As Syria’s opposition forces and their main international allies meet in Istanbul, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, has announced that the US will double its non-lethal military aid to Syria’s rebels. The US$123 million defense aid package was announced by Kerry at the meeting in the Turkish capital on Sunday. The Secretary of State said the new non-lethal military supplies would go beyond... 

Weapons and ammunitions confiscated from militants in Syria While US President Barack Obama and the Western media lied in concert to the world regarding America’s role in supporting terrorists operating in Syria, it is now revealed that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been shipping weapons to Syria via NATO-member Turkey and Jordan since at least early 2012. The New York Times in... 

Microsoft received 75,378 government requests in 2012 to disclose user information, a report reveals. The company joins the likes of Google, which handed over troves of user data to governments last year, raising concerns over privacy violations. The software giant claims the requests come from the FBI and as such the disclosure of the information can be justified. Microsoft revealed in its transparency... 

In their first phone conversation since 2010, the Israeli PM has apologized to Turkish PM Erdogan for deaths in the Gaza flotilla raid, Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. Israel also agreed to compensation for bereaved families. Recep Tayyip Erdogan accepted the apology and agreed with his Israeli counterpart on the need to normalize the relationship that deteriorated after the UN report in 2011... 

Recently there have been more strident calls for Turkey to join the European Union from the Americans, Cameron, the Swedes and others. However Germany and France are opposed to this because they have large Muslim populations and have seen the results. Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy stated in January 2007 that “enlarging Europe with no limit risks destroying European political union,... 

A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) shows Syrians carrying an injured man after a powerful car bomb exploded near the headquarters of Syria’s ruling Baath party in the center of Damascus. A Lebanese news website says it has obtained a documentary movie revealing a plot hatched by French and Turkish spy agencies to assassinate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Lebanese... 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is furious at his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for describing Zionism “a crime against humanity.” “I strongly condemn the comparison that the Turkish prime minister drew between Zionism and fascism,” Netanyahu said on Thursday, adding, “I had thought that such dark and libelous comments... 

“In recent times, negotiations have stalled somewhat and I am in favor of opening a new chapter in order to move forward,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in Turkey for an official visit. Meanwhile, Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the delay in talks ‘unforgivable.’ Previously Merkel`s conservative Christian Democratic Union spoke against full Turkish membership, favoring... 

Following suit with the US, Germany and the Netherlands have begun deployment of troops and Patriot missiles along the Syrian-Turkish border. Despite claims they will protect against a Syrian threat, some fear Turkey is now the real “security risk”. ­Tuesday morning saw a ship carrying two Patriot missiles set out from a northeastern German seaport and a convoy of German soldiers fly... 

Video released by Al-Baraa Brigade shows an unidentified Syrian rebel standing in front of 30 hostages who the brigade said are Iranian prisoners at an unidentified location in Syria. Syrian rebels have released 48 Iranian hostages held captive since last August as part of a prisoner swap in Damascus, according to Iranian state TV. In return for the hostages Syria will release 2,130 rebel prisoners. The... 

A placard is pictured during a protest by journalists and human right activists in front of the courthouse in Istanbul during the trial of two prominent Turkish journalists. Turkish journalists have been under great pressure since Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan took office with hundreds of journalists being jailed for criticizing the government. According to Turkish daily Aksam, Turkey is the... 

The first Patriot anti-missile batteries have been installed at the Diyarbakir military airport in southeastern Turkey. A group of 27 US troops has arrived in Turkey to operate NATO Patriot surface-to-air (SAM) missile batteries. At least six of those will be deployed along the country’s border with Syria. ­The troops arrived in the southeastern province of Gaziantep on Thursday and were taken to... 

Patriot missile launchers in northern Germany Nearly 2,000 foreign troops are expected to be deployed along Turkey’s border with Syria to operate the surface-to-air Patriot missile batteries, a report says. The Turkish daily Today’s Zaman on Tuesday reported that the troops will be from the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. The three NATO members have agreed to send the missiles to the... 

Assad: Not a civil war, terrorism my enemy, no regrets for now In an exclusive interview with RT, President Bashar Assad said that the conflict in Syria is not a civil war, but proxy terrorism by Syrians and foreign fighters. He also accused the Turkish PM of eyeing Syria with imperial ambitions. Assad told RT that the West creates scapegoats as enemies – from communism, to Islam, to Saddam Hussein.... 

A new agency is about to appear in the rating business that will be created by the Russians, Chinese and Americans. The agency Universal Credit Rating Group that claims to be a global player, came into being in Beijing and is the joint brainchild of the Chinese rating agency Dagong Global, the American Egan-Jones, and Russian RusRating. Earlier, AFP reported that the Chinese rating agency Dagong planned...