Organization for Security

Turkey's Nov. 1 election offered voters choices but the challenging security environment and violence against party members, party buildings and campaign staff hindered candidates' ability to campaign freely, international observers said on Nov. 2.

Only five months since the last general election failed to produce a single-party government, Turkish voters return to polling stations on Nov. 1, with slim prospects of a substantial difference raising the stakes for all parties.

Media freedom, pluralism and media playing the field for candidates were areas which raised concerns ahead of Turkey's Nov. 1 elections, according to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) election observation leaders, who spoke after their multi-city visit.

The United States has expressed its concern over the recent attack on a daily Hürriyet columnist, calling on Turkey to respect media freedoms. 

The Working Group on Security of the Trilateral Contact Group, which involves representatives of Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE, reached an agreement on Tuesday on the withdrawal of tanks and other weapons from the frontline in eastern Ukraine.

The latest agreement supplements the Minsk ceasefire accords, which were signed in February.

The Republican People's Party (CHP) has reiterated its willingness to provide election security as part of a joint parliamentary delegation in three neighborhoods of the southeastern district of Cizre in which authorities have decided not to conduct any voting due to security concerns.

Seven Armenian soldiers were killed in clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces during the last week, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sept. 5.

At least five Armenian troops have been killed in border clashes with Azerbaijani soldiers, said Azerbaijani officials on Aug. 24.

The Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan said in a statement that Armenian soldiers fired at Azerbaijani positions with howitzers on Aug. 21.

Azerbaijani forces fired back and killed at least five Armenian soldiers and wounded eight, the ministry said.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has called on Bulgaria to immediately stop evictions of Roma and address the problem of anti-Roma rhetoric.

The media statement of the OSCE was issued several days after the European Court of Human Rights demanded the suspension of the demolition of two illegal buildings in the village of Garmen.

The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia will be meeting Tuesday in the French capital Paris to hold talks on the Ukraine crisis, Reuters reported.

The French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius stated on June 17 that the government representatives will be discussing the effective execution of the ceasefire deal that was