BREAKING NEWS

Turkey becomes partner of China-Russia led security bloc

By REUTERS

APRIL 26, 2013 21:32

ALMATY - NATO member Turkey signed up on Friday to became a "dialogue partner" of a security bloc dominated by China and Russia, and declared that its destiny is in Asia.

"This is really a historic day for us," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in Kazakhstan's commercial capital Almaty after signing a memorandum of understanding with Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary General Dmitry Mezentsev.

"Now, with this choice, Turkey is declaring that our destiny is the same as the destiny of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries."

China, Russia and four Central Asian nations - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - formed the SCO in 2001 as a regional security bloc to fight threats posed by radical Islam and drug trafficking from neighboring Afghanistan.

Since then, Central Asia's former imperial master Russia has watched with unease China's economic expansion in the resource-rich region, with Beijing investing billions of dollars in oil and gas and issuing large loans to local governments.

Hamas leadership is considering leaving Qatar

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

04/20/2024 07:29 AM

Israel Air Force strike kills six in Rafah

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

04/20/2024 05:58 AM

US Senate has agreement on FISA reauthorization, vote on Friday

By REUTERS

04/20/2024 04:59 AM

Iran says it will respond at 'maximum level' if Israel acts against it

By REUTERS

04/20/2024 02:43 AM