Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

There is no need to recall how Turkey and Saudi Arabia clinched the alliance they have built over the past year, especially after the new Saudi King Salman came to the throne, through consecutive high-level visits.

U.S. President Barack Obama held talks with Saudi Arabia's King Salman on April 20 as he began a two-day visit hoping to ease tensions with the historic U.S. ally.

Riyadh and its Sunni Arab Gulf allies have bristled at what they see as Washington's tilt toward regional rival Iran after Tehran's landmark nuclear deal with world powers.

An Order of State of the Republic of Turkey was given to Saudi Arabia's King Salman on April 13. The phrase "throwing a sprat to catch a mackerel" springs to mind, but as far as we know Salman is not even offering the bone of the mackerel. (Of course, not including the gifts he brings for President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, but that does not concern us ordinary citizens.)

On Feb 28, 2015, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an became one of the first regional leaders to visit Riyadh to hold extensive talks with Saudi Arabia's new leader, King Salman, who was crowned in January of that year. Since then, the relationship between the two countries has shown a steady progress through consecutive high-level talks. 

Turkey has decorated Saudi Arabia's visiting King Salman with its highest state medal in recognition of the two countries' close ties, with President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an extending his guest a lavish welcome after the latter's arrival on April 11.

After a silence of nearly two days - and after most reactions from all over the world had been heard - Numan Kurtulmu?, the Turkish government's spokesperson and deputy prime minister, responded to the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the evening of Jan. 4.

Turkey is not one of those banana republics or any of the one-man-rule sheikhdoms of the Middle Eastern political geography and most of the criticisms directed at President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and his Justice and Development Party aim to divert Turkey from walking down such an anti-democratic, indeed dictatorial, road. 

Erospolis has had enough of Ottomaniacs who confuse fact and fiction, as well as the elitist historians who are only too eager to scan Ottoman soap operas to take umbrage with the details"How dare Hollywood portray Anne Boleyn, the brave and intelligent mother of Elizabeth I, as a hysterical slut who slept with her brother?" said Queen Elizabeth II.

Asar-? Antika Art Gallery in Istanbul will hold its 19th auction on Nov. 29 at the Conrad Istanbul Hotel. 

Abdülhamid Kay?han Osmano?lu, the grandson of Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II (r. 1876-1909), has said his family will sue a popular TV drama for "insulting" their ancestors.