Author: Anadolu Agency

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that his government was caught off guard by a Russia-US meeting in Saudi Arabia, also held Tuesday, as they learned of it only through the media. Speaking at a joint press conference in the Turkish capital Ankara alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Zelenskyy said: “The Russia-US meeting (in the Saudi capital Riyadh) was a surprise to us. We learned about it from the media.” Touching on bilateral ties, Zelenskyy stressed that Türkiye-Ukraine relations are at a high level, as always, thanking the Turkish president and people for this. He also underlined that Türkiye…

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged an “update” the world body to effectively address contemporary global crises. “Born out of the ashes of World War II, our organization was the result of a global commitment to ‘save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,'” Guterres told the Security Council. Describing the UN as “essential, one-of-a-kind meeting ground to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights” for eight decades, Guterres said: “But eight decades is a long time.” “We have the hardware for international cooperation, but the software needs an update. An update in representation to reflect the realities of…

Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan on Tuesday welcomed Olena Zelenska, her Ukrainian counterpart, to visit war-affected Ukrainian children staying in a dedicated facility in the Turkish capital Ankara. The children at Eryaman Children’s Home, who fled the ongoing war in Ukraine, greeted Erdogan and Zelenska with bouquets in the colors of both the Turkish and Ukrainian flags. The visit focused on spending time with the children, including playing games and reading stories. Erdogan also got updates about the condition of 10-year-old Myhailo Popazav, who is awaiting reconstructive surgery. The first ladies toured an exhibition of the children’s handmade crafts and…

The South Sudanese government on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to end the recruitment and the use of child soldiers. “The Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare recognize the gravity of this issue, and we are deeply committed to ending the recruitment and the use of child soldiers. We are working diligently with our partners to ensure that children are no longer recruited, that those who have been released are supported, and that the root causes of child recruitment are addressed,” Esther Ikere the undersecretary at the Gender, Child and Social Welfare Ministry said at the commemoration of the International…

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Tuesday slammed a new hydrocarbon deal between the Greek Cypriot Administration and Egypt. Citing deals and pacts signed during Monday’s visit to Cairo by Nikos Christodoulides, the administration’s leader, the TRNC Foreign Ministry emphasized that any deal that is not approved by the Turkish Cypriots is null and void. The ministry also urged Christodoulides to abandon his endeavors that risk bringing the entire region to the verge of a conflict. The ministry added that the international community should realize that the Greek Cypriot Administration is pursuing an irreconcilable and provocative approach and…

Sudan and Iran agreed to expand cooperation and coordination across regional and international platforms, Sudan’s state news agency reported Tuesday. Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Yusuf and his Iranian counterpart, , met Monday to discuss ways to strengthen ties and implement a clear plan to enhance relations, according to the Sudan News Agency (SUNA). The two sides agreed to boost trade and economic exchange, with plans to convene a ministerial committee in the coming months, alongside a business forum bringing together companies and investors from both countries, SUNA reported. The agency noted that Iran would play an “active role” in Sudan’s…

Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes Monday night on the villages of Tayr Harfa and Aaichiyehin in the Jezzine district, as well as two explosions in the border town of Odaisseh in the Marjayoun district, continuing its breaches of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon just before it is due to leave the area. The Lebanese National News Agency reported that the Israeli air force launched two strikes targeting the course of the Litani River between the Lahed Bridge and Mahmoudiyeh in Aaichiyehin, Jezzine. Israeli aircraft also targeted the Ain ez Zarqa area on the outskirts of Tayr Harfa in the southern…

Kremlin on Monday described the upcoming Russia-US meeting in Saudi Arabia as “good and very positive” but said it was too early to predict its outcome. “It is good and very positive that we are coming together to talk. But it is still a bit premature to make any forecasts. Let’s wait until Tuesday and see how the dialogue begins,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN. Russian and US delegations are set to meet in Riyadh on Feb. 18 to discuss restoring full bilateral relations, preparations for talks on resolving the Ukraine crisis, and a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir…

Russia’s UN ambassador on Monday criticized the failure to implement the Minsk agreements of 2015, saying their collapse contributed to the ongoing instability in Ukraine. Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting marking the 10th anniversary of the resolution endorsing the agreements, Vassily Nebenzia said the accords were meant to restore stability in eastern Ukraine but were ultimately undermined. “The hope for a lasting peace that emerged when the agreements were signed never materialized,” he said, adding that the accords — meant to calm the conflict in eastern Ukraine after Russia took over Crimea in early 2014 — had become…

Türkiye’s Treasury and Finance Ministry and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on Monday signed a major deal to strengthen their cooperation. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalized AIIB’s commitment to provide about $5 billion in financing for public projects in Türkiye over the next three years (2025-2027). This deal marks the first time Türkiye and AIIB have set up a multi-year framework for cooperation, the ministry said in a statement.
 The funding will support projects in areas like energy, transportation, the real sector, export financing, and water management, all focusing on sustainable and green development. Additionally, AIIB plans to…