Page 2 - Turkey

Turkiye wary of Israeli threat after airstrike on Hamas officials in Qatar

An Israeli strike on a meeting of Hamas officials in Qatar has cast a cloud of growing concern across Turkiye that it could be the next target. Turkish Defence Ministry spokesman Rear Adm. Zeki Akturk warned in Ankara on Thursday that Israel would further expand its reckless attacks, as it did in Qatar, and drag the entire region, including its own country, into disaster. Israel and Turkiye were once strong regional partners, but ties between the countries ran into difficulties from the late 2000s and have reached an all-time low over the war in Gaza sparked by the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack in southern Israel. Tensions also have risen as the two countries have competed for influence in neighbouring Syria since the fall of Bashar Assad's government last year. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been a long-standing supporter of the Palestinian cause and of the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The Turkish president has criticised Israel, and particularly Prime Minist

DGCA clears IndiGo, SpiceJet to lease aircraft from Turkish carriers

India has approved aircraft leasing deals between domestic airlines and Turkish carriers, including IndiGo and SpiceJet, after a policy shift following tensions

Turkiye foreign minister says country's airspace closed to Israeli flights

Turkiye has closed its airspace to Israeli planes in protest at the war in Gaza, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday. We have completely cut off our trade with Israel. We do not allow Turkish ships to go to Israeli ports. We do not allow their planes to enter our airspace, he told a special parliamentary debate on Gaza in Ankara. Turkiye severed direct trade ties with Israel in May last year, demanding a permanent ceasefire and the immediate entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza. In 2023, the two countries carried out USD 7 billion in trade. Turkish media reported last week that a ban on maritime traffic linked to Israel had been imposed, although there was no official statement. According to reports, Israeli vessels were banned from docking in Turkiye, and Turkish-flagged ships were not allowed to enter Israeli ports. Ankara has been a harsh critic of Israeli attacks on Gaza, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeatedly referring to Israel's actions as genocide and likening Pri

SOCAR Turkey CFO Teymur Abasguliyev to head Nayara Energy as CEO

Russian oil giant Rosneft-backed Nayara Energy has appointed Teymur Abasguliyev as the new CEO of the company, replacing a European national who had to resign following EU sanctions on the company. The appointment of Abasguliyev, an Azerbaijan national who currently as the chief financial officer at SOCAR Turkiye Enerji A.S, was confirmed by the Nayara board at its meeting on Tuesday, two sources aware of the matter said. Nayara spokesperson did not immediately respond to an email sent for comments. Educated at Azerbaijan's Baku State University, Abasguliyev previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1996 to 2013. He has been the CFO of Group Companies at SOCAR Trkiye Enerji A.S. since 2013. Nayara Chief Executive Alessandro Des Dorides had to quit shortly after the European Union imposed sanctions on the refiner as part of a new raft of measures against Russia over its war with Ukraine. Sergey Denisov, who was Nayara's Chief Development Officer, was named the interim CEO ..

India's rivals China, Turkey seek cheaper Urals, capping oil price rise

This comes as Trump-Putin meet remains inconclusive

6.1 quake kills 1, injures 29 in Turkiye's Balikesir; buildings collapse

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Turkey's northwestern province of Balikesir on Sunday, killing at least one person and causing more than a dozen buildings to collapse, officials said. At least 29 people were injured. The earthquake, with an epicentre in the town of Sindirgi, sent shocks that were felt some 200 kilometres to the north in Istanbul, a city of more than 16 million people. An elderly woman died shortly after being pulled out alive from the debris of a collapsed building in Sindirgi, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told reporters. Four other people were rescued from the building. Yerlikaya said a total of 16 buildings collapsed in the region -- most of them derelict and unused. Two mosque minarets also tumbled down, he said. None of the injured were in serious condition, the minister said. Television footage showed rescue teams asking for silence so they can listen for signs of life beneath the rubble. Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agency said the earthq

Trump to meet Armenia & Azerbaijan leaders to sign US-brokered peace deal

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are expected to sign a peace deal Friday at the White House that could potentially put an end to decades of conflict, President Donald Trump said. Trump said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev would also be signing agreements with the US to pursue Economic opportunities together, so we can fully unlock the potential of the South Caucasus Region. Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to TRUMP, Trump wrote on Thursday night on his Truth Social site. The prospective agreement could potentially put an end to decades of conflict and set the stage for a reopening of key transportation corridors across the South Caucasus that have been shut since the early 1990s. Three US officials, who were not authorised to speak publicly ahead of the announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the agreements included a major breakthrough establishing a key transit corridor .

Explained: Türkiye unveils Gazap, its most powerful non-nuclear bomb yet

Türkiye also unveiled the NEB-2 Ghost, a next-gen bunker-buster bomb, alongside Gazap at the 2025 International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul

Wildfires threaten Turkiye's fourth-largest city as locals evacuated

Wildfires that have engulfed Turkiye for weeks threatened the country's fourth-largest city early Sunday, causing hundreds of people to flee their homes. Overnight fires in the forested mountains surrounding Bursa in northwest Turkiye spread rapidly, bringing a red glow to the night sky over the city's eastern suburbs. Bursa governor's office said in a statement Sunday that 1,765 people had been safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as more than 1,100 firefighters battled the flames. The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed as surrounding forests burned. Orhan Saribal, an opposition parliamentarian for the province, described the scene as an apocalypse. By morning, lessening winds brought some respite to firefighters, who continued efforts to bring down the flames. However, TV footage revealed an ashen landscape where farms and pine forests had earlier stood. Turkiye has been hit by dozens of wildfires daily since late June. Forestry Minister Ibrahim

Erdogan says support for two-state deal on ethnically split Cyprus absolute

Turkish Cypriots on Sunday celebrated Turkiye's military invasion of Cyprus that cleaved the island nation along ethnic lines 51 years ago. Turkiye's president reaffirmed his full backing for a controversial peace deal that envisions the establishment of two separate states. It's a proposal that the majority Greek Cypriots in the island's internationally recognised southern part reject out of hand. It would formalise Cyprus' partition and give Turkiye a permanent foothold they see as a bid for control of the entire, strategically situated country and its offshore hydrocarbon wealth. Our support for (Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar's) vision for a two-state solution is absolute, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in remarks to a crowd during celebrations that culminated with a military parade. It was scheduled this year for the evening to avoid the worst of the scorching mid-summer's heat. It is time for the international community to come to terms with the facts on the

Delhi HC reserves order on Celebi's plea over revoked security clearance

The Delhi high court on Friday reserved its order on a plea filed by another Turkish-based Celebi company, namely Celebi Ground Handling India Private Limited, against Centre's decision to revoke its security clearance. A different bench of the high court on July 7 dismissed the pleas by Turkish-based firms -- Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd and Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India Pvt Ltd -- challenging the revocation of their security clearance by aviation watchdog Bureau of Civil Aviation Safety (BCAS) on May 15, saying there are "compelling national security considerations" involved. Justice Tejas Karia on Friday reserved the order after company's lawyer submitted that the petition was filed on July 4 after a coordinate bench reserved its judgement in a similar case involving the associated companies. The counsel said on Friday that the July 7 verdict directly applied to the present case as well, and urged the judge to pass a similar order. BCAS revoked the securi

Turkish court orders ban on Musk's AI chatbot Grok for offensive content

A Turkish court ordered Wednesday a ban on access to Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot Grok from Turkiye, after the platform allegedly disseminated content insulting to Turkey's president and others. The chatbot, developed by Musk's company xAI, posted vulgarities against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his late mother and personalities, while responding to users' questions on the X social media platform, the pro-government A Haber news channel reported. Offensive responses were also directed toward modern Turkiye's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatrk, other media outlets said. That prompted the Ankara public to file for the imposition of restrictions under Turkiye's internet law, citing a threat to public order. A criminal court approved the request early on Wednesday, ordering the country's telecommunications authority to enforce the ban. The incident is part of a broader controversy surrounding a recent update to Grok, which resulted in more politically incorrect and

Turkish FM, defence minister to meet Pak PM, look to boost defence ties

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defence Minister Yasir Guler are in Pakistan to hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on issues of mutual interest, including defence industry cooperation. The two arrived here on Wednesday on an official visit. Radio Pakistan reported that during their official engagements, important issues of mutual interest will be discussed. The visit reflects the close and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, rooted in shared history, culture, and mutual trust, it reported. Sources said that among other engagements, the two would also hold talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on bilateral ties, regional issues, and defence industry cooperation. Turkiye has strong ties with Pakistan and expressed solidarity with it during the military conflict with India in May, which angered India but Istanbul has continued efforts to bolster ties with Islamabad.

Delhi High Court rejects Celebi's plea against revoked security permit

Delhi High Court upholds government's revocation of Celebi's security clearance, citing espionage concerns and the risk of dual-use logistics amid geopolitical tensions

Delhi HC rejects Çelebi's plea against revoked security clearance

Çelebi's counsel had argued that the action was taken without adhering to due process

Turkey sends aircraft to Syria as wildfires rage across border areas

Turkiye sent two firefighting aircraft Saturday to help battle wildfires in neighbouring Syria as Turkish firefighters battled a blaze on their side of the border and one person was reported dead in the country's west. Eleven fire trucks and water support vehicles were also dispatched to help beat back flames in Syria's northwest Latakia region, according to Raed Al Saleh, the Syrian minister of emergency and disaster management. He posted on X, saying sudden wildfires in Turkiye delayed their arrival by almost a day. Turkiye has been battling wildfires since June 26. Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said Saturday that firefighters successfully controlled 10 major fires in western Turkiye, but an injured forestry worker had died, the third in the municipality of Odemis in Izmir province. Authorities said most of the fires in Izmir were caused by faulty power lines. Meanwhile, in Hatay province, which borders Syria, emergency crews continued fighting a blaze that broke out Friday

China used India-Pak conflict as 'live lab' to test weapons: Lt Gen Singh

Lt Gen Rahul Singh reveals China backed Pakistan during May conflict, calling it a 'live lab' for weapons. He urges stronger air defence, noting support from Turkiye and China's key military role

India planning ₹2,000 crore drone incentive after Pakistan conflict

India's push to build more home-grown drones stems from the four-day clash with Pakistan in May that marked the first time New Delhi and Islamabad utilized UAVs at scale against each other

Heatwaves grip Europe: Red alerts, wildfires, Eiffel Tower closed

Spain sees hottest June in a century; more than 50,000 people evacuated amid wildfires in Turkiye and the Balkans

Turkish police detain cartoonist over Prophet sketch, sparks protests

Turkish police on Monday detained a cartoonist over a caricature depicting the Prophet Muhammad, an act that also sparked an angry protest outside the Istanbul office of his satirical magazine, officials and reports said. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on X that Leman magazine's cartoonist was taken under custody for questioning. The minister also shared a video of the cartoonist identified only by his initials DP being taken into custody on a stairwell, with hands cuffed behind the back. Earlier, the country's justice minister said an investigation was launched into the magazine, citing possible charges of publicly insulting religious values". A group of youths, reportedly belonging to an Islamist group, hurled stones at Leman's headquarters after it published a cartoon depicting Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses exchanging greetings in mid-air as missiles rain down from the sky. Yilmaz Tunc, the justice minister, said that cartoons or drawings depicting the Prophet