Author: Daily Sabah

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan repeated the call for a two-state solution to Cyprus, as he said a better future was possible for the island. “There is no other option but a two-state solution for Cyprus, ” Fidan told a joint news conference with Republic of Turkish Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar in Lefkoşa on Wednesday. He noted that it was possible for Türkiye, Greece, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot administration to come together and find a solution for a better future for Cyprus. The island of Cyprus has been mired in a decadeslong struggle between Greek…

The Turkish opposition’s Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) on Wednesday lost two more parliamentary seats after two of its founding members announced their resignations. DEVA’s Balıkesir representative Burak Dalgın criticized the party’s change of direction as it seeks to form a parliamentary group with other smaller opposition parties, the Felicity Party (SP) and Future Party (GP). Criticism of the party has long been reaching the administration, Dalgın said in his statement on X. “That deep-rooted change our people demanded with first surveys then their votes in the 2023 and 2024 elections unfortunately never materialized,” Dalgın said. “We cannot expect different…

The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) of Türkiye saw more than 44,000 job applications, mainly from people between the ages of 20 and 30, last year. The number is more than double the number of applications in 2023, according to Anadolu Agency (AA). Naturally, the secretive government agency has slightly changed its public image in recent years, while its counterterrorism operations, though with scarce details, are more public nowadays. The rising profile of the agency under its former director, Hakan Fidan, who now serves as foreign minister, and his successor, Ibrahim Kalın, are tied to more openness in the past years.…

A committee presenting reports to the Israeli government “warned” the Netanyahu administration about a “potential conflict” with Türkiye. The Nagel Committee, as it is informally known, is led by former National Security Council Chair Yaakov Nagel and since 2023, presents recommendations to the Ministry of Defense upon orders of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Their latest report disclosed by the Israeli media, cited the potential in the aftermath of the ouster of the Baathist regime in Syria last December. Israel was quick to occupy the Golan Heights, a point of contention between Tel Aviv and Damascus when the Assad regime fell.…

The Center for Countering Disinformation has disproven over 2,000 fake news and propaganda articles about Türkiye so far, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun announced Wednesday. Speaking at a communication consultation workshop in the capital Ankara, Altun said his office concluded some 4.5 million applications submitted to its Public Compliance System (CIMER) in 2024. “We will continue institutionalizing the fight against disinformation, one of our critical fields,” he said. “I wish systematic disinformation activities were not poisoning our media and communicational climate so we would not have to put up such a fight,” he added. Altun also lamented that the line between…

Widespread distrust is stoking financial troubles for the new leaders of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) following the death of the group’s leader, Fetullah Gülen. The group’s so-called executive board of 12 members took over the reins after Gülen’s death in Pennsylvania in October, but their squabbling is growing into a tumultuous power struggle for the one to succeed Gülen as the next FETÖ ringleader, according to Turkish security sources. The terror group orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in Türkiye, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 wounded. Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a…

Real Madrid and Mallorca will battle for a spot in the Spanish Super Cup final on Thursday at King Abdullah Sports City. Los Blancos enter the semifinal as reigning La Liga champions, while Mallorca secured their place as Copa del Rey runners-up last season. Madrid, fresh off lifting the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in December with a 3-0 win over Pachuca, have been in fine form. Their 4-2 victory over Sevilla in their final 2024 match was followed by a dramatic 2-1 win against Valencia last Friday. Despite Vinicius Junior’s red card, Luka Modric’s equalizer and Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time winner propelled…

Real Madrid and Mallorca will battle for a spot in the Spanish Super Cup final on Thursday at King Abdullah Sports City. Los Blancos enter the semifinal as reigning La Liga champions, while Mallorca secured their place as Copa del Rey runners-up last season. Madrid, fresh off lifting the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in December with a 3-0 win over Pachuca, have been in fine form. Their 4-2 victory over Sevilla in their final 2024 match was followed by a dramatic 2-1 win against Valencia last Friday. Despite Vinicius Junior’s red card, Luka Modric’s equalizer and Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time winner propelled…

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said President Erdoğan is his friend, as he noted that he’s someone he likes and respects, while highlighting Türkiye’s crucial role in Syria. Trump addressed key foreign policy issues during a press briefing at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Tuesday, emphasizing the situation in Syria and Türkiye’s critical role in the region. Trump, who significantly reduced the U.S. military presence in Syria during his previous term, responded cautiously to questions about the remaining 2,000 American troops in the country. When asked whether these troops would be withdrawn, Trump said, he wouldn’t respond because it’s part…

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Bashar Assad’s 13-yearlong oppressive rule in Syria inflicted more damage than previously thought, as he called for international support to help rebuild the country. “The cost of thirteen years of slaughterous policies exceeds $500 billion,” Erdoğan said, adding that Turkish expert teams visiting the country warn that the situation is far worse than anticipated. “With the collapse of the 61-year Baath dictatorship, a new era has begun. Not a day passes without new evidence exposing the barbarity of the Baath regime,” Erdoğan said. He continued by saying that Syria will need time to recover and…