Spain

Open letter to EU’s Borrell: bitter joke or sheer disgrace? – Ahval

By ::· Europe, News, Spain, Turkey ::· January 23, 2021

Dear Mr. Borrell, On Thursday, you received your dear friend Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu with open arms in Brussels. You were the master of ceremonies. Normally for Turkey, a so-called “candidate country”, Çavuşoğlu’s host should have been Oliver Varhelyi, Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement. But those days are long gone. Turkey was dropped from …

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Spanish Diplomacy in the Eastern Mediterranean – Inside Arabia

By ::· Cyprus, Greece, News, Spain, Turkey ::· January 23, 2021

Amid a period in which geopolitical tensions are heating up in the Eastern Mediterranean, Spain is stepping up its diplomatic efforts to lower the temperatures. As tensions between Greece and Turkey were heating up last summer, Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Arancha González Laya visited both countries’ capitals on July 27 and 28 and called …

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Annus horribilis: Key Greek-Turkish developments in 2020 – Al Jazeera

By ::· Conflicts - Fronts, Cyprus, Greece, News, Spain, Turkey ::· December 28, 2020

2020 has been the most acrimonious year for Greek-Turkish relations since 1974. Here, we review the key events that led to the fallout: January 2: East Med pipeline deal signed Greece, Cyprus and Israel signed an agreement to build the Eastern Mediterranean Pipeline that will carry natural gas 1,900km from the Eastern Mediterranean basin to …

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Will Erdoğan’s yo-yo game with the EU succeed in deluding the West again? | Ahval

By ::· Spain, Uncategorized ::· December 28, 2020

He is back at it again. Full of his customary surprises at each and every turn, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan displayed a sharp swing on Saturday, refreshing his long-lost love for his favourite punching bag, the EU. “We don’t see ourselves elsewhere but in Europe. We envisage building our future together with Europe,” in …

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1,750 weapons seized in 80 European raids targeting illegal Turkish guns – The National

By ::· Europe, News, Spain, Turkey ::· December 28, 2020

More than 80 raids took place across Europe in a crackdown on illegal firearms trafficking, leading to 1,776 weapons being seized. The international operation involving Europe’s crime agency Europol, was aimed at Turkish-manufactured weapons illegally trafficked into the EU via Bulgaria and other countries. Operation Bosphorus was set up and led by Romanian police and …

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Turkish-French Culture War over Islamist Radicalism and Islamophobia May Unite Europe against Turkey – SWP

By ::· Europe, France, News, Secularism/Islam, Spain, Turkey ::· December 28, 2020

Unity around the issue of Islam in Europe and unequivocal support for France against Turkey have already been manifested in expressions of support by European leaders and most recently a statement by the European External Action Service Service. If the efforts to coordinate European statements and action force Turkey to back down, the experience could be applied in other disputes with Turkey. Erdogan is not known for giving in to pressure from Europe, but it is highly likely that Ankara will abandon its campaign against France in the face of a coordinated response. If this crisis helps to unite Europe to counter Turkey, it will be a first in the recent decades and could create a significant precedent. It might even lead to Europe finally finding leverage against Turkey if it considers taking concrete diplomatic and economic action against Ankara.

Macron calls for tighter EU borders in wake of attacks – Independent.ie

By ::· Europe, France, News, Security, Spain ::· December 28, 2020

France set to increase police at border to 4,800. President Emmanuel Macron has called for a strengthening of border controls in the European Union’s Schengen zone following recent Islamist attacks in France and Austria. Mr Macron, speaking during a visit to France’s border with Spain, said that France alone will bolster its border controls by …

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Terrorist attacks in Europe: How did Pakistan, Turkey help Islamist Extremism grow?

By ::· Analyses, Arab world, Secularism/Islam, Spain, Turkey ::· December 28, 2020

The reactions from some Muslim countries after this attack started from France have further increased these attacks. After this, a jihadi attack has been carried out in many countries. In particular, Turkey and Pakistan carried out several verbal attacks that provoked sentiments. As every country in the world is working together to fight the Coronavirus …

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France And Turkey Not Embroiled In “Clash Of Civilizations” But Rather Geopolitical Struggle – Greek City Times

By ::· Analyses, Eastern Mediterranean, France, News, Spain, Syria, Turkey ::· December 28, 2020

The horrific terrorist attacks in France and the confrontation that erupted between Paris and Ankara has questioned alliances and changed the geopolitical landscape in the East Mediterranean and Africa, which many are calling a “clash of civilizations” between the liberal secular West, led by France, and reactionary extreme Islamism, led by Turkey. However, a stronger argument …

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Hellenic Navy Signs Heavyweight Torpedo Deal with Atlas Elektronik – Naval News

By ::· Greece, News, Spain ::· December 28, 2020

Following a long procurement process, the Hellenic Navy (Πολεμικό Ναυτικό) signed an important deal with German company Atlas Elektronik for heavyweight torpedoes. The deal covers the procurement of new SeaHake mod 4 torpedoes, the upgrade of existing torpedoes and the delivery of spare torpedo batteries. The information was first reported by local defense media Ptisidiastima. …

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European Unity Is Tested by Threats From Russia, Turkey – Wall Street Journal

By ::· Analyses, Europe, Russia, Spain, Turkey ::· December 28, 2020

EU’s cohesion faces a challenge as assertive autocrats take advantage of a distracted America. PARIS—The twin threat of Russia’s and Turkey’s assertive autocracies on the European Union’s doorstep is testing the ability of the bloc’s members to find a common front in an increasingly unstable neighborhood. The Baltic and Nordic states, as well as Poland, …

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The Case for Disaggregating the European Union – Foreign Policy

By ::· Analyses, Austria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, News, Spain ::· December 28, 2020

It is time to stop thinking of the body as one union. It contains multitudes—and will work far better if everyone recognizes that fact. This fall, it took the European Union almost two months to impose sanctions against Aleksandr Lukashenko’s regime in Belarus after a clearly rigged presidential election and the government’s heavy-handed crackdown of …

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