Author: Anadolu Agency

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Türkiye and Spain for the Jet Trainer Aircraft Project, the head of the Turkish Defense Industries Secretariat said on Friday. “We continue to strengthen our cooperation with our allies in the defense industry and share our national and domestic technologies with friendly countries,” Haluk Gorgun said on the X platform. The MoU will serve as the basis of Türkiye’s cooperation with its NATO ally Spain on the Jet Trainer Aircraft Project, Gorgun said. He noted that this important agreement is not only an indicator of Türkiye’s goal of developing independent technologies but…

Israeli Army Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi is likely to step down from his position by the end of February, according to a local media report on Friday. Israeli newspaper Maariv quoted an unnamed Israeli political official who said it was “estimated that Herzi Halevi will retire from his position at the end of February, one month after the investigations into the events of Oct. 7 are concluded.” On Thursday, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that investigations into the events that unfolded on Oct. 7, 2023, when Palestinian group Hamas attacked areas surrounding the Gaza Strip, must be completed…

Israeli troops fired live bullets at Syrians protesting in the southwest Daraa province hours after Israel’s military offensive and seizure of two villages on Friday, injuring one. Earlier on Friday, Israeli forces seized two villages, Jamlah and Maaraba, in Daraa province’s Yarmouk Basin, as its occupation of Syrian territory continues to expand following the collapse of the Baath Party regime. Since the regime’s downfall on Dec. 8, Israeli forces have escalated their military offensives in Syria, destroying remaining military infrastructure and advancing into previously demilitarized zones. Locals in Daraa protested against the occupation, chanting, “Israel Get out,” while waving Syria’s…

The EU on Friday announced a proposal to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian diplomats, citing violent responses to pro-EU protests. “The Georgian people have been protesting against the government’s choice to halt the EU path. Peaceful protests, met with police violence. Today, we propose visa restrictions for Georgian diplomats,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X. Addressing the Georgian government, von der Leyen said: “Stop harming your own people.” For the past 23 days, Georgian citizens have been protesting against the government’s decision to delay negotiations with the EU.

Archaeologists have discovered two statue fragments of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, while excavating the ancient Roman city of Pompeiopolis in Kastamonu’s Taskopru district of Türkiye. Excavation work at the Pompeiopolis city of the Roman era of 64 BC in northern Türkiye, led by archaeologist Mevlut Eliusuk, has been underway in the historic capital of the Paphlagonia region since 2006. Recent efforts focused on the Odeon, a structure adjacent to the ancient theater, have revealed the head of one statue and the body of another. “Both fragments are from the Aphrodite statues. One is the head of an Aphrodite…

Palestinians were injured, including a 15-year-old child and a disabled man, by Israeli forces on Friday evening in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. In a statement, the organization reported that the child was shot in the knee with live ammunition during confrontations in Beit Furik, east of Nablus. Clashes erupted after Israeli forces stormed the Al Naqqar neighborhood, firing live rounds, stun grenades, and tear gas. Several others suffered from tear gas inhalation, witnesses confirmed. Separately, a 25-year-old man with disabilities was shot in the knee during a raid in Wadi Qana, northwest of Salfit.…

NATO on Friday condemned Russia’s latest attacks on Kyiv, which reportedly caused significant damage, including to the diplomatic facilities of several countries.
 The organization reiterated its call for Russia to immediately cease hostilities against Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure, and to end its ongoing war against Ukraine. Farah Dakhlallah, a NATO spokesperson, expressed the alliance’s grave concern over the escalating violence. “We condemn Russia’s attacks on Kyiv today and the damage caused to the diplomatic facilities of several countries,” she said on X.
 “We call on Russia to immediately cease all attacks on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure and to end…

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Ankara on Friday. While the Turkish Foreign Ministry did not provide details of the meeting, Germany’s Federal Foreign Office had earlier indicated that discussions would focus on the Syrian peace process. During her visit to Türkiye, Baerbock is accompanied by Tobias Lindner, minister of state, and the Federal Foreign Office’s special coordinator for Syria. Fidan also separately received Tom Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, in the Turkish capital.

The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution demanding the protection of children during armed conflicts. The resolution, spearheaded by Malta, received the votes of all 15 members of the Council. Co-sponsored by over 100 UN member states, the resolution condemned all violations of international law regarding the recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts. It urged all relevant parties to obey the international obligations related to the protection of children who might be affected by armed conflicts and urged for full cooperation with the UN. The resolution further demanded all member states, as well as the…

The US on Friday said it will no longer be pursuing $10 million “Rewards for Justice” bounty on the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. “I told him (HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa) we would not be pursuing the Rewards for Justice, reward offer that has been in effect for some years,” Barbara Leaf, the US assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, told reporters following her meeting with HTS officials in Damascus. On her talk with al-Sharaa, Leaf said she had a “good”, “thorough” discussion on a range of regional issues as…