All articles tagged with #erdogan
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told Erdoğan not to test Israel’s resolve after an Israeli strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Airbase, as the U.S. works on a trilateral deconfliction mechanism among Turkey, Israel, and Syria to prevent a broader clash amid rising regional tensions and ongoing NATO dynamics.
Israel launched a strike on Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase to deter a Turkish military buildup near Aleppo; U.S. and Israeli officials say the aim was to prevent Turkish weapon shipments and avert escalation, with no casualties reported. Israel initially kept silent, then claimed responsibility, while Turkey denied Turkish involvement. The White House voiced deep concern about the escalation, underscoring ongoing strain among allies and the fragile balance of U.S.-Israel-Turkey ties. Some officials think timing may relate to Israel's October election, and discussions of a joint Jordan-based coordination center have not been activated.
A Likud billboard in Tel Aviv features Zohran Mamdani beside Ayatollah Khamenei, Turkish President Erdogan, and Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem, with the claim that they “want Netanyahu to lose,” triggering spoof replies from rival parties and reflecting a heated, closely watched election season amid Qatar-related controversy.
Turkey’s parliament approved a 12‑article law offering conditional pardons and disarmament procedures for PKK fighters after the group disbands and surrenders its weapons, in a landmark move aimed at ending four decades of violence that spilled into Iraq and Syria. Full effect depends on PKK disarmament and judicial leniency processes; the measure could reshape regional dynamics and bolster President Erdoğan, though critics warn that legislation alone won’t guarantee lasting peace or democracy.
Turkey plans to submit a draft law to permit thousands of former PKK members to return and be reintegrated, a framework aimed at disbanding the PKK and ending a decades-long insurgency that has killed tens of thousands; the bill, backed by Erdogan’s AKP and allies and broadly supported in parliament, comes despite skepticism about lasting peace, and follows the PKK’s disarmament move after Abdullah Ocalan’s appeal as the peace process stalls amid regional instability linked to the Iran war.
Özgür Özel, the deposed leader of Turkey’s main opposition CHP, announced plans to form a new party to challenge President Erdoğan in the 2028 election, a move that could unite the fractured opposition and reshape Turkish politics. The breakaway party could be founded soon and, once formalities are completed, become parliament’s largest opposition bloc as many CHP MPs are expected to join. Polls suggest the unnamed party would beat Erdoğan’s AKP if elections were held today, but Özel faces ongoing legal crackdowns and potential loss of immunity as authorities pursue cases against dissenters.
At the Ankara NATO summit, Erdogan gave each leader a personalized, Turkish-made Gümüşay .357 Magnum revolver (with six live rounds) and accompanying gifts, sparking security concerns and social-media buzz. The gesture is framed as a long-running diplomatic custom of gifting firearms to allies, a practice with historical precedents from Colt pistols to presidents. Reactions ranged from jokes about the gift’s prestige to plans to store or decommission the weapons, with Ursula von der Leyen saying she would donate her gift to a military museum and other leaders noting storage procedures.
At a NATO summit hosted by Turkey, Erdogan handed out engraved Turkish revolvers with live ammo to all 32 leaders. Reactions varied: Belgium’s Bart De Wever returned home with the gun and ammunition and handed it to police; German Chancellor Merz’s pistol was sent to the embassy for legal import; Keir Starmer left his to be decommissioned; Ursula von der Leyen plans to donate hers to a military museum; and Poland’s president Nawrocki’s revolver is undergoing customs checks. The episode highlights how such defense-industry gifts are managed and stored across governments.
At the Ankara NATO summit, Turkish President Erdogan gave each leader a functional revolver with six live rounds and an export-control exemption note, triggering security headaches and complex logistics as some gifts stayed in Turkey while others were secured, decommissioned, or prepared for transport or museums; Von der Leyen’s gun will be donated to a military museum, Poland’s Nawrocki’s gun was secured, Canada’s Mark Carney reportedly took his revolver but left the ammunition, and Sweden’s Kristersson will have to move his weapon under applicable procedures.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gifted every NATO leader at the Ankara summit a vintage Gumusay revolver with live ammunition, spotlighting Turkey’s defense industry; recipients reportedly safekept or stored their gifts in embassies, museums, or police safes, with some requiring customs clearance or paperwork.
At the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave each attending leader a vintage Gumusay revolver with live ammunition to showcase Turkey’s defense industry. Reactions varied: some leaders stored or arranged safe custody of the gifts, others faced customs or security steps, and Belgium’s prime minister even found a handgun in his luggage. The episode underscores Turkey’s prominence as a small-arms exporter and highlights Gumusay as a collector’s item rather than a standard service pistol.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave engraved pistols with live ammunition and a cleaning kit to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa as leaving gifts at a NATO summit in Ankara; their security teams are handling the weapons under Belgian procedures, and other leaders said they would decommission or leave their pistols in Turkey before returning home.
CNN’s Daniel Dale fact-checks five claims Trump made to Erdogan at a NATO summit in Ankara: Greenland is surrounded by China’s and Russia’s ships (false; Danish/Arctic officials say no), that he "settled eight wars" (a misleading list of non-wars), Biden gave Ukraine "hundreds of billions" in equipment (overstated; Kiel Institute puts military aid around $74B and total aid about $132B), that the U.S. has invested "$19.2 trillion" (inflated; White House data shows far less), and that the 2020 election was rigged (false).
Trump used a NATO summit in Ankara to lash out at allies over defense spending, praised Turkish President Erdoğan, and floated resuming F-35 sales to Turkey despite S-400 tensions, while pressing for a U.S. takeover of Greenland and criticizing Europe’s energy and immigration policies as Zelenskyy and Putin loomed on the agenda.
Israel’s Netanyahu reportedly pressed President Trump to curb Turkish President Erdoğan’s anti-Israel rhetoric and opposed arms deals that would help modernize Turkey’s air force ahead of this week’s NATO summit in Ankara, as Trump is set to meet Erdoğan; talks may touch on fighter-jet engine contracts and a potential revival of Turkey’s role in the F-35 program amidst ongoing Israel-Turkey tensions over Gaza and Iran.