German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and her Turkish counterpart Suleyman Soylu held talks in Ankara. AP
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and her Turkish counterpart Suleyman Soylu held talks in Ankara. AP
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and her Turkish counterpart Suleyman Soylu held talks in Ankara. AP
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and her Turkish counterpart Suleyman Soylu held talks in Ankara. AP

Germany urges Turkey not to 'escalate' response to Istanbul bombing


Tim Stickings
  • English
  • Arabic

Germany on Tuesday urged Turkey to show restraint after a bombing in Istanbul killed six people.

Visiting Ankara, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said Turkish reprisals should be proportionate, not harm civilians and follow international law.

It came after Turkey carried out military strikes in Iraq and Syria and vowed that “not a single drop of blood” would go unpunished.

“We know terrorists' identities, locations, and records. We also know very well who back these terrorists, provides arms, and provokes them,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Ms Faeser said Germany supported Turkey's fight against terrorism and said the two countries were co-operating on the terrorist threat, migration and organised crime.

But “as much as we understand the hard struggle against terrorism, responses must be proportionate and civilians in particular must be protected,” she said.

“I appeal for an escalation of violence to be prevented.”

Smoke billows from an Kurdish-controlled area of Syria being shelled by Turkish forces. AFP
Smoke billows from an Kurdish-controlled area of Syria being shelled by Turkish forces. AFP

Speaking at a press conference alongside Ms Faeser, her Turkish counterpart Suleyman Soylu said it was the government's job to defend the country and its borders against terrorism.

“After Poland was hit by two rockets, the whole world stood up,” he said, referring to an explosion that killed two people near the border with Ukraine last week.

“We should show the same attitude when terror attack happens in Germany, in Europe or anywhere in the world — the same attitude should be shown to a terror attack in Turkey.”

Turkey blames the attack on the PKK, Kurdish separatists who are classed as terrorists by the European Union.

Mr Erdogan said terrorist targets were hit in northern Iraq and Syria in a response to the “cowardly attack” in Istanbul, in what is known as Operation Claw Sword.

Blast rocks Istanbul street — in pictures

The US on Monday called for de-escalation in Syria and said it opposed any “unco-ordinated military action in Iraq that violates Iraq’s sovereignty”.

Russian officials also urged restraint from Ankara. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Turkey should “refrain from steps that could lead to a serious destabilisation of the situation in general”.

“It can come back as a boomerang, complicate the state of security affairs even more,” Mr Peskov said.

Ankara's struggle against the PKK has taken on a wider significance because of its demands that Sweden and Finland root out Kurdish terrorists in their countries before they can join Nato.

The two Nordic countries signed a deal in June agreeing to take a harder line, but Mr Erdogan has yet to pronounce himself satisfied with their efforts.

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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%3Cp%3EDavid%20White%20might%20be%20new%20to%20the%20country%2C%20but%20he%20has%20clearly%20already%20built%20up%20an%20affinity%20with%20the%20place.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EAfter%20the%20UAE%20shocked%20Pakistan%20in%20the%20semi-final%20of%20the%20Under%2019%20Asia%20Cup%20last%20month%2C%20White%20was%20hugged%20on%20the%20field%20by%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20the%20team%E2%80%99s%20captain.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EWhite%20suggests%20that%20was%20more%20a%20sign%20of%20Aayan%E2%80%99s%20amiability%20than%20anything%20else.%20But%20he%20believes%20the%20young%20all-rounder%2C%20who%20was%20part%20of%20the%20winning%20Gulf%20Giants%20team%20last%20year%2C%20is%20just%20the%20sort%20of%20player%20the%20country%20should%20be%20seeking%20to%20produce%20via%20the%20ILT20.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20is%20a%20delightful%20young%20man%2C%E2%80%9D%20White%20said.%20%E2%80%9CHe%20played%20in%20the%20competition%20last%20year%20at%2017%2C%20and%20look%20at%20his%20development%20from%20there%20till%20now%2C%20and%20where%20he%20is%20representing%20the%20UAE.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20was%20influential%20in%20the%20U19%20team%20which%20beat%20Pakistan.%20He%20is%20the%20perfect%20example%20of%20what%20we%20are%20all%20trying%20to%20achieve%20here.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CIt%20is%20about%20the%20development%20of%20players%20who%20are%20going%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE%20and%20go%20on%20to%20help%20make%20UAE%20a%20force%20in%20world%20cricket.%E2%80%9D%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

The Outsider

Stephen King, Penguin

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
Scores

Day 2

New Zealand 153 & 56-1
Pakistan 227

New Zealand trail by 18 runs with nine wickets remaining

Virtuzone GCC Sixes

Date and venue Friday and Saturday, ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City

Time Matches start at 9am

Groups

A Blighty Ducks, Darjeeling Colts, Darjeeling Social, Dubai Wombats; B Darjeeling Veterans, Kuwait Casuals, Loose Cannons, Savannah Lions; Awali Taverners, Darjeeling, Dromedary, Darjeeling Good Eggs

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Updated: November 22, 2022, 1:40 PM