Ankara

The number of Syrians who are housed in refugee camps and cities in neighbouring Turkey has reached 1.05 million, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay told a news conference on Thursday.
   
Ankara has maintained an "open border" policy to refugees fleeing the conflict between President Bashar al-Assad's forces and rebels in Syria.

Some 60 foreign workers, including 15 Turkish citizens, have been kidnapped by militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq on June 17, an eyewitness told Doğan News Agency.

We are proceeding in a very warm agenda, such as Turkish diplomats and drivers being taken hostage, the spreading of clashes in Iraq and the nomination of Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu as the joint presidential candidate of Turkey’s two major opposition parties.

EU Commissioner Stefan Füle has called on Turkey to be in closer dialogue with the European Commission to ‘provide positive substance that will set the tone of the next progress report’ The EU commissioner urged Ankara to consult further with the commission in making legislation more compatible with EU’s acquis.

German pianist and composer Davide Martello, who became known for his guerrilla concert in Istanbul’s Taksim Square at the height of last year’s Gezi protests, has taken his piano back to the streets of Turkey, this time in memory of the 301 workers who were killed in the mining disaster in Soma last month.

The Netherlands has given Turkey a list of 100 possible militants who might travel to Syria to fight against regime forces, according to a report by Dutch daily Volkskrant.

A prosecutor has issued search and arrest warrants for 12 police officers in Turkish PM's wiretapping probe. Eleven officers, including Erdoğan's former chief bodyguard, have been detained.

“It is always very difficult to do business in Iraq. But we sensed something more extraordinary happening in the field a week prior to the advance of Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) to Mosul,” a friend who is doing business in Iraq told me. “Everyone was saying ‘a crisis is coming,’” said a Turkish official who has knowledge of the developments.

Defense procurement authorities are preparing to issue a Request for Proposal (RfP) for the acquisition of indigenous fast attack craft that will cost around $800 million, according to sources, who say some of Turkey’s leading shipyards are expected to take part in bidding Turkey’s ambitious program for the acquisition of up to 10 indigenous fast attack craft (fast assault boats) may

Turkey and Croatia look to improve business ties

Business leaders seek opportunities for new investment and deeper co-operation.

Business leaders from Turkey and Croatia recently gathered in Istanbul to discuss new ideas for deepening economic ties between the two countries.