Welcome to commonspace.eu These are the regional news headlines on Wednesday, 20 July 2016 at 0700 GMT:
- The standoff at an Armenian Police Station in the capital Yerevan where armed men are holding a number of hostages continues. The situation this morning is reported calm following scuffles last night between police and sympathisers of the armed men trying to converge on the police station.
- Turkey’s National Security Council is expected to meet later today for the first time since the failed coup attempt of last Friday. Turkish president Recip Tayip Erdogan said that an important announcement will be made after the meeting
- President Obama had a phone conversation with Turkish President Erdogan on Tuesday during which the US leader pledged full support for Turkey’s democratic institutions. A spokesman for the White House said that the US had received an electronic request for the extradition of Turkish cleric Fettulah Gullen who is being blamed by the Turkish government as being behind last Friday’s failed military coup. The request will now be assessed by the Justice Department and the State Department. Turkey and the United States have an extradition treaty between them.
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