The U.S. administration has not asked the Turkish government to use any military bases in Turkey or to deploy more troops to Afghanistan, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday adding that the special U.S. Middle East envoy was due in the country on Wednesday. (UPDATED)
Russian troops have halted their drive toward Tbilisi, CNN reported on Wednesday after its earlier report that Moscow had broken the truce and was sending a military convoy to the Georgian capital. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan met Russian President Medvedev and would visit Georgia on Thursday. (UPDATED)
Georgia's Foreign Ministry on Sunday handed to Russia's embassy in Tbilisi notification that its armed forces were ceasing military actions from August 10, Reuters reported citing Interfax news agency. Russian troops took most of the capital of the Georgian region of South Ossetia on Sunday after a three-day battle but the United States condemned Moscow's "dangerous and disproportionate" action. (UPDATED)
Turkey and the U.S. rejected on Saturday Washington’s any influence in the decision to pull out the troops from Iraq following a week-long cross-border operation against outlawed PKK separatists. But Turkish newspapers noted the unexpected withdrawal came a day after U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates' brief trip to Ankara and Bush's call called for a short and carefully targeted operation.(UPDATED)