Turkey, U.S. finalize MoU on training Syrian rebelsFebruary 17, 2015 - 16:45 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey and the United States have finalized the draft of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on a program for training and equipping the moderate Syrian opposition, Hurriyet Daily News reported, citing a Turkish official. In the coming days, officials from Turkey and the United States will sign the MoU, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday, Feb 17. Bilgiç also said the training was likely to start in March. A total of 15,000 Syrians will be trained in Turkey, Jordan and Saudi Arabia over three years as part of the campaign against jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or IS) group and the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |