Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sued his main opposition rival for claiming the president was personally responsible for the deaths of 13 Turks in Iraq.
Turkey accuses outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants of executing 13 police officers and security personnel, whom they had abducted in Turkey and held hostage in a cave in northern Iraq.
But the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its western allies, said the 13 were killed by Turkish bombs dropped during a rescue operation that Ankara launched last week.
The failed rescue attempt has piled political pressure on Mr Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey as prime minister and president since 2003.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said in parliament on Tuesday that it was "Erdogan who is responsible for our 13 martyrs".
"You launched an operation but all the hostages died," Mr Kilicdaroglu said.
His comments infuriated Mr Erdogan, whose lawyers are now seeking 500,000 Turkish lira ($72,000) in "moral damages", the Anadolu state news agency reported.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), parliament's second-largest opposition group, also criticised Mr Erdogan for the failed operation, arguing that negotiations would have been more effective.
And Ahmet Davutoglu, a former prime minister who quit Mr Erdogan's ruling party last year, called the operation a "failure" as well.
"What's important in rescue operations is to save lives, not a political show," he told a party congress.
But Mr Erdogan's right-wing allies, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), threw their support behind the government.
"Turkey is a rising power which fought in [northern Iraq] not only against the PKK but also against strategic threats," MHP leader Devlet Bahceli tweeted.
The Turkish army regularly conducts cross-border operations and air strikes on PKK bases in northern Iraq.
On Wednesday, Mr Erdogan said that more than 12,900 Kurdish militants – 6,000 at home and 6,900 abroad – had been killed since a ceasefire with the PKK broke down in July 2015.
The PKK has fought an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 that is estimated to have left more than 40,000 dead.
Turkey's botched rescue attempt also caused a diplomatic spat with the United States, which initially said it was waiting for official confirmation before blaming the deaths on the PKK.
Washington did blame the group later however after Mr Erdogan accused the US of siding with "terrorists".
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company%C2%A0profile
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Tim Paine (captain), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Company%20profile
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
The specs
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
WHAT%20IS%20THE%20LICENSING%20PROCESS%20FOR%20VARA%3F
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
1. |
United States |
2. |
China |
3. |
UAE |
4. |
Japan |
5 |
Norway |
6. |
Canada |
7. |
Singapore |
8. |
Australia |
9. |
Saudi Arabia |
10. |
South Korea |
'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
The specs
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Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2)
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Wonka
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions