Mevlüt

Turkey on Feb. 22 offered condolences on the killing of an Italian diplomat in an attack on a U.N. convoy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ambassador Luca Attanasio, 43, was among three people killed along with Italian police officer Vittorio Lacovacci, 30, and their Congolese World Food Program driver.

Following six years of meticulous researches conducted by experts at the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, Hungary will return over 400 smuggled historical artifacts to Turkey next week, daily Hürriyet reported on Feb. 21.

"Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will receive 412 artifacts from his Hungarian counterpart and bring them back to the country on Feb. 25," the daily said.

Some countries that claim to be fighting terrorism are either silent over the PKK group's execution of 13 Turkish citizens in Northern Iraq or they are trying to slur over it, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Feb. 15.

Fifteen Turkish sailors arrived in Istanbul early on Feb. 14 following their abduction by pirates by pirates off the coast of Nigeria.

The sailors were taken early on Feb. 13 to the Turkish Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria under strict security.

All 15 remaining crew members of the Liberian-flagged ship the Mozart were rescued on Feb. 12 after the cargo vessel had fallen victim to a pirate attack off Nigeria, two involved maritime companies announced.

Borealis Maritime and Boden Maritime stated that the entire crew was now safe in contact with their families, adding that they would return to Turkey as soon as possible.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Çavuşoğlu said on Feb. 11 that Turkey and Qatar could contribute to easing tensions over a nuclear pact.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu arrived evening on Feb. 9 in the Omani capital Muscat as part of his official visit to the Gulf country.

"In friendly and brotherly Oman for the second stop of our visits to the Gulf," Çavuşoğlu tweeted.

Turkey has welcomed normalization efforts among Gulf countries, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Feb. 10, noting that Turkey supports the unity, prosperity and security of the Gulf region.

Turkey's top diplomat held a series of telephone calls on Feb. 8 with counterparts from three countries. 

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu called his Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments, according to Turkish sources.

He separately spoke with Tunisia's Othman Jerandi in a call that focused on recent development in Libya.

The Turkish foreign minister on Jan. 3 spoke with his British counterpart over the phone, according to diplomatic sources.

Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Dominic Raab addressed bilateral relations and the Cyprus issue said diplomatic sources speaking on the condition of anonymity.