President Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye's deal with the United States to set up a "safe zone" in northeast Syria was a correct step and that Ankara would not let Washington delay the plan. Ankara revealed last weekend that a joint operations centre for the proposed zone along Syria's northeastern border is now fully operational. Washington and Ankara have been at odds over plans for the region, where the Kurdish YPG militia form the main part of a U.S.-backed force fighting Islamic State. Türkiye considers the YPG a terrorist group. "The agreement which we have reached...
Türkiye in International Media
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Türkiye wants to continue defence industry cooperation with Russia, including on warplanes, following talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Erdogan spoke after the leaders visited an air show outside the Russian capital where Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter jets performed demonstration flights and the Turkish leader inspected aircraft. In another step that could further strain ties with NATO ally the United States, Türkiye took delivery on Tuesday of a second batch of Russian S-400 air defence equipment. "We are taking positive steps in the defence industry sector...
The Kremlin hinted at possible talks over new arms deals between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan when the two leaders meet at an international air show near Moscow. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, declined to say whether the two sides plan to discuss sales of Russian Su-35 fighter jets during Tuesday’s visit to the MAKS aviation and space salon, a showcase for Russian military technoloy. The talks follow the U.S. decision last month to suspend Türkiye’s ability to buy and help build the advanced F35 stealth warplane in retaliation for taking...
The Turkish defense minister says Russia will resume the delivery of its S-400 missile defense system to Türkiye this week. Türkiye took delivery of the first part of the Russian system last month despite strong objections from the United States, which had been pressing Türkiye to cancel the deal with Russia and has threatened sanctions against Türkiye. Washington says the Russian system is incompatible with NATO and poses a threat to the U.S.-led F-35 fighter jet program. It has suspended Türkiye's participation in that program. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said...
By Fahrettin ALTUN A recent Foreign Policy article by Kareem Chehayeb and Sarah Hunaidi claims that Türkiye is attempting to “sidestep international obligations to protect” Syrian refugees and is deporting Syrians. It alleges that Türkiye deported Hisham Moustafa Steif al-Mohammed, a Syrian refugee before he was “killed by a Turkish sniper” as he attempted to cross the Turkish-Syrian border illegally. This narrative, however compelling, is misleading. The article misrepresents Türkiye’s policy toward Syrian refugees as a “deportation policy” and presents as fact uncorroborated claims about a specific individual. The Turkish government...
President Tayyip Erdogan told Russia's Vladimir Putin on Friday that Syrian army attacks in northwest Syria are causing a humanitarian crisis and threaten Türkiye's national security, the Turkish presidency said. Syrian troops have encircled rebels and a Turkish military post in northwest Syria in an offensive to reclaim territory and towns they lost early in the war. The military observation post near the town of Morek is one of 12 which Türkiye established in northwest Syria under a deal with Moscow and Tehran two years ago to reduce fighting between President Bashar al-Assad's forces and rebels. Türkiye...
All of Türkiye's observation posts, formed under an agreement with Russia and Iran, will remain in place and support will continue to be provided to the posts, Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Wednesday. On Monday, a suspected Syrian army strike hit near a Turkish military convoy heading to an observation post near Idlib's Khan Sheikhoun. Damascus denounced what it said was a Turkish attempt to save routed rebels. Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting, Kalin said President Tayyip Erdogan would hold phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in the...
Türkiye's foreign minister has warned Bashar al-Assad’s regime not to “play with fire” after a Turkish military convoy was bombed in north-west Syria. “These attacks could pave the way for a disaster,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday, adding that Ankara would “do whatever is necessary for our soldiers’ security”. The heightened rhetoric comes amid a dramatic escalation of violence in one of the last major battlegrounds of the Syria civil war, which has become a zone of proxy conflict embroiling international powers including Türkiye and Russia. Türkiye supports armed groups that oppose Mr Assad...
A Turkish military convoy was targeted by an airstrike in Syria on Monday, killing three civilians, Türkiye’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. Syria’s government said the convoy contained weapons bound for insurgents, without saying whether it was behind the strike, which took place in Idlib province. The attack threatened to set off a new round of violence between the governments of Syria and Türkiye and imperiled the fragile military cooperation between Moscow and Ankara in northern Syria, including agreements aimed at decreasing violence there. While Türkiye has been able...