On Sunday, Russian forces launched a 3 ½ hour drone barrage on the Reni seaport in the Odesa region of Ukraine, resulting in two people being hospitalized. This attack occurred the day before Russian President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to meet with his Turkish counterpart to discuss the resumption of food shipments from Ukraine. Ukraine has been using cluster munitions on the front lines in the conflict with Russia, which has been condemned by the international community, urging both sides to come to a peaceful resolution.
Posts tagged as “the Turkish Cup”
Over the weekend, 19,000 people were evacuated from the Greek island of Rhodes due to a raging wildfire that has been burning for six days. The EU and other international partners have sent firefighting planes and helicopters to help battle the flames, and the Greek Prime Minister has expressed his gratitude for the support. A person was injured during an evacuation and a pregnant woman is in the hospital in good condition.
Turkey has agreed to support Sweden's bid to join NATO, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreeing to submit the ratification documents to the Turkish parliament "as soon as possible". This agreement is seen as a major step forward in the process of Sweden's accession to NATO, and a sign of improved relations between Turkey and the European Union. Once the documents are submitted to the Turkish parliament, the process of ratification will begin, and Sweden will become a full member of the alliance.
Turkish citizens headed to the polls on Sunday for the second round of the presidential election, with incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan facing off against challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Voters waited in short lines to cast their ballots, hoping for a good outcome for the country. The election is being closely watched from around the world, as the results will determine whether Erdogan will extend his rule or if Kilicdaroglu will be able to restore a more democratic society.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that the leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group has been killed in a raid in the northern Syrian town of Jandaris, which was carried out by Turkey's MIT intelligence agency. The suspected leader, codenamed Abu Hussein al-Qurashi, was "neutralized" in the operation, and his death is a major blow to the terror group, which has been weakened in recent years. It is hoped that this will be a major step in the eventual defeat of the terror group.
Turkey's Parliament has voted unanimously to ratify Finland's application to join NATO, ending months of delays and paving the way for Finland to become the 30th member of the Western military alliance. The decision follows Hungary's parliament endorsing Helsinki's accession earlier this week, and is in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine a year ago. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said the vote marks a “historic moment” for Finland, and the country is now ready to join NATO.
On Monday, a magnitude 6.3 aftershock struck the Syria-Turkey border, causing panic and damaging buildings in the nearby city of Antakya. Eight people were injured and three people were killed, according to Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay. The aftershock comes two weeks after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake killed 46,000 people and injured more than 1,000 in the same region. The USGS is continuing to monitor the situation and provide updates.
Tragedy struck the soccer world on Saturday as the body of Ghanaian soccer star Christian Atsu was recovered from the ruins of a 12-story building in Antakya, Turkey, following an earthquake on February 6th. Atsu had recently joined Turkish club Hatayspor and had scored the winning goal for his new team just hours before the earthquake. His agent announced the news of his death on Twitter, and Hatayspor released a statement saying his body will be sent to Ghana. The soccer world is mourning the loss of Atsu, with many expressing their condolences.