Latest news with #Turkiye
Arab News
21 minutes ago
- General
- Arab News
Gaza in the spotlight during Pakistani PM's regional diplomacy tour
ISLAMABAD: The leaders of Pakistan, Turkiye, and Azerbaijan met on Wednesday at a trilateral summit in Lachin and called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, saying Israel's war on the besieged enclave was the clearest example of the 'crisis of legitimacy' of the international system. The trilateral summit was addressed by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev. 'In these days of deepening polarization and increasing blockization, we are witnessing the international system gradually drifting into a crisis of legitimacy,' Erdogan said during his speech. 'The clearest example of the crisis of the international system is Israel's relentless cruelty and expansionist policies in Palestine.' He said countries like Turkiye and Pakistan would continue defending the rights of the people of Gaza. 'We call on the entire world from here [trilateral summit] to increase pressure on the Israeli administration for establishing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and for taking uninterrupted emergency humanitarian aid into Gaza,' the Turkish leader added. Earlier, Sharif had also called for an 'immediate ceasefire' in Gaza and access to 'unimpeded humanitarian aid' for its people. 'They also expressed deep concern over the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, urgently calling for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access to the affected Palestinian population,' Sharif's office said after he met Erdogan. Israel launched its latest air and ground war in Gaza after a cross-border attack by the Hamas group on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people by Israeli tallies, with 251 hostages abducted into Gaza. The war has killed more than 53,900 Palestinians since, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated the coastal strip. The entire 2.1 million population of Gaza is facing prolonged food shortages, with nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death, according to the World Health Organization. Food security groups say more than 93 percent of children in Gaza, about 930,000, are at risk of famine. Using satellite data, the United Nations estimated in February that 69 percent of the structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed.
Al Jazeera
5 hours ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Russia proposes new round of Istanbul talks; Ukraine pushes for memorandum
Russia has proposed a new round of direct talks with Ukraine in Turkiye's Istanbul on Monday with the goal of securing a lasting ceasefire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says, after heavy bombardment of its neighbour and aerial exchanges in the past week. 'We hope that all those who are sincerely, and not just in words, interested in the success of the peace process will support holding a new round of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul,' Lavrov said in a statement on Wednesday. Kyiv responded a short time later, saying it had already submitted its version of the memorandum on peace to the Russian delegation. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov urged Moscow to share its version without delay: 'We are not opposed to further meetings with the Russians and are awaiting their 'memorandum', so that the meeting won't be empty and can truly move us closer to ending the war', he said. 'The Russian side has at least four more days before their departure to provide us with their document for review,' he added. The Moscow proposal followed a rare meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul on May 16, the first direct contact in more than three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The talks resulted in an exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war each, but failed to produce a ceasefire, which remains a key demand of Ukraine and its Western allies. Moscow has insisted that certain conditions must be met before halting military operations. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia's delegation, said on Telegram that he had contacted Umerov to suggest a date and venue for the next meeting. 'Let me emphasise: right there, on the spot, we are ready to begin an essential, substantive discussion of each of the points of the package agreement on a possible ceasefire,' Medinsky said, adding that he expected a reply from Ukraine. Al Jazeera's Dorsa Jabbari in Moscow said the Russians had been preparing this for the last few days after a meeting with Turkish officials on Tuesday. At the top of Russia's agenda is 'likely to be a list of demands, about what a possible ceasefire deal would look like. Russia has made it very clear that they are not going to back down by ensuring their security is a top priority,' she said. Al Jazeera's John Hendren, reporting from Kyiv, added that from the Ukrainian perspective, Russia is making 'maximalist demands' by blocking Ukraine from joining NATO, asking Kyiv to withdraw troops from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, and imposing limits on the size of the Ukrainian military – all of which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said is off the table. The renewed diplomatic push from Moscow comes after growing pressure from United States President Donald Trump. Speaking on Wednesday, he suggested that Russian leader Vladimir Putin might be stalling the peace process. 'We're going to find out whether or not he's tapping us along or not, and if he is, we'll respond a little differently,' Trump said, likely referring to imposing more sanctions on Moscow as Ukraine's European allies have done recently. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Trump appeared 'not sufficiently informed about what is really happening in the context of the Ukrainian-Russian confrontation'. Trump, who has previously expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of sanctions, said he was reluctant to impose new penalties on Moscow, fearing they could derail the fragile ceasefire efforts. 'If I think I'm close to getting a deal, I don't want to screw it up by doing that,' he told reporters in the Oval Office. Trump warned on Tuesday that Putin was 'playing with fire' and suggested 'really bad' things would have already happened to Russia were it not for his intervention. On Monday, Trump lambasted Putin, describing him as 'absolutely crazy' after Moscow launched its largest aerial attack of the war on Ukraine, killing at least 13 people. It was a rare rebuke of Putin from the US president. In the meantime, Lavrov spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday to discuss preparations for a next round of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, Russia's Foreign Ministry said. The ministry said Lavrov briefed Rubio on Russia's efforts to implement agreements reached after a phone call between Putin and Trump on May 19. Putin previously said Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on drafting a memorandum for a future peace accord, but nevertheless has resisted any move towards an immediate, unconditional ceasefire. Meanwhile, Germany and Ukraine announced plans to jointly develop long-range missiles as part of their deepening defence cooperation. 'Our defence ministers will sign a memorandum of understanding today regarding the procurement of Ukrainian-made long-range weapons systems,' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said during a joint news conference in Berlin with Zelenskyy on Wednesday. 'There will be no range restrictions, allowing Ukraine to fully defend itself, even against military targets outside its own territory,' he added. Merz had announced two days earlier that Ukraine's Western allies had lifted range restrictions on the weapons they have been supplying. The Kremlin has previously warned that any long-range Western-provided weapons, such as Taurus missiles, striking inside the country would be seen as an escalation.
Arab News
7 hours ago
- General
- Arab News
Saudi Embassy coordinating with Turkiye to find boy who fell into a creek
ANKARA: The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Turkiye confirmed on Wednesday that it is coordinating with Turkish authorities to search for a Saudi child who reportedly fell into Haldizen Creek in Uzungol region. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the embassy issued a statement clarifying the reports circulating in media outlets and across social media platforms regarding the incident in Trabzon province. 'From the first moments of the incident, the embassy coordinated with the child's family and contacted the relevant Turkish authorities to investigate the incident,' the statement said. 'The authorities have responded and are gratefully conducting extensive searches in the area and its surrounding to locate the child. We ask God Almighty to crown these efforts with success and to protect everyone from all harm,' it added.
Al Jazeera
9 hours ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Russia proposes new round of Istanbul talks; Ukraine yet to respond
Russia has proposed a new round of direct talks with Ukraine in Turkiye's Istanbul on Monday with the goal of securing a lasting ceasefire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says after heavy bombardments of its neighbour and aerial exchanges in the past week. 'We hope that all those who are sincerely, and not just in words, interested in the success of the peace process will support holding a new round of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul,' Lavrov said in a statement on Wednesday. There has been no immediate response from Kyiv. The proposal followed a rare meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul on May 16, the first direct contact in more than three years since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The talks resulted in an exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war each but failed to produce a ceasefire, which remains a key demand of Ukraine and its Western allies. Moscow has insisted certain conditions must be met before halting military operations. Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia's delegation, said on Telegram that he had contacted Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov to suggest a date and venue for the next meeting. 'Let me emphasise: right there, on the spot, we are ready to begin an essential, substantive discussion of each of the points of the package agreement on a possible ceasefire,' Medinsky said, adding that he expected a reply from Ukraine. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova said both sides had agreed to prepare their own proposals outlining the 'modalities of settlement and ceasefire' before the next round of talks. The renewed diplomatic push comes amid growing pressure from United States President Donald Trump. Speaking on Wednesday, he suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin might be stalling the peace process. 'We're going to find out whether or not he's tapping us along or not, and if he is, we'll respond a little differently,' Trump said, likely referring to imposing more sanctions on Moscow as Ukraine's European allies have done recently. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Trump appeared 'not sufficiently informed about what is really happening in the context of the Ukrainian-Russian confrontation'. Trump, who has previously expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of sanctions, said he was reluctant to impose new penalties on Moscow, fearing they could derail the fragile ceasefire efforts. 'If I think I'm close to getting a deal, I don't want to screw it up by doing that,' he told reporters in the Oval Office. Trump warned on Tuesday that Putin was 'playing with fire' and suggested 'really bad' things would have already happened to Russia were it not for Trump's intervention. On Monday, Trump lambasted Putin, describing him as 'absolutely crazy' after Moscow launched its largest aerial attack of the war on Ukraine, killing at least 13 people. It was a a rare rebuke of Putin. After a phone call with Trump on May 19, Putin said Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on drafting a memorandum for a future peace accord but nevertheless resisted any move towards an immediate, unconditional ceasefire. Meanwhile, Germany and Ukraine announced plans to jointly develop long-range missiles as part of their deepening defence cooperation. 'Our defence ministers will sign a memorandum of understanding today regarding the procurement of Ukrainian-made long-range weapons systems,' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said during a joint news conference in Berlin with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday. 'There will be no range restrictions, allowing Ukraine to fully defend itself, even against military targets outside its own territory,' he added. Merz had announced two days earlier that Ukraine's Western allies had lifted range restrictions on the weapons they have been supplying to Kyiv. Zelenskyy said the two leaders also agreed to cooperate on the production of drones and other weapons in Ukraine and agreements had been signed for the construction and development of new manufacturing facilities. 'These new projects already exist,' Zelenskyy said. 'We just want them to be in the amount that we need.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
12 hours ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Yes, Compare Syria with Lebanon!
For fourteen years, the people of Syria waged a struggle to topple the criminal Bashar al-Assad, defeat Iran and its proxies (foremost among them Hezbollah), and break Russia's link with Assad. They have been on the receiving end of Israeli strikes both before and after Assad's fall. The new Syrian administration led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa has not given Israel a pretext for these assaults. Seven hundred strikes have hit the country over his five-month tenure regardless; the gravest of these strikes hit a site near the palace where Sharaa resides. The US and EU sanctions on Syria, which had originally been imposed to rescue them from Assad's crimes, have caused immense suffering in Syria. Now, these sanctions are impeding the reconstruction of Syria after the war. How have Syrians reacted under Sharaa? Did they roam the globe begging for support? No! Did they weep and complain? No! Did they give in to hysteria, deciding to confront Israel or retaliate to the provocations of Hezbollah and other actors in Lebanon or Iraq? Again, no! Instead, Syrians are determined to behave sensibly, even as skeptics piled up and many were prepared to give Assad opportunity after opportunity despite his record of treating politics like a game of deception. Sharaa understood that Saudi Arabia is the region's gateway to the world and that proactive engagement with his neighbors is a necessity, not a luxury. He managed his country's relationship with Türkiye carefully. While some said that he had limited options, he maintained his composure, avoided escalation in response to Israel's attacks, and never forgot Syria's realities. He ignored provocations, avoided nationalist or Islamist bravado, and refused to inflame the passions of people with the kind of hollow rhetoric peddled by Assad, Hezbollah, and their backers. He candidly stressed that war-torn Syria needs reconstruction, insisting that he seeks partnership and investment, not hand-outs. Accordingly, he prioritized lifting American and European sanctions and resetting Syrian-American relations. He succeeded, through Saudi mediation. President Donald Trump announced that sanctions would be lifted because Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked him to. Today, reliable sources have reported that Syria and Israel are holding direct talks to curb Israeli attacks, which have already been scaled back since Trump met Sharaa in Riyadh, without any fanfare or propaganda. The domestic and foreign spoilers notwithstanding, Sharaa has begun to put Syria's house in order. The wheels of recovery have begun turning. Here the reader may now be asking: 'What about Lebanon?' That is precisely the point! Lebanon is in a hole, and it is still digging. The Lebanese political class continues to favor 'round-table compromises,' soliciting outside help and Arab engagement to help it succeed. Yet, it cannot decide whether arms should be monopolized by the state or if the state can be hijacked by those weapons. President Mahmoud Abbas agrees that no Palestinian non-state actors can maintain their arms, but Hezbollah insists that its arsenal is above the authority of the state, ostensibly 'for the sake of Palestine.' Lebanon claims to seek reconstruction, but drags its feet on imposing the state's supremacy. The comparison could go on and on. However, the question is simple: Does Lebanon want to build a state or merely maintain the remnants of a state? The answer will come from Lebanon. No one will squander time, effort, and money saving a country that will not save itself.
