Turkey says it scrambled two military jets to chase away an Israeli plane which allegedly violated the airspace of Turkish-held northern Cyprus.

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Turkey jets ‘pursue Israel plane’

Two Turkish journalists taken hostage in Syria in early March and detained for two months are on their way home, following a release mediated by Iran.

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VIDEO: Syria releases Turkish journalists

Hundreds of fans from Istanbul football club Fenerbahce clash with Turkish police and occupy the pitch after losing a title decider to Galatasaray.

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Football fans riot in Istanbul

The Turkish government reported a record number of refugees fleeing Syrian military offensives across the border, just days before the Syrian government pledged to withdraw military forces from population centers.

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Refugees flood into Turkey

The ordeal of proving you’re gay to the Turkish army

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Proving you’re gay to the Turkish army

The Jewish holiday of Purim, which starts Wednesday at sundown, commemorates the rescuing of ancient Persia’s Jews around 400 B.C. from the evil Haman, who was king Ahasuerus’s prime minister and wanted them extinguished. Jews celebrate the deliverance to this day by wearing costumes, sending food to the poor and having a feast. Read full article > >

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There’s a Turkish delight in my hamantaschen

Turkey’s top diplomat said Friday that Iran is ready to negotiate an end to the standoff with Western powers over its nuclear program, suggesting that the controversy could be resolved quickly if the deep distrust between the two sides could be overcome. Read full article > >

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Turkish diplomat: Iran is ready to cut a deal

Turkish ex-military chief Gen Ilker Basbug is arrested on suspicion of being part of a wide network which allegedly plotted against the government.

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Turkey’s ex-army chief arrested

The father of a Turkish man accused of murdering two County Down women has been arrested.

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Murders accused father arrested

The Turkish military said that 35 peopled killed in the Kurdish border region were separatist fighters, but local villagers said they were smugglers.

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Turkish Airstrikes Kill 35 Along Smuggling Route

A strike near a Kurdish village by Turkish warplanes close to the border with Iraq has left at least 23 people dead, officials say.

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Turkish air strike kills 23 Kurds

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. felt compelled to brush back a challenge from his Turkish hosts.

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Biden Parries Turkish Official’s Economic Boast

ISTANBUL — A series of moves by the Turkish government has sparked concern that the state is exerting ever greater sway over other parts of society, from academia to business. This year, Turkey has put independent regulators under the supervision of government departments, asserted new powers to appoint members of the Turkish Academy of Sciences and increased control over the Istanbul Stock Exchange as a possible prelude to privatization. Read full article > >

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Critics take aim at Turkey’s growing social curbs

ISTANBUL — A series of moves by the Turkish government has sparked concern that the state is exerting ever greater sway over other parts of society, from academia to business. This year, Turkey has put independent regulators under the supervision of government departments, asserted new powers to appoint members of the Turkish Academy of Sciences and increased control over the Istanbul Stock Exchange as a possible prelude to privatization. Read full article > >

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Critics take aim at Turkey’s growing social curbs

BEIRUT — Turkey’s prime minister on Tuesday called for the first time for Bashar al-Assad to step down, in a fiery speech that likened the Syrian leader to Hitler and Mussolini and marked the final crumbling of Turkish-Syrian relations, according to analysts. “Without spilling any more blood, without causing any more injustice, for the sake of peace for the people, the country and the region, finally step down,” said Recep Tayyip Erdogan, urging Assad to look to the fate of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, who was toppled by an internationally backed uprising and, last month, was killed . Read full article > >

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Turkey urges Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down