Russia, Turkey - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: PM

Explanation:
Turkey is set to scrap the office of the PM in a historic switch under a proposal backed by the government for a new presidential system

• Forestry and water affairs minister Vessel Eroglu indicated there could be one and possibly two vice presidents under President Recept Tayyip Erdogan in the new format.
• It will submit the referendum next year
• There will not be a PM in the new system
• Erdogan who was elected to the top post in 2014 after serving the PM for more than 10 years, is seeking a strong presidency similar to France or the US
• His ruling Justice and Development Party AKP needs 330 votes in a 550 seat parliament to call referendum to legislate the changes
• Eroglu predicted that the proposed package would be put to referendum next spring along with support of MPs from nationalist movement party
• Opponents say this could drag Turkey into a one man rule
• Before Erdogan became head of state, the Turkish prime minister was seen as the number one but current Prime Minister Binali Yildirim is very much his subordinate.

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
Russia has agreed to assist India to set up National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) in the country to handle disaster and other emergency situations.

This was agreed during a meeting between Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Russian Minister for Emergency Situations Vladimir Puchkov in Moscow.

Both sides agreed that EMERCOM of Russia would cooperate with India in the establishment of the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC) in India.

India also reviewed the progress made on the agreement on disaster management signed in 2010.

The countries also agreed on a programme of training of specialists and sharing of each other's experiences as well as best practices in the field of Disaster Management.

The two leaders later signed a joint implementation plan for 2018-19 for cooperation in disaster management.

They also reviewed the implementation of the agreement on information security signed in October 2016.

Both sides also welcomed the ongoing cooperation and the regular exchange of visits between the two National Security Councils.

ANSWER: 7

Explanation:
Turkish parliament approved 7 of 18 constitutional amendments in the first round of voting to move Turkey to an executive-presidential system.

All 7 articles received more than 330 votes. That number is the required majority to take constitutional amendments to referendum.

The changes will bring an increase to the number of lawmakers represented in parliament to 600 from the current 550.

Elections will be renewed every five years instead of four.

Parliamentary elections will be held simultaneously with presidential elections.

The new system enables the elected president to keep links with his or her political party and will be permitted to run it.

The Turkish parliament has also approved the constitutional reform bill that includes strengthening the powers of the presidency.

Mr Erdogan, who could now retain presidency till 2029, says the reform will provide stability in the European Union candidate country. His opponents fear authoritarian rule.

Bill was approved with 339 votes, parliament said ; it needed 330 deputies in the 550-member assembly to support it in order to go to a public vote.

Mr Erdogan assumed the presidency - a largely ceremonial position - in 2014 after over a decade as prime minister.

Turkey has also been hit by a spate of deadly bombings and gun attacks by Islamic State and Kurdish militants over the past year and a half.

Turkey: Know More

• Capital: Ankara
• President: Recep Tayyip Erdogan
• Currencies: Turkish lira sign, Turkish lira
• Official language: Turkish

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
A page from Gandhiji’s diary containing his handwritten notes and an 18th century Bengali sword have been presented by Russian President Vladimir Putin to PM Narendra Modi. The items were presented during a meeting between the two leaders in the Kremlin.

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
The International Army Games 2015 were held August 1st to 15th on 11 training ranges across three Russia’s military commands, the Western, the Southern and the Central. Fifty seven teams from 17 countries from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, which competed at the Games.

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
Russians, who fear that their family members could be under the threat of being recruited by the IS, can address their concerns to the State Civic Chamber by phone or in writing.

ANSWER: Namaste India

Explanation:
The President said Indian culture and its heritage of art, music and cinema have enjoyed love and appreciation across Russia over centuries.

ANSWER: Progress 59

Explanation:
Russia's unmanned Progress 59 spacecraft blasted off atop a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan.

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
The Armata tank has an unmanned turret and a 125mm smooth-bore cannon that can fire guided missiles as well as shells. Its computer technology, speed and maneuverability are said to be far superior to those of the T-90, the current mainstay of the Russian army. Russia plans to bring in about 2,300 Armatas, starting in 2020, to replace Soviet-era tanks.