News Scan for Turkey, September 21st, 2017

Istanbul’s main airport shut down after jet crashes on runway

Istanbul’s main Atatürk Airport has been shut down after a private jet slipped off track during landing and burst into flames on Sept. 21.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/istanbuls-main-airport-shut-down-after-jet-crashes-on-runway.aspx?pageID=238&nID=118257&NewsCatID=341

Turkish army’s drill on Iraqi border enters fourth day

The Turkish army entered the fourth day of a military drill on the Iraqi border on Sept. 21, Doğan News Agency has reported.

The military has enclosed an empty area located just two kilometers away from the Habur border gate, where the drill started on Sept. 18, with razor wire barriers. The safety of the Turkish soldiers is being provided by a professional team, who are ready to take an immediate step in case of a threat.

Turkey’s National Security Council (MGK) will decide if the placement of the soldiers and military vehicles at the border will be temporary or will last for a longer time during a meeting to take place on Sept. 22 in the capital Ankara. The military exercise came just a week before a referendum on the independence of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-armys-drill-on-iraqi-border-enters-fourth-day.aspx?pageID=238&nID=118245&NewsCatID=341

Erdoğan calls for united stance against Islamophobic rhetoric

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Muslims need to adopt a strong united stance against the Islamophobic rhetoric that associates Islam with terrorism.

Addressing the Muslim and Turkish community in New York, Erdoğan warned if the strategy of labeling all Muslims as terrorists was not overcome, the rights and freedoms of Muslims living in the U.S. would be threatened. The president criticized the use of term “Islamic terrorism” and said no one had the right to link religion with terror or treat Daesh terrorists as representatives of Islam.

“Everywhere in the world, people belonging to different faith groups commit acts of terrorism. However, only when the perpetrator is a Muslim, the term “Islamic terror” is used and if the terrorist is a member of another faith, the incident is treated as an ordinary crime,” Erdoğan said.

https://www.dailysabah.com/world/2017/09/21/erdogan-calls-for-united-stance-against-islamophobic-rhetoric

Turkey, Iran, Iraq consider counter-measures over Kurdish referendum

Turkey, Iran and Iraq have agreed to consider counter-measures against Kurdish northern Iraq over a planned independence referendum.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the three countries voiced concerns that the referendum would endanger gains Iraq has made against Daesh, and reiterated worries of potential new conflicts in the region.

“The ministers underlined that the referendum will not benefit the Kurds or the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq, and in this light, agreed to consider counter-measures in cooperation with each other,” the statement said. The ministers, who were in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly, called on the international community to intervene.

http://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/turkey-iran-iraq-consider-counter-measures-over-kurdish-referendum-2794090

Trump & Erdoğan meet

Turkey’s President Erdogan is expected to discuss the indictment of former Turkish economy minister Zafer Caglayan in the US and Ankara’s extradition request of Fetullah Gulen.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday praised Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a friend despite tensions between the two countries.

Meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Trump hailed Erdogan’s leadership in Turkey and said Erdogan “has become a friend” of his. “I think now we’re as close as we’ve ever been,” he said, as their meeting at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel began at 19:00 GMT.

Trump and Erdogan already reportedly spoke to each other during a dinner party earlier, but Erdogan told reporters that they didn’t get the chance to discuss anything in much detail.

http://www.trtworld.com/turkey/erdogan-and-trump-meet-on-sidelines-of-unga-10730

21.09.2017
compiled by Editor BTT

This is a news-scan from major Turkish papers and internet sites. However, we do not verify above stories neither do we vouch for their accuracy.