Author: Anadolu Agency

The secretary general of NATO and new European commissioner for defense and space have held a meeting in Brussels to discuss defense production and security. Mark Rutte on Monday welcomed Andrius Kubilius to NATO headquarters for a meeting with Allies in the North Atlantic Council, according to a statement issued by NATO. Rutte said such exchanges were important to foster transparency and political dialogue between NATO and the European Union, noting that they allow EU leaders to hear directly from non-EU allies. He highlighted that ramping up defense production, to deliver not just on commitments to Ukraine but also for…

Illegal Israeli settlers launched attacks Monday on several Palestinian areas in the occupied West Bank, setting fire to homes, shops and vehicles, according to sources. Loui Tayem, the mayor of Al-Funduq, told Anadolu that “dozens of illegal settlers attacked citizens’ homes and vehicles on the outskirts of the village, burning one car and several other vehicles, as well as damaging multiple shops.” He described the situation as “tense,” adding, “We hear gunfire from time to time, but we cannot identify its source.” The Palestinian government radio station, Voice of Palestine, reported that the settlers carried out widespread assaults on the…

Türkiye’s Central Bank is expected to continue cutting interest rates as inflation begins to ease, according to experts. The bank reduced its policy rate by 250 basis points in December while aiming to maintain financial market interest in the Turkish lira, said Marek Drimal, an economist and strategist. Drimal, lead strategist for Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEEMEA) at Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking (SGCIB), told Anadolu that although further rate cuts are likely, the bank appears committed to policies that support the real appreciation of the Turkish lira through nominal weakening. He noted that…

Illegal Israeli settlers launched attacks Monday on several Palestinian areas in the occupied West Bank, setting fire to homes, shops and vehicles, according to sources. Loui Tayem, the mayor of Al-Funduq, told Anadolu that “dozens of illegal settlers attacked citizens’ homes and vehicles on the outskirts of the village, burning one car and several other vehicles, as well as damaging multiple shops.” He described the situation as “tense,” adding, “We hear gunfire from time to time, but we cannot identify its source.” The Palestinian government radio station, Voice of Palestine, reported that the settlers carried out widespread assaults on the…

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday said actions taken by President Donald Trump soon after his inauguration show the methods he will employ to advance the interests of the US. “Many political scientists are commenting on the decisions that were announced by President Trump. I will say briefly that this is obviously an indicator of the methods by which President Trump and his administration will deliberately advance the interests of the US on the world stage,” Lavrov told a joint news conference in Moscow following talks with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan. On Monday, his first day in office,…

Colombia’s Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo thanked Türkiye for its prompt humanitarian aid response to flood victims, as the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) provided supplies to 8,500 people in the city of Riohacha. Murillo said Turkish-Colombian relations are at their peak, emphasizing the strong strategic partnership between the two nations during an aid distribution ceremony on Sunday. The minister extended his thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan for their support following the November 2024 floods, highlighting growing bilateral cooperation. Colombia declared a national state of emergency in November due to heavy rains and…

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held discussions Sunday with outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on ways to implement the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip as well as developments in Syria. Al Thani, who is also Qatar’s prime minister, received a phone call from Blinken, according to a statement from the Qatari Foreign Ministry. The ministry said the two men addressed “ways to ensure the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of prisoners and hostages, in addition to the developments in Syria.” They also discussed “the close…

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s powerful sister Kim Yo Jong on Monday claimed that Belarus has been hoping for a top-level contact with Pyongyang for the past two years. In a statement, published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim, also the vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, reacted to the Belarusian president’s recent remarks in which he said some Asian countries, including North Korea, proposed a top-level meeting to discuss cooperation. “There is no such thing, at least, as far as I know,” she responded. “I know well that the…

Azerbaijan on Monday commemorated the victims of the 1990 Black January tragedy, during which nearly 150 people were killed and 740 others injured in the country’s capital Baku. Azerbaijanis flocked to memorials throughout the country, including the capital Baku, to pay their respects to those who lost their lives during the events. President Ilham Aliyev also laid a wreath in the Alley of Martyrs memorial in Baku and described the Black January tragedy as having become a “symbol of the struggle for national independence, freedom and invincible will.” He said that Azerbaijanis were subjected to “punitive measures” by the former…

A senior Taliban official has called on Afghanistan’s interim leadership to allow women to access education. Criticizing the ongoing ban, Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai stated: “Today, out of a population of 40 million, we are committing injustice against 20 million people.” Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, girls above grade six have been banned from attending school indefinitely. He further added: “Will we not be gathered in the same way on the Day of Judgment? … We have deprived them of all their rights; they have no inheritance rights, no share in determining their…