Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing – November 17, 2020

By Ali Murat Alhas

ANKARA (AA) - Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic and other news in Turkey and around the world.

- Coronavirus and other developments in Turkey

The Turkish Presidency on Monday submitted a motion to parliament to deploy troops in Azerbaijan for peacekeeping in the Upper Karabakh region for a year.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry spokesman criticized the European Union's stance on the divided island of Cyprus, which has seen an erratic peace process over the past several years.

As the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) marked its 75th anniversary, the Turkish Foreign Ministry hailed the organization for its determination in working for global peace and sustainable development.

Turkey’s Health Ministry registered 3,316 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the country's overall infection count to nearly 418,000. The death toll reached 11,601 as 94 more people succumbed to the disease.

Families whose children were forcibly abducted by the PKK terror group continued to stage a sit-in protest on its 441st day. They called on their children to lay down their weapons and surrender to security forces.

At least six YPG/PKK terrorists were neutralized by Turkish security forces in northern Syria, with the Defense Ministry saying the terrorists sought to attack and disrupt peace and security in the region.

Security authorities arrested a total of 13 PKK-affiliated terror suspects in Turkey’s Van province. Meanwhile, five more PKK terrorists surrendered to Turkish security forces. With the latest addition, more than 200 terrorists have surrendered through persuasion in 2020.

At least 12 suspects linked to FETO, the terror group behind 2016's defeated coup in Turkey, were arrested in operations across 11 cities.

A total of 115 asylum seekers attempting to cross to Europe were stopped by Turkish officials. They included Afghans, Iraqis, Iranians and Syrians.

- Upper Karabakh conflict

The Russian Defense Ministry said it completed the deployment of observation posts on the contact line in the Upper Karabakh, or Nagorno Karabakh, region in line with a cease-fire deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Displaced Azerbaijanis, whose ancestral homelands were liberated from Armenian occupation after a tense confrontation in the past weeks, were overjoyed at seeing their dreams becoming a reality after 28 years.

The repercussions of the conflict continue to have a political impact on Armenian politics as the country's foreign minister resigned following a disagreement with premier Nikol Pashinyan.

- COVID-19 pandemic

The virus has claimed over 1.32 million lives in 191 countries and regions since December, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University. Over 54.8 million people have been infected and more than 35 million have recovered from the disease.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Africa has surpassed 1.97 million, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which said the continent's death toll had reached 47,375. South Africa announced that its official cases have topped 751,000 while its death toll rose to more than 20,000.

Russia registered a new record number of COVID-19 cases with over 22,700 testing positive Monday. The country's tally of fatalities reached 33,489 as 303 more peopled died from the virus.

Spanish officials reported a significant drop in coronavirus cases, but deaths and hospitalizations remained high. The country activated a state of emergency 22 days ago, allowing regional governments to apply stricter measures like curfews.

The American Academy of Pediatrics said more than a million children in the US have been diagnosed with the disease. More than 11 million cases have been recorded in the US and over 247,000 deaths.

US biotech firm Moderna announced that its coronavirus vaccine candidate was 94.5% effective, adding its study for a successful vaccine enrolled more than 30,000 participants in the US.

- Other developments around globe

The Secretary-General of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), Ali Qaradaghi, has decried a recent Saudi decision to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group.

Nigerian police authorities reported that a total of 750 armed gang members were arrested in Lagos due to escalating violence in the state.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said Israel was racing against time to build new settlements before US President Donald Trump left the White House, describing a visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Israeli settlements in the West Bank next week as a “violation of the rights of the Palestinian people.”

Sources told Anadolu Agency that the YPG/PKK terror group allowed 212 Syrian families, including some 600 people, to leave the Al-Hawl refugee camp in northeastern Al-Hasakah province. The camp is known to accommodate civilians and former Daesh/ISIS terrorists, according to sources.