Eastern Mediterranean The EU’s seven Mediterranean states – France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Cyprus – met on Thursday to discuss escalating tensions with Turkey over maritime disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean and Ankara’s regional foreign policy. Crisis Group expert Nigar Göksel says that, over the past month, Turkish …

On July 24, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined thousands of worshippers in the streets around the historic Hagia Sophia in Istanbul for a doubly symbolic moment. Surrounded by a swarm of politicians, soldiers, security forces and imams, the Turkish leader made his way into the giant, former Byzantine cathedral …

Russia has overseen meetings in southern Syria between the different factions, to discuss reconciliations and defected officers and soldiers writes North Press.