Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday said that Turkey's fight against drug trafficking also harms terrorist organizations.
"Addiction and terror resemble each other. The swamp must be drained for an effective fight against both," Erdoğan said at a symposium on international drug policies and public health in Istanbul.
"Therefore, the struggle against addictive products is also a struggle to dry out the resources of terrorism," he said.
A total of 25 Turkish firms are set to take part in Pakistan’s 10th International Defense Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) in a strong showing for Turkey’s growing defense industry.The 10th International Defense Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) will be held at Karachi Expo Centre from Nov. 27 to Nov. 30, 2018.IDEAS 2018, being the most strategically important event of the region, will once again bring together all the industry's players across the globe to showcase the latest technological innovations.Four days of the show are exclusively for trade visitors and high official defense delegates.The firms will participate under the leadership of the Turkey’s Defense Industry Ministry and the Defense Industry Exporters’ Association. The “Turkish National Pavilion” will cover over 1,750 square meters, one of the largest at the Karachi Expo. In addition to meet local needs in Pakistan, representatives of the Turkish defense industry aim to introduce, market and ink sale deals to modernize and strengthen the armed forces of participating African and regional countries.In July this year, Ankara won a multibillion-dollar tender to supply four corvettes to the Pakistan Navy -- a deal dubbed as the biggest export for Turkey’s defense industry in history by then-Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli.In May 2017, Turkish and Pakistani defense companies struck another deal for construction of four Turkish Ada class MILGEM (National Ship) corvettes.According to the agreement, two ships will be built in Istanbul and two others in Karachi.Back in June, Turkey and Pakistan signed an agreement on the purchase for 30 of Turkey’s T129 Advanced Attack and Tactical Reconnaissance Helicopters.Thus, the largest single export in the history of the Turkish defense industry had been inked."Contract negotiations on T129 ATAK helicopters between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) and the Pakistani Ministry of Defense Production were finalized," the under secretariat said in a statement.The T129 ATAK helicopter was developed by the Turkish Aerospace Industries and the Italy-based AgustaWestland and was added to the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces in 2014.Designed to operate in hot conditions, the T129 can be deployed in a wide range of operations including attack, reconnaissance and deterrent missions.
Turkish defense industry to dominate Pakistani expo
Turkish counterterrorism operation "neutralized" six PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, the military said on Saturday.Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.In a statement, Turkish General Staff said the warplanes conducted airstrikes in the Sinat-Haftanin and Metina regions, neutralizing the terrorists, who were reportedly plotting an attack on military bases.Some weapon pits, shelters and ammunition depots used by the terror group were also destroyed in the airstrikes.Turkey remands 12 PKK terrorists plotting Istanbul attackPKK terror group increases presence in Iraq’s Kirkuk with Israeli supportTurkish jets in this region mostly target PKK terrorists.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people.More than 1,200 people, including security force personnel and civilians, have lost their lives since the PKK resumed its decades-old acts of terror in July 2015.16 PKK/KCK suspects arrested in southern TurkeyErdoğan to decide whether to meet bin Salman on G20 sidelines: Turkish FM
Turkish jets 'neutralize' six terrorists in northern Iraq
The Turkish president reiterated it was not an accident that drugs, alcohol and tobacco fuel terrorist organizations.
Erdoğan said the most important results of Turkey's fight against terrorism was the "big blow" against all kinds of drug trafficking.
He said 52,000 people have been put in jail in Turkey on charges related to drug trafficking.
He added that electronic addiction was also a big threat to the society.
Turkey on Saturday welcomed the prisoner swap in Syria, saying mutual and simultaneous release of the detainees builds confidence between the sides in the war-torn country.In a written statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry said several persons detained by the opposition groups and the regime were "mutually and simultaneously" released on Saturday.The swap took place in the Abu al Zindeen district to the south of al-Bab, which is controlled by the opposition, within the scope of a pilot project of the Astana Working Group, the ministry said.Five civilians killed in regime attacks in Syria’s IdlibTurkey against planned US observation points in SyriaIt is an important first step to implement confidence-building measures aimed to be continued with new initiatives, the statement read.According to the ministry, the project of the Release of Detainees/Abductees, Handover of Bodies and Identification of Missing Persons was established as part of the Astana process with the participation of Turkey, Russia and Iran as well as the UN.Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.Turkish officials help Syrian teen reunite with familySyrian Turkmens to unite under single flagTurkish NGO opens midwifery school in Syria's Idlib
Turkey welcomes mutual prisoner releases in Syria
Turkish president and leader of Justice and Development (AK) Party on Saturday announced the list of 40 mayoral candidates for the upcoming local elections in the country.The names of candidates -- 14 metropolitan municipality and 26 provincial municipality mayoral candidates -- were revealed at the gathering of AK Party executives and supporters in Istanbul.The candidates for following cities were announced:Adiyaman, Amasya, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Duzce, Elazığ, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kilis, Kocaeli, Malatya, Nevşehir, Niğde, Ordu, Rize, Samsun, Sinop, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Tekirdağ and Yalova.Candidates for Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir were not revealed at today’s meeting.The local elections in Turkey is scheduled to be held on March 31, 2019.Turkey's MHP to back AK party candidates in three big cities in local polls
Turkey's ruling AK Party reveals 40 mayoral candidates