All articles tagged with #ankara
At the Ankara NATO summit, 48 hours of drama centered on Donald Trump, with markets and allies swinging from brinkmanship on Iran and defense spending to a closing mood of unity—yet unresolved questions about Iran’s nuclear stance, Ukraine support, and the alliance’s future remain.
At a NATO summit in Ankara, President Trump said the Iran–US ceasefire is over, blasted Iran’s leadership as “scum,” and signaled the U.S. would likely strike Iran again as overnight attacks raise the risk of renewed hostilities.
Russian forces mounted a broad drone and missile barrage across Ukraine, including a Kyiv strike that killed a woman and wounded two, with casualties reported in Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv. Ukraine said it intercepted more than 80% of 169 drones but could not shoot down five ballistic missiles. Attacks also targeted energy facilities and radar sites. The strikes come as NATO leaders convene in Ankara, where Ukraine seeks more air-defence support and new defense deals with European partners; leaders are also discussing long-range weapons and sustaining aid amid the war, with U.S. officials and Zelenskyy anticipated to meet on the sidelines.
Trump’s combative mood in Ankara unsettles NATO as allies seek unity; despite new weapons deals and pledges to boost defense spending, his criticisms of NATO and Greenland threaten to shadow talks on U.S. troop posture and Ukraine support, with officials hoping for reassurance despite the rhetoric.
At the Ankara NATO summit, Donald Trump criticized European allies for not meeting defense-spending targets, pressed for bigger budgets, and raised Greenland sovereignty while signaling a possible lift of sanctions on Turkey and a forthcoming decision on F-35 sales, as the alliance pursues 3.5% GDP defense spending by 2026 and pledges continued support for Ukraine.
President Trump used last year’s NATO summit to secure a pledge from allies to boost defense spending toward 5% of GDP; as he heads to Ankara this week, he aims to enforce that commitment and advance a NATO 3.0 approach that would shift more security burden onto Europe while the U.S. refocuses elsewhere, though progress is uneven and tensions over Iran, Greenland, and other issues persist.
At the Ankara NATO summit, allies report progress on defense spending and joint production to reduce reliance on non-allied suppliers, while U.S. President Trump pressures members to increase spending and questions the alliance’s value amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and broader security tensions.
Turkish authorities have stepped up security for the upcoming NATO summit, deploying additional police and limiting public gatherings to maintain order during the event.
Thousands of Ozgur Ozel supporters rallied in Ankara after a court ousted him as CHP leader, denouncing the ruling as a bid to neutralize the opposition and marching toward Ataturk’s mausoleum.
Ozgur Ozel, ousted as CHP leader by a Turkish court, drew tens of thousands to Ankara as he led a march following a ruling that annulled the CHP's 2023 congress and reinstated Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Kilicdaroglu visited the CHP HQ and pledged to purge corruption, while Ozel urged an immediate party congress. The large turnout signals continued opposition backing despite the ruling, a development Erdogan could view with concern as Ankara’s mayor joined the protest.
Turkish police stormed the Republican People's Party (CHP) headquarters in Ankara with tear gas to enforce a controversial court ruling reinstating former CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, triggering resistance from current party officials and a tense standoff as supporters barricaded the building.
Turkish police storm the Republican People’s Party (CHP) headquarters in Ankara to evict supporters, using tear gas and rubber bullets amid escalating political tensions; CHP leader Ozgur Ozel addressed supporters outside, with former leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu seen in related events in the days surrounding the raid.
Turkey's air traffic controllers lost contact with a private jet carrying Libya’s military chief after takeoff from Ankara, with no further details available.
Turkish authorities lost contact with a Falcon 50 jet carrying Libya's army chief and four others near Ankara, after the plane requested an emergency landing; the situation remains unclear with no confirmed crash, and investigations are ongoing.
Turkish warplanes have conducted new airstrikes on Kurdish targets in northern Iraq, destroying 16 sites of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The strikes come in response to a suicide attack in Ankara, for which the PKK claimed responsibility. Turkey has been engaged in a series of military operations against the PKK, pushing the group back into neighboring Iraq. The attack in Ankara coincided with the opening of Turkey's parliament session, during which lawmakers were set to ratify Sweden's membership in NATO. Some analysts believe the PKK may be trying to block the ratification to maintain tense ties between Turkey and the United States, which supports Kurdish fighters in Syria.