All articles tagged with #turkey
Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat tells Euronews NATO is not obligated to intervene to reopen the Strait of Hormuz despite US pressure and Trump’s ultimatum; NATO emphasises a defensive role and says allies were not consulted on the Iran conflict, while a broad coalition works to secure the waterway amid limited vessel passage and a fragile ceasefire.
Arda Guler produced a breathtaking 53rd-minute assist against Romania, threading a precise over-the‑defence pass to Ferdi Kadioglu for a goal in Turkey’s playoff, highlighting Guler as a creator capable of delivering World Cup moments. The piece places him among a gifted Turkish generation and notes his other standout exploits for Real Madrid and Euro 2024, arguing Turkey could provide memorable moments and global attention at the World Cup.
With the 2026 World Cup expanding to 48 teams, six playoff spots remain to be decided via intercontinental and UEFA play-offs. The Athletic surveys writers predicting likely qualifiers, highlighting Italy, Sweden and Turkey as UEFA contenders and naming rising stars Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz, while potential showdowns (e.g., Gyokeres vs. Lewandowski) add drama to the race for a spot at the tournament.
The United States has floated direct talks between Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, to be conducted through intermediaries including Turkey, as part of efforts to establish a diplomatic channel with Tehran amid the war. A potential Islamabad meeting between senior US and Iranian officials is also being explored with Pakistan’s backing, though Iran has not yet responded. Turkey is pushing for a temporary ceasefire to enable diplomacy, while broader regional dynamics and Israel’s stance complicate any progress.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said there may be potential for back-channel talks between the United States and Iran to ease tensions as a regional conflict rages, underscoring Ankara’s emerging role as a mediator and its ongoing efforts to facilitate diplomacy in a volatile Middle East.
U.S. Navy destroyers in the Eastern Mediterranean have fired SM-3 interceptors three times in two weeks to shoot down Iranian ballistic missiles in Turkish airspace, including Friday when USS Oscar Austin launched at least one SM-3; NATO defenses intercepted the strike and debris fell in Gaziantep. The engagements are part of broad Epic Fury air-defense operations, with SM-3 variants costing from about $10–$28 million and officials warning that more interceptors are needed amid regional threats.
Iranian missiles reportedly targeted NATO’s Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey, triggering sirens as NATO defenses have faced other missile threats; Turkey has deployed a US Patriot system near the Kurecik radar base to bolster defenses. Separately, two UAVs crashed in Oman’s Sohar region, killing two expatriate workers and wounding several others, and there were reports of Iranian drones striking Dubai’s International Financial Centre, with UAE officials saying air defenses downed some drones but damage occurred. These events reflect heightened regional tensions amid Iran’s drone and missile activity.
Iranian missiles heading toward Turkey were intercepted by NATO air defenses near Hatay and by US destroyers near Incirlik, with analysts suggesting the strikes were meant to test NATO’s air-defense network and potentially assess the Kurecik TPY-2 radar in Malatya; NATO deployed new Patriot batteries to Malatya, highlighting the EPAA and ‘engage on remote’ concept.
Massive explosions hit Tehran as renewed US-Israeli strikes target Iran, with Donald Trump delivering conflicting signals about when the war might end, signaling regional escalation and oil-market volatility.
NATO defenses shot down an Iranian ballistic missile that breached Turkish airspace, with debris landing in Gaziantep; no damage or casualties were reported. Turkey warned it will take firm action against threats to its territory and airspace as regional tensions rise after U.S. and Israel strikes on Iran.
NATO shot down a ballistic missile launched from Iran that entered Turkish airspace—the second interception in six days—debris landed near Gaziantep with no injuries. Iran denied targeting Turkey, and NATO emphasized its readiness to defend allies.
Turkey said NATO air defenses shot down a second Iranian ballistic missile that entered its airspace, marking the second intercept in a week. Ankara warned Tehran to heed its cautions and did not invoke NATO Article 4; debris landed between a western airbase and an eastern radar base used by the US/NATO, with no casualties reported.
Iran’s Azeri minority fears that ethnic tensions could ignite a broader conflict that pulls Turkey and Azerbaijan into the war, turning Iran’s northwestern provinces into a proxy battleground amid regional rivalries, US outreach to Iranian Kurds, and shifting diplomacy and energy routes in the South Caucasus.
Thousands of Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq are reportedly preparing for a cross-border operation into Iran with U.S. backing, as Kurdish opposition groups abroad consolidate; the plan could challenge Iranian defenses and broaden regional conflict, while Iraqi Kurdish authorities deny involvement and Turkey warns against instability in the region.
Iran’s long‑standing partners—China, Russia, Turkey and India among others—offer little concrete backing as Tehran confronts U.S. and Israeli actions, revealing transactional ties that have not shielded it from war or produced a cohesive anti‑West axis.