ANKARA DOES NOT FEEL OBLIGED TO SEND COMBAT TROOPS WITH MECCA PACT
Ankara doesn't consider itself obliged to join combat, since Mecca Pact is not an alliance aimed at resolving the historical issues of its members.
Analysis
In-Depth Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
MECCA PACT ACTIVATED AT BREAKNECK SPEED
Just as the ink was drying on the Mecca Pact, the deployment of troops is now on the table, following Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia.
TURKEY AGREES ON PHASED MILITARY WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ
Turkey has agreed with Baghdad on the gradual withdrawal of its troops from northern Iraq, and a similar step may soon be taken in Syria as well.
EXERCISE BLUE HOMELAND: AT THREE SEAS WITH 15,000 TROOPS
Blue Homeland-26, one of the Turkish Armed Forces’ most extensive exercises this year, was conducted from April 3 to 9 in the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean, with the participation of 120 ships, 50 aircraft, and 15,000 personnel from the Naval, Land, and Air Force Commands, as well as the Coast Guard Command.
ANKARA TO LEAD BLACK SEA SECURITY AS FRANCE AND BRITAIN BOOST SECURITY GUARANTEES AMID GREENLAND THREAT
France, Britain and Ukraine signed a joint “statement of intent” after a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris, where nearly 30 Western leaders gathered. According to the statement, Britain and France will deploy troops to Ukraine in case of a peace agreement with Russia. Turkey is envisaged to take the lead in maritime security elements in the Black Sea.
EUROPE DISTRUSTS TURKEY ON UKRAINE, BUT NEEDS ITS TROOPS
When Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy landed in Ankara on Nov. 19, press reports had already started to make the headlines, revealing details of a peace plan drafted by the U.S. and Russia.
CROSS-BORDER OPERATION PERMIT EXTENDED FOR THREE YEARS
The term of the presidential motion authorizing the deployment of Turkish Armed Forces in Iraq and Syria to combat terrorist organizations and the acceptance of foreign troops in Turkey has been extended for another three years.
‘GOD’S MAN’ ARRESTED
“We’re from Adana, we’re God’s men.” If you ever visit Adana, you’ll hear this phrase—it’s on the lips of nearly every local. It’s like a common slogan, spoken across party lines, and always in the distinct Adana dialect. Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar, arrested in this week’s wave of detentions targeting CHP municipalities, often uses this saying himself. He even printed posters featuring the phrase and released a video claiming it originated among troops from Adana during the 1915 Battle of Gallipoli.