News archive of January 2016

Chief Public Prosecutor to combine leaked tape files

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office have combined investigation files for a leaked tape that allegedly belonged to former Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal and several other videos which caused the resignation of two members of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) on the grounds that Gülenists illegally created the videos.

DS leader: Vucic will lose in case of high turnout

Bojan Pajtic has said that the pro-European opposition will do everything to make sure that two thirds of voters turn out for early parliamentary elections.

All suspects in military espionage case acquitted

An Istanbul court ruled Jan. 29 on the acquittal of all 56 suspects in the re-trial of a military espionage case following a Constitutional Court decision, which said the rights of the suspects, whom included ranking soldiers, had been violated during the initial trial. 

Human Rights Watch: Turning Greece into a warehouse is no solution to refugee crisis

Human Rights Watch report refers to Greece’s share of responsibility on dealing with the huge flows of refugees, but it also stresses the responsibilities of all EU countries underlining that the solution is not to place Greece in quarantine.

The organization makes a plea not to “quarantine Greece and to prevent the onward movement of asylum seekers put their rights at risk”.

ND leader’s initiatives on refugee issue

Main opposition New Democracy (ND) spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos told reporters on Friday ND leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis will undertake a series of actions aiming to support the country’s interests and safeguard Greece’s stay in the Schengen Treaty.

Mr. Koumoutsakos lashed out at Greek government about the ways it handles the refugee crisis.

Collective centers for refugees and IDPs to be closed

17 remaining collective centers will be closed, Assistant Commissioner for Refugees and Migration Danijela Popovic Rocco said on Friday.

These centers now accommodate around 1,000 refugees from the territory of the former Yugoslavia (SFRY) and internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Kosovo and Metohija.

Iran coerces Afghans to fight in Syria: HRW

Iran's Revolutionary Guards has recruited thousands of Afghans, some by coercion, to fight in Syria's war alongside forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Human Rights Watch said on Jan. 29.

4 killed, 18 hurt in Saudi mosque bombing

Four people were killed and 18 wounded on Jan. 29 when a suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Shiite-populated eastern Saudi Arabia, state media said.

The Al-Ekhbariya news channel quoted an interior ministry spokesman as giving the new toll, up from two dead and seven wounded earlier.

Residents said the mosque belonged to the minority Shiite community.

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