Author: Daily Sabah

The Foreign Ministry welcomed the European Union’s reinstatement of High-Level Economic Dialogue meetings with Türkiye and the bloc’s recognition of the efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and more, while rejecting some of the assessments made at a recent meeting. In a statement, the ministry said the EU General Affairs Council meeting’s conclusions on Türkiye’s status as an EU candidate and key role represented a realistic approach. “In particular, we welcome the reinstatement of the High-Level Economic Dialogue meetings and the resumption of the activities of the European Investment Bank in Türkiye,” the ministry said. It continued by…

The armed forces of Türkiye and Azerbaijan hold joint exercises at least 10 times a year as part of their security alliance and this is a key factor for stability in the Caucasus region, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Wednesday. Speaking to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Aliyev praised Türkiye’s role in the modernization of the Azerbaijani army, as well as its achievement of “high standards.” Ankara and Baku have militarily cooperated since the 1990s, when Azerbaijan became independent from the Soviet Union. Azerbaijani army switched to the Turkish army’s model of operations in 2020 before the Second Karabakh…

Addressing an event in the capital Ankara on Wednesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye cannot be leashed and “escape its fate.” “We will be in a much better place in the future. Türkiye is not just a place confined in an area of 782,000 square kilometers,” Erdoğan told a ceremony to award the country’s top scientists and prospective researchers. “History has a mission designated for us and we have to act in line with this. Some people cannot grasp it. They cannot grasp what we are doing in Libya or Somalia, they are not unaware of our mission. Those…

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone call with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday. The Presidency’s Directorate of Communications said the two leaders discussed developments in Syria, bilateral ties, and regional and global issues. “President Erdoğan highlighted the importance of preserving Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and expressed pleasure for France’s decision to reopen its embassy in Syria,” a statement by the directorate said. Erdoğan also told Macron that work was underway for the return of Syrian refugees to their country and stressed ensuring cooperation in the international community for forming sustainable circumstances for returning refugees, and recovery and…

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Wednesday that 41 suspects linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) were captured in “Operation Clamp.” Operations were conducted in nine provinces, from the capital, Ankara and Istanbul, to Ordu in the north. Yerlikaya said in a social media post that their fight against the group following the death of its ringleader had no complacency. “We will continue our fight until this treacherous network that attempted to carry out a coup on national will is eliminated,” Yerlikaya wrote. The captured suspects were members of a secret network of FETÖ within the military, authorities said.…

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Austrian Prime Minister Karl Nehammer that international support was essential to reconstruct Syria and encourage the voluntary return of refugees to the country, as the two leaders spoke over the phone on Tuesday, the Presidential Communications Directorate said. “President Erdoğan also noted that the international community’s support is essential for the reconstruction of Syria and the restoration of the infrastructure that has collapsed due to the civil war and that everyone needs to contribute to the return and reconstruction efforts,” the directorate said. The president reiterated the idea that it was also crucial to wipe…

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, who faces accusations of undermining reviving ties with Türkiye, says the country faces a “real war threat” from Türkiye as he defends almost doubling the defense expenditures of Greece. At a time of flourishing relations, Greece appears to be wary of what its defense minister calls “a real, main threat” from neighboring Türkiye. Greek lawmakers on Sunday rallied behind defense spending that will be almost doubled. It’s Parliament approved the state budget with a roll-cal vote with 159 out of a total of 299 votes cast. Spending for the defense ministry will rise to 6.1…

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will be traveling to the Egyptian capital Cairo on Wednesday to attend a meeting of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, diplomatic sources said Tuesday. The war in Gaza and other regional issues, as well as the D-8 organization’s progress report, the adoption of the next secretary-general’s candidacy, the D-8 secretariat’s budget and other organizational matters will be on the agenda. Fidan is expected to call for an end to Israel’s genocidal attacks on Palestine, as well as attempts to spread the war into a regional conflict. The minister is expected to point out the importance…

Türkiye on Monday rejected claims it backed the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the anti-regime advance that overthrew Bashar Assad in Syria. “Claims that Türkiye is behind HTS movements are entirely false,” the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesperson Ömer Çelik told reporters in Ankara. The AK Party spokesman said Türkiye has been undertaking initiatives to stop the bloodshed in Syria, as he pointed out that the Assad regime’s “rotten” structure paved the way for an easy takeover by the anti-regime forces, without any Turkish involvement. “HTS mobilized to take areas under regime control and advanced after…

The Labor and Social Security Ministry on Monday launched a sequestration process for six city administrations run by Türkiye’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP). The deposit and corporate accounts of the metropolitan municipalities of Istanbul, Ankara, western Izmir, southern Adana and Mersin, and Istanbul’s Şişli district, have been blocked due to unpaid debts to the Social Security Institution (SGK), the ministry said in a statement. The said administrations have the highest debts to the SGK, according to the ministry. Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan last month warned authorities would begin a confiscation process if the…