The unusually bitter dispute between European countries and Turkey over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s attempts to hold political rallies in their cities is sharply escalating as Ankara releases its long-simmering frustration at its perceived mistreatment by its allies. After its ministers were barred from giving campaign speeches in Cologne, Rotterdam and other cities last week, the Turkish government stoked the crisis by accusing the German government of “Nazi practices,” calling the Dutch “Nazi remnants,” warning that they will “pay the price” and telling the Dutch ambassador not to return to Ankara.
Category: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
Turkish leader says Dutch will ‘pay the price’ for insult
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he appropriately accused the Dutch government of “Nazism and fascism,” saying only those type… . Protesters wave flags outside the Dutch consulate in central Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue, the main shopping road of Istanbul, early Sunday, March 12, 2017.
The Latest: Turkish party: Suspend ties with Dutch
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was in France Sunday to whip up support for co… . A woman waves the turkish flag during a campaign gathering in Metz, eastern France, Sunday, March 12, 2017.
The Latest: Turkish minister attends France campaign rally
Turkey’s top diplomat has drawn more than a hundred people at a campaign gathering in the northern French city of Metz amid a diplomatic spat with the Netherlands. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was in France Sunday to whip up support for controversial constitutional reforms to expand the powers of the Turkish presidency.
Turkey-Dutch relations take dip after Turkish visit banned
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands – Turkey and the Netherlands sharply escalated a dispute between the two NATO allies on Saturday as the Dutch blocked a campaign visit by the Turkish foreign minister, prompting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to call them “fascists.” The Netherlands withdrew the landing permission for Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu because of objections to his intention to rally in Rotterdam for a Turkish referendum on constitutional reforms to expand presidential powers, which the Dutch see as a step backward from democracy.
The Latest: Rutte calls Turkish ‘fascists’ remark ‘crazy’
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters in Istanbul, Saturday, March 11, 2017. The Dutch government on Saturday withdrew landing permission for the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s aircraft, drawing the ire of the Turkish president and escalating a diplomatic dispute between the two NATO allies over campaigning for a Turkish referendum on constitutional reform.
The Latest: Organizers of canceled Dutch rally urge calm
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters in Istanbul, Saturday, March 11, 2017. The Dutch government on Saturday withdrew landing permission for the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s aircraft, drawing the ire of the Turkish president and escalating a diplomatic dispute between the two NATO allies over campaigning for a Turkish referendum on constitutional reform.
Officials reviewing how Canada, other NATO members calculate defence spending
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan says he has ordered officials to look at how Canada calculates military spending compared to other NATO members, to ensure all allies are comparing “apples to apples.” “We have to be cognizant that different nations use a different formula,” Sajjan told the House of Commons defence committee on Thursday.
US commander signals larger, longer US presence in Syria
Thursday that there will be a larger and longer American military presence in Syria to accelerate the fight against the Islamic State group and quell friction within the complicated mix of warring factions there. Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, told senators Thursday that he will need more conventional U.S. forces to insure stability once the fight to defeat Islamic State militants in their self-declared capital of Raqqa is over.
Purged from Turkey’s army, officers seek asylum in Belgium
In this Saturday, July 16, 2016 file photo, Turkish soldiers secure Istanbul’s Taksim square, as supporters of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in Istanbul. In the wake of last year’s coup in Turkey, scores of military officers are seeking asylum in Belgium and elsewhere in Europe.
Stephen Fuhr, the Liberal chair of the defence committee, said…
Canadian MPs visiting Washington this week said they kept hearing a familiar message in the U.S. capital: that Canada and other NATO partners will be expected to pony up more money for the military. It’s something members of the parliamentary committee on national defence said they would take home after three days of meetings at the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol and think-tanks that concluded Wednesday.
Spy novelists keeping an eye on Trump-Russia allegations
Jason Matthews is a retired CIA officer who now writes spy novels, focused on Russia. He was working on a book last year that ordinarily would seem a little far-fetched, but which proved too close to current events.
U.S. general says Russia has deployed banned missile
A senior U.S. general on Wednesday accused Russia of deploying a land-based cruise missile in violation of “the spirit and intent” of a nuclear arms treaty and charged that Moscow’s intention is to threaten U.S. facilities in Europe and the NATO alliance. “We believe that the Russians have deliberately deployed it in order to pose a threat to NATO and to facilities within the NATO area of responsibility,” Gen.
Trump said to pick former UN spokesman Grenell for NATO post
President Donald Trump will nominate Richard Grenell to be his ambassador to NATO, according to a White House official, a selection that would make the longtime loyalist and former U.S. spokesman at the United Nations the highest-ranking openly gay person to serve in the administration. Reached by phone on Wednesday, Grenell, 50, declined to comment.
Turkish, US, Russian military chiefs discuss Syria tensions
The top generals from Turkey, the United States and Russia met Tuesday in Turkey to discuss mutual suspicions over northern Syria military operations, as Russia’s military announced a two-week long cease-fire between rebels and the government in the suburbs of the Syrian capital, Damascus. The Russian military said a cease-fire has been in place since Tuesday, March 6, and will extend until March 20, for the Eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus, but activists reported a number of airstrikes and artillery strikes by government forces, killing two civilians.
Turkey plans more pro-Erdogan rallies, German concerns mount
Turkey said on Saturday it would keep holding rallies in Germany and the Netherlands to urge Turks living there to back a vote to boost President Tayyip Erdogan’s powers, despite opposition from authorities in both countries. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu criticised German and Dutch restrictions on such gatherings as undemocratic, and said Turkey would press on with them in the run-up to the April 16 referendum.
NATO flotilla of warships cruises into Plymouth harbour
A large flotilla of NATO warships arrived at Plymouth today for a week of advanced warfare training conducted by the Royal Navy. The small fleet consists of nine frigates and nine countermeasure ships from around the world including Belgium, Spain, Germany and The Netherlands.
Trump will not abandon NATO, wants fair shake
Yet to hear the outcries from several European capitals, you might think Trump is ready to stab NATO in the back. Comments made by Vice President Mike Pence and Defense Secretary James Mattis during visits to Europe have been widely reported as reassuring the Europeans of our continued military support.
Pentagon presenting counter-IS plan to White House
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is presenting the White House with a plan to “rapidly defeat” the Islamic State group, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday. The strategy includes significant elements of the approach President Donald Trump inherited, while potentially deepening U.S. military involvement in Syria.
Russia to modernize five military airfields
Moscow, Feb 26 – Russia will upgrade five military airports in the country’s southwest and the Far East in the coming three years, Russian Aerospace Forces Commander Viktor Bondarev said. We plan to conduct research this year and start to renovate the Ukrainka airfield in the Amur region next year, Bondarev was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying on Saturday.
When Did WW3 Start? Let’s Talk About Sanctuary Cities and the Radical Left Instead
“When did World War 3 start?” asked an afternoon CPAC panel featuring Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke. He was relevant because the panel was the first of two on WW3.
Edmonton-based soldiers head to Poland for NATO mission
Members of the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group prepare to depart for Poland as part of NATO’s Operation Reassurance. A group of Edmonton-based Canadian Army soldiers are about to take part in a NATO-led operation in Poland.
Europe Confronts the Jekyll/Hyde Trump Administration
European politicians and policy makers have begun to feel they’re watching a horror movie: the tale of an American administration with a split personality as sinister as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-the first perfectly reasonable and sociable, the other monstrous, unable, and unwilling to control its impulses. And all this as the very existence of the European Union and the credibility of NATO hang in the balance with far-right populists like Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and Marine Le Pen in France potentially set to gain enormous power through upcoming elections.
Pence tries to reassure Europeans, anxious over Trump rhetoric, of US support
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence moved Monday to assuage European Union fears about the strength of Washington’s support for the union and its commitment to European security through the NATO military alliance. In meetings in Brussels, Pence said he was acting on behalf of President Donald Trump “to express the strong commitment of the United States to continued cooperation and partnership with the European Union.”
EU welcomes Pence assurance of Trump’s support
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence assured the European Union in Brussels on Feb. 20 that the Trump administration will develop their cooperation in trade and security and backs the EU as a partner in its own right. A month after U.S. President Donald Trump caused alarm by renewing his endorsement of Brexit and suggesting others may follow Britain out of the EU, Pence told reporters that he had come to “the home of the European Union” with a message from the president.
Europeans wonder if Trump will act on Pence’s reassurances
U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence was the latest in a trio of high-ranking Trump emissaries to tell European allies in person that the United States will steadfastly support NATO and demand that Russia honour its commitments to end fighting in Ukraine. Some European leaders, however, remain skeptical of whether Pence and the U.S. secretaries of state and defence actually speak for President Donald Trump.
Graham: Trump must punish Russia for election interference
A senior U.S. Republican senator urged President Donald Trump Sunday to take action against Russia over allegations that Moscow interfered in the election that brought him to power. U.S. intelligence officials have told Trump that Moscow tried to influence voters by hacking Democratic emails and trolling social media sites, but Trump has sought to downplay Russia’s role in the election.
Europeans wonder if Trump will act on Pence’s reassurances
United States Vice President Mike Pence, left and Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, talk prior to their meeting during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. America’s commitment to NATO is “unwavering,” Pence said Saturday, reassuring allies about the direction the Trump administration might take but leaving open questions about where Washington saw its relationship with the European Union and other international organizations.
Russia, Ukraine Agree to Ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine
European powers are backing a new ceasefire agreement announced Saturday for embattled eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists have been locked in conflict for three years. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the deal, set to begin Monday, was settled with input from German and French counterparts, and comes after two other internationally-brokered ceasefires have fizzled in a region where the fighting has only raised tensions between Russia and the West.
Pence says US to hold Russia accountable, stand with NATO
U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence on Saturday conveyed a message to jittery partners that the Trump administration will “hold Russia accountable” and maintain steadfast support for NATO, a military alliance the American commander in chief once dismissed as “obsolete.” In his overseas debut as vice-president, Pence told the audience at the Munich Security Conference that the U.S. would be “unwavering” in its commitment to NATO and that President Donald Trump would “stand with Europe.”
In Europe, Pence says US will hold Russia accountable
Vice President Mike Pence vowed Saturday that the United States will “hold Russia accountable” even as President Donald Trump searches for new common ground with Moscow at the start of his presidency. Pence, in an address to the Munich Security Conference, also offered assurances to European allies that the U.S. “strongly supports” NATO.
The Latest: Pence: US to ‘will hold Russia accountable’
Vice-President Mike Pence says the United States will “hold Russia accountable” even as President Donald Trump searches for new common ground with Russia at the start of his presidency. Pence says at the Munich Security Conference in Germany that with regard to Ukraine, the international community must hold Russia accountable and demand that it honour a 2015 peace agreement aimed at ending the fighting in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed separatists.
The Latest: Pence urges NATO allies to spend more on defense
United States Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. The annual weekend gathering is known for providing an open and informal platform to meet in close quarters.
Pence Reassures Europeans of `Unwavering’ U.S. Commitment
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence sought to allay European concerns about the presidency of Donald Trump, using a speech in Munich to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to NATO and the European project. “Today, on behalf of President Trump, I bring you this assurance,” Pence said Saturday during an address to the Munich Security Conference.
Pence assures Europe US will ‘hold Russia accountable’ 0:0
Vice President Mike Pence vowed Saturday that the United States will “hold Russia accountable” even as President Donald Trump searches for new common ground with Moscow at the start of his presidency. Pence, in an address to the Munich Security Conference, also offered assurances to European allies that the U.S. “strongly supports” NATO.
McCain slams Trump in Munich speech without using his name
Republican Sen. John McCain delivered a withering critique of President Donald Trump in a speech Friday that highlighted fractures within the GOP as the new administration struggles to overcome a chaotic start. Speaking in Germany at the Munich Security Conference, McCain didn’t mention the president’s name, according to the prepared text, while he lamented a shift in the United States and Europe away from the “universal values” that forged the Western alliance seven decades ago.
Trump team hits the road to calm global concerns
US Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis delivering an opening statement during Day 1 of the Munich Security Conference in Germany. US Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis delivering an opening statement during Day 1 of the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
Ways to gauge Canada’s commitment to NATO beyond just spending: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is demonstrating its commitment to NATO in ways that go beyond simple military spending. Trudeau acknowledges the spending target agreed to by the members of the global military alliance – two per cent of GDP – but describes Canada and Germany as two of NATO’s principal actors, which do much of the “heavy lifting.”
Trudeau, Merkel differ on answering Trump call for more NATO defence spending
The pro-trade show of solidarity that Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are likely to make in Berlin later today will mask differences in how to deal with Donald Trump’s call for NATO members to boost military spending. Trump has called the 28-country alliance obsolete and Defence Secretary James Mattis told his fellow defence ministers in Brussels this week that while the U.S. still holds NATO in high regard, it expects its allies to start spending more on defence or the Trump administration will “moderate its commitment.”
US under pressure on Syria stance ahead of Geneva talks12 min ago
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson today faces a grilling by global peers seeking clarity about Washington’s position on the Syria conflict ahead of crunch UN peace talks in Geneva. On the sidelines of a G20 gathering in Germany, Tillerson will join a group of countries supporting the Syrian opposition for talks pushing a political solution to the nearly six-year war.