Ankara won't abandon its "Turkmen brothers" in Iraq: Turkish FMOctober 26, 2016 - 17:26 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Ankara would take appropriate measures if life or well-being of Turkmens living in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar were in jeopardy, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday, October 25, according to Sputnik. "We have always stood against sectarian strife in Syria and Iraq," he told a press conference in Ankara. "This is a very dangerous situation, but the lessons have not been learned. We see that the Shiite militia are trying to get in Mosul. But Daesh should be fought by local forces. The ethnic balance in Mosul and Tal Afar should be carefully considered. If our Turkmen brothers n Tal Afar are in danger, we will not abandon them and will not stay indifferent." On Tuesday, the Shiite militia expressed their intention to capture the city of Tal Afar, which is situated 50 kilometers from Mosul, and prevent the escape of Daesh militants to Syria. On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of a military operation to recapture Mosul from Daesh, with the help of airstrikes by the U.S.-led international coalition. According to local media, about 30,000 Iraqi soldiers and 4,000 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters are taking part in the operation. 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 | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |