The pair will discuss steps to “further strengthen cooperation between the two countries,” Erdoğan’s chief press aide, Fahrettin Altun, wrote on X.
The Ukrainian president will fly to Ankara from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he landed on Sunday for talks on economic cooperation.
On Wednesday he is due to travel to Saudi Arabia.
She criticised the hypocrisy of Western powers such as France and Germany, highlighting the gap between their official statements and actions on the ground. In particular, she condemned their inaction regarding ongoing Turkish military attacks on civilians and infrastructure in northern Syria, stressing that these assaults continue without any clear response or preventive measures from Western nations.
Ahmed was also questioned about her foreign policy efforts, specifically whether she had raised human rights concerns, including Turkey’s occupation of large parts of northern Syria and its alliance with Islamist militias. She confirmed that she had addressed these issues with international actors such as the United Nations, the United States, and European states, urging them to act as guarantors to facilitate the return of refugees to their homes.
According to the Health Board of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, 41 civilians were martyred and 258 others were wounded between January 8 and February 1 (25 days).
Names of the civilians who were killed or injured as a result of the attacks on the Tishrin Dam are as follows:
The attack on Monday killed at least 20 people, most of them women working in agricultural fields.
The area was captured from the SDF by Turkey-backed armed groups in the Syrian National Army (SNA) coalition in December. Fighting has been ongoing between the factions around the Tishreen Dam to the east.
There have been seven car bombings in and around Manbij since December. No one has claimed responsibility.
(8 hours ago)
SDF has accused Turkey and the militia groups it supports, who call themselves the Syrian National Army (SNA), of carrying out attacks on the crucial Tishreen Dam near Manbij city. Hundreds of civilians have travelled from other SDF-held areas in northeast Syria (Rojava) to the dam to form a human shield but they have come under several drone attacks.
(January 20, 2025)
Despite losing the gateway town of Manbij in early Turkish-backed offensives, the SDF has successfully defended the Tishreen Dam area. Already over 440 fighters have been killed on both sides in just the month and a half since the fall of the al-Assad Syrian government.
(January 19,2025)
A Turkish airstrike today has reportedly killed Menije Hado, the co-chairperson of the Kurdish PYD, the leading political party among Syrian Kurds. She was among 6 civilians killed and over 20 wounded in the attack near the Tishreen Dam in Qamishli.
Hado and the others were participating in a sit-in near the Dam, a protest aimed at calling the international community to do more to prevent attacks on that area, a major source of fresh water and electricity for northeastern Syria.
MEE is not aware of any evidence linking Assad’s departure to a deal with Israel. However, there have been reports suggesting that the former president shared sensitive military information with Israel in exchange for a guarantee of safe passage out of Syria.
Since the government collapsed, Israel has conducted hundreds of strikes on Syrian military positions nationwide and launched a ground invasion, capturing the entire buffer zone along the occupied Golan Heights and beyond.
The government, Hussem said, had the means to resist but chose not to, opting instead to flee and leave their officers to fend for themselves.
“But what happened was that the Iranians told Bashar al-Assad, ‘we did not receive any signals to proceed with moving Iranian aircraft to the Hmeimim base [or to] fly through Iraqi airspace to land at the base,’” Saqr told Mazeej.
“The question was relayed to Moscow, but no answer came.”
When asked whether this was a “trick by Putin”, Saqr said there was “no other explanation”.
Saqr said the Iranians told Assad they sent a plane regardless through Iraq, but were warned by the US that the aircraft would be shot down if it continued.
The final outcome in Syria appears stark: Assad’s regime has fallen, and the Syrian army has been entirely dismantled—an unprecedented event even compared to the 1967 war. Israel now firmly controls the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon. Turkish forces have seized more than 13 cities, cementing their influence. The United States has solidified its presence in oil-rich regions while extending legal protection to the Kurds and the SDF.
Turkey and their allies, collectively known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), hold territory in Syria’s northeast, but have gained considerable influence having backed the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the takeover of most of the country. HTS officials are already suggesting that stamping out Kurdish separatists is a near-term goal, and that Turkish involvement in Syria’s reconstruction is a priority.
US officials have been trying to reassure the Kurds that they don’t face any immediate threats to existence from Turkey’s allies, despite Turkish officials saying the “elimination” of the SDF’s largest faction, the YPG, is their strategic goal.
(December 19, 2024)
There is no talk of a ceasefire deal between Turkey and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria, contrary to a U.S. announcement, a Turkish defence ministry official said on Thursday.
The State Department had said…
Und was Israel angeht – auf kurze Sicht profitiert es wohl davon. Israel hat die Situation dazu genutzt, mehr Land zu besetzen, angeblich Waffenlager zerstört. Aber ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, dass ein islamischer Staat auf längere Sicht gut für Israel ist.
Vor einem guten Jahr hat sich in der israelischen Führung ein riesiger Wandel vollzogen. Ein wichtiges Ziel dieser neuen Strömung: Es darf keinen Palästinenserstaat geben. Man will einen durch und durch jüdischen Staat. Israels Bevölkerung ist zerrissen, was diese Themen angeht, fast am Rande eines Bürgerkrieges. Netanjahu ist autoritärer denn je, er hat alles persönlich unter Kontrolle.
Und es hat sich noch etwas drastisch verändert: Die Israelis in den 70er- und 80er-Jahren waren säkulare Europäer, diese Menschen an der Regierung heute sind alttestamentarisch. Sie sind nicht der Logik und der Ratio zugänglich, sondern sie fühlen sich ihrer quasi biblischen Vision verpflichtet. Da ist magisches Denken am Werk.
(…)
Für mich ist das eine Art geopolitisches Schneeballsystem. Netanjahu setzt alles daran, die Kämpfe am Laufen zu halten – würde man innehalten und das Ganze hinterfragen, würde das System kollabieren wie bei einem Schneeballsystem.
“Earlier today, an Israeli fighter jet carried out an airstrike on radars in Deir Ezzor Military Airport,” it said.
“Moreover, an anonymous explosion took place at the only bridge on Euphrates River that connects between the city and Hatla Village, which is one of the seven villages in SDF-held areas.”
(December 11, 2024)
Erdogan, Netanyahu aren‘t letting the crisis on their borders go to waste
(December 5, 2024)
How the incoming Trump administration intends to deal with the situation in Syria is anyone’s guess. Given that the president-elect has chosen staunch Israeli supporters to occupy senior posts in his cabinet, there appears to be strong reason to believe that Trump 2.0 policy towards Damascus will be determined to a large degree by Israeli preferences. If so, Washington’s approach may be to weaken and possibly oust Assad from power given the latter’s longstanding alliance with Iran, which remains Public Enemy Number One for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Turkey-backed rebel forces are continuing their advance to „clear terrorism“ in northern Syria, a Turkish defense ministry source said on Thursday, referring to the forces‘ battle against Kurdish forces in the region.
Turkey has been telling the United States repeatedly that „a terrorist organization cannot be eliminated by using another terrorist organization,“ the source also said.
The Kurdish-led administration says it is willing to „unite“ with the new administration in Damascus, as it raises the flag of the opposition in the territories it controls in northeastern Syria.
Northeastern Syria, which is controlled by the People‘s Protection Units (YPG) and their US-backed affiliate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been under attack by Turkish forces since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad on Sunday.
Nach dem Sturz von Machthaber Assad ist noch vieles unsicher in Syrien. Am Rand seiner Ukraine-Reise hebt der CDU-Vorsitzende Merz die starke Rolle von Türkiye hervor. Die EU und Deutschland sollten gemeinsam mit Ankara die Region „befrieden“.
(December 9, 2024)
Syrian opposition leaders had agreed to guarantee the safety of Russian military bases and diplomatic institutions in Syria, the source told news agencies.
(December 4,2024)
One has to decide to what extent such notions as reconciliation, appeasement or friendship have any reliable meaning when dealing with Qatar or Turkey.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, with its well-known loyalty to both Turkey and Qatar, could not have moved its troops without Qatari instructions.
Funding for the Free Syrian Army is part of a budget allocated by Doha since the Qatari leadership decided to overthrow President Assad at the beginning of the civil war.
Russia maintains its military bases and embassy in Syria after the overthrow of the government of Bashar al-Assad. The agreements with Turkey are obvious.
Turkey‘s foreign minister will meet with his Russian and Iranian counterparts in Doha on Saturday to try to find a solution to the renewed fighting in Syria and avoid chaos on its doorstep.
The three countries have been partners since 2017 in the Astana process seeking to end the civil war in Syria. This is despite the fact they have supported opposite sides on the battlefield.
“We do not want escalation to continue in the region,” the Turkish president claimed.
“Idlib, Hama, and Homs are in the hands of the Syrian opposition, and they are continuing towards Damascus. We extended our hand to Bashar al-Assad but he did not respond,” he added.
Zum anderen dürfte das, was wir in Syrien sehen, der Hinweis auf eine etwas größer angelegte türkische Strategie sein. Ich vermute, dass die Türkei längerfristig große Teile von Nord- und Ostsyrien einer zumindest indirekten Kontrolle unterwerfen und damit vor allem das kurdische Autonomiegebiet im Nordosten Syriens in Schach halten oder sogar beseitigen will. Dort herrscht nämlich ein Ableger der türkischen PKK.
(November 30,2024)
Opposition sources in touch with Turkish intelligence said Turkey, which supports the rebels, had given a green light to the offensive. Turkish officials were not immediately available to comment on Saturday.
(November 30, 2024)
Militants from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) currently invading Aleppo, Syria‘s second-largest city, are taking orders from Turkish intelligence, French news agency AFP reported on 30 November.
(November 30, 2024)
Russia appears to be „letting the Syrian rebels overthrow“ President Bashar al-Assad according to Richard Grenell, who served as acting director of National Intelligence for a time during Donald Trump‘s first administration.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Grenell, who had been tipped as a possible member of Trump‘s incoming administration, commented: „Russia seems to be letting the Syrian rebels overthrow Assad. Big. Time to play chess.“
(November 27, 2024)
Shamî stated that the attack in Aleppo was planned and coordinated by the Turkish state. He said that, by using groups like HTS, the Turkish state is trying to prevent peace in Syria and “realise its long-term occupation plans”. According to Shamî, the attacks are being carried out step by step and in an organised manner.
Farhad Shamî said that the SDF’s primary goal is to protect the people and the region, adding, “No matter who plans what, our only duty is to ensure the defense of our people.”
5. Examined in details the situation in the Idlib de-escalation area and reaffirmed their determination to fully implement the Memorandum on Stabilization of the Situation in the Idlib De-escalation Area of 17 September 2018. In this regard they expressed their concern with the ongoing violations of the ceasefire regime, and declared that, as guarantors of the ceasefire regime, they would step up their efforts to ensure observance with it, including by enhacing work of the Joint Iranian-Russian-Turkish Coordination Center. They stressed the importance of a lasting ceasefire while underlining the necessity to continue effective fight against terrorism. They also emphasized that under no circumstances the creation of the above-mentioned de-escalation area should undermine the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic;
The offensive is led by Hayʼat Tahrir ash-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist opposition group backed by Turkey and designated a terrorist organization by the U.S.
On Friday, the rebels entered the old city of Aleppo and took over several key sites, including the historic citadel and the Umayyad Mosque, according to videos posted on social media.
(November 8, 2024)
Kennedy described Trump’s particular focus on the border between Syria and Türkiye.
„He said we have 500 men on the border of Syria and Türkiye, and a little encampment that was bombed. He said there‘s 750,000 troops in Türkiye. There‘s 250,000 militants in Syria. If they go up against each other, we‘re in the middle.“
According to Kennedy, Trump later asked his generals what would happen if a conflict broke out, to which they reportedly replied, „They‘re going to be cannon fodder.“
Trump’s response was decisive: „Get them out.“
Syrian armed rebels have entered Aleppo just three days into their surprise offensive, marking the first time they have set foot in the country’s second largest city since government forces recaptured the city in 2016.
Rebel forces launched a surprise attack this week, sweeping through several villages outside the city and reigniting conflict that had been largely static for years.
Biden outlined his intention to cooperate with these partners to bring about an end to the war in Gaza, secure the release of captives held by Hamas, and ensure that Hamas relinquishes power.
Egypt, Qatar, and the US have spearheaded mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas since the war began on October 7, 2023.
„It is not difficult for Israel to acquire weapons and equipment, as they are being supplied to them in large quantities. With these resources, Israel continues its massacres in the region,“ he added.
The war has complicated relations between Türkiye and Germany, one of Israel’s largest arms suppliers, as Berlin continues to defend Israel’s actions, placing the atrocities against Palestine and Lebanon within a frame of „self-defence“.
(August 9, 2024)
In an earlier statement in 2020 to CNN Türk, Russian Ambassador to Turkey Alexei Yerkhov said, ‘Whether [the system] is used or not is a decision for the country that owns it. Turkey purchased the product they wanted from us. The owner of this system is Turkey. It is entirely dependent on what Turkey decides. Whether you go to the beach with it, carry potatoes or mount a machine gun on it for war, keeping it in the ‘garage’ is your right.”
(May 19, 2019)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey and Russia would jointly produce S-500 defence systems after Ankara’s controversial purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Moscow.
Erdogan criticized the international community for enabling Israel‘s actions, saying that as Tel Aviv continues to receive „weapons and ammunition support from its backers,“ it becomes „increasingly reckless, defying all humanity, humanitarian values, and international law.“
He stressed that Israel‘s „politics of madness,“ already seen in Gaza and Ramallah, must not be allowed to spread to Lebanon and other countries in the region.
„No person of conscience can accept, justify, or deem such a massacre legitimate,“ he said.
(03.01.2024)
Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said in a statement that Ankara welcomes the South African case, which says Israel has violated its obligations under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
“Israel‘s murder of more than 22,000 Palestinian civilians, the majority of whom were women and children, in Gaza for nearly three months should not go unpunished in any way,“ Keceli said.
Why?
Scholz was responding to a question about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan‘s recent comments accusing Israel of „fascism.“ The two leaders are due to meet in Berlin on Friday.
Palestinian ally Turkey had been mending torn relations with Israel until last month‘s start of the Israel-Hamas war.
But its tone hardened against both Israel and its Western supporters — particularly the United States — as the fighting escalated and the death toll among Palestinian civilians soared.
Delaware Democrat Chris Coons also said that the Abraham Accords and progress toward normalization were among Hamas’s reasons to attack now.
Graham added that 10 percent of the US Senate is currently in Israel “because we care… I come here because I love Israel. I do not hate Palestinians. I hate Hamas.”
Graham also had stark words of warning for Tehran: “We’re here today to tell Iran, we’re watching you. If this war grows, it’s coming to your backyard. There won’t be two fronts, there will be three.”
(3. April 2018)
Commenting on Russia’s decision to expedite S-400 deliveries to Turkey, the Russian leader stressed it had been done „at the request of our Turkish partners and friends.“
„Naturally, we discussed cooperation between Russian and Turkey in the military technical sphere, in particular, the implementation of the contract for supplies of S-400 Triumf missile systems to Turkey. We have decided to expedite deliveries if these highly efficient Russian-made defense systems,“ Putin said.
Five children and 31 women were among the dead, Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Turkey called on the US to stop working with Kurdish YPG militants in Syria, vowing to maintain its cross-border offensives against America’s Kurdish allies in Syria after the US shot down a Turkish drone in the region.
Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Istanbul, said the UAV did not belong to the Turkish military, according to a statement.
“It is not only the Turkish military that conducts counterterrorism operations in northern Iraq and Syria,” she said.
She said that the Turkish intelligence and interior ministry’s gendarmerie also joined operations.
This incident occurred on the day when the Turkish Parliament was set to reopen after a summer recess. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in his address, labeled the attack as “the last stand of terrorism” and reiterated the government’s commitment to establishing a 30-kilometer safe zone along Turkey’s border with Syria to enhance border security.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
On encountering the Israeli delegation, the Ukrainian leader made note of the „very big team“ receiving him, which included Israel‘s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan and Mossad chief David Barnea.
Das von der Türkei und den Vereinten Nationen vermittelte Abkommen zur Ausfuhr von Getreide aus der Ukraine über das Schwarze Meer wurde von Russland im Juli nicht mehr verlängert.
„The termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative will have a series of consequences, ranging from an increase in global food prices, famine in some regions, to potential new waves of migration,“ Erdogan told reporters on his flight back to Türkiye.
„I believe we will ensure the continuation of this humanitarian movement by discussing the issue in detail with Mr. Putin,“ he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the extension of the Black Sea grain deal over a phone call on Friday.
„The leaders discussed in detail the extension of the Black Sea Grain Corridor Agreement during the phone call held at the request of President Zelenskyy of Ukraine,“ the Turkish Communications Directorate said on Twitter.
Schweden kann seine Hoffnungen auf einen NATO-Beitritt auf dem Gipfel des Verteidigungsbündnisses Mitte Juli begraben.
Das ungarische Parlament habe die Ratifizierung des Beitrittsprotokolls nicht auf die Tagesordnung seiner letzten Sitzung vor der Sommerpause gesetzt, teilte die oppositionelle Abgeordnete Agnes Vadai heute nach einer Sitzung des parlamentarischen Hauptausschusses mit.
(02.06.2023)
The fraternal ties between Pakistan and Türkiye are set to deepen further in line with our shared resolve and common destiny. The upcoming 7th Meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Islamabad will provide the right avenue to take the momentum of our strategic partnership forward. We have yet to unlock the potential of our multifaceted relationship and efforts are being made in that direction.
(30. Juli 2016)
Votel, steil aufgestiegen vom Leiter des Kommdos für Sonderoperationen (S.O.C.O.M.) zum Leiter des Zentralkommandos, hatte sich im Mai unter Begleitung von diverser U.S.-Presse zu einem Besuch in den eroberten Teil Syriens begeben – wir fragten diesbezüglich, ob zu “geheimer Vorbereitung für einen bevorstehenden Coup”.
Wohlgemerkt: die nun von Votel gestern im Aspen Think Tank vorgetragenen “Besorgnisse” hat die U.S.-Militär- und Kriegslobby schon in der Nacht zum 16. Juli, als sich das Scheitern des Putsches abzeichnet. Die “Washington Post” ändert ihre diesbezügliche Schlagzeile (vorher / nachher).
Gerade auf Votels nun fast zwei Wochen später gezielt gestartete Provokation antwortet Tayyip Erdogan, der in der Nacht des Putsches gerade noch dem Schicksal von Ägyptens demokratisch gewählten Präsident Mohammed Mursi entging, in bislang ungekannter Deutlichkeit: Zentralkommando-Leiter Votel stelle sich damit auf die Seite der Putschisten. Wer dieser General Votel überhaupt sei, was er sich einbilde.
Nicht nur für N.A.T.O.-Verhältnisse ein Präzedenzfall.
(26 Mar 00:17)
The top Turkish official confirmed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is planning to discuss the settlement of the Ukraine conflict with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky after similar talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier in the day, Putin and Erdogan held phone talks and discussed, among other things, the settlement of the Ukraine conflict.
Da die türkisch-syrische Grenze bis auf einen Übergang für humanitäre Hilfe Richtung der syrischen Flüchtlingshochburg Idlib geschlossen ist, kamen bislang kaum internationale Hilfslieferungen in die Erdbebengebiete im Norden.
Die Situation der Erdbebenopfer in Syrien ist dramatisch. Es fehlt an allem. Trotz anderslautender Beteuerungen hat der syrische Machthaber Assad bislang keine Lieferungen in das von Rebellen kontrollierte Idlib zugelassen. Auch die Hilfe für die kurdische Autonomieregion läuft nur schleppend.
Billström said Sweden is determined to fulfill its commitments and Stockholm was in the process of strengthening its “anti-terrorism” legislation.
A constitutional amendment will enter into force on January 1 that restricts the freedom of association of groups that engage in or support “terrorism”, he said.
The Swedish government also plans to introduce legislation that further impedes people taking part in the activities of “terrorist” groups, Billström said.
Siamand Ali, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, confirmed to The Associated Press that Lt. Gen. Alexander Chaiko met Sunday with Kurdish commander Mazloum Abdi in northeast Syria, adding that he has no details about what they discussed.
Der 2001 gegründeten Schanghai-Gruppe, die sich Kooperation und Sicherheit auf die Fahnen schreibt, gehören heute außer Russland, China, Indien auch Pakistan, Kasachstan, Kirgistan, Tadschikistan, Usbekistan und neuerdings der Iran an.
First lady Emine Erdoğan, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez, Treasury and Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Trade Minister Mehmet Muş, National Intelligence Organization (MİT) head Hakan Fidan, Presidency Defense Industries head İsmail Demir, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairperson and party spokesperson Ömer Çelik also traveled to Samarkand.
A U.S. missile destroyer ship, the USS Forrest Sherman, also docked at the northern port about as an hour earlier as part of a NATO drill
Auch das türkische Atomkraftwerk Akkuyu, das von einem russischen Staatsunternehmen gebaut wird, sei bei dem rund vierstündigen Treffen zur Sprache gekommen, sagte Nowak. Darüber hinaus hätten sich beide Seiten darauf geeinigt, dass die Türkei für russisches Gas künftig in Rubel zahlen werde.
After a four-hour assembly at Putin’s residence in Sochi on Friday, the Russian and Turkish presidents launched a joint assertion pledging to lift their bilateral commerce volumes and deepen their financial and power ties.
Deputy prime minister Alexander Novak, Moscow’s high power official, instructed reporters that Turkey had agreed to start paying for Russia’s gasoline in roubles, in response to Interfax.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday once again threatened to stand in the way of Finland and Sweden joining NATO — a day before he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Iran.