Receiving Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Ankara, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu maintains that the creation of a safe maritime corridor for Ukrainian grain exports should be accompanied by the easing of sanctions against Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated his country’s “understanding” of Turkish security concerns along …
Read More »US officials say Turkey ‘well aware’ of their concerns over Syria offensive
The Biden administration is pushing Turkey to back off its planned offensive against Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, US officials told lawmakers on Wednesday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that Ankara would soon begin military operations aimed at establishing a 30-kilometer “safe zone” along its southern border. …
Read More »Israel-Iran Tensions Grow Amid Mysterious Deaths of Iranian Top-secret Missile Scientist and Military Officer
Tensions continue to rise between the governments of Israel and Iran after the mysterious deaths of an Iranian missile scientist and a senior military officer. Ayoob Enterazi died under suspicious circumstances on May 31. He was a Ph.D. holder in aerospace engineering at Iran’s prestigious Sharif University of Technology in …
Read More »With Lavrov in Turkey, a different war may dominate talks
When Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visits his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, in Ankara this week, Turkey’s proposal to establish a safe transport corridor for Ukrainian grain exports will be a top agenda item. If realized, the Black Sea corridor would require a naval escort, mine-clearing, and inspections to ensure …
Read More »Turkey’s Erdogan tells Greece not to arm demilitarised islands
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday Greece should stop arming islands in the Aegean Sea that have a demilitarised status and abide by international agreements, in comments likely to further fuel long-running tensions between the neighbours. The NATO allies have long been at odds over issues such as maritime …
Read More »Turkey Is Playing With Fire in Syria—Again
While the war in Syria has receded from the international spotlight, residents in the country’s northeast are bracing for a new wave of armed conflict. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has for months threatened to launch a military invasion of the region to push back Syrian Kurdish fighters and create …
Read More »Syria’s ‘Cold’ Civil War Could Easily Get Hot Again
Back in June 2011, when news began to filter out from Syria of the first signs of armed resistance against the Baathist regime of President Bashar al-Assad, few could have predicted the level of disruption to the global order that the conflict in Syria would go on to produce. After …
Read More »Supporters of terror groups should not be in NATO, Turkey says
Those who support a terrorist organization that targets a NATO ally should not be a part of the security bloc, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday. In a briefing, the ministry underlined that Turkey continues to share the values and responsibilities of NATO and remains at the center of the alliance’s …
Read More »Syrian, Russian Air Forces Conduct First Joint Military Drill Since Start of Ukraine War
Syrian and Russian warplanes on Tuesday carried out a joint military drill amid increasing Israeli airstrikes, Syria’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. It was the first such exercise since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began more than three months ago. In mid-February, before the Russian invasion on February 24, the …
Read More »Turkey Says UN’s Ukraine Grain Export Plan Reasonable
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu met Wednesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Ankara in an effort to stave off a global food crisis by restarting Ukrainian grain exports along a sea corridor. The UN’s plan to do so was “reasonable,” Çavuşoğlu said, and the talks were fruitful, but …
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