Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - players.bio

Swedes will be 'sent to their deaths' if they join NATO, warns Moscow

Finland and Sweden will become "targets" for Moscow if they join NATO, warned the Russian ambassador in Stockholm.

Former Germany midfielder Mesut Özil retires at 34

ISTANBUL: Former Germany midfielder Mesut Özil, who won the World Cup in 2014, retired from soccer Wednesday at the age of 34.Özil said injuries played a role in his decision.“I’ve had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity,” Özil wrote on social media. “But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it’s become more and more clear that it’s time to leave the big stage of football.”His immediate retirement brings an early end to his season with Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir, where he made only seven appearances for the team.Özil won the Spanish league title with Real Madrid in 2012 and the FA Cup four times with Arsenal.

Death toll in massive earthquakes in Turkey and Syria continues to rise

The combined death toll following the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria on the 6 February has passed 41,000 and continues to rise.

In Turkey, President Erdogan faces criticism over earthquake response

In Turkey, many blame faulty construction for the vast devastation wreaked by the quakes. Turkish authorities are targeting contractors allegedly linked with some of the buildings that collapsed, but critics say the government is trying to shift the blame for a disaster that has exposed its own corruption and negligence. To discuss the political fallout, we're joined by Turkish journalist Yavuz Baydar.