Author: Anadolu Agency

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro expressed his full support for Palestine during the 24th Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) held Sunday in Venezuela. “The ALBA-TCP Summit will one day be held in Palestine. I believe in this. We will hold this summit in Palestine, in Jerusalem. God willing, everyone will witness it,” Maduro said. “Jerusalem will once again become a sacred city where all ethnic groups live together in peace. It will not remain a city of Zionist, imperialist and war-mongering forces.” Addressing Pope Francis, Maduro called for stronger advocacy for the…

Russian forces stationed at Khmeimim Air Base in Syria’s Latakia province continued to carry out activities Sunday, despite the fall of the Bashar Assad regime. With the Baath regime’s collapse, Russia continued to transfer its troops from Damascus, Homs and other cities across Syria to the base. Russian military vehicles were seen entering the base and a cargo plane was seen landing there as surveillance balloons gathered intelligence and helicopters were on patrol. Airstrips, air defense systems and other vital military equipment are located at the base. – RUSSIA EVACUATES DIPLOMATS FROM SYRIA Russia’s Foreign Ministry also issued a statement…

Protests and boycott calls erupted across Spain on the weekend over the country’s arms sales to Israel. Demonstrators in cities including Barcelona, Valencia, Cartagena and the capital, Madrid, demanded that the government stop all arms trade with the country. Spaniards took to the streets following a call from the Solidarity Network Against the Occupation of Palestine and another pro-Palestinian group demanding a halt to the transfer of weapons that fuel the genocide against Palestine and a ban on the sale of military equipment to Israel. During the demonstration in Madrid, the crowd gathered in front of the US Embassy building…

The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) will be sending a search and rescue team to look for people still thought to be trapped in Syria’s Sednaya Military Prison. AFAD said in a statement released Sunday that the extensively equipped team will be dispatched to the notorious prison, located 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) north of the capital, Damascus, and nicknamed the “human slaughterhouse,” where demonstrators against the former Bashar Assad regime were held and tortured. It said the team of 80 personnel will arrive on Monday.

The United Nations welcomed an agreement between Somalia and Ethiopia, which was mediated by Türkiye on Wednesday. “We warmly welcome the announcement of the Ankara declaration between Ethiopia and Somalia under the leadership of Türkiye,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference in response to Anadolu Agency’s (AA) question about the recently signed deal. Describing it as a “positive move” in the spirit of “friendship” and “mutual respect,” Dujarric said: “We look forward to the start of the technical negotiations on that front, and very much hope for a full positive outcome to the process.” “We also express…

Experts underscored the importance of the European Union in taking an active role in ending the ongoing crisis in Syria and bolstering relations with Türkiye to prevent risks to the bloc. Velina Tchakarova, founder of FACE For A Conscious Experience and a geopolitical strategist, noted that the recent phone call between EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized the importance of Syria’s territorial integrity and the protection of minorities. She urged the EU to go beyond dialogue and actively shape the situation on the ground. “The EU risks becoming a passive observer again,” Tchakarova…

The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) announced Wednesday that it has sourced over a half-billion dollars worth of food and logistics services from Türkiye over the past two years to support millions in crisis zones such as Palestine, facing over 14 months of an Israeli assault, and Sudan, going through a destructive civil war. According to the WFP, Türkiye has played a pivotal role as a supply and logistics hub for WFP operations, enabling the swift delivery of aid to regions affected by conflict and food insecurity. This partnership has been particularly critical for recent shipments to the war-torn Gaza…

Türkiye’s current account balance posted a surplus of $1.88 billion in October, the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT) released in a statement on Thursday. Gold and energy excluded current account balance also saw a net surplus of $7.16 billion, the bank noted. In the month, goods deficit recorded $3.5 billion, while services saw a net inflow of $6.45 billion; travel item, under services, recorded a net inflow of $5.1 billion. Primary income recorded a net outflow of $1.05 billion and secondary income recorded net inflow of $20 million. Direct investment recorded net outflow of $204 million. The…

The president of the EU Commission announced on Tuesday that she will visit Türkiye to discuss the latest developments in Syria in the wake of the fall of the Assad regime. Announcing on X that she discussed extensively with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan the latest developments in Syria, Ursula von der Leyen said: “We’ll meet early next week in Türkiye to discuss what this development means for the region and beyond.” She did not give further details on the visit, but added: “Syria’s territorial integrity must be preserved and the minorities, protected.” Following the Nov. 27 outbreak of clashes…

The White House acknowledged Tuesday Türkiye’s “legitimate counterterrorism threat” in Syria, but said it would maintain support for its YPG/PKK-led Syrian partner. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Ankara has “a right to defend their citizens and their territory against terrorist attacks,” noting Türkiye has “come under those kinds of terrorist attacks in the not so distant past.” “We recognize they have that right, and they’re an important NATO ally,” Kirby told reporters. “We have interests, as I said, in going after ISIS, and that means partnering with the Syrian Democratic Forces, and that will continue, and where those…