Obama, Erdogan meet amid protests, tensions over press freedomApril 1, 2016 - 11:05 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. President Barack Obama met his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Washington, the White House said, amid serious tensions over press freedom and the war in Syria, AFP said. Having previously stated the pair were unlikely to hold sit-down talks -- a decision widely perceived as a snub by Washington -- the White House said the two men had in fact met on the margins of a nuclear security summit. They discussed "U.S.-Turkey cooperation on regional security, counterterrorism, and migration," it said. The White House has been increasingly outspoken in recent months about threats to free speech and democracy in Turkey, AFP says. And on Thursday, March 31 it restated its belief in the need for press freedom in Turkey, amid ugly scenes at an Erdogan speech in the U.S. capital. Ahead of Erdogan's arrival at the Brookings Institute, Turkish security officials clashed with protestors -- both sides exchanging insults and scuffling -- before police were able to separate them. The Turkish guards also set about the press. One aimed a chest-high kick at an American reporter attempting to film the harassment of a Turkish opposition reporter while another called a female foreign policy scholar a "whore." 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 | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |