Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, considered the biggest political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was arrested in March and subsequently imprisoned. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Washington:

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday that Syrian civilians need to be protected after Ankara-backed Islamists overthrew the Damascus government.

The top US diplomat met late Thursday for more than an hour with Erdogan at a lounge at the airport of the capital Ankara, moments after the Turkish leader saw off Hungary’s nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban.

Blinken “reiterated the importance of all actors in Syria respecting human rights, upholding international humanitarian law, and taking all feasible steps to protect civilians, including members of minority groups”, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Turkey has emphasised its security concerns following the upheaval in Syria, where it has been fighting a Kurdish-led force that Washington backs as a key player in the fight against Islamic State (IS) group jihadists.

After years of stalemate, the Islamist movement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group last weekend toppled Syria’s iron-fisted leader Bashar al-Assad, a secular-oriented member of the minority Alawite community.

Blinken told Erdogan of “the need to ensure the coalition to defeat ISIS (IS) can continue to execute its critical mission”, Miller said.

Speaking before his departure to Turkey on a stop in Jordan, Blinken acknowledged “real and clear interests” by Turkey about the PKK, the Kurdish fighters that Ankara links to Syrian Kurdish guerrillas.

“At the same time, again, we want to avoid sparking any kinds of additional conflicts inside of Syria,” Blinken told reporters in Aqaba, Jordan.

“And part of that also has to be ensuring that ISIS doesn’t rear its ugly head again. And critical to making sure that doesn’t happen is the so-called SDF, the Syrian Democratic Forces, that we’ve been supporting,” he said, referring to the Kurdish-led forces.

Blinken, who leaves office next month following Donald Trump’s election victory, has called for an “inclusive” process to form Syria’s next government, with respect for all communities.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Washington’s approval for Ukraine to use American missiles against military targets inside Russia is a “big mistake” which could drag the world to the brink of a “major war”, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in remarks published on Wednesday (November 20, 2024).

The move to let Kyiv to use powerful long-range ATACMS missiles represents a major U.S. policy shift, sparking a furious response from Moscow which on Tuesday broadened the scope of when it can use nuclear weapons in a clear warning to Ukraine and the West.

Also read | U.S. will provide antipersonnel mines to Ukraine: U.S. official

“This step by [U.S. President Joe] Biden will not only escalate the conflict, but will lead to a greater reaction from Russia … [and] may bring the region and the world to the brink of a major new war,” the Turkish president told journalists on the flight back from the G20 summit in Rio.

The U.S. decision “could be interpreted as a move to fuel the war, to ensure it never ends and even spreads,” he said, pointing out that Tuesday’s decree signed by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin allows Moscow to unleash a nuclear response in the event of a massive air attack, even if only with conventional weapons.

“The slightest mistake made on the basis of this big mistake … will be like throwing the powder keg into the fire, so I advise everyone to be careful,” he said.

Turkey, which enjoys friendly ties with its two Black Sea neighbours, has supplied Ukraine with drones but shied away from Western sanctions on Moscow.

Mr. Putin’s revision of Russian nuclear policy was swiftly condemned by Washington, Brussels and London as “irresponsible” and Erdogan said the measure should be examined by NATO.

“The step taken by Russia should be considered by the NATO authorities and should also be reviewed,” he told a press conference in Rio on Tuesday.

“Russia has the strength and measures to protect itself, in a similar way, as NATO countries, we also have to take steps to protect ourselves,” he said.

The Russian president has used nuclear rhetoric throughout the conflict but has grown increasingly belligerent since last year, pulling out of a nuclear test ban treaty and a key arms reduction agreement with the U.S.

The leader of Turkiye’s far-right nationalist party that’s allied with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised the possibility on Tuesday that the imprisoned leader of a militant Kurdish group could be granted parole if he renounces violence and disbands his organisation.

The unprecedented statement by Nationalist Movement Party leader Devlet Bahceli comes amid speculation that Mr. Erdogan is seeking support from Turkiye’s pro-Kurdish political party in Parliament to enact a new constitution that could allow him to stay in power for unlimited terms.

The current constitution does not allow Mr. Erdogan, who has been in power since 2003, to run for office again unless early elections are called.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM — the third largest party in Parliament — has long sought improved conditions for Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.

Ocalan has been serving a life term on a prison island off Istanbul since 1999. DEM says Ocalan is currently kept in isolation.

The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous state in Turkiye’s southeast since 1984, and the violence has claimed tens of thousands of lives. The group is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkiye and its Western allies.

“Let the terrorist leader … unilaterally declare that terrorism is over and that his organisation has been dissolved,” Mr. Bahceli said in a speech in Parliament.

“If the terrorist leader’s isolation is lifted, let him come and speak at the DEM’s meeting in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. If he shows this determination, let the path for regulation toward the right to hope be opened,” Mr. Bahceli said, in reference to an imprisoned person’s right to rehabilitation and possible freedom.

Smoke billows over southern Lebanon following Israeli strike, amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Tyre, Lebanon September 25, 2024.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

World leaders lined up at the United Nations on Tuesday (September 24, 2024) to call on Israel to refrain from a full-scale war in Lebanon, with the organization’s chief warning the situation was on the “brink.”

The UN General Assembly, the high point of the international diplomatic calendar, comes after Lebanese authorities said Israeli strikes had killed 558 people— 50 of them children.

“Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest. Even though the situation has escalated, a diplomatic solution is still possible,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in his farewell address to the global body.

“In fact, it remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely,” Mr. Biden said ahead of an emergency UN Security Council session on Lebanon planned for Wednesday.

Mr. Biden’s remarks drew disappointment from Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib who said they were “not promising” and “would not solve the Lebanese problem,” as he estimated that the number of people displaced by Israel’s strikes has likely soared to reach half a million.

“We should all be alarmed by the escalation. Lebanon is at the brink,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said when he opened the gathering.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said his country was “not eager” for a ground invasion of Lebanon.

“We don’t want to send our boys to fight in a foreign country,” he said.

‘End this war’

It is unclear what progress can be made to defuse the situation in Lebanon, with efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza— which Israel has relentlessly pounded since October 2023— coming to nothing.

Mr. Biden on Tuesday pushed again for an elusive ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, telling the global body it was time to “end this war.”

Mediator Qatar accused Israel of obstructing Gaza ceasefire talks, with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani saying “there is no Israeli partner for peace” under the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.

But he added: “We will continue our efforts of mediation to resolve the disputes through peaceful means.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of dragging the entire region “into war.”

“Not only children but also the UN system is dying in Gaza,” Mr. Erdogan said in a scathing speech.

Mr. Guterres cautioned against “the possibility of transforming Lebanon (into) another Gaza,” calling the situation in the Palestinian territory a “non-stop nightmare.”

European Council President Charles Michel said that Israel had the right to exist and defend itself but without inflicting “collective punishment” on civilians living in areas targeted by its military.

President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran— which backs Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza— condemned “senseless and incomprehensible” inaction by the UN against Israel.

‘Charade of hypocrisy’

British Foreign Minister David Lammy also sounded the alarm over the escalating violence in Lebanon.

“I am very worried about the risk of escalation, and this breaking into a wider regional conflict,” he told AFP as Britain announced it was deploying military units to Cyprus to assist with any evacuation of its citizens from Lebanon.

Responding to criticism of Israel, Mr. Danon called the General Assembly debate an “annual charade of hypocrisy.”

Since last year’s annual gathering, when Sudan’s civil war and Russia’s Ukraine invasion dominated, the world has faced an explosion of crises.

The October 7 attack by Palestinian group Hamas on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people and prompted a military response in Gaza that authorities say has killed at least 41,467 people.

Militants also seized 251 hostages, 97 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.

Violence has raged across multiple fronts in the Middle East since the crisis erupted, with the conflict exposing deep divisions at the UN.

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas took his seat alongside the Palestinian delegation, placed in alphabetical order in the General Assembly for the first time on Tuesday after the delegation received upgraded privileges in May.

At the rostrum, Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday ruled out the forced displacement by Israel of Palestinians to his country, which he said would be a “war crime.”

Ukraine was also on the agenda Tuesday with President Volodymyr Zelensky addressing a UN Security Council meeting on the Russian invasion.

“Russia can only be forced into peace, and that is exactly what’s needed— forcing Russia into peace,” Zelenskyy said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi pose for the media during a bilateral signature agreements ceremony at the Presidential palace in Ankara, Wednesday, September 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

The presidents of Türkiye and Egypt on Wednesday (September 4, 2024) found common ground on the war in Gaza as they continued to mend long-strained relations, emphasising the need for a permanent cease-fire and guaranteed delivery of humanitarian aid.

Türkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi spoke during the Egyptian leader’s first official visit to Ankara after years of tensions between the regional powers.

“Türkiye and Egypt have a common stance on the Palestinian issue,” Mr. Erdogan said after he and Mr. el-Sissi oversaw the signing of cooperation agreements. “The end of the genocide that has been going on for 11 months, the establishment of a permanent cease-fire as soon as possible, and the unhindered flow of humanitarian aid continue to be our priorities.”

In February, Mr. Erdogan made his first visit to Egypt in more than a decade after the countries agreed to repair ties and reappointed ambassadors. He said the countries wanted to boost bilateral trade to $15 billion in the coming years.

Relations between Egypt and Türkiye, a long-time backer of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group, soured a decade ago after the Egyptian military ousted President Mohammed Morsi, who hailed from the Brotherhood, amid mass protests against his divisive rule. Egypt also outlawed the group as a terrorist organisation.

In recent years, Ankara has stopped its criticism of Mr. el-Sissi’s government, aiming to improve strained relations with Egypt and other Arab nations while seeking investments during an economic downturn. In November 2022, Mr. Erdogan and Mr. el-Sissi were photographed shaking hands at the World Cup in Qatar.

The Egyptian foreign minister then travelled to Türkiye in 2023 to show solidarity after a deadly earthquake struck parts of southern Türkiye and Syria.

This is Mr. el-Sissi’s first visit to Türkiye since he was elected president in 2014, a year after he led the military’s overthrow of Morsi.

“We should work together to prevent humanitarian crises, especially by addressing regional issues together,” Mr. el-Sissi said. “We should work more intensively, especially with our brothers in Gaza and Palestine. In this context, both Türkiye and Egypt emphasised that an urgent cease-fire should be established as soon as possible.”

Mr. Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel’s military actions, accused Israel’s government of “condemning” the people of Gaza to hunger and thirst.

“Israel and its supporters are responsible for every innocent person who dies from hunger, thirst or lack of medicine,” he said.

He also told reporters that Türkiye wanted to cooperate with Egypt on natural gas and nuclear energy.

Mr. Erdogan welcomed Mr. el-Sissi at the steps of his airplane at the airport in Ankara, a gesture he rarely makes.

Mr. el-Sissi said on Facebook that his trip to Türkiye and Erdogan’s February visit to Cairo “mirror the joint will to start a new era of friendship and cooperation between Egypt and Türkiye.”

Egypt, together with Qatar and the United States, a key Israel ally, has been working for months to try and broker a cease-fire and the return of the remaining more than 100 hostages held by the Palestinian militant Hamas group. The negotiations have stalled following new Israeli demands.

Egypt opposes any Israeli presence along the Gaza side of its border, claiming it would threaten the decades-old peace treaty between the countries, a cornerstone of regional stability. Hamas had asked to have Türkiye added as a guarantor in the cease-fire talks, but the proposal was not accepted.

The war began with Hamas’ October 7 assault on Israel in which the militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 hostages. The overall Palestinian death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 40,000 people, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.

File picture of Syrian President Bashar Assad (right) with Turkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
| Photo Credit: AP

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday (August 25, 2024) that efforts to mend ties with Turkiye had so far brought no tangible results.

“The initiatives did not yield any results worth mentioning despite the seriousness and genuine keenness of mediators,” Mr. Assad said in a speech to the Syrian Parliament, referring to conciliation efforts by Russia, Iran and Iraq.

Turkiye severed ties with Syria in 2011 after the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, in which it supported rebels seeking to oust Mr. Assad. Mr. Assad views the rebels as terrorists.

“The solution is openness,” Mr. Assad said. “Restoring a relationship requires first removing the causes that led to its destruction.”

The Syrian President made clear that while he wants Turkish troops to withdraw from Syria, that was not a precondition for talks.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said earlier in July he would extend an invitation to Mr. Assad “any time” for possible talks to restore relations.

A Turkish newspaper earlier reported Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Assad could meet in August, but a Turkish diplomat denied the report.

Russia has been trying to facilitate a meeting between the two leaders in an effort to restore ties. Iraq also said in July that it may seek to try to bring the two leaders together.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (centre left) gestures as he stands next to Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar (centre) during celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus on July 20, 2024 in occupied northern Nicosia, Cyprus.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

Turkey’s President on July 20 put a damper on hopes for a quick resumption of talks to heal a half-century of ethnic division on Cyprus, reaffirming his support for a two-state deal that Greek Cypriots dismiss as a non-starter.

Speaking ahead of a military parade to mark the 50th anniversary of a Turkish invasion that split the island along ethnic lines, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ruled out a peace deal based on a United Nations-endorsed plan for federation.

Although Mr. Erdogan has previously rejected the federation plan, Greece and the Greek Cypriots had hoped he would soften his position.

The anniversary is a festive occasion for Turkish Cypriots in the island’s northern third, who view the invasion as salvation from the Greek-speaking majority’s domination. The invasion followed a coup that aimed at a union with Greece, which was backed by the Junta then ruling in Athens.

In the south, the howl of air raid sirens at daybreak began a solemn day marking what Greek Cypriots remember as a catastrophe that left thousands of people dead or missing and displaced a quarter of the Greek Cypriot population.

Mr. Erdogan’s remarks may further complicate U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ effort to get both sides back to the negotiating table. His personal envoy, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, has spent the past six months scoping both sides out.

“We will continue to fight with determination for the recognition of the TRNC (breakaway Turkish Cypriot state) and the implementation of a two-state solution,” Mr. Erdogan told throngs of Turkish Cypriots lining the parade route in scorching heat in the northern half of the divided capital, Nicosia.

“A federal solution in Cyprus is not possible, this is what we believe. The Turkish Cypriot side, as equals with the Greek side, are willing to negotiate and are ready to sit down and negotiate. If you want a solution, you need to recognize the rights of Turkish Cypriots.”

From the Archives, Fifty years ago | Army seizes power in Cyprus: Fate of Makarios not known

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar reiterated that Turkish Cypriots reject “domination” by the Greek Cypriot majority and seek “equal national status” for their breakaway state they unilaterally declared in 1983, which is only recognized by Turkiye. He added that there’s now “no common ground” for a return to peace negotiations.

Referring to a recent resolution in the Ankara Parliament calling for a two-state solution, Mr. Tatar said it “will help us and our cause incredibly.”

The island’s Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides urged Turkiye and the Turkish Cypriots to re-engage in reunification talks if Ankara genuinely seeks regional security and stability and to nudge closer to the European Union.

After numerous failed rounds of peace negotiations, many Cypriots on both sides — although jaded — still hold out a glimmer of hope for a peace deal.

Greek Cypriot commemorations include the unveiling of memorials to fallen heroes, church services and a gathering late on July 20 at the Presidential Palace addressed — for the first time — by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Mr. Erdogan earlier presided over “golden jubilee” events, replete with a visit by Turkiye’s first amphibious assault ship to carry the country’s potent Bayraktar drones, and an airshow.

The European Union, which Cyprus joined in 2004, urged both sides to show “genuine commitment” to a peace deal in line with U.N. resolutions.

“Too much time has been lost,” an EU spokesperson said. “A forced division can never be a solution. Hope for a better future, a united Cyprus, still exists.”

Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, shakes hands with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
| Photo Credit: AP

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said he might invite his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad to Turkiye “at any moment”, in a sign of reconciliation after the 2011 war broke ties between Ankara and Damascus.

Mr. Erdogan’s comments come after tensions have mounted over the past week after a mob went on the rampage, vandalising businesses and properties owned by Syrians in a central Anatolian city.

“We may send an invitation (to Assad) at any moment,” Mr. Erdogan told journalists aboard a plane from Berlin where he watched Euro 2024, the official Anadolu news agency and other media reported.

Turkiye originally aimed to topple Mr. Assad’s regime when the Syrian conflict erupted with the violent suppression of peaceful protesters in 2011 and backed rebels calling for his ouster.

But more recently, Ankara has shifted focus to preventing what Mr. Erdogan in 2019 dubbed a “terror corridor” from opening up in northern Syria.

He has long said he could reconsider ties with Mr. Assad as his government is working to ensure safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

Speaking to journalists, Mr. Erdogan said some leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested to mediate a meeting with Assad in Turkiye.

“Now we have come to such a point that as soon as Bashar al-Assad takes a step towards improving relations with Turkiye, we will show him the same approach,” Mr. Erdogan said.

Violence

Turkish authorities this week detained over 470 people after anti-Syrian riots in several cities sparked by accusations that a Syrian man had allegedly harassed a Syrian minor in Kayseri.

Mr. Erdogan on Monday blamed the opposition for stoking tensions and condemned the anti-Syrian violence as “unacceptable”.

The fate of Syrian refugees is a burning issue in Turkish politics, with Mr. Erdogan’s opponents in last year’s presidential election promising to send them back to Syria.

Turkeiye, which hosts some 3.2 million Syrian refugees according to UN data, has been shaken several times by bouts of xenophobic violence in recent years, often triggered by rumours spreading on social media and instant messaging applications.

The riots in Kayseri spread to several other cities including Istanbul this week while clashes between armed protesters and guards of Turkish positions in Syria’s north killed seven people.

Turkiye has launched a string of offensives in Syria since 2016 targeting Kurdish militias, Islamic State group jihadists and forces loyal to Assad.

Pro-Turkish forces in Syria now control two vast strips of territory along the border.

On Monday, hundreds of Syrians demonstrated throughout the Ankara-controlled area, with some armed protesters attacking Turkish trucks and military posts, and taking down Turkish flags.

Mr. Erdogan has vowed to reveal “which dirty hands” triggered the clashes in northern Syria.

According to the Syrian Observatory, four border crossings with Turkiye have been shut in the wake of the violence. There was no immediate confirmation by the Turkish government.

Istanbul:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Palestinians to unite amid Israel’s war in Gaza following hours-long talks with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul on Saturday, his office said. 

Erdogan has failed to establish a foothold as a mediator in the Gaza conflict that has roiled the region, with the Hamas-run Palestinian territory bracing for a new Israeli offensive and a reported Israeli attack on Iran.

Erdogan said Palestinian unity was “vital” following the talks at the Dolmabahce palace on the banks of the Bosphorus strait, which Turkish media reports said lasted more than two and a half hours. 

“The strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity,” Erdogan said according to a Turkish presidency statement. 

Hamas — designated a terrorist organisation by the United States, the European Union and Israel — is a rival of the Fatah faction that rules the semi-autonomous Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank. 

As fears of a wider regional war grow, Erdogan said recent events between Iran and Israel should not allow Israel to “gain ground and that it is important to act in a way that keeps attention on Gaza”. 

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemned the meeting, writing on X: “Muslim Brotherhood alliance: rape, murder, desecration of corpses and the burning of babies. Erdogan, shame on you!” 

Hamas was founded by members of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1987.

Close ties with Haniyeh

With Qatar saying it will reassess its role as a mediator between Hamas and Israel, Erdogan sent Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Doha on Wednesday in a new sign that he wants a role. 

“Even if only I, Tayyip Erdogan, remain, I will continue as long as God gives me my life, to defend the Palestinian struggle and to be the voice of the oppressed Palestinian people,” the president said Wednesday when he announced Haniyeh’s visit. 

Hamas has had an office in Turkey since 2011 when Turkey helped secure the agreement for the group to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. 

Erdogan has maintained links with Haniyeh, who has been a frequent visitor.

Fidan was a past head of Turkish intelligence and the country provided information and passports to Hamas officials, including Haniyeh, according to Sinan Ciddi, a Turkey specialist at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington. 

This has never been confirmed by Turkish authorities, however.

Erdogan slams Israel

If Qatar withdraws from mediation efforts, Turkey could seek to increase its mediation profile based on its Hamas links.

Fidan on Saturday held talks with visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, with both men emphasising the need to deliver more humanitarian aid to devastated Gaza where the threat of famine looms.

Turkey is one of Gaza’s main humanitarian aid partners, sending 45,000 tonnes of supplies and medicine in the region.

Israel has said it is preparing an offensive against the Gazan city of Rafah and the reported Israeli attack on the Iranian province of Isfahan, following Iran’s direct attack on Israel, has only clouded hopes of a peace breakthrough.

But Erdogan can only expect a “very limited” role because of his outspoken condemnation of Israel and its actions in Gaza, according to Ciddi.

Last year, the Turkish leader likened the tactics of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to those of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and called Israel a “terrorist state” because of its offensive against Hamas after the group’s October 7 attacks on Israel. 

Ciddi said Erdogan would not be welcome in Israel and at most might be able to pass messages between Palestinian and Israel negotiators.

The unprecedented Hamas attacks that sparked the Gaza war resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people in southern Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Hamas also took about 250 hostages. Israel estimates 129 remain in Gaza, including 34 who are presumed dead.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed 34,049 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)