2015 is the centenary of the Armenian genocide that cost the lives of up to a millions Armenian men, women and children.

A Turkish fighter jet has shot down a Syrian military helicopter after it entered Turkish air space and ignored repeated warnings to leave, an official said.

TENS of thousands of Syrian government supporters poured into the streets to protest an Arab League vote to suspend the country’s membership, as Turkey sent planes to evacuate diplomatic staff and their families after a night of attacks on embassies.

A Palestinian who broke into the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv trying to take hostages and demanding asylum was in Israeli custody today.

President Mary McAleese leaves today for a three-day visit to Turkey to mark the deaths of thousands of Irish soldiers in the First World War.

A Turkish court today charged 11 more ranking officers for allegedly plotting several years ago to topple the Islamic-rooted government, increasing the number of officers jailed to 31 – including retired and active seven admirals and four generals.

A TURKISH court yesterday acquitted Elif Shafak, one of that country’s leading authors, saying there was no evidence that she had “insulted Turkishness” in a novel.

A TURKISH court yesterday dropped charges against the country’s best-known novelist for insulting “Turkishness,” ending a high-profile trial that outraged Western observers and cast doubt on Turkey’s commitment to free speech.

A TURKISH court yesterday convicted two brothers for the “honour killing” of their sister and sentenced one to life in prison and the other to more than 11 years behind bars.

THE UN and EU were optimistic yesterday that talks this week on Cyprus could bring about an end to the island’s 30-year division in time for the reunited nation to enter the European Union on May 1.

A Turkish court today charged three more alleged accomplices in the Istanbul suicide bombings with membership in an illegal organisation and aiding an illegal organisation.

TONY BLAIR, in a speech to a joint meeting of Congress in Washington (the Irish Examiner, July 18) said: “If you engage in the systematic and gross abuse of human rights in defiance of the UN charter, you cannot expect to enjoy the same privileges as those that conform to it.”

Ending a high stakes diplomatic stand-off, the Turkish Cabinet today agreed to the deployment of tens of thousands of US combat troops ahead of a possible war in Iraq,

TURKEY'S former foreign minister launched a new political party yesterday to topple Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, who is fighting to stay in power despite poor health and a mutiny within his cabinet.