Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing – Sept. 14, 2021

Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments in Turkey, around the world and the coronavirus pandemic.

Developments in Turkey, coronavirus pandemic and other news

Turkey has administered around 102.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since launching a mass immunization campaign in January, while more than 40.6 million people in the country have been fully vaccinated.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan marked the 100th anniversary of the victory of the Battle of Sakarya, where Turkish and Greek forces clashed, saying: "The story of the Battle of Sakarya once again reminds us of the sacrifices that were made for our independence, which we should never forget."

The spokesman for the Justice and Development (AK) Party said Turkey has prevented 130 terrorist attacks so far this year, including 126 by the PKK and three by Daesh/ISIS.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, addressing a high-level UN ministerial meeting, said delivering humanitarian aid to the Afghan people was a "moral duty."

With a proactive approach to global and regional developments, Turkey became an influential power that has a say in its region and the world, said Turkey's national defense minister.

An excavation uncovered a 2,000-year-old Roman-era sewage system in southwestern Turkey's Denizli province.

Turkish security forces neutralized at least six YPG/PKK terrorists in cross-border operations, including the terror group's so-called external affairs director Mehmet Emin Ekinci.

The Turkish Coast Guard rescued 63 irregular migrants off the coast of western Turkey

Other developments

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his country "inherited a deadline, not plan" in the context of Afghanistan, pushing back against blistering Republican criticism over the manner the US left Afghanistan after two decades of war.

The foreign minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) urged the UK to end pro-Greek Cypriot policies, saying: "This attitude of the UK, one of the guarantor countries [for the island], regarding Cyprus is unacceptable."

Israeli forces shot and wounded a Palestinian man during an alleged stabbing attack in the occupied West Bank, without revealing further details.

At least 480 civilians in Burkina Faso were killed in terrorist attacks orchestrated by insurgents between May and August, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

Over 100,000 people are staring hunger in the face following the suspension of food assistance by the World Food Program (WFP) in South Sudan, the UN agency warned. -