Interior minister: Bomber suspected of having

Barcelona: Arda
will be our edge
against Atletico
Infant Syrian girl drowns
off Turkish coast
AA Deputy DG highlights
media’s role to Turkic world
Turkish Coast Guard rescues 21 other people
from boat that sank in the Aegean.A four-monthold baby girl drowned off the southwestern coast
of Turkey when a vessel carrying refugees sank
early Saturday. According to the Turkish Coast
Guard, 21 refugees were rescued, but the infant
was found dead. The refugee boat reportedly was
en route to the Greek island of Chios when it
sank off the coast of the Cesme district.
Barcelona director Javier Bordas said next month Turkish
midfielder Arda Turan will make the difference for the team
besting Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League
quarter-final after losing in the same round in 2014. Bordas,
who represented Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League
quarter-final draw in Nyon, told Anadolu Agency on Friday,
“Barcelona lost to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions
League quarter-final in 2014 when Arda Turan was playing in
Atletico Madrid. Now he plays for us.”>>SPORTS
AA Deputy DG Ozkaya says ‘Turkish World’
package will be introduced soon to support media activities of Turks around the world.Anadolu Agency’s Deputy Director General Mustafa
Ozkaya has said the Turkish diaspora can become more powerful if they become more active
in the media. Speaking at the West Europe Local Media Workshop organized by Presidency of
Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB)
in Frankfurt Saturday. >>CORPORATE NEWS
>>TURKEY
WEATHER / ANKARA
Monday
Partly Cloudy
12°C
Tuesday
Partly Cloudy
17°C
Monday March 21, 2016
Turkey awarded for hosting
2.7 bln Syrian refugees
An American humanitarian aid organization awarded Turkey on Saturday night for
its “tireless advocacy” for the Syrian people, of whom 2.7 million have been hosted
by Turkey over the last five years. Commemorating the sixth anniversary of the
Syrian war, the non-governmental American Relief Coalition for Syria awarded
Turkish Ambassador in Washington DC
Serdar Kilic at the organization’s third
annual dinner, followed by a fundraiser
for the Syrian people. With the message
that Turkey’s efforts “have not gone unnoticed in the Syrian community”, Kilic
was invited to the stage with big applause.
Thanking the organization for the award,
Kilic began his words by noting Saturday’s
deadly terrorist attack in Istanbul, saying
the timing of the award was important for
showing the Syrian people’s solidarity with
Turkey.>>MORE DETAILS
13 PKK terrorists
killed in Turkey’s
southeast
Interior minister: Bomber
suspected of having Daesh links
Ala says five suspects held so far in connection with
Istanbul terror attack
Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala said on Sunday
that the man identified as the Istanbul suicide bomber was suspected of having links to Daesh, according
to initial findings. Speaking at a press conference on
the terror attack, Ala said the bomber has been iden-
tified as Mehmet Ozturk, 24, born in the southeastern Turkish province of Gaziantep. The explosion
on Saturday killed five people, including the suicide
bomber, and injured 39 others. Of the injured, 24
are foreigners, according to Istanbul Governor Vasip
Sahin. Ala also said that five people had been held so
far in connection with the terror attack. “Fighting
against terror will continue resolutely and without
any hesitation,” he added.>>MORE DETAILS
FM rejects any European
objections to refugee deal
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s remarks come
during joint press conference with his Iranian
counterpart Zarif in Istanbul
Civilians suffer in Syria’s
PYD-controlled areas
The PYD’s recent declaration of a federal system
in areas under its control
in northern Syria will not
benefit civilians, who are
already suffering forceful
migration and torture
at the hands of the terrorist group. Arabs and
Turkmen living under
PYD-controlled
areas
are being subjected to
forceful migration, arbitrary arrests and torture,
while Kurds are being
forcefully recruited in
the terror group. Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen
groups reject the federal
system which was declared by the PYD terror
group in northern Syria’s
al-Hasakah, Ayn el-Arab
(also known as Kobani)
and Afrin areas. Locals
told Anadolu Agency
that their lives have become restricted since
2012 when the PYD terror group started to gain
dominance in the region.
>>MORE DETAILS
Turkey’s opposition leaders
slam Istanbul terror attack
Iranian FM meets Turkish
president, PM in Istanbul
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday that Turkey would not accept objections
from any European country
over the refugee deal enabling
the opening of a new chapter in
Turkey’s accession process in exchange for it taking back refugees
from Greece. Cavusoglu’s remarks
came during a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart
Mohammad Javad Zarif in Istanbul. “Turkey will start to receive
refugees [from Greece] two weeks
from now. And in line with the
deal, the EU will take the same
number of refugees from Turkey the same day,” he said. “But
objections from any European
country aren’t Turkey’s concern.”
Cavusoglu also slammed Saturday’s suicide bomb attack on Istanbul’s central Istiklal Street that
left at least 5 dead, including the
bomber, and 36 wounded. “Tur-
key needs an unflinching fight
against terrorism,” he said. “We
expect the support of the world,
especially Europe, in our fight.”
Twelve of the 36 injured in the
blast were foreign nationals, according to Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu. Iran’s Zarif
also condemned the terror attack. “I offer my condolences to
the Turkish people for those who
died in the attack,” he said. Zarif
said Iran values the relationship
between Turkey and his country ”Turkey has always supported
Iran, especially during the days of
sanctions. [...] We see Turkey as
a partner in all areas. I hope the
trade volume between the two
countries reaches $30 billion,” he
said. Commenting on the situation of both Iraq and Syria, Zarif
said, “Iran respects all countries’
territorial integrity and stability.”
>>MORE DETAILS
Turkish president and prime
minister received Iranian
foreign minister in Istanbul Saturday, official sources
said. The closed-door meeting between President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian
Foreign Minister Javad Zarif
lasted for about an hour at
the Yildiz Palace, according
to presidential sources. Prior
to his meeting with Erdogan, Zarif met Turkish Prime
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
for an hour and 15 minutes at
the Prime Ministry’s Office
in Dolmabahce Palace, Prime
Ministry sources said. Earlier
Saturday, Zarif also met with
his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu. >>MORE DETAILS
12 people being treated after
Istanbul terror attack
Twelve of the people injured in Saturday’s suicide bomb attack on Istanbul’s Istiklal Street are
currently being treated at
hospitals, health officials
said. The Turkish Health
Ministr y said Sunday in a
statement that four of the
wounded are in intensive
care as of 12:50 p.m. local time (10.50 GMT).The
explosion killed five people, including the suicide
bomber, and injured 39
others. Meanwhile, shop
owners in the Beyoglu
district and other people
laid carnations and candles
at the scene of the bombing to pay their respects to
the victims and denounce
terror. They also put up
banners at the scene saying “We are not afraid! We
are here! We will not get
used to it (terror)! Beyoglu district shop owners”.
Shops on Istiklal Street
which were damaged in
the attack hung up Turkish flags. >>MORE DETAILS
Leaders of Turkey’s three major opposition
parties have strongly condemned the latest
attack in Istanbul, highlighting the point in
separate statements that they are all against
the scourge of terrorism in the country. In
remarks made at a municipality event in
southwestern Turkey’s Antalya province
Saturday evening, Turkey’s main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman
Kemal Kilicdaroglu said: “We can never accept that type of cruelty and we don’t. It is our
At least 13 PK K terrorists
were killed in a fresh wave
of anti-terror operations in
southeastern Turkey on Saturday. According to security sources, the deaths took
place in the Sirnak province. The number of killed
terrorists has reached 28
since March 14, when a new
wave of operations in southeastern Turkey began. During the operations, security
forces also detonated 39 improvised explosive devices.
The PK K -- also listed as a
terrorist organization by the
U.S. and the EU -- resumed
its 30-year armed campaign
against the Turkish state in
late July 2015. Since then,
more than 290 members of
the security forces have been
martyred and thousands of
PK K terrorists killed in operations across Turkey and
northern Iraq. >>MORE DETAILS
common duty to condemn terrorism. Whoever it comes from and whenever it comes.
Staying against terror is our common duty”.
Kilicdaroglu added that wounded children in
such incidents were especially upsetting. In
a written statement, Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli wished
God’s mercy on the victims. “Turkish nation
has the ability and power to defeat terrorism and overcome terrorism…traitors will
not succeed and ruin our national solidarity
and brotherhood,” Bahceli said. Addressing a rally in Turkey’s eastern province Van
Saturday, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP)
Co-Chairman Selahattin Demirtas said: “A
terror attack which directly targets civilians
took place in Istanbul’s Istiklal Street. I state
one more time that we condemn it.
>>MORE DETAILS
World leaders condemn Istanbul
terror attack
NATO, EU states and Arab capitals express
solidarity with Turkey in aftermath of attack
on Istiklal Street. World leaders from around
the globe have expressed their outrage at yet
another terrorist attack in Turkey, this time
on Istanbul’s famous Istiklal Street, which
has left at least five people, including the
bomber dead.Turkish Deputy Health Minister Ahmet Baha Ogutken said earlier an
Israeli national was among the dead. Also,
out of the total injured, 24 are foreigners,
Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin said. ment
Party) was also not “sincere” on the issue. He
said those who were sincere could come together without laying down conditions. On
Wednesday, an official request to revoke immunity from prosecution from opposition
Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker
Tugba Hezer Ozturk was sent to parliament.
>>MORE DETAILS