Diary

Here are the main topics Anadolu Agency's English Desk plans to cover on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018 (coverage may change depending on developing/breaking stories):



TURKEY



ANKARA - Monitoring reactions and developments after Turkey's "Operation Olive Branch" against PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terror groups in northern Syria's Afrin.



BURSA - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's Bursa women's branch congress.



ISTANBUL - Prime Minister Binali Yildirim to meet media representatives.



CANAKKALE - Yildirim to also attend ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's provincial congress meeting in northwestern province of Canakkale.



SPECIAL REPORT: Turkey can 'play important role' in Afghanistan peace



By Mehmet Ozturk



ISTANBUL - Turkey should play an active role in Afghanistan's peace, Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai, former prime minister of Afghanistan and leader of Islamic Rule Party of Afghanistan, told Anadolu Agency.



IRAQ



BAGHDAD - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to hold joint news conference with his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari after bilateral talks.



BAGHDAD - Cavusoglu to also meet Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri, separately.



SYRIA



IDLIB - Monitoring ongoing regime airstrikes and artillery attacks on civilians.



GERMANY



BONN - Social Democrat Party (SPD) holds extraordinary congress to decide whether or not to enter negotiations with Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) to form coalition government.



UNITED STATES



WASHINGTON - Monitoring developments on federal government's partial shutdown.



ENGLAND



LONDON - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to start two-day visit.



SPECIAL REPORT: UK Muslims to launch counter-terrorism conversation



By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal and Muhammad Mussa



LONDON - Britain's Muslims will start a new counter-terrorism initiative under the country's biggest Muslim umbrella organization during a conference this weekend. -