Turkey

TASS, September 2. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that his country is not willing to ask anybody for permission to buy S-400 defense missile systems from Russia, the Milliyet newspaper reported.

"We have made an agreement with Russia on S-400, and some are concerned by that. I’m sorry, but we’re not going to ask anyone for permission," the newspaper quotes Erdogan.

On August 31, the Turkish leader said that Turkey hopes to receive the missile systems "as soon as possible".

ANKARA, Sep. 2 (Xinhua) -- As the Turkish-U.S. ties remain deeply strained, Ankara's relationship with Europe is steadily warming, where cooperation seems to have taken the upper hand over confrontation.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to pay a state visit to Germany in late September, the first of its kind in four years.

Meanwhile, the Turkish leader is also likely to host a summit between France, Germany and Russia, in the absence of the United States, to discuss the Syria issue.

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA; 28.08.2018; AA: Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke with his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday and voiced Ankara's desire to further strengthen ties with Islamabad, according to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.

In a statement, the ministry said: "Mr. Cavusoglu expressed a strong desire of the government of Turkey to strengthen the existing close and friendly relations between the two countries.

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA; 28 Aug 2018; AA: A Turkish fighter pilot has carried out the first flight of the F-35 jet in the U.S. as part of ongoing training, the Turkish General Staff said on Tuesday.

Early July, the Pentagon said Turkish pilots and maintenance personnel were being trained on the F-35 fighter jet in the state of Arizona.

Late June, Turkey took delivery of its first F-35 fighter jet at a ceremony in Forth Worth, Texas.

Turkey plans to get 100 F-35 fighter jets in upcoming years.

ANKARA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called for joint efforts to "combat attacks on Turkey's economy" amid its persistent row with the United States.

"The commitment and determination of Turks is the guarantee needed to combat attacks on Turkey's economy," Erdogan said in a statement released to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert in 1071.

The historic battle saw Seljuk Turks defeat a Byzantine army and open up Anatolia for Turkish domination.

ANKARA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Unidentified assailants fired gun shots at the U.S. embassy in Ankara early Monday, hitting a window of a security cabin but causing no casualties, local media reported.

At least four gunshots were reportedly fired in front of Gate 6 of the embassy from a white car at around 5 a.m. (0200 GMT) local time, broadcaster CNN Turk reported.

Police are searching for the suspects who reportedly fled in a white car before the car's license plate number could be seen.

According to the Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2018, released on 19 August – the World Humanitarian Day; Turkey was found to be the largest humanitarian aid donor providing $8.07 billion.

Turkey was followed by USA with $6.68 billion and UK with $2.52 billion.

ANKARA, August 18. /TASS/. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has been reelected as chairman of the Justice and Development Party, the Anadolu agency reported referring to the results of the voting, which took place at the party’s sixth general Congress in Ankara.

All 1,380 delegates voted unanimously for Erdogan, who the only candidate nominated for this post.

By Mustafa Hatipoglu and Basak Akbulut Yazar

ISTANBUL; 17 Aug 2018; AA: An Istanbul court has given life sentences to 102 Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) convicts including high-ranking former Turkish military officers, a judicial source said on Friday.

The group was charged over incidents that took place at the War Colleges Command in Istanbul during the defeated coup of July 2016, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media.

By Deniz Cicek Palabiyik

ANKARA; 17 Aug 2018; AA: The Turkish finance minister and his French counterpart on Friday agreed over the phone to conduct a joint action against U.S. sanctions targeting Turkey, according to the ministerial sources.

Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak and French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire discussed economic cooperation, the Turkish Treasury and Finance Ministry said in a statement.