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Turkey Parliament Passes Controversial Social Media Bill, Says Anadolu News Agency

Turkey's parliament on Wednesday passed a controversial bill which would give the government greater control of social media, the official Anadolu news agency reported.

Under the new law, social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter would have to ensure they have local representatives in Turkey and to comply with Turkish court orders over the removal of certain content or face heavy fines.

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Turkey, France Row over Mediterranean Claims

Turkey on Thursday rejected accusations by French President Emmanuel Macron that Ankara was violating the sovereignty of EU countries in the eastern Mediterranean.

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Erdogan to Pray in Hagia Sophia after Mosque Reconversion

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will take part Friday in the first prayers at Hagia Sophia since the Istanbul landmark was reconverted to a mosque despite international condemnation.

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Five Released after Turkey Trial into Ghosn Escape Begins

An Istanbul court ordered the release of five suspects after the trial began Friday into the audacious escape of former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn from Japan to Lebanon via Istanbul in December, local media reported.

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Turkey Strives to Revive Virus-hit Tourist Sector

In normal times, tourists must rise at dawn to secure a free sunbed on the beach in Antalya, a popular holiday resort in southern Turkey.

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Uproar as Three Turkish Opposition MPs Detained

Turkish police on Thursday detained three opposition lawmakers after the parliament stripped them of their jobs, triggering furious charges that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government is seeking to further consolidate authoritarian rule.

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Turkey Claims Healthcare 'Transformation' Helped Vanquish Virus

When Turkey had the highest number of coronavirus cases outside of Europe and the US in April, there were fears its health system could be overwhelmed and its death rate could rocket.

But more than a month later, Turkey is proclaiming that the pandemic has been contained, trumpeting a mortality rate of just 2.8 percent -- lower than neighbours Greece (six percent), Iran (5.4) and Iraq (3.5).

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Greece to Bolster Patrols on Border with Turkey

Greece will reinforce its police patrols on its border with Turkey, an official said Wednesday amid expectations of renewed migration pressure.

An additional 400 police will be sent to the northeastern Evros river border region "as a precautionary measure", police spokesman Thodoros Chronopoulos told AFP.

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Turkey Detains Five More Pro-Kurdish Mayors

Five more mayors from Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party were detained on suspicion of links with militants and replaced by government-appointed trustees, the interior ministry said on Friday.

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Turkey Hospital Sees Hope as 93-Year-Old Virus Patient Discharged

Cheered by her doctors, 93-year-old Alye Gunduz was discharged from an Istanbul hospital after recovering from the novel coronavirus following 10 days of treatment. 

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