Latest news with #NationalIntelligenceOrganisation
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Ukraine and Russia begin talks in Istanbul
Negotiations between the delegations of Ukraine and Russia have begun in Istanbul, Türkiye, during which proposals for a ceasefire and an end to the war are expected to be presented. Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, as reported by European Pravda Details: The ministry reported the talks are being held in the presence of the Turkish side. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is present in the room where the negotiations are taking place. It was also reported that İbrahim Kalın, the head of Türkiye's National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), would attend the meeting. Background: On 1 June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved the updated composition of Ukraine's delegation for negotiations with Russia in Istanbul aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace. As in the previous delegation, it is headed by Defence Minister Rustem Umierov. However, Oleksii Malovatskyi, head of the International and Operational Law Directorate at the General Staff's Legal Department, was excluded. Three new members – Andrii Fomin, Yevhenii Ostrianskyi and Yurii Kovbasa – have been added. Ahead of negotiations with the Russian delegation in Istanbul, First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsia and Ukrainian delegation member Oleksandr Bevz met with representatives of Ukraine's European partners – Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Qatar Tribune
25-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Syria's Al Sharaa meets Erdogan in Turkiye as sanctions lifted
Agencies Istanbul Syria's interim President Ahmed Al Sharaa has met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other top officials in Istanbul as Western sanctions on Syria are lifted. The two leaders were pictured by Turkiye's state media shaking hands after an official reception and joining for a meeting at the Dolmabahce Palace in the country's largest city on Saturday. Erdogan's office said the Turkish president told Al Sharaa his country welcomes the lifting of the sanctions. He also said that 'Israel's occupation and aggression in Syrian territory is unacceptable' and that Turkiye will continue to oppose it on every platform, according to a statement on X. The presidency said in a short statement released through state media that the leaders discussed 'a number of mutual files'. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler, National Intelligence Organisation Director Ibrahim Kalin, and the secretary of Turkish Defence Industries, Haluk Gorgun, were part of the talks, which were closed to the press. Al Sharaa, who enjoyed sweeping Turkish backing in overthrowing Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, was accompanied by his Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shaibani. The Syrian interim leader was also received by Erdogan in the capital, Ankara, in early February, in what was his second international trip after a visit to Riyadh to meet Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two sides have been discussing deepening bilateral relations and the reconstruction of Syria, as regional allies helped convince United States President Donald Trump to lift devastating sanctions imposed on Syria. Washington on Friday lifted the first sanctions as part of the drive announced by Trump during his regional tour earlier this month. The European Union has also followed suit, lifting economic sanctions to help with Syria's recovery after years of civil war. The new Syrian government has welcomed the lifting of the sanctions, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday describing the move as a 'positive step in the right direction to reduce humanitarian and economic struggles in the country'. Trump's special envoy to Syria, the current US ambassador to Turkiye, Thomas Barrack, said he met Al Sharaa on Saturday in Istanbul and praised the leader 'taking meaningful steps' so far regarding foreign fighters and relations with Israel. The first of the US sanctions on Syria were imposed in 1979, when Bashar Al Assad's father, Hafez, was in power. But they were hugely levelled up after the Al Assad government launched a deadly crackdown on protesters in 2011, which triggered the country's civil war, which killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. The sanctions targeted any entity or company working with the Al Assad establishment, including those involved in rebuilding the country.
Euronews
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Syria's leader Ahmed al-Sharaa makes surprise visit to Istanbul
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Istanbul on Saturday. The surprise visit of Syria's interim leader to Istanbul came after his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia. Announced on 29 January as the leader of Syria's interim administration, al-Sharaa made his first visit to Turkey in February at the invitation of President Erdogan. Syria's interim leader, who arrived in Ankara on a plane provided by Turkey, emphasised in his speech that they wanted to transform their relations with Turkey into a "deep strategic cooperation". The meeting took place at the Dolmabahçe Working Office and was attended by Turkish Head of National Intelligence Organisation (MİT) İbrahim Kalın, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Turkish Minister of National Defence Yaşar Güler and Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan Şeybani. President Erdogan stated that the EU and the US's move to ease sanctions on Syria was "welcomed by Turkey". The Turkish leader also emphasized the need to protect Syria's territorial integrity, referencing Israeli troops within the country's borders. In turn, the Syrian leader thanked President Erdogan "for his critical support and efforts" in lifting sanctions. US President Donald Trump met with Syria's interim leader al-Sharaa in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, as part of his Middle East tour. The meeting came after the surprise announcement that the US would lift all sanctions against the new Syrian government. Trump's decision to abruptly lift sanctions against Syria has accelerated a long-standing roadmap in Brussels. On 20 May, the European Union decided to lift all remaining economic sanctions against Syria. Despite concerns among some in his administration about the Syrian leadership's past ties to al-Qaeda, Trump signalled a significant policy shift by announcing that he would lift sanctions against Syria at the meeting. President Erdogan attended the meeting online with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Trump. Trump's decision to lift sanctions is seen as a major diplomatic win for al-Sharaa, who overthrew former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December. However, incidents such as the killing of hundreds of Alawite civilians in March showed how fragile the country remains. Western governments, including the United States, condemned these attacks. For years, al-Sharaa was the leader of the official branch of al-Qaeda in Syria. He first joined the organisation in Iraq and spent five years in US prisons. Later, al-Sharaa founded the al-Nusra organisation in Syria, affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Later, he announced his defection from ISIS and founded the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) organisation, which is still recognised as a 'terrorist' organisation by many countries. However, things began to change slowly after the overthrow of brutal, long-time dictator Assad. In December, the US cancelled the $10 million bounty on al-Sharaa's head. Israel continues its major offensive in the Gaza Strip, with the military claiming to have struck more than 100 targets in the past 24 hours, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The targets included buildings used by Hamas, a rocket launcher, tunnels and other infrastructure, the IDF claims. At least 60 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in a 24 hour period, Gaza's health ministry said on Friday. On Saturday, six armed Palestinian men who were guarding humanitarian aid trucks—reportedly to prevent them from being looted—were killed in a drone strike by Israeli forces. The IDF alleges the men were members of Hamas, a claim that the group has denied, insisting that they were "members of the aid security and protection teams… who were performing purely humanitarian tasks.' Since easing the aid blockade on Monday, Israel has said that 388 aid trucks have entered Gaza. However, Palestinian aid groups dispute this, stating that only 119 trucks have made it through the Karem Shalom crossing. In a separate development, a recent Associated Press report cited testimonies from Palestinians and Israeli soldiers alleging that Israeli forces have used Palestinian detainees as human shields during operations in Gaza. Dressed in uniform and with a camera on his head, Ayman Abu Hamadan said he was forced into homes in Gaza to check for bombs and gunmen. When an Israeli unit was done with him, he was handed to another. 'They beat me and told me: 'You have no other option; do this or we'll kill you,'' the 36-year-old said, describing the two and a half weeks he was held by the Israeli military in northern Gaza last summer. An Israeli officer, who spoke anonymously out of fear of reprisal, said orders often came from higher up and that many platoons used Palestinians to clear sites. Palestinians and Israeli soldiers told the AP that troops are routinely using Palestinians as human shields in Gaza, forcing them into buildings and tunnels to look for explosives or militants. They said the dangerous practice has become widespread during the 19-month war. While Israel has denied the accusations, it stated that it strictly forbids the use of civilians as human shields and is currently investigating several reported cases. The new round of fighting began when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians. Hamas took 251 people as hostages, and is currently holding 58, of whom 20 are believed to be alive. A subsequent Israeli offensive has to date killed more than 53,762 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry whose figure does not distinguish between fighters and civilians.
Roya News
11-04-2025
- Roya News
Turkish court sentences family to 100 years for spying for "Israel"
A Turkish court has handed down prison sentences totaling 100 years to a group accused of spying for the Mossad, "Israel's" national intelligence agency. The 23rd Heavy Penal Court in Istanbul convicted six individuals, including an entire family, of working on behalf of Mossad. The ruling follows a months-long investigation and a sweeping operation carried out last April by Turkiye's National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), which identified the group's alleged role in tracking and collecting information on selected individuals — particularly foreign nationals — within the country. Ahmet Ersin Tumlucali, an insurance company owner described by prosecutors as the ringleader of the network, received a sentence of 22.5 years, later reduced to 18 years and nine months due to "good behavior." His wife, Benan Tumlucali, was given 16 years and eight months, while their daughter, Dila Sultan Simsek, received a sentence of 15 years, seven months, and 15 days. Three additional suspects, reportedly tied to the same operation, were also sentenced to over 15 years each. According to the indictment, the defendants were allegedly operating under a Mossad unit focused on digital intelligence work, including surveillance photography and tracking individuals believed to be of interest to the "Israeli" agency. Some of their reported targets included foreign nationals who had fled conflict zones and sought refuge in Turkiye.
