

Turkey's takeover of leading opposition newspaper Zaman has been widely criticized by EU leaders worried about a media crackdown.

07/03/2016

Syria

Signs Syrian main opposition will attend fresh round of UN peace talks this week

There are signs the main Syrian opposition council will attend fresh UN peace talks in Geneva later this week

07/03/2016

No Comment

Istanbul violence as women defy rally ban

Females in Turkey defied an official ban to mark International Women’s Day in Istanbul. The rally, ahead of the awareness day on Tuesday, March 8

07/03/2016

Turkey

Women march in Turkey but are confronted by police

Riot police in Istanbul forcibly broke up a rally of hundreds of women as they marked International Women’s Day two days early. March the 8 is the

07/03/2016

Turkey

Migrant crisis: 25 drown off Turkish coast including many children

At least 13 children and 12 adults are reported drowned after a boat carrying migrants to Greece sank off the west coast of Turkey. The Aegean Sea’s

06/03/2016

Turkey

'A dark day for Turkish democracy': violent clashes follow Zaman takeover

Press freedom is thrown into question as Turkish authorities fire tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds protesting the state takeover of Zaman newspaper.

05/03/2016

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Turkish police fire tear gas amid protests over newspaper raid

Turkish police fired tear gas and plastic pellets to disperse thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the country’s biggest newspaper, “Zaman”

05/03/2016

Turkey

Turkey: heightened concerns over press freedom as Zaman reopens

Turkey's top-selling opposition newspaper reopens following a state takeover that has once more thrown into question press freedom.

05/03/2016

Turkey

Turkish police turn water cannon and tear gas on protesters in Istanbul

Police in Istanbul used water canon and tear gas on a crowd trying to prevent them entering the offices of Turkey’s top-selling newspaper. State

05/03/2016

Turkey

Turkey gags Zaman, one of its last opposition newspapers

Turkish authorities have seized control of the opposition newspaper Zaman, one of the country’s last remaining opposition media outlets. Zaman is

04/03/2016

Syria

Building a future for widows and orphans from Syria

Mahira Abdayun came to Turkey from Syria after she lost her husband in a bombing attack by the regime forces. “It all began when the regime entered

04/03/2016

Turkey

Turkish police targeted in two separate attacks

Turkish police have been the target of two assaults in as many days. Two female assailants were killed following gunfire and grenade attacks in

04/03/2016

Israel

Palestinian woman shot dead after car ramming attack - Israeli army

Israeli forces say they have shot dead a Palestinian woman who drove a car into an Israeli soldier in the West Bank on Friday. He is not thought to

04/03/2016

Cyprus

Immigrant art project wins Saatchi gallery prize

04/03/2016

Syria

Syrian truce may be fragile, but it's allowing flow of crucial aid

The UN estimates almost half a million people are stuck in besieged areas of Syria and a further 4.6 million are in hard-to-reach areas

03/03/2016

Musica

Shakespeare celebrated at Beirut's Al Bustan festival

This classical music festival marks 400 years since England's greatest poet and playwright died.

03/03/2016

Turkey

Two women 'killed by police' after attack and siege in Istanbul

Police in Istanbul have come under attack, apparently from two women. According to Turkish media they have both since been killed. As a police bus

03/03/2016

Turkey

Turkish police break up protests in Kurdish south east

Turkish police moved in to disperse hundreds of protesters in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir on Wednesday (March 2) – at least 33 people were

03/03/2016

Syria

Car bombing against Syrian rebels kills 18, says monitor

Monitors from the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported at least 18 people were killed in a car bomb on Wednesday (March

02/03/2016

Egypt

Mystery over brutal death of Italian researcher in Egypt deepens

After sources said Giulio Regeni had been tortured over a week, the president's office claimed that "terrorists" were behind the killing

02/03/2016

Turkey

Release of Turkish journalists 'a clear defeat' for Erdogan

The release of two Turkish journalists has been described by one of them as a “clear defeat” for the country’s president. Can Dundar from

02/03/2016

Lebanon

Gulf Arab states label Hezbollah a terrorist group

The Shi’ite militant group Hezbollah is facing further sanctions after a decision by the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to class it as a

02/03/2016

Sport

Galatasaray banned from European competition

Turkey’s most successful football club Galatasaray have been banned from European competition for one year after breaching UEFA’s financial Fair Play

02/03/2016

Turkey

Residents return to ruined Turkish city of Cizre after partial lifting of curfew

Turkey has partially lifted a strict curfew that has been in force in the southeastern city of Cizre for the past two and a half months

02/03/2016

Israel

Two Palestinians shot dead after attacking Israeli in West Bank

Israeli soldiers have shot dead two Palestinian teens after they allegedly attacked an Israeli settler at his home in the occupied West Bank

02/03/2016

Yemen

More than half of Yemenis in urgent need of aid, UN warns

01/03/2016