Author: Anadolu Agency

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday asked Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to assume responsibility for ISIS (Daesh) detention centers in northeastern Syria that are under the control of the terrorist group PKK/YPG, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt announced on X. The call came during Trump’s meeting with al-Sharaa at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as part of a Gulf-US summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also joined the meeting virtually.

The US is lifting sanctions on Syria to promote a “fresh start” for the country, US President Donald Trump said Wednesday. Speaking at a Gulf-US summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Trump said the decision came after talking with the two leaders. “After discussing the situation with Crown Prince Mohammed and President (Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan of Turkey, I’m also ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria to give them a fresh start. It gives (Syria) a chance for greatness,” he said. He added: “The sanctions were really crippling, very powerful.”

A number of Arab leaders and top officials arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Wednesday to attend the Gulf-US summit, which will discuss regional issues, including the situation in Gaza. The Saudi Al-Ikhbariya TV said Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani arrived early on Wednesday in Riyadh to attend the summit. Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa also arrived in Riyadh, according to the Bahraini state news agency BNA. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, is leading the United Arab Emirates (UAE) delegation to the summit. Omani Prime Minister Asa’ad…

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s meeting with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, addressed partnership in counterterrorism, the Syria’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Sharaa and Trump held their first-ever meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Wednesday. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the meeting, which was also joined by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan via phone call. Calling the meeting “historic,” the foreign ministry said the meeting underlined the importance of lifting the sanctions imposed on Syria and supporting the recovery and reconstruction efforts. “The meeting addressed ways of partnership between Syria and the US in the field of…

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would “like” him to attend the upcoming peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, holding the door open to his participation. “I don’t know if he’s showing up. I know he would like me to be there. And that’s a possibility,” the US president told reporters aboard Air Force One. “I’ve been thinking about that. Now tomorrow, we’re all booked out, you understand that. We’re going to UAE tomorrow. So we have a very full situation. Now that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it to save a lot of lives…

Peruvian Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen resigned Tuesday, a day before he was set to face a censure vote in Congress seeking his removal. “In the interest of the country, I would like to inform you today that I have irrevocably resigned from my position as president of the Council of Ministers,” Adrianzen said in a televised address. According to Peruvian media, opposition parties had submitted a motion of no confidence to Congress, arguing that Adrianzen is inadequate in combating the country’s increasing violence. Adrianzen was harshly criticized after 13 miners were recently kidnapped and killed in the Pataz region of…

Spain signed a pact with Türkiye on Wednesday to import HURJET, the country’s first indigenously developed jet trainer and light attack aircraft manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TAI). A memorandum of understanding (MoU) also includes plans to co-produce the aircraft’s infrastructure in Spain. Turkish Deputy Defense Ministers Musa Heybet and Suay Alpay, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Madrid Nuket Kucukel Ezberci, TAI General Manager Mehmet Demiroglu, Spain’s Director General of Defense Industrial Strategy and Innovation, and Air and Space Force Lieutenant General Miguel Ivorra, other officials attended the signing ceremony in Madrid. “Today is a very important day. Today, Türkiye has…

China on Wednesday urged “all parties” to “create conditions” for direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, state media reported. “Since the first day of the conflict, China has been committed to promoting peace and facilitating talks, supporting the resolution of the crisis through dialogue and negotiation, and emphasizing that all parties should create conditions for direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine to be resumed,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in Beijing. Lin was responding to questions on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal of direct talks with Ukraine in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed…

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Wednesday that the Russian delegation will wait for their Ukrainian counterparts in Istanbul on Thursday to resume peace talks interrupted in March 2022. Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov noted that all said by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the resumption of negotiations in Istanbul remain relevant, without naming who will represent Russia. “We will do that (name the members of the Russian delegation) once we receive corresponding instructions from the president. So far, no such instructions have been given. “However, I can confirm that everything stated by the president in his…

Türkiye’s Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek stated Wednesday that Türkiye’s economic program continues with determination and that inflation is on a downward trend. Simsek gave a presentation on the Turkish economy in London at the session, titled “Türkiye’s economic transformation and growing investment potential,” held as part of the annual meetings of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). “The economic program is on track, working, and delivering. The essence of our Medium-Term Program is achieving price stability and we are making good progress on this issue. Inflation has fallen from a peak of 75% to about 38%…