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Erdogan says suspected ISIS leader killed in Syria
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday that the suspected leader of Daesh (ISIS) has been killed in Syria in an operation carried out by Turkey's MIT intelligence agency.
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Turkey election pledges foretell bigger budget deficit / Mustafa Sonmez
Both the government and the opposition have made a seemingly endless stream of economic pledges in the run-up to Turkey’s crucial May 14 elections.
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Dutch soldiers to quit Kurdistan Region of Iraq
125 Dutch soldiers responsible for keeping the security of the Erbil International Airport will leave the Kurdistan region next week.
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Kurdish officials warn of impending catastrophe in two Aleppo neighborhoods
Syria's Kurdish-led forces have warned that a shortage in food and an internet outage could cause a 'catastrophe' in two Aleppo neighbourhoods besieged by the government forces.
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Iranian president to visit Syria on Wednesday: official
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will visit Damascus on Wednesday for two days at an official invitation of the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Iran’s ambassador to Syria, Hossein Akbari, said on Sunday.
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Masoud Barzani meets Hudapar high-ranking delegation
In a meeting between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Leader Massoud Barzani and a high-level delegation of Hudapar, opinions were exchanged about the peaceful resolution of issues between the nations of the region through dialogue.
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48 Kurds arrested in mass operation in Diyarbakir
The number of people arrested after being detained along with more than 100 activists, lawyers, and politicians in a mass operation targeting Kurds across Turkey earlier this week has now reached 48, while 89 were released, the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya news agency reported on Saturday.
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US Congressman says Erbil should resume its oil export
A member of the American Congress called for the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region, saying: "It is necessary to implement the provisions of the agreement concluded between Erbil and Baghdad regarding oil export from the Kurdistan Region."
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Earthquake, refugees, Assad may be keys to Turkey's election / Andrew Parasiliti
The race between incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his opponent, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, is too close to call, according to an Al-Monitor/Premise poll released this week.
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Dana Gas reports robust production growth in Kurdistan Region
Dana Gas PJSC, the Middle East's leading private sector natural gas company, has reported a 9.5% growth in the production output for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) during its Annual General Assembly.
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Leader says Americans are no friends to Iraq
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei told the Iraqi president not to trust the Americans' friendship claims, saying that even the existence of one single American is too much.
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Turkey elections: Votes from overseas may tilt the balance in a tight race
Overseas voters could contribute half a percent to the presidential poll, and may prove to be a make or break community for Erdogan.
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Erbil sends high-profile official to Turkey to discuss resuming oil exports
The government of the Kurdistan Region has dispatched a senior official to Turkey to explore mechanisms for resuming the region's oil exports, a well-informed source told Shafaq News Agency.
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For the Kurds, taking the road to Damascus will have a price
In a bid to keep his presidential candidacy alive, Lebanon's Suleiman Frangieh travelled the road to Damascus last week for an informal meeting with Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. It was reported that French presidential adviser Patrick Durel sent a message to Lebanon's parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri asking him to call a parliamentary session to elect a president. These moves prompted speculation that the country's political deadlock could come to an end before June, the deadline given by foreign mediators for choosing a president.
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HDP publicly announces support for Kilicdaroglu
Turkey pro-Kurdish HDP's Co-Chair Mithat Sancar has announced support for the opposition's joint presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the upcoming presidential elections, stating that their aim is to end one-man rule.
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Turkey, Syria defense chiefs discuss ‘normalization' in Russia meeting
The Turkish and Syrian defense and intelligence chiefs discussed the concrete steps that could be taken to normalize Ankara-Damascus ties on Tuesday, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said.
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Iraqi president due in Iran in coming days
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid is scheduled to visit Iran in the coming days, regional media outlets reported on Thursday.
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Turkey detains Kurdish figures ahead of vital polls / Andrew Wilks
More than 120 people were detained across Turkey on Tuesday in an alleged counter-terrorism operation that targeted mainly Kurdish politicians, journalists, lawyers and artists less than three weeks ahead of crucial elections.
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Iraqi forces arrest 8 ISIS terrorists in Kirkuk
The Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced that eight ISIS terrorists were arrested in different areas in the Kirkuk governorate in northern Iraq.
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Court says calling Erdogan “dictator” is not a crime
Canan Kaftancioglu, the Istanbul Provincial Chair of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), has been acquitted of charges of insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after she called him a “dictator.”
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Turkey, Syria defense, intel chiefs meet in Russia
Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced that the Turkish and Syrian defense and intelligence chiefs met in Moscow along with their Russian and Iranian counterparts this week.
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Iraqi government to send 200 billion Dinars to Kurdistan Region
The spokesman of the Iraqi government announced an order had been issued over sending 400 billion dinars to the Kurdistan Region, but half of the amount will be sent to the autonomous region.
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PUK- KDP differences are still deep: party member
A member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) accused rival the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) of reviving the differences between the Kurds through Masrour Barzani's statements.
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Turkey’s undecided voters could sway Erdogan's fateful elections / Ezgi Akin
While sights are largely set on Turkey’s presidential elections, pollsters and pundits warn that the results of parliamentary elections may sway the whole race in the event of a run-off for president.
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3 PKK forces reportedly killed in Turkish drone attack on Kurdistan Region
At least three PKK forces were reportedly killed in a Turkish drone attack in northern Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
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Demirtas applauds Kilicdaroglu's call against discrimination
Imprisoned former Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtas has voiced his support for the opposition’s joint presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu's call for unity and inclusivity towards Alevi citizens of Turkey.
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Riyadh to make preparations for reopening of Iran's missions
In a phone call with his Saudi counterpart, Iranian foreign minister announced the efforts to reopen Iranian embassy in Saudi Arabia before Hajj.
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Russia’s new foreign policy concept and its implications for Turkish elections*
The Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, which outlines the country’s foreign policy direction, strategic goals, main objectives and priority areas, was recently approved by a presidential decree and is now in force. Since the Soviet Union’s collapse, six foreign policy concept documents have been published, with the latest one placing Turkey in the “Islamic world” category.
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Baghdad and Erbil are unable to respond to Turkey's repeated attacks: KDP member
A member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) emphasized the federal and Kurdistan regional governments are not able to respond to Turkey's frequent attacks on Iraqi territory, especially the provinces of the Kurdish autonomous region.
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Kilicdaroglu refers to his Alevi roots, calls for indiscriminating policy
In a landmark move on Wednesday Kemal Kilicdaroglu, presidential candidate and leader of Turkey’s main opposition party, publicly talked about his Alevi identity in a speech addressing young people, seeking their support in eliminating a system in the country that discriminates against some of its citizens.