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EU Boosts Aid for Syrian Refugees in Turkey

The European Union on Tuesday announced 10 million euros ($12.3 million) in new humanitarian aid for Syrian civilians in Turkey and Syria.

"Today, we are stepping up our assistance to the people of Syria and to the Turkish communities hosting Syrian refugees," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement.

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U.N. Envoy Talks Aleppo Ceasefire Plan with Syria Rebels

U.N. peace envoy Staffan de Mistura met on Monday with Syrian opposition members to discuss his plan to "freeze" fighting in the country's war-ravaged second city Aleppo, his spokeswoman said.

"The talks started today at 11:00 am (0900 GMT) and lasted for eight hours with representatives from the main armed and non-armed groups," Juliette Touma told Agence France-Presse.

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EU Counts on Intelligence Sharing to Stem Foreign Fighters' Flow to Syria

New European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in Turkey on Monday she hoped increased intelligence-sharing would help stop the flow of foreign fighters joining the ranks of Islamic State militants.

Mogherini was speaking after talks in Ankara on her first trip to Turkey since taking office.

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Erdogan Vows to Impose 'Arabic' Ottoman Lessons in Schools

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed on Monday to make lessons in the Arabic-alphabet Ottoman language compulsory in high schools -- a highly symbolic move which enraged secularists who claim he is pursuing an increasingly Islamist agenda.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, abolished the Ottoman language in 1928, replacing its Arabic alphabet with a Latin one.

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Erdogan Criticizes Egypt For Interpol Bid on Muslim Scholar

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday criticized Egypt's military rulers for having Interpol issue an arrest warrant for a Muslim scholar.

Islamist scholar Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, whose fiery sermons have caused tensions with Cairo's military rulers, is a strong supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood.

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Report: Jihadist Recruiter Arrested in Northern Lebanon

Lebanese security forces have arrested a Lebanese man in the North on suspicion of recruiting scores of fighters and sending to Syria via Turkey, pan-Arab daily al-Hayat reported on Monday.

The daily quoted political sources as saying that the man has admitted to contacting several fighters via Twitter and sending them to Turkey through Tripoli's port.

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U.N. Wants Countries to Take in 180,000 Syrian Refugees

More than 30 humanitarian organizations launched an appeal on Monday for countries to take in around 180,000 refugees from the Syrian conflict.

That figure would represent five percent of the projected refugee population by the end of 2015, according to the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

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Turkish Nobel Laureate Slams Climate of 'Fear' in Turkey

Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, who won the Nobel prize for literature in 2006, denounced what he called a climate of "fear" in his country, in an interview published Sunday.

"The worst is that there's a fear. I find that everyone is afraid; it's not normal.... Freedom of expression has fallen to a very low level," Pamuk told the Hurriyet newspaper.

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Bogdanov Withholds 'Secret' on Presidential Vote, Says Baabda Declaration Valid for Entire Mideast

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov called Friday for endorsing the principles of the Baabda Declaration in all countries in the Middle East, as he declined to reveal whether or not he discussed the issue of the stalled presidential vote with the Lebanese officials.

“We encourage holding the presidential election and we laud the role of the Lebanese army and security forces in the fight against terrorism,” Bogdanov said after meeting former president Michel Suleiman.

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EU's Mogherini to Visit Turkey a Week after Putin

New EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini travels to Turkey next week to highlight the "strategic importance" of ties just one week after Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rival visit to woo a key regional player.

Europe and Russia are both courting the Muslim-majority nation, a long-standing but so far unsuccessful candidate for EU membership, which is widely seen as a bulwark against turmoil in Syria and Iraq.

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