Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference in Ankara. Presidential Press Office via Reuters
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference in Ankara. Presidential Press Office via Reuters
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference in Ankara. Presidential Press Office via Reuters
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a news conference in Ankara. Presidential Press Office via Reuters

Erdogan says latest Kurdish YPG attack on Turkish police is 'final straw'


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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey is determined to eliminate threats in northern Syria.

He added that the attack by Kurdish YPG militants which killed two Turkish police officers was “the final straw”.

“We have no patience left regarding some regions in Syria which have the quality of being the source of attacks on our country,” Mr Erdogan said in a news conference following a cabinet meeting.

“We are determined to eliminate the threats originating from here either with the active forces there or by our own means."

The officers were killed on Sunday in northern Syria's Azaz region. Turkey said the guided missile attack was launched by the YPG from the Tal Rifaat region, according to the Interior Ministry.

Separately, ammunition that landed in two separate areas caused explosions in the southern Gaziantep province's Karkamis district, across the border from Syria's Jarablus, the governor's office said.

A third piece of ammunition landed within Jarablus, it said, adding it was believed to be launched from a region controlled by the YPG, the US-backed Kurdish militants that Ankara considers a terrorist organisation.

“The latest attack on our police and the harassment that targets our soil are the final straw,” Mr Erdogan said.

Azaz and Jarablus have been under the control of rebels backed by Turkey since Ankara's first incursion into Syria in 2016, in an operation that aimed to drive away ISIS militants and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia from its border with Syria.

Ankara has launched two other cross-border operations in Syria against the YPG, one of which targeted the Afrin region.

A car bomb also killed four people and wounded six in Afrin on Monday, local sources said.

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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Updated: October 12, 2021, 11:58 AM