Turkey and Iraq strengthen ties with new anti-terrorism accord

Turkey and Iraq strengthen ties with new anti-terrorism accord

Turkey and Iraq have signed a memorandum of understanding on military, security and counter-terrorism cooperation, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday, after two days of high-level security talks in Ankara. The neighboring countries have in recent years been at loggerheads over Ankara’s cross-border military operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) … Read more

Turkish Opposition leader sparks controversy with TV interview remarks

Turkish Opposition leader sparks controversy with TV interview remarks

There was anger in Turkey over opposition leader Ugur Ozel, who said in a TV interview on Saturday that Hamas is a terrorist organization, a stance he has also previously voiced. Ozel stated, “Hamas rains bombs on innocent people in the middle of the night, with balloons, drones, and I don’t know what else.” … Read more

Turks and Israelis lose over trade ban amid war with Hamas

Turks and Israelis lose over trade ban amid war with Hamas

Following Turkey’s decision to halt trade with Israel, Turkish businesses are bracing for a financial hit, and Israeli businesses are looking for alternative sources for imported products.  For more stories from The Media Line go to themedialine.org Bulent Gultekin, a former governor of Turkey’s central bank, told The Media Line that the ban would … Read more

Turkey and Greece disagree on Hamas

Turkey and Greece disagree on Hamas

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that more than 1,000 members of the militant Palestinian group Hamas were being treated in hospitals across Turkey as he reiterated his stance that it was a “resistance movement.” A Turkish official later said Erdogan had “misspoke” and meant that Gazans more generally were being treated in … Read more

Israeli Finance Minister calls for removal of Turkey from ceasefire talk – Israel Politics

Israeli Finance Minister calls for removal of Turkey from ceasefire talk – Israel Politics

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to have Turkey removed from the ceasefire talks, in a letter published on Friday. In the letter, Smotrich stated that he was surprised to have learned that representatives of Israel’s “antisemitic enemy Erdogan” are part of the peace talks, and that “Erdogan should be canceled, … Read more

Turkey imposes export restrictions on Israel over Gaza as tensions rise

Turkey imposes export restrictions on Israel over Gaza as tensions rise

Turkey restricted exports of a wide range of products to Israel on Tuesday until a ceasefire was declared in Gaza, as tensions continued to rise between Ankara and Jerusalem. It took the step after Israel rejected a Turkish request to take part in an aid air-drop operation into Gaza. Ankara has prided itself on … Read more

The Middle East will change after Turkey’s local election – this is how

The Middle East will change after Turkey’s local election – this is how

Turkey had momentous local elections over the weekend. On March 31 around 48 million people voted out of around 16 million who could have voted. This is a good turnout and shows that in Turkey there is a vibrant demand for democracy. This comes after two decades of basically one-party rule by the authoritarian … Read more

What’s behind Turkey’s Erdogan’s ‘firm’ support for Hamas?

Turkey and Greece disagree on Hamas

(JTA) — Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s assertion earlier this month that Turkey “firmly backs” Hamas was the culmination of months in which the Turkish president has lambasted Israel’s war in Gaza. The feud between the two countries did not end there. Last week, Israel’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish envoy for a reprimand after Erdogan … Read more

Erdogan: Upcoming elections in Turkey will be my last

Erdogan: Upcoming elections in Turkey will be my last

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said local elections scheduled for March 31 would be his last vote, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Friday. Erdogan, modern Turkey’s most successful politician, has led the country for more than two decades. A winner of more than a dozen elections since 2002, Erdogan was re-elected for a … Read more

‘White heart’: Daughter of Turkey’s Erdogan slammed for anti-Israel post

‘White heart’: Daughter of Turkey’s Erdogan slammed for anti-Israel post

A verified account on X (formerly Twitter) carrying the name of Esra Erdogan, a self-described “rights activist” who coincidentally shares the name of Turkish President Erdogan’s daughter, attempted to flatter South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for his country’s decision to bring Israel to the International Court of Justice but ended up causing upheaval for … Read more