Presidency's Head of Communications Fahrettin Altun says that there has been a longstanding Israeli issue in the Middle East, which came to a head on October 7, 2023. Altun dismissed rumours about Turkish products reaching the Israeli army as part of a disinformation campaign. "Under the leadership of our president, Türkiye will vigorously strive for the immediate cessation of the massacre in Palestine and the establishment of a sovereign, independent Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem, based on the 1967 borders and possessing territorial integrity," Altun said. He stressed Türkiye's leading role globally in prioritising the Palestinian issue,...
Türkiye in International Media
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has strongly condemned the assassination attempt against Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia. Erdoğan shared a message on his X account, saying: "I strongly condemn this heinous assassination attempt against Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia and extend my wishes for a speedy recovery to Prime Minister Fico, who sustained injuries in the attack. On behalf of my country and nation, I offer my deepest sympathies to the citizens and government of Slovakia."
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan told Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during talks in Ankara on Monday that there were "no unsolvable problems" between their countries. After years of tensions that brought the two to the brink of conflict, they have started taking high-profile steps to improve ties, especially since both leaders were re-elected last year. "Despite disagreements, we focus on a positive agenda by keeping our dialogue channels open," Erdoğan told a joint press conference with Mitsotakis. Mitsotakis said the leaders' frequent meetings in recent months had "proved that we neighbours can establish an approach of mutual understanding,...
Türkiye has denounced Israel's attacks on Gaza, called for an immediate ceasefire, and criticised what it calls unconditional support for Israel by the West. Ankara has halted all trade with Israel and said it had decided to join South Africa's initiative to have Israel tried for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Speaking to Muslim scholars in Istanbul, Erdogan said Hamas had accepted a ceasefire proposal by Qatar and Egypt in a "step in the path toward a lasting ceasefire", but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government did not want the war to end. "The response of...
The Türkiye-Qatar "Gaza Goodness Ship", loaded with humanitarian aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, departed from the Turkish port of Mersin on Wednesday. According to the statement by Qatar's Embassy in Ankara to Al Jazeera.net, "The Goodness Ship marks the beginning of cooperation between Qatar and Türkiye in the field of humanitarian aid. This initiative is part of collaborative efforts to provide assistance to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. This ship has left thanks to the Qatar Development Fund and AFAD's tireless work in collaboration with the Turkish Red Crescent. The ship is carrying approximately 1,908...
The suborbital research flight of Türkiye's second astronaut Tuva Cihangir Atasever is scheduled for June 8 from Virgin Galactic's Spaceport facilities in New Mexico, United States, a Turkish minister said on Tuesday. As part of Türkiye's National Space Program, the country has set 10 targets, including the "Turkish Astronaut and Science Mission," Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir said at a press conference. "Next up is the suborbital research flight of our other astronaut, Tuva Cihangir Atasever. In this flight, the 'VSS Unity' suborbital vehicle that will carry our astronaut will first reach an altitude of about 45,000 feet via...
Türkiye and Kuwait signed six cooperation deals aimed at strengthening their countries' ties, including in the fields of defense and diplomacy, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal al Ahmad al-Sabah in Ankara on Tuesday. Sheikh Meshal, who traveled to Türkiye for his first foreign visit to a non-Arab country since taking office in December, was welcomed by Erdogan with a state ceremony. Following talks between the two leaders and Kuwaiti-Turkish delegations, Erdogan and the Kuwaiti leader oversaw the signing ceremony of six cooperation deals across various fields to strengthen their collaboration, including in...
Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek on Saturday cited positive results of the government's economic programme in response to credit ratings agency S&P upgrading Türkiye's ratings to "B+" from "B". "We are determined to carry the confidence in our country to the highest level with our strengthened programme," Simsek wrote on the X social media platform.
Speaking in Ankara to the members of the International Union of Democrats, a Germany-based organisation of the Turkish diaspora, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated, "At a number of prestigious American universities, conscientious students and academics, including anti-Zionist Jews, have reacted to the massacre," adding, "These individuals are facing violence, oppression, persecution and even torture because they want the massacre in Gaza to cease. Rectors and professors are being fired and lynched solely because they support Palestine." Regarding the West, which he accuses of hypocrisy, the President said, "Yet, when it concerns Türkiye, not a single one of...