Middle East & North Africa

By Kubra Chohan

ANKARA; 4 Aug 2018; AA; Turkey’s presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin on Saturday called an article by U.S.-based Newsweek magazine “one of the worst pieces on Turkey”.

“PKK and Gulenist/FETO propaganda presented as facts and ideological paranoia as analysis,” Kalin said in a tweet.

He added: “Now the June 24 elections are over, is Newsweek calling for another coup attempt in Turkey?”

MOSCOW, August 4. /TASS/. Russia is ready to negotiate the issue of safely returning refugees from the Rukban camp located in the US-controlled Al-Tanf zone to their homes, with the Syrian authorities, the Defense Ministry told journalists on Saturday.

"The point at issue was that the Russian side is ready to negotiate the issue of ensuring safety for refugees from the Rukban camp located in the US-controlled Al-Tanf zone and creating required conditions for their return home, with the Syrian authorities," the ministry said.

Druze community members in Israel protest against the controversial "Jewish nation-state" law at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Aug. 4, 2018.

Israel passed a bill that defines the country as an "exclusively Jewish state" on July 19. (Xinhua/JINI/Tomer Neuberg)

4 Aug 2018; AFP; President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said Turkey would impose sanctions on two US officials as retaliation for a similar move by Washington, hitting back in an unprecedented row between the NATO allies.

Turkey's holding of pastor Andrew Brunson on terror-related charges for almost two years has sparked one of the most intense crises between Washington and Ankara since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.

Zahedan, Aug 4, IRNA – The Iranian police discovered and confiscated 2,574 kilograms of narcotic drugs in two separate operations in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, southeastern Iran, it was reported on Saturday.

By Yilmaz Kazandioglu

HAKKARI, Turkey; 4 Aug 2018; AA; A Turkish police officer was killed in an attack by the PKK terror group in the southeastern Hakkari province on Saturday.

He succumbed to his wounds in the Yuksekova State Hospital.

Earlier on Saturday, PKK terrorists detonated an improvised explosive device while the officers were passing through an area in their armored vehicle and injured nine policemen.

An operation in the area is ongoing.

4 Aug 2018; AFP; The leadership of Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas is to convene late Friday for a rare meeting, officials said, amid speculation of a long-term truce between the Gaza Strip's rulers and Israel.

The meeting comes as a Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces in clashes along the border between Gaza and Israel.

4 Aug 2018; AFP; The Israeli navy intercepted a Swedish-flagged activist boat bent on breaching its more than decade-long blockade of Gaza, the second in less than a week, the military said on Saturday.

"The ship was monitored and was intercepted in accordance with international law," the military said in a statement, before the vessel, named Freedom for Gaza and carrying 12 people, was taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

Turkey was on Thursday drawing up retaliatory measures after Washington slapped sanctions on two Turkish ministers in the one of the biggest crises between the two NATO allies in recent years.

Tensions have soared over Turkey's detention on terror charges of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who was first held in October 2016 and was moved to house arrest last week.

1 Aug 2018; AA; ANKARA; A new rail gun made by a leading Turkish contractor has shot through previous speed records, the firm announced on Wednesday.

Previous tests carried out on Aselsan's TUFAN electromagnetic rail gun system showed it hitting a speed of 2,000-2,500 meters per second -- more than six times the speed of sound.

But new tests with the TUFAN prototype in Karapinar in Turkey’s central Konya province did 50 percent better, racking up an ultrasonic speed topping nine times the speed of sound.