April, 2009

• 6 April

  Turkish Kurds to Ask Obama to Help End PKK War

  Turkey’s only legal Kurdish party will call on U.S. President Barack Obama during a rare meeting next week to help end a 25-year separatist conflict, signalling the expanded role Kurds play in Turkish politics. Obama will make his first visit as a president to a Muslim country next week, seeking …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Greek Parliament to Investigate Ex-Ministster

  Greek lawmakers will vote on Monday on whether to investigate a former minister’s possible connection to a shipping scandal, in a move that could threaten the government’s one-seat majority. A Greek shipowner has accused an aide of former Aegean Minister Aristotle Pavlides of seeking bribes in exchange for subsidised ferry …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Tens of Thousands at Ukraine Protests

  Up to 20,000 protesters gathered in the Ukrainian capital on Friday to hear the opposition leader demand the resignations of the ex-Soviet state’s leaders for failing to tackle the economic crisis. President Viktor Yushchenko said he was prepared to consider early elections for both president and parliament, two days after …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Albania, Croatia officially join NATO

  STRASBOURG, France – Albania and Croatia officially became members of NATO at the Alliance’s summit in Strasbourg on Saturday (April 4th), after US President Barack Obama handed leaders of the two countries copies of the Washington Agreement that established the organisation. It was signed exactly 60 years ago, on April …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Turkey agrees to Rasmussen’s appointment as new NATO secretary-general

  ANKARA, Turkey – Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Saturday (April 4th) that Turkey approved the appointment of Anders Fogh Rasmussen as NATO’s new secretary-general after US President Barack Obama addressed Ankara’s concerns.

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Two dead in clashes between Kurds, police in southeast Turkey

  ANKARA, Turkey – Two people died and nine were injured in clashes between Kurdish protestors and police in southeast Turkey on Saturday (April 4th). It happened during a rally organised to mark terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan’s 60th birthday. Demonstrators threw stones at police who tried to …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Romania, Turkey to participate in Black Sea naval operation

  ANKARA, Turkey – Romania and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding in Istanbul on Friday (April 3rd) regarding Romania’s participation in the Black Sea naval operation Harmony. The two countries will take part in the exercises, along with Ukraine and Russia. Black Sea Harmony is an initiative launched by Turkey …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Croatian police bust Balkan-based human trafficking gang

  ZAGREB, Croatia – Police announced on Saturday (April 4th) that they have busted a group that trafficked people from Asia, the Middle East and the former Yugoslav republics to EU countries. The investigation was a joint one involving the police services of Slovenia, Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina. At a …

  Read More »
• 6 April

  Hague tribunal rejects Croatian generals’ request to drop charges

  THE HAGUE, The Netherlands – The Hague war crimes tribunal on Friday (April 3rd) rejected a request by lawyers representing Croatian generals Ante Govotina, Ivan Cermak and Mladen Markac to drop charges stemming from 1995’s Operation Storm.

  Read More »
• 6 April

  BiH to seek 1 billion euros from IMF

  SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) – Central Bank Governor Kemal Kozaric says that since BiH has a 200m-euro quota in the IMF, the country can request up to 1 billion euros an assistance. Speaking on Friday (April 3rd), he acknowledged that BiH will slip into recession this year, since the …

  Read More »