ELECTION CAMPAIGN CONTINUES IN TURKEY
Around 1.7 million people participated in the main and most massive rally of Recep Erdogan in Istanbul ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for May 14. The acting president of Turkey stated that, if the residents of Istanbul say "yes" to his candidacy, then the issue of the election of the president can be considered resolved.
Kemal Kılıchdaroğlu, the presidential candidate of the opposition ‘National Union’ bloc, also held a pre-election rally. According to the media, it was also crowded, but the exact number is not specified. According to mass media, incidents were registered during opposition rallies. Unknown persons threw stones at the participants, there are injuries.
As part of the campaign, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also published a video with the caption "Neither the West nor the East, this is the Turkish road", in which he announced that if he is elected, he will implement the transport project connecting Turkey to China, which should activate the Silk Road.
The project presented by Kılıçdaroğlu received a negative response in Azerbaijan, because according to the map he showed, the planned road does not pass through the so-called ‘Zangezur Corridor’, it bypasses Azerbaijan and passes through Iran.
TURKEY REJECTED US OFFER TO TRANSFER RUSSIAN C-400 SYSTEMS TO UKRAINE: MEVLÜT ÇAVUŞOĞLU
Turkey has rejected the U.S. proposal to send its Russian-made S-400 air defense system to Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Sunday.
Washington suggested Turkey should hand over control of the S-400 system to the U.S. or another country, the semi-official Anadolu Agency quoted Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu as saying.
"The U.S. asked us to send the S-400s to Ukraine, and we said no," Çavuşoğlu said.
He added that these proposals were unacceptable for Turkey because they directly concerned Turkish sovereignty.
Tensions between the United States and Turkey escalated when Ankara and Moscow struck the S-400 deal, as Washington claimed that the S-400 system would be incompatible with the NATO system and may expose its confidential military information to Russia.
Washington later halted the delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and imposed sanctions on Turkey for its purchase of a Russian-made system.
PRIGOZHIN CLAIMS MOSCOW PROMISED WAGNER GROUP 'AS MUCH AMMUNITION AND WEAPONS AS NEEDED'
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russian private military company Wagner Group, claimed on May 7 that Russia's Defense Ministry has promised to provide "as much ammunition and weapons as needed" to continue the Russian offensive against Bakhmut.
"They promise that everything necessary will be put up on the flank so the enemy does not cut us off," Prigozhin said, adding that he was told Russian forces in the area could act "as they see fit."
Prigozhin noted that Russian General Sergey Surovikin was appointed to "make all decisions" regarding the Wagner Group's combat operations in cooperation with Russia's Defense Ministry.
His claim comes two days after he announced that the Wagner Group would leave Bakhmut on May 10 due to a lack of ammunition. He also recorded an insult-laden address to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
Prigozhin said Wagner's offensive resources ended in April, resulting in their losses "growing exponentially daily."
"I am withdrawing Wagner units from Bakhmut because, in the absence of ammunition, they are doomed to a senseless death," Prigozhin said.
