Turkish Police Arrest Senior Military Officers in Coup Probe 

Turkish riot police stand guard in front of the Justice Palace in Istanbul March 31, 2015. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
Turkish riot police stand guard in front of the Justice Palace in Istanbul March 31, 2015. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
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Turkish Police Arrest Senior Military Officers in Coup Probe 

Turkish riot police stand guard in front of the Justice Palace in Istanbul March 31, 2015. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
Turkish riot police stand guard in front of the Justice Palace in Istanbul March 31, 2015. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

Turkish police arrested 15 senior military officers in an investigation into the network of Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara accuses of orchestrating last year's attempted coup, state-run Anadolu news agency said on Friday.

It said police were seeking one more officer in the operation, focused on the capital Ankara and spread across nine provinces, adding that 12 of the total 16 suspects were serving officers.

Among the suspects were seven colonels and nine lieutenant colonels from Turkey's gendarmerie force, which maintains security in rural areas, the Hurriyet news website said.

More than 50,000 people, including security personnel and civil servants, have been jailed pending trial in the aftermath of the failed putsch, which the government blames on US-based Gulen. He has denied involvement.

Some 150,000 people have also been suspended or dismissed.

Police operations targeting alleged followers of Gulen have been conducted on a near daily basis since the coup attempt in July 2016, and authorities issued arrest warrants for 44 teachers on Friday, Anadolu said.

The suspects were former teachers at Gulen-linked schools which were previously closed by state decree, Anadolu said.

Twenty-eight of the teachers were arrested so far.

On Wednesday, Fifteen Turkish soldiers were jailed for life for their role in the failed coup.

The men, most of whom were officers, were convicted of trying to take over the Istanbul headquarters of Turkey's ruling party during the thwarted coup, Anadolu reported.



Kremlin Says EU Not Ready to Mediate Ukraine Peace Deal

Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 09 June 2026, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. (EPA)
Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 09 June 2026, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. (EPA)
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Kremlin Says EU Not Ready to Mediate Ukraine Peace Deal

Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 09 June 2026, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. (EPA)
Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a Russian strike on a residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 09 June 2026, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. (EPA)

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that the European Union was likely far from ready to act as a mediator in any ‌Ukraine peace ‌process and ‌appeared ⁠to be more focused ⁠on continuing the war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov made the comment to journalists when ⁠asked about ‌the ‌possibility of the ‌EU stepping in as ‌a mediator while US-led negotiations are on hold.

"First of ‌all, starting mediation efforts by putting ⁠forward certain ⁠conditions to Russia is likely illogical and wrong. And, of course, this is unacceptable to us," Peskov said.


Putin to Decide on Armenia’s Pashinyan Congratulations After Official Election Results, Kremlin Says

 Armenian Prime Minister and leader of the Civil Contract party Nikol Pashinyan holds a press conference following the parliamentary election at the party's headquarters in Yerevan early on June 8, 2026. (AFP)
Armenian Prime Minister and leader of the Civil Contract party Nikol Pashinyan holds a press conference following the parliamentary election at the party's headquarters in Yerevan early on June 8, 2026. (AFP)
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Putin to Decide on Armenia’s Pashinyan Congratulations After Official Election Results, Kremlin Says

 Armenian Prime Minister and leader of the Civil Contract party Nikol Pashinyan holds a press conference following the parliamentary election at the party's headquarters in Yerevan early on June 8, 2026. (AFP)
Armenian Prime Minister and leader of the Civil Contract party Nikol Pashinyan holds a press conference following the parliamentary election at the party's headquarters in Yerevan early on June 8, 2026. (AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin will decide later whether to congratulate Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his election victory, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, underlining that Moscow is ‌waiting for ‌the formal outcome of ‌the ⁠vote before making ⁠any announcements.

Commenting on the parliamentary election, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated remarks made a day ⁠earlier that there had been ‌reports ‌of violations, while stopping ‌short of offering a ‌broader assessment of the vote or its legitimacy.

Armenia's governing Civil Contract ‌party won an election seen as a test ⁠of ⁠its handling of a peace deal with Azerbaijan and its growing turn to the West, despite what international election observers called blatant interference and pressure by Russia.


Hundreds Evacuated as Waves Batter New Zealand Capital

Stormy seas pound the coastline of Island Bay, a suburb of the New Zealand capital Wellington. Ben STRANG / AFP
Stormy seas pound the coastline of Island Bay, a suburb of the New Zealand capital Wellington. Ben STRANG / AFP
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Hundreds Evacuated as Waves Batter New Zealand Capital

Stormy seas pound the coastline of Island Bay, a suburb of the New Zealand capital Wellington. Ben STRANG / AFP
Stormy seas pound the coastline of Island Bay, a suburb of the New Zealand capital Wellington. Ben STRANG / AFP

Authorities evacuated hundreds of people from their seaside homes in New Zealand's capital on Tuesday as 11-meter (36-foot) waves lashed the coast.

Wellington Mayor Andrew Little declared a state of emergency on the eve of the swells for seaside residents in Owhiro Bay, Island Bay, Houghton Bay and Breaker Bay.

"You must stay away from the southern coastline," Little said in a statement, warning that emergency workers would not be coming to help anyone who stayed behind.

The evacuation order took effect on Tuesday morning, with police brought in to ensure people moved to higher ground, said AFP.

Officers set up cordons on surrounding roads to prevent people from heading to the coast.

The council said a similar event in 2021 affected many homes in Breaker Bay, and waves during that storm were about 6.5 meters.

Waves entering Wellington Harbour on Tuesday were measured at 11 meters, New Zealand's MetService said.

Wind gusts were so strong at Island Bay that two women were knocked off their feet as waves washed up over the road, an AFP journalist saw.

Some flights were cancelled at Wellington Airport where wind gusts were recorded of up to 128 kilometers per hour (80 miles per hour).

A small plane from local carrier Golden Bay Air tipped onto its side in the wind while parked at the airport with no-one aboard.

Airline boss Richard Molloy told national broadcaster RNZ that fire fighters had secured the plane to the ground.