Turkey

ANKARA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least 50 people were injured after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Türkiye's northwestern province of Duzce early Wednesday.

The injured were treated in hospitals in Duzce and nearby regions, some sustained injuries, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told the Turkish television channel NTV, adding that one person was seriously hurt after jumping from a balcony out of panic.

ANKARA, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye will launch a ground operation into northern Syria "at the most convenient time" to build a security strip, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday.

"Our determination to secure all our southern borders - from (provinces of) Hatay to Hakkari - with a security strip is stronger today than ever before. We have already formed part of this strip with cross-border operations," Erdogan told lawmakers at the parliament.

23 Nov 2022; MEMO: Saudi Arabia is in discussions with Turkiye to deposit $5 billion in the Turkish Central Bank, Reuters reported a spokesman of the Ministry of Finance in Riyadh as saying on Tuesday.

"We are in final discussion to make a $5bn deposit with the Central Bank of Turkiye," the spokesman said in an emailed response to Reuters.

A Turkish official said that discussions are at the final stage with Saudi Arabia over a swap or deposit agreement. However, the Central Bank declined to comment on the issue.

ANKARA, November 22. /TASS/: Ankara may carry out a cross-border ground operation in the near future, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Tuesday.

"We know the names, whereabouts and profiles of the terrorists. We even know who provides them with shelter and weapons and who encourages them. God willing, we will soon use our tanks and artillery to destroy terrorist roots," he said, speaking at a dam opening ceremony in the Artvin Province, which was broadcast by TRT.

DUBAI/ANKARA, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and Turkey are discussing Riyadh placing a $5 billion deposit at Turkey's central bank, a Saudi Ministry of Finance spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"We are in final discussion to make a USD 5 billion deposit with the central bank of (Turkey)," the spokesperson said in an emailed response to a Reuters query.

The Turkish central bank declined to comment on the issue. A Turkish official with the knowledge of the matter said discussions are at the final stage with Saudi Arabia over a swap or deposit agreement.

22 Nov 2022; MEMO: The Turkish foreign ministry yesterday summoned Swedish Ambassador Staffan Herrström for discussions after images insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were projected onto Turkiye's embassy building in Stockholm.

ISTANBUL, Nov 21 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey's military operations in northern Syria and Iraq were not limited to just an air campaign and discussions would be held on the involvement of ground forces, Turkish media reported.

Speaking to reporters on his return from a trip to Qatar, Erdogan said that the Turkish general staff and defence ministry would decide together on the involvement of ground forces, broadcasters TRT and CNN Turk reported.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Suspected Kurdish militants in Syria fired rockets across the border into Turkey on Monday, killing at least three people and wounding 10 others, officials said.

The rockets struck a high school and two houses in the town of Karkamis, in Gaziantep province, as well as a truck near a Turkish-Syria border gate, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

ANKARA, November 20. /TASS/: Terrorist headquarters, covers, depots and bases were destroyed in an air operation of the Turkish army in northern Iraq and Syria overnight to Sunday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar reported.

"Terrorists’ covers, caves, tunnels and warehouses were successfully destroyed. Surgical strikes were carried out against the so-called headquarters of the terrorist organization," Akar said in a video address aired by the TRT TV channel.

ISTANBUL, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan shook hands with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the World Cup in Qatar on Sunday, a photo from Turkey's presidency showed.

Turkey's state-owned Anadolu Agency said Erdogan briefly met, shook hands and talked to Sisi and other leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah of Jordan.

There was no immediate comment from Egypt's presidency.