Why the world’s watching Cyprus unification talks: QuickTake Q&A

The latest talks to unify Cyprus come as key parties, including Turkey and the UK, face existential issues at home. Still, the negotiations starting Jan. 9 in Geneva have some forces working in their favor, leading to optimism that 40 years of division might be coming to an end. The Mediterranean island — less than […]

U.S. military aid is fueling big ambitions for Syria’s leftist Kurdish militia

TAL ABYAD, Syria —In a former high school classroom in this northeastern Syrian town, about 250 Arab recruits for the U.S.-backed war against the Islamic State were being prepped by Kurdish instructors to receive military training from American troops. Most of the recruits were from villages surrounding the Islamic State’s self- proclaimed capital of Raqqa, and the […]

Watch: Live with Big Phil Campion, former British SAS- Jan 5, 2017

Phil Campion, former British SAS, pokes fun at BBC’s version of the “Real Housewives of ISIS.” He catches up on viewers’ questions before he talks about the last living WWII dam buster pilot who might get knighted. The main segment of today’s show is a section from Phil’s survival guide: surviving an active shooter. His experiences […]

Watch: Video of the car bomb near the courthouse in Izmir, Turkey

Information is still coming in, but at the moment we know there were at least three terrorists who tried to detonated a VBIED or car bomb in close proximity to the Izmir courthouse but were stopped at a police checkpoint before reaching their target. Two of the terrorists were shot and killed by police and a third […]

At least three wounded from blast in Turkey’s Izmir: Dogan news agency

An explosion in Izmir wounded 3 people. This is a developing story, we will return with more information. -Vasilis Chronopoulos At least three people were wounded in an explosion near a courthouse in Turkey’s western Aegean coastal city of Izmir on Thursday, a correspondent for the Dogan news agency at the scene told broadcaster CNN […]

Turkey to extend state of emergency by three months

Turkey’s parliament on Tuesday approved a government-backed motion to extend by another three months the state of emergency imposed in the wake of the July 15 failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The state of emergency — which has seen tens of thousands lose their jobs or be arrested on suspicion of links to […]

Istanbul nightclub attacker identified, Turkey says, as police continue manhunt

ISTANBUL — Turkish authorities have identified the gunman who fatally shot dozens of revelers at a nightclub in Istanbul on New Year’s, Turkey’s top diplomat said Wednesday, as police stepped up raids on suspected militant hideouts in a hunt for the attacker. Despite the apparent breakthrough in the investigation, the government did not immediately name […]

ISIS claims responsibility for deadly New Year’s Eve Istanbul attack

ISIS has claimed responsibility for an attack on an Istanbul nightclub Saturday night that left thirty-nine people dead and seventy hospitalized. People from at least fourteen countries gathered in the Reina nightclub over the weekend to celebrate the coming of the new year.  Conflicting witness reports suggest that a single shooter entered the club shortly […]

Turkey ‘close to identifying Istanbul gunman’ as eight suspects detained

The latest evidence, such as fingerprints, photos taken from CCTV and probably the information provided by eight individuals detained for connection to the attack make the Turkish authorities believe, that they are close in the capture of the New Year’s nightclub attacker   -Vasilis Chronopoulos Turkish officials say they are close to identifying the gunman who killed […]

Gunman kills 39 in Istanbul nightclub, manhunt under way

A gunman opened fire on New Year revelers at a packed nightclub on the shores of Istanbul’s Bosphorus waterway on Sunday killing at least 39 people, including many foreigners, then fled the scene. Some people jumped into the Bosphorus to save themselves after the attacker began shooting at random in the Reina nightclub just over […]

Islamic State claims responsibility for Istanbul attack: statement

In a statement released on Monday Daesh claimed responsibility for the nightclub shooting in Istanbul  -Vasilis Chronopoulos. Islamic State claimed responsibility on Monday for a New Year’s Day mass shooting in a packed Istanbul nightclub that killed 39 people, an attack carried out by a lone gunman who remains at large. It described the Reina nightclub, where many foreigners as well […]

U.N. Backs Effort by Russia and Turkey to End Syrian Violence

UNITED NATIONS—The United Nations Security Council on Saturday unanimously adopted a resolution supporting efforts by Russia and Turkey to end the nearly six-year conflict in Syria. The resolution also called for the “rapid, safe and unhindered” delivery of humanitarian aid throughout Syria and looked forward to a meeting of the Syrian government and opposition representatives […]