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North Atlantic Council meeting following Turkey’s request for Article 4 consultations, July 28, 2015

NATOSource

Jul 28, 2015

NATO Allies Issue Statement of Solidarity with Turkey

By NATO

The North Atlantic Council met today at Turkey’s request to hold consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty, which states that “the parties will consult whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence, or security of any of the parties is threatened.”

NATO Security & Defense

MENASource

Jul 28, 2015

Top News: Syrian Opposition Backs Safe Zone Calls; NATO Warns Turkey Against Excessive Force

By MENASource

Head of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) Khaled Khoja urged NATO partners meeting in Brussels today to support the establishment of a “safe zone” in northern Syria. Khoja said that it would protect civilians from the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) and President Bashar al-Assad’s indiscriminate aerial bombardment.

EconoGraphics

Jul 28, 2015

Where Are US Sanctions Imposed?

By Global Business and Economics

On July 14, the United States, along with the P5+1, struck a deal with Iran to ease the heavy financial and banking sanctions that starved the country's economy. Over the next decade, financial and trade sanctions will gradually be lifted, giving Iran the ability to export its plentiful oil and gas reserves and to purchase goods from abroad.

Economy & Business Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion

MENASource

Jul 28, 2015

Top News: Senators Urge Kerry to Focus on Political Reform, Human Rights During US-Egypt Strategic Dialogue

By EgyptSource

US Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Bob Casey (D-PA) wrote to Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday, ahead of the upcoming US-Egypt Strategic Dialogue on August 2, urging that “political […]

MENASource

Jul 28, 2015

EconSource: Explosion Shuts Down Iran-Turkey Natural Gas Pipeline

By EconSource

Turkey’s Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said an explosion on a natural gas pipeline late on Monday between Iran and Turkey caused a large fire and shut down the flow of gas.

UkraineAlert

Jul 27, 2015

Here’s How the EU Can Get Putin’s Attention

By Andreas Umland

How would the West react to a major escalation of the war in eastern Ukraine? What would Brussels and Washington do if Russia continues to send troops there? Even though analysts often suggest arming Ukraine with defensive weapons, what people sometimes forget is that the West is still, by far, Russia’s largest trade and investment […]

Russia Ukraine

SyriaSource

Jul 27, 2015

The Northern Syria “Safe Zone”

By Frederic C. Hof

Reports of an American and Turkish agreement to close a sixty mile stretch of the Syria-Turkey border to the Islamic State (ISIL or ISIS) and to create—to an as yet undisclosed depth—a protected “safe zone” from the border south into Aleppo Province may signal a dramatic turn of Obama administration policy toward the crisis in […]

Syria Turkey

New Atlanticist

Jul 27, 2015

Turkey’s War in Syria: Of Kurds and Ways

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Deal envisages creation of ‘safe zone’ in Syria, allows US jets to use Turkish base A landmark agreement between the United States and Turkey—that allows US jets to use a Turkish air base to launch strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) militants and envisages the creation of a “safe zone” in war-ravaged […]

Syria Turkey
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Oct. 9, 2014

NATOSource

Jul 27, 2015

Turkey Requests Emergency NATO Meeting

By NATO

The North Atlantic Council, which includes the ambassadors of all 28 NATO Allies, will meet on Tuesday 28 July, following a request by Turkey to hold consultations under article 4 of NATO’s founding Washington Treaty.

NATO Security & Defense

MENASource

Jul 27, 2015

In Egypt, a Fine for Journalists is Worse than a Prison Sentence

By Khaled Dawoud

The outrage over the draft anti-terror law, particularly articles relating to access to information and freedom of the press, is unlikely to come an end soon. Journalist Syndicate board members expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s recent compromise regarding an article criminalizing the publication of information on terror attacks and counterterror operations that contradict official statements. […]

North Africa