Turkey’s push into Iraq risks deeper conflict
Looming over the deserted village of Sararo in northern Iraq, three Turkish military outposts break the skyline, part of an incursion that forced the residents to flee last year after days of shelling.
Turkey
US warns citizens of ‘imminent’ terror threat to synagogues, churches in Istanbul
The United States on Monday warned its citizens in Turkey of a potential “imminent” terror attack against synagogues, churches and diplomatic missions in Istanbul in retaliation for several recent incidents of Quran burnings in Europe.
Finland Ponders Joining NATO Without Sweden After Koran Burning Angers Turkey
Finland says it may join the NATO military alliance without Sweden as Turkey blocks Swedish membership, citing a Koran burning by far-right activists and pro-Kurdish protests in Stockholm.
Sweden Says it Can’t Meet All of Turkey’s Demands; NATO Entry Now Up to Ankara
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has called on Turkey to lift its block against Sweden’s accession to the transatlantic alliance, after Stockholm acknowledged it cannot meet Ankara’s demands.
Russian, Syrian, Turkish defense ministers meet in Moscow for first talks since 2011
The defense ministers of Russia, Turkey, and Syria met in Moscow on Wednesday, the first such talks since a war broke out in Syria, the Russian defense ministry said.
Inscriptions provide evidence of Biblical kings of Israel and Judah, “one of the most important discoveries in Israel of all time”
Experts say newly deciphered inscriptions first discovered in Hezekiah’s tunnel in Jerusalem in 1880 reveal important evidence that the Biblical kings of Israel and Judah indeed lived and reigned and wrote accounts of their deeds, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Pentagon issues warning after Turkish airstrikes threaten American troops in Syria
The Pentagon has urged Turkey to stand down on its plan to invade Syria as the operation could endanger U.S. troops in the country.
Pentagon warns Turkey against new operation in Syria
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday expressed the Pentagon’s “strong opposition” to Ankara’s military operation in Syria in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart.
Hungary Delaying NATO Expansion Seeks Israel’s Defense
Hungary’s controversial prime minister says his country will only consider ratifying NATO military alliance membership of Finland and Sweden next year.
Russia asks Turkey to refrain from full-scale Syria offensive
Russia has asked Turkey to refrain from a full-scale ground offensive in Syria, senior Russian negotiator Alexander Lavrentyev said on Wednesday, because such actions could trigger an escalation of violence.
Turkey’s Erdogan vows ground operation into Syria ‘soon’
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed Tuesday that Turkey would “soon” unleash a ground operation into Syria against Kurdish targets in defiance of mounting international pressure.
US says continues to oppose any military action destabilizing Syria
The United States continues to oppose any military action that destabilizes the situation in Syria, a State Department spokesperson said on Monday, adding that Washington has communicated its serious concerns to Ankara over the impact of such an offensive on the goal to fight against Islamic State.
Turkey Detains Scores Of People Over Deadly Istanbul Blast
Turkish police have arrested 47 people over the explosion in central Istanbul that left at least eight people dead and 81 others wounded, police said Monday.
CIA chief meets Russian counterpart in Turkey, warns of consequences if Putin uses nukes in Ukraine
CIA Director William Burns on Monday met with Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s top intelligence official in Turkey to convey a message from the Biden administration about the consequences that would occur if Moscow uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Massive Explosion Rocks Istanbul; Several Dead, Scores Injured
At least six people have been killed, and 81 people were injured in a bomb attack, “an act of terrorism” that rocked the heart of Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, the president and authorities said Sunday.
Russia Furious Over UN Condemning Ukrainian Annexation
Russia has expressed anger that the United Nations general assembly condemned its annexation of Ukrainian territories and warned that admitting Ukraine into the NATO military alliance would lead to World War III. The statements came as Ukraine’s state emergency service said it is actively searching for people trapped under rubble after another Russian strike in the country’s south, while Turkey sought an opening for peace talks.
China establishes extraterritorial policing of its citizens abroad
A new report by the Safeguard Defenders human rights NGO reveals that China’s ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has set up a worrying global policing program, including the establishment of police stations in New York City and Toronto, through which to establish extraterritorial control of citizens suspected of fraud and telecom crimes.
Turkey’s Erdogan tells Jewish leaders he wants to visit Israel
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told American Jewish leaders Monday that he plans to visit Israel, a gesture that advances Turkish-Israeli efforts to build diplomatic ties after 20 years of hostilities, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.
‘Ukraine Near Nuclear Disaster’
The leaders of wartorn Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations met to discuss rising tensions at Europe’s largest nuclear plant and to review a grain export deal signed by Kyiv and Moscow.
With reset, Turkey and Israel look to build durable ties that can reshape the region
After more than two years of fitful progress, Israel and Turkey finally agreed Wednesday to restore full diplomatic relations, four years after Ankara humiliated Israel’s envoy on his way out of the country.