MARCH 28, 2018 / 8:09 PM / 2 DAYS AGO
Reuters Staff
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey will take action if militants do not withdraw immediately from Syria’s Manbij region and areas in the country east of the Euphrates, Turkey’s National Security Council said on Wednesday.
Turkey, which stormed the northern Syrian town of Afrin last week after a two-month offensive against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, has repeatedly threatened to push its operations further east to Manbij where U.S. troops are stationed.
Expanding Turkey’s military campaign into the much larger Kurdish-held territory further east, which President Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to do, would risk confrontation between the NATO allies who have been at loggerheads over the U.S. policy in Syria and other issues.
“In the meeting, it is stated that the terrorists in Manbij should be removed from the area, otherwise Turkey will not hesitate to take initiative by itself as it did in other regions,” the statement from the security council, chaired by Erdogan, said.
It said the same approach also applied to the militants on Syrian soil at the east of Euphrates, without elaborating where that would specifically apply to, or who it might target.
Turkey considers the YPG to be an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the state, and has been infuriated by the support Washington has provided the Syrian Kurdish fighters.
The Council said it also expected Iraq’s government to prevent the PKK operating in Iraq, especially in towns of Sinjar and Qandil. If that was not possible Turkey would prevent them itself, the council added.
“In the meeting it is stated that aside from Syria, Turkey expects Iraq to prevent operations by the separatist terrorist organization in its territory and if it is not possible Turkey will prevent them by itself,” the council statement said using the term it applies to PKK.
On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Iraqi armed forces would prevent Kurdish militants based in northern Iraq from staging cross-border attacks against Turkey during a phone call with his Turkish counterpart.
Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Alison Williams
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Friday, March 30, 2018
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Euro zone to unlock new loans to Greece, working on debt relief
MARCH 12, 2018 / 8:12 PM / 2 DAYS AGO
Francesco Guarascio, Jan Strupczewski
4 MIN READ
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone creditors are expected to disburse new loans to Greece this month and are working on debt relief measures, the head of the bloc’s finance ministers said on Monday, steps that should help underpin its economic recovery.
Greece’s 86-billion-euro bailout program, its third since 2010, is due to end in August and international lenders are debating how to ensure the country makes its exit on a sustainable footing.
Among options under consideration in Brussels are support measures that could run into tens of billions of euros and help ease servicing costs on a public debt pile that, in terms of economic output, is among the biggest in the world.
Francesco Guarascio, Jan Strupczewski
4 MIN READ
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Euro zone creditors are expected to disburse new loans to Greece this month and are working on debt relief measures, the head of the bloc’s finance ministers said on Monday, steps that should help underpin its economic recovery.
Greece’s 86-billion-euro bailout program, its third since 2010, is due to end in August and international lenders are debating how to ensure the country makes its exit on a sustainable footing.
Among options under consideration in Brussels are support measures that could run into tens of billions of euros and help ease servicing costs on a public debt pile that, in terms of economic output, is among the biggest in the world.
Greece Is Quietly Backsliding on Reform
Greece needs public sector reform and investment, not more debt-fueled consumption.
By Phylis Papadavid
Bloomberg
Greece’s planned August exit from its third European Stability Mechanism bailout has triggered investor optimism. Its July 2017 bond issuance, the first in three years, was oversubscribed, as were subsequent issuances in February of this year. And yet financial investors should curb their optimism. Greece’s return to the markets, and its economic recovery, are likely to be a bumpy and slow -- especially if it continues to delay key reforms.
By Phylis Papadavid
Bloomberg
Greece’s planned August exit from its third European Stability Mechanism bailout has triggered investor optimism. Its July 2017 bond issuance, the first in three years, was oversubscribed, as were subsequent issuances in February of this year. And yet financial investors should curb their optimism. Greece’s return to the markets, and its economic recovery, are likely to be a bumpy and slow -- especially if it continues to delay key reforms.
Clashes break out in Greece over foreclosures
By Associated Press March 14 at 12:34 PM
ATHENS, Greece — Five people were detained Wednesday during clashes between riot police and protesters attempting to disrupt a central Athens auction of foreclosed properties.
Left-wing activists have stepped up protests in recent weeks against online auctions as the government remains under pressure from bailout lenders to speed up the process and ease the strain on banks stemming from a huge backlog of nonperforming loans.
The auctions are required as part of the country’s international bailout, which is due to end in August. Creditors have also promised to deliver some debt relief for Greece if it fulfils all the conditions of the bailout.
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Greeks vent fury over soldiers being 'held hostage' in Turkey
Defence minister says arrests have aggravated already strained ties between two countries
The Guardian
Protesters have taken to the streets of northern Greece demanding the release of two Greek soldiers detained by Turkey, amid rising tensions between the two countries.
Greece’s defence minister, Panos Kammenos, described the pair as “hostages” and ordered border patrols to be stepped up along the heavily defended land frontier the two nations share.
Sgt Dimitris Kouklatzis, 27, and Lt Angelos Mitretodis, 25, were seized 11 days ago after allegedly being found in a “forbidden military zone” deep in Turkish territory. The soldiers say they inadvertently strayed across the frontier in bad weather.
Last week a court in the Turkish border town of Edirne, where the two are being held in a high-security prison, rejected a plea for their release pending further investigation.
The Guardian
Protesters have taken to the streets of northern Greece demanding the release of two Greek soldiers detained by Turkey, amid rising tensions between the two countries.
Greece’s defence minister, Panos Kammenos, described the pair as “hostages” and ordered border patrols to be stepped up along the heavily defended land frontier the two nations share.
Sgt Dimitris Kouklatzis, 27, and Lt Angelos Mitretodis, 25, were seized 11 days ago after allegedly being found in a “forbidden military zone” deep in Turkish territory. The soldiers say they inadvertently strayed across the frontier in bad weather.
Last week a court in the Turkish border town of Edirne, where the two are being held in a high-security prison, rejected a plea for their release pending further investigation.
Daily chart
The temperature of the ocean is rising
Further improvements in data-gathering technology could improve forecasting of extreme weather events
The Economist
MEASURING the temperature of something as stratified as the ocean has never been easy. Before the 1980s, ships automatically recorded the temperature of water flowing through their ports, but the great depth variance of these ports and the dearth of data outside major shipping routes made the figures incomplete and unreliable. Next came satellites, which were able to capture more surface-temperature data in three months than the total compiled in all the years prior to their advent. Nonetheless, they too have limitations: for example, their infrared sensors are susceptible to cloud contamination.
The temperature of the ocean is rising
Further improvements in data-gathering technology could improve forecasting of extreme weather events
The Economist
MEASURING the temperature of something as stratified as the ocean has never been easy. Before the 1980s, ships automatically recorded the temperature of water flowing through their ports, but the great depth variance of these ports and the dearth of data outside major shipping routes made the figures incomplete and unreliable. Next came satellites, which were able to capture more surface-temperature data in three months than the total compiled in all the years prior to their advent. Nonetheless, they too have limitations: for example, their infrared sensors are susceptible to cloud contamination.
Friday, March 2, 2018
2 Greek soldiers on patrol accidentally stray into Turkey
By Associated Press March 2 at 4:35 AM
The Washington Post
THESSALONIKI, Greece — Greece says two of its soldiers on patrol on the Greek-Turkish border accidentally strayed into Turkey and have been taken to the city of Edirne by Turkish authorities.
The Greek army said Friday the two-man patrol strayed into Turkish territory on Thursday because of bad weather, and that Greek and Turkish authorities were in contact with each other and were undertaking procedures for the two to be returned to Greece.
Most of the Greek-Turkish border is marked by a river, and a fence runs along much of the land section. Some parts, however, aren’t clearly marked, and the area where the soldiers strayed was reportedly in woodland.
Although NATO allies, relations between Greece and Turkey are often strained.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Washington Post
THESSALONIKI, Greece — Greece says two of its soldiers on patrol on the Greek-Turkish border accidentally strayed into Turkey and have been taken to the city of Edirne by Turkish authorities.
The Greek army said Friday the two-man patrol strayed into Turkish territory on Thursday because of bad weather, and that Greek and Turkish authorities were in contact with each other and were undertaking procedures for the two to be returned to Greece.
Most of the Greek-Turkish border is marked by a river, and a fence runs along much of the land section. Some parts, however, aren’t clearly marked, and the area where the soldiers strayed was reportedly in woodland.
Although NATO allies, relations between Greece and Turkey are often strained.
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Σκάνδαλο Novartis
Γιατί ξέσπασε το σκάνδαλο, γιατί είναι τόσο σημαντικό; Γιατί τους αρκούν τα λίγα αυτά για να εκτοξεύσουν τόσο ατιμωτικές κατηγορίες; Γιατί ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ διώκει όλους όσους ανέφεραν οι κρυφοί μάρτυρες τους;
Είναι η δίψα για την εξουσία; Είναι και αυτό. Δεν είναι όμως μόνο αυτό.
Είναι γιατί επιτέλους, όπως περιέγραψε ο Βαλδουίνος της Φλάνδρας την άλωση της Κωνσταντινούπολης, ''..., αυτοί που αρνήθηκαν μικρά πράγματα σε μας, μας παρεχώρησαν τα πάντα ως αποτέλεσμα της Θείας Κρίσης...''. Είναι γιατί τώρα πια θα αρπάξουν όλη την εξουσία, τώρα είναι η ευκαιρία τους, τώρα ήρθε η ώρα.
Ακολουθεί η εξήγηση του κ Θανάση Καρτερού. Είναι επικεφαλής του γραφείου του πρωθυπουργού. Μια βαρύνουσα θέση, θεσμικά τουλάχιστον.
Δεν φιλοξενώ την άποψή του επειδή είναι σε αυτή την βαρύνουσα θεσμικά θέση.
Την φιλοξενώ γιατί είναι μια πειστική, για μένα, εξήγηση των όσων συμβαίνουν. ΄
"Στην Αριστερά είμαστε ανέκαθεν επαγγελματίες, κατά κάποιο τρόπο, κατηγορούμενοι. Χιλιάδες και χιλιάδες έχουμε κάτσει στο σκαμνί. Άλλες φορές για ήσσονα αδικήματα, όπως η διατάραξη της τάξεως, η αντίσταση κατά της αρχής, η εξύβριση οργάνων της τάξεως, η εν γένει πεζοδρομιακή δραστηριότητα. Και άλλες φορές με κατηγορίες που οδηγούσαν σε βαριές ποινές, σε ισόβια, ή και στον τοίχο. Αφήστε που πλήθη ανθρώπων βρέθηκαν στα σύρματα χωρίς καμιά δίκη. Έφτανε η απόφαση μιας Επιτροπής Ασφαλείας, στην οποία συμμετείχαν ο κύριος νομάρχης, ο κύριος αστυνόμος, και ο κύριος εισαγγελέας, και άντε να καθαρίσει ο κατηγορούμενος με τη Γυάρο, τον Άι Στράτη, ή τη Μακρόνησο.
Τούτων δοθέντων μπορείς να πεις ότι είμαστε η παράταξη των κατηγορουμένων. Άλλοι έλειωναν παντελόνια στο Χάρβαρντ, κι εμείς τα λειώναμε σε εδώλια δικαστηρίων. Άμα ψάξεις στις γραμμές όλων των αριστερών κομμάτων και σχημάτων, θα είναι είδηση να βρεις κάποιον που δεν πέρασε από τη βάσανο μιας δίκης, ενός κρατητήριου, ή και μιας κλοτσοπατινάδας. Ανυπερθέτως εθνικού χαρακτήρα.
Ελάτε τώρα στη θέση των άλλων. Των απέναντι. Των νομιμοφρόνων. Της ελίτ που ανέδειξε αστυνόμους, ασφαλίτες, εισαγγελείς, υπουργούς, πρωθυπουργούς, στυλοβάτες του καθεστώτος, απηνείς διώκτες κάθε ανατρεπτικού στοιχείου –κόκκινου, ροζ, ακόμα και κίτρινου. Της ελίτ που μας μπαγλάρωνε, μας δίκαζε, μας καταδίκαζε, μας επιφύλασσε κάθε είδους αστυνομικές και δικαστικές περιποιήσεις."
Είναι η δίψα για την εξουσία; Είναι και αυτό. Δεν είναι όμως μόνο αυτό.
Είναι γιατί επιτέλους, όπως περιέγραψε ο Βαλδουίνος της Φλάνδρας την άλωση της Κωνσταντινούπολης, ''..., αυτοί που αρνήθηκαν μικρά πράγματα σε μας, μας παρεχώρησαν τα πάντα ως αποτέλεσμα της Θείας Κρίσης...''. Είναι γιατί τώρα πια θα αρπάξουν όλη την εξουσία, τώρα είναι η ευκαιρία τους, τώρα ήρθε η ώρα.
Ακολουθεί η εξήγηση του κ Θανάση Καρτερού. Είναι επικεφαλής του γραφείου του πρωθυπουργού. Μια βαρύνουσα θέση, θεσμικά τουλάχιστον.
Δεν φιλοξενώ την άποψή του επειδή είναι σε αυτή την βαρύνουσα θεσμικά θέση.
Την φιλοξενώ γιατί είναι μια πειστική, για μένα, εξήγηση των όσων συμβαίνουν. ΄
"Στην Αριστερά είμαστε ανέκαθεν επαγγελματίες, κατά κάποιο τρόπο, κατηγορούμενοι. Χιλιάδες και χιλιάδες έχουμε κάτσει στο σκαμνί. Άλλες φορές για ήσσονα αδικήματα, όπως η διατάραξη της τάξεως, η αντίσταση κατά της αρχής, η εξύβριση οργάνων της τάξεως, η εν γένει πεζοδρομιακή δραστηριότητα. Και άλλες φορές με κατηγορίες που οδηγούσαν σε βαριές ποινές, σε ισόβια, ή και στον τοίχο. Αφήστε που πλήθη ανθρώπων βρέθηκαν στα σύρματα χωρίς καμιά δίκη. Έφτανε η απόφαση μιας Επιτροπής Ασφαλείας, στην οποία συμμετείχαν ο κύριος νομάρχης, ο κύριος αστυνόμος, και ο κύριος εισαγγελέας, και άντε να καθαρίσει ο κατηγορούμενος με τη Γυάρο, τον Άι Στράτη, ή τη Μακρόνησο.
Τούτων δοθέντων μπορείς να πεις ότι είμαστε η παράταξη των κατηγορουμένων. Άλλοι έλειωναν παντελόνια στο Χάρβαρντ, κι εμείς τα λειώναμε σε εδώλια δικαστηρίων. Άμα ψάξεις στις γραμμές όλων των αριστερών κομμάτων και σχημάτων, θα είναι είδηση να βρεις κάποιον που δεν πέρασε από τη βάσανο μιας δίκης, ενός κρατητήριου, ή και μιας κλοτσοπατινάδας. Ανυπερθέτως εθνικού χαρακτήρα.
Ελάτε τώρα στη θέση των άλλων. Των απέναντι. Των νομιμοφρόνων. Της ελίτ που ανέδειξε αστυνόμους, ασφαλίτες, εισαγγελείς, υπουργούς, πρωθυπουργούς, στυλοβάτες του καθεστώτος, απηνείς διώκτες κάθε ανατρεπτικού στοιχείου –κόκκινου, ροζ, ακόμα και κίτρινου. Της ελίτ που μας μπαγλάρωνε, μας δίκαζε, μας καταδίκαζε, μας επιφύλασσε κάθε είδους αστυνομικές και δικαστικές περιποιήσεις."
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