Major events that left their mark on 2017 (6)

By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet, Faruk Zorlu and Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - The U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as "Israeli capital" and Bashar al-Assad regime's attacks against civilians in Eastern Ghouta of Syria made headlines in November and December of 2017.

Trump's controversial Jerusalem decision has drawn international condemnation, including in a Turkish-sponsored resolution overwhelmingly passed by the UN General Assembly in December. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also issued a declaration recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

Assad regime intensified its attacks against the civilians since mid-November and killed a total of nearly 150 civilians, including women and children, in the besieged Eastern Ghouta of Syria.

-November-

Nov. 2

- Scientists find a secret 30-metre deep void above the Grand Gallery of Egypt’s Keops Pyramid.

- A Madrid judge orders that eight former Catalan ministers be remanded in custody and issues arrest warrants for a former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four other ministers who are in Belgium, over vote for independence in the Catalan parliament.

Nov. 3

- Assad regime in Syria takes control of eastern Deir-ez Zor city’s center from Daesh.

- Kazakhstan publishes a newspaper in Latin script. The Central Asian country decides language switch to a Latin-based alphabet from Cyrillic script.

Nov. 4

- Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation after criticizing Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah, accusing Tehran of planting “sedition” and meddling in Arab affairs.

Nov. 5

- Former Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont and his four ministers surrender to Belgian police.

Nov. 6

- Germany holds UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn city.

- President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe sacks his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was viewed as the potential person to replace Mugabe.

Nov. 7

- Large Millimeter Telescope in Mexico records a 12.8 billion-year-old galaxy, one of the most ancient celestial forms in the universe.

Nov. 8

- Twitter increases its character count to 280 from 140.

Nov. 9

- Daesh withdraws from its last strongholds -- Markadah town in northeastern Syria’s Hasakah province and Bukamal district of Deir ez-Zor province.

- Astronomers discover a star which continued its existence after supernova explosions.

Nov. 10

- Archaeological excavations in China reveal at least 2,000-year-old bathroom.

Nov. 12

- Shopaholics in China set a new record of shopping worth $25.3 billion in 24 hours during Bachelors Day celebration of Nov. 11.

Nov. 13

- A total of 63 people are killed and 110 others wounded in an airstrike in western Aleppo province of Syria.

- PKK/PYD terror group takes over Syria’s second richest oilfield al-Tanak in Deir-ez Zor province.

- A Greek court sentences elected mufti of Xanthi (Iskece) Ahmet Mete and Glafki (Gokcepinar) village imam Erkan Azizoglu to seven months in prison for “usurping authority” in Western Thrace region.

Nov. 15

- Talal Silo, a former spokesmen of PKK/PYD which uses the name of SDF in Syria, defects from the group.

- Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting “Salvator Mundi” is sold for $450.3 million and became the most expensive artwork sold in an auction. After one week, the New York Times newspaper claims the painting’s secret buyer was Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman.

- Cambodian Supreme Court rules to dissolve main opposition National Rescue Party (CNRP).

- Attacks by Assad regime in besieged Eastern Ghouta of Syria kill 15 civilians, including four children.

Nov. 17

- U.S. battery and electric vehicle producer Tesla company introduces its first all-electric truck. Production of the truck is due to start in 2019, and it will be able to travel 804 kilometers (500 miles) after being charged.

- A total of 17 civilians are killed in Assad regime’s attacks in Eastern Ghouta area of Syria.

Nov. 18

- 12 civilians are killed in Assad regime’s attacks in besieged Eastern Ghouta.

Nov. 19

- Nine civilians are killed and 20 others wounded in Assad regime’s attack in besieged Eastern Ghouta.

Nov. 20

- Iraqi Federal Court decides that Kurdish Regional Government’s (KRG) referendum on Sept. 25 is “unconstitutional” and cancels the results.

- A total of nine civilians, including four children, were killed during Assad regime’s attacks on residential areas of Eastern Ghouta.

Nov. 21

- A car-bomb attack kills 21 people and injures 52 in Iraq’s Tuz Khurmatu district, which is densely populated by Turkmen people.

- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled his country for 37 years, resigns after military intervention.

Nov. 22

- Two Boeing 747 cargo planes are sold in online auction for $48 million dollars in China.

- Emerson Mnangagwa, former Vice President to Robert Mugabe, sworn in as new president.

- Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri withdraws his resignation on the request of President Michel Aoun.

Nov. 23

- Bangladesh and Myanmar agree on repatriation of Rohingya Muslims. Since Aug. 25, 656,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar, according to the UN.

- Tesla company finishes the production of “world’s largest lithium ion battery”.

Nov. 24

- Negotiations High Committee, an umbrella body of Syrian opposition, was formed in Riyadh to participate at the Geneva talks. Nasir Hariri, who had also led the opposition at Geneva talks, becomes the General Coordinator of the committee.

Nov. 25

- Pakistani police clash with thousands of demonstrators, who were protesting a change in the election law, leaving 16 dead and hundreds injured.

Nov. 26

- Mount Agung volcano in Indonesia’s Bali Island starts to spray ashes second time in a week.

- During Assad regime’s attacks in residential areas of Eastern Ghouta, 25 civilians, including five children, are killed.

- Nepal holds first general elections after the end of civil war 11 years ago.

Nov. 27

- Assad regime’s attacks on residential areas in Eastern Ghouta kill 18 civilians.

- 40,000 people evacuated after warning of a volcano eruption in Indonesia’s Bali Island.

- Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri announces that he will continue to hold his duty for stability of his country.

Nov. 28

- After a pause of five months, eighth round of Geneva talks begins, where Syrian opposition participates under the same umbrella.

- Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta, who was elected president of Kenya for the second time on Oct. 26 despite opposition’s boycott, is sworn-in as president.

- UN Syria Special Representative Staffan de Mistura announces the declaration of ceasefire in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta area.

Nov. 29

- North Korea tests a new generation intercontinental ballistic missile. The missile crashed into the Sea of Japan, after covering a distance of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles).

- Assad regime breaches the announced ceasefire in Eastern Ghouta hours after the declaration by making artillery attacks.

Nov. 30

- Turkish businessman Riza Sarraf accepts all charges against him and admits cooperating with the attorney generalship in the trial of former executive of Turkish HalkBank Mehmet Hakan Atilla, who is in custody in New York.

-December-

Dec. 1

- Sarraf, who was arrested in the U.S. last year, gives evidence to the prosecution against Atilla.

- Pope Francis publicly says the word "Rohingya" for the first time during his visit to Bangladesh when he meets Rohingya refugees in the capital Dhaka.

Dec. 2

- Protestors, who occupy the Apple store in Paris, call on the company to pay its taxes by chanting ‘pay your tax’ slogan.

- A 15-thousand-year cave was found below the ground in Montreal province in Canada.

Dec. 3

- Assad regime’s airstrike in Eastern Ghouta, on outskirts of Damascus, kills 20 and injures dozens.

Dec. 4

- The Russian Justice Ministry registers nine American media outlets, including Voice of America, as "foreign agents". The decision was taken in response to the recent U.S. Congress move to strip the accreditation of Russia's English-language news channel RT America.

- US wildfire in southern California spreads on a large area in a short time. The fire kills two people, including one firefighter, and burns hundreds of structures.

Dec. 5

- A Supreme Court judge in Spain withdraws the European arrest warrant for ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and four other ex-ministers.

Dec. 6

- U.S. President Donald Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocate Washington’s embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested city.

- Sarraf, who is witness for the prosecution in the trial of former Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla in New York, says he gave 45-thousand-dollar bribe to a guardian in the prison through his Turkish attorney.

Dec. 7

- Sarraf testifies that he lied to HalkBank workers including Atilla regarding “imaginary food trade”.

- The U.S. House of Representatives condemns the violent oppression of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims and calls President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Myanmar's military.

Dec. 8

- Sarraf testifies that he lied to Turkish law enforcers, HalkBank workers, Hakan Atilla and FBI in the U.S.

- Senegal's Blaise Diagne International Airport, which has been completed in 8 months by Turkish companies, opens.

- Bitcoin breaks a new record by surpassing value of $19,000.

Dec. 9

- Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi announces recapturing of all territories overran by Daesh.

Dec. 10

- Ruling United Socialist party wins local elections in Venezuela. The ruling Socialist party candidates win over 300 out of 335 provinces and districts.

Dec. 11

- Pipe-type bomb explosion in New York subway injures 4 people.

Dec. 12

- Huseyin Korkmaz, a FETO fugitive and former Turkish deputy police chief, while testifying in a U.S. case against former Halkbank executive Mehmet Hakan Atilla, admits how he fled Turkey and how he smuggled Dec. 17, 2013 operation documents with him.

- Myanmar authorities demolish 16 mosques with bulldozers in Maungdaw district of Rakhine state.

Dec. 13

- The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) issues a declaration, recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine after an extraordinary summit held in Istanbul. The OIC countries invited the world to recognize the state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, and to recognize East Jerusalem as the occupied capital of Palestine.

Dec. 14

- Atilla’s lawyers demand the revocation of the case, saying Korkmaz gives “stolen” and “false” evidence.

- Walt Disney buys 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion.

Dec. 21

- The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a Turkish-sponsored resolution rejecting Trump’s Jerusalem move by a vote of 128-9, with 35 abstentions.

Dec. 22

- Turkey, Russia and Iran meet in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana for eighth round of peace talks aimed at ending the Syria conflict. The three countries agree on Syrian National Dialogue Congress in the Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi.