Politics
Türkiye ready to ‘send troops’ to Gaza: Top diplomat
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reaffirmed Türkiye’s readiness to shoulder the burden in Gaza and fulfill its responsibilities “with a great sense of duty, including sending troops.”
“This is our clearest message to the international community on this matter,” Fidan said in a televised interview late Saturday.
The Netanyahu administration of Israel adamantly opposes a Turkish presence in the Palestinian enclave. It has been vocal in this opposition, with several Israeli officials insisting that there should not be “Turkish boots on the ground” in Gaza.
Türkiye has been behind a diplomatic blitz to end Israel’s attacks on Gaza since 2023 and mobilized to isolate Israel in the international community, taking part in a genocide case against the Israeli officials and ceasing all commercial ties with Israel. Ankara also advocates a two-state solution recognizing a sovereign State of Palestine with 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital, as the only way for a permanent cease-fire.
The country also backed U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan and participated in talks in Egypt, where Israel and Hamas recently agreed to a cease-fire.
Fidan said a U.N. Security Council draft resolution on Trump’s peace plan is still under debate and continues to evolve. He noted that the proposed stabilization force is one of the two structures outlined in the phased plan, and that discussions are focused on shaping a legal framework that would define its mandate and its functioning once implemented.
He stated that discussions are ongoing regarding the establishment of a peace commission and the International Stabilization Force for Gaza, noting that the proposals continue to evolve and the U.S. is working on the issue in consultation with Türkiye.
He noted that preliminary efforts for the stabilization force have begun, including a U.S.-coordinated Civil-Military Coordination Center set up with Israel.
The Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), officially inaugurated Oct. 17, is the first international operational platform established by U.S. Central Command in Israel to monitor developments in Gaza following a cease-fire agreement.
Fidan emphasized that Washington has developed a mechanism to address obstacles in the process, a step he described as important in terms of ownership and commitment.
The U.N. Security Council will vote Monday on a resolution backing Trump’s plan, diplomats said, while Russia submitted a rival draft resolution.
Last week, the U.S. officially launched negotiations within the 15-member Security Council on a text that would follow up on a cease-fire in Israel’s two-year war on the Gaza Strip and endorse Trump’s plan. A draft of the resolution, seen Thursday by the Agence France-Presse (AFP), “welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace,” a transitional governing body for Gaza that Trump would theoretically chair, with a mandate running until the end of 2027.
It would authorize member states to form a “temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF)” that would work with Israel and Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police to help secure border areas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip. Unlike previous drafts, the latest mentions a possible future Palestinian state. The U.S. and several Arab and Muslim-majority nations, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, called on Friday for the U.N. Security Council to quickly adopt the resolution.
“The U.S., Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan and Türkiye express our joint support for the Security Council Resolution currently under consideration,” the countries said in a joint statement, adding they were seeking the measure’s “swift adoption.”
Fidan told A Haber that Türkiye remains determined to advance the mechanisms needed to coordinate progress on the cease-fire agreement, stressing that close dialogue continues between the relevant military authorities.
He said Türkiye played an active role in the Sharm el-Sheikh talks that enabled the Gaza cease-fire, noting that Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye helped bring the agreement into effect. He added that the declaration, signed by the countries, is not a traditional guarantor model but rather reflects their continued political support for the truce.
He noted that Türkiye appointed a humanitarian aid coordinator for Gaza and continues to work intensively to deliver assistance. In contrast, the amount of aid entering the enclave remains below what Israel previously pledged. He also said discussions are underway to form a non-political committee to run Gaza’s daily administration, and Hamas has expressed its readiness to hand over governance to a Palestinian-led body.
Noting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s September meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, he said the two leaders discussed major topics related to relations and regional dynamics. Fidan said Türkiye’s recent “foreign policy performance” and its reliability as a partner have made it “a sought-after actor for cooperation on many issues.”
The talks in the U.S., he said, again brought forward matters of critical importance for both countries, the wider region and global peace and stability.
He underlined that maintaining a shared understanding and close coordination is essential to safeguard and advance Türkiye’s national interests, adding that discussions at the White House focused on Syria, Palestine and Ukraine.
Ending occupation
Fidan said Türkiye “looks at the act, not the actor,” stressing that oppression is condemned regardless of who commits it.
He argued that as long as the occupation continues, armed resistance will persist, “if it is not Hamas, it will be someone else. This is inherent to resisting an occupation.”
“What we are saying is this: The issue should not begin with disarming Hamas, but with establishing a mechanism that ends the occupation and reduces and eliminates oppression. This logic needs to be clearly explained,” he said.
“There is a reaction that stems from portraying Hamas as if it were a terrorist group like ISIS (Daesh). There are efforts to turn this reaction into policy. We, of course, need to deconstruct this rhetoric and rebuild it. This is essentially what we try to do most in diplomacy, first analyze and dismantle false perceptions, then replace them with the correct ones.”
Fidan added that “a road map that will end Israel’s occupation and make a two-state solution possible must also be provided to the Palestinians.”
CAATSA issue
Touching upon U.S. sanctions on Türkiye, as manifested in the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), Fidan said Trump expressed a clear will to resolve the issue during his meeting with President Erdoğan in September.
Fidan said Trump told Erdoğan during their Sept. 25 White House meeting that CAATSA should not stand between the two countries and directed his bureaucracy to work on lifting it, calling it a clear display of intent driven by Trump’s confidence in and regard for the Turkish president.
Fidan stressed that CAATSA is a law passed by the U.S. Congress. “As long as there is goodwill in our bilateral relations, the search for solutions will not run out,” he said.
He stated that there are proposals supported by Erdoğan that will be shared with the public when the time is right, stressing that the key difference is Washington’s willingness to resolve the issue.
“Unlike under former U.S. President Joe Biden, the U.S. now has the intention to resolve this … Trump has issued instructions on the matter and shown his will,” he said.
Fidan said both sides are closely following the process and expressed hope for a solution soon. Fidan noted that the main obstacle with CAATSA lies in the conditions set out in the law, saying they are working through the text and that it contains many detailed provisions. For the issue to be resolved as Türkiye seeks, “certain steps will also need to be taken on the congressional side,” he added.
Türkiye was sanctioned under CAATSA in 2020 for purchasing Russia’s S-400 missile defense system.
In 2019, during Trump’s first term, the U.S. suspended Türkiye from the F-35 program after objecting to Türkiye’s purchase of an S-400 missile defense system, claiming the Russian system would endanger the fighter jets.
Türkiye has repeatedly stated that there is no conflict between the two systems and has proposed a commission to study the issue. Türkiye also said it had fulfilled its obligations regarding the F-35s and that the suspension violated the rules. Ankara maintains that ending the impasse would strengthen not only Türkiye but also NATO.
Last year, the U.S. State Department approved a pending $23 billion sale of F-16 aircraft and modernization kits to Türkiye.
Syria’s occupation
The state of the terrorist group YPG in Syria is a sore point in Turkish-U.S. relations, but both sides may find a way forward and resolve the issue, as Fidan pointed out in his interview.
Türkiye’s top diplomat emphasized that Ankara’s efforts to preserve Syria’s territorial integrity and the well-being of its people, while seeking to move forward collectively with regional countries, is an approach only states with a deep strategic culture can pursue.
Türkiye’s presence in Syria, he said, is natural, as addressing the country’s problems benefits not only Türkiye.
The key distinction in Türkiye’s foreign policy, he added, is that it does not act solely for its own advantage but aims to advance shared regional interests.
Fidan said the issue of the PKK/YPG terrorist group, which operates under the name of the SDF in Syria, has been a significant topic in talks with Washington, stressing that progress requires “a shared understanding.”
Noting that the U.S. built certain mechanisms and political investments under the pretext of fighting Daesh, he said that “rolling this back” and resolving it in a way that serves all sides requires “care, order and patience.”
He noted the importance of contacts between Damascus and the YPG, saying the talks were recently interrupted due to developments following Israel’s intervention in southern Syria. Fidan added that “the primary concern for both Türkiye and the U.S. is to ensure that Israel ceases to be a threat to Syria and Syria does not become a threat to Israel and all sides respect each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
He stressed that parts of Syria remain under occupation and the “occupation must end,” while no actor should adopt a posture that threatens the rest of the country.
“We expect the talks the YPG is conducting with Damascus to evolve to a certain point,” he said, noting that negotiations are ongoing with the U.S. as well as through Türkiye’s own channels. Efforts continue to steer all tracks toward a concrete result, he said, adding that one of the main reasons for pauses in the Damascus-YPG dialogue is the group’s tendency to stray from its course and seek opportunities in new regional crises.
Turkish authorities monitor the progress in integration of the YPG into the Syrian army, per a March deal between the group and the new administration in Damascus. Authorities view it as a “red line” in the initiative. Ankara earlier hinted at a military offensive if the YPG reneges on the integration deal and keeps its status as a terrorist group. The YPG currently seeks a new agreement with Damascus for maintaining three divisions in Hassakeh, Raqqa and Deir ez-Zour of Syria. However, Damascus is not warm toward this idea, likely due to the high number of the Arab population in these areas, which outnumbers the Kurds that the YPG finds recruits from.
During Syria’s civil war, which ended last December with the fall of the Baathist regime, the YPG enjoyed a self-styled autonomy in northeastern Syria, across the Turkish border. Under the pretext of fighting Daesh in Syria’s north, the terrorist group received broad military support from the U.S. for years.
Fidan also pointed to Israeli provocations in southern Syria, particularly targeting the Druze community, and described the removal of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his colleagues from the U.N. terrorist list as “a very significant diplomatic move,” thanking members of the U.N. Security Council.
Hope for EU bid
Also commenting on Türkiye’s prolonged membership bid for the European Union, Fidan said that there soon might be “new progress,” pointing to recent remarks by Germany’s chancellor. Fidan welcomed Friedrich Merz’s comments supporting Türkiye’s EU membership, calling them “an important renewal of political will.”
“I believe there will be new progress with the EU in this period,” he said, adding: “For the German chancellor to state publicly in Ankara that Germany wants Türkiye in the EU is a significant renewal of political will. The fact that this comes from Germany is important, and we value it.”
Responding to a question on Türkiye’s accession process, Fidan said both Ankara and Brussels were operating within a “new set of conditions and psychology,” requiring fresh approaches and policies. He underlined that Erdoğan’s position following his reelection in May 2023 has been a key driver.
“Following the election, the president made it clear to me that he expected maximum effort on this file,” Fidan said, noting that this constituted a direct mandate on EU policy.
Fidan also discussed recent shifts in EU security and defense priorities. He said the EU’s efforts to reshape its security architecture place a strong emphasis on revitalizing the bloc’s defense industry.
He noted that this priority gained momentum after the Russia-Ukraine war and further accelerated under the Trump administration.
The EU, he said, plans to establish a joint 150 billion euros (over $174 billion) low-interest fund to support defense capabilities, which member states will be able to access. The bloc has also lifted its borrowing ceiling under financial rules and created an additional 800 billion euros ($930 billion) fund, describing it as a mechanism of taking money from the future to save the day.
Addressing the mechanisms applied to candidate countries, Fidan noted that some resources require approval from EU member states. “Here, certain difficulties may arise for Türkiye due to (opposition by) Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration,” he said.
Despite this, he stressed, the larger 800 billion euro fund, along with the growing number of Turkish firms establishing companies and joint ventures across the EU, will enable Türkiye to benefit from the bloc’s financial instruments.
Turkish companies’ growing presence in the EU through new firms and partnerships would enable Türkiye to utilize these funds better, he said.
He said Ankara aims to build prosperity-based cooperation not only with the EU, but also with its partners to the east, north and across the Mediterranean. Fidan said the EU has succeeded in becoming a supranational entity, but “could not become a civilization-transcending entity.”
Highlighting Türkiye’s progress, he added that Türkiye completed major investments in infrastructure, energy, defense, health, communication and education largely without receiving significant EU funds. “Türkiye now has infrastructure far above the standards of many European countries, and its population is approaching 90 million,” he said.
Senior Turkish political figures criticized the opposition New Party (YP) after its lawmakers walked out of Parliament as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan prepared to address lawmakers at the opening of the new legislative year.
New Party leader Özgür Özel and lawmakers from his party left the General Assembly shortly before Erdoğan began his address Thursday, in what the party described as a protest against the president.
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli criticized the move, saying it was politically inappropriate for the lawmakers to leave while Erdoğan was in the chamber.
“It was not politically right for New Party (YP) to leave while our president was in the hall,” Bahçeli told reporters at a reception marking the opening of the new legislative year.
Bahçeli, whose MHP is allied with Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said a recently established political party should seek to bring new approaches to politics.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş also criticized the walkout, saying political differences and protests were legitimate parts of democratic politics but arguing that lawmakers should observe political courtesy during the annual opening ceremony.
“We would have preferred New Party lawmakers to listen to the president’s speech and not resort to such a course of action,” Kurtulmuş told reporters.
He said lawmakers had extensive opportunities to criticize the president and the executive once regular parliamentary proceedings resumed but described the opening of Parliament as an occasion for political parties to gather under the same roof despite their differences.
The walkout came during the special session opening the fifth legislative year of Parliament’s 28th term. Erdoğan delivered his annual address after Parliament Speaker Kurtulmuş opened the session.
The incident prompted criticism from senior members of the AK Party and officials in the presidential administration.
AK Party spokesperson Ömer Çelik described the decision to leave the chamber before Erdoğan’s speech as disrespectful to Parliament and the presidency.
Çelik noted the president’s address at the beginning of a legislative year was an established part of Türkiye’s parliamentary tradition and accused the YP of contradicting its calls for a stronger Parliament by leaving the chamber.
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran also criticized the walkout, saying Parliament was a forum where differing political views should be expressed and debated.
Duran described YP lawmakers’ decision to leave the chamber as “a serious act of disrespect,” saying it went beyond a political stance against the presidency and showed disregard for the national will, state traditions and parliamentary conventions.
He said the move was inappropriate for Parliament and argued that democratic politics required not only expressing one’s own views but also tolerating opposing opinions and listening to the elected president in Parliament.
“Putting political disagreements ahead of long-established state traditions and the common rules of Parliament is incompatible with democratic representation.”
AK Party Deputy Chair Hüseyin Yayman also condemned the protest, accusing YP lawmakers of using the parliamentary session for political theater. He said lawmakers had the right to criticize or oppose Erdoğan but should do so through parliamentary debate.
The dispute underscored tensions between Erdoğan’s governing alliance and the YP, which was established in July under Özel’s leadership after he and 90 other lawmakers resigned from the Republican People’s Party (CHP).
The YP has since formed a parliamentary group, with Özel serving as its chair.
Kurtulmuş, responding to questions about opposition criticism more broadly, rejected claims that opposition voices were being prevented from speaking in Parliament.
He said seven parliamentary groups would participate when regular proceedings resume, five of them representing opposition parties.
The Parliament speaker also called on opposition parties to put forward proposals in the debate over a new constitution, saying disagreements over Türkiye’s presidential system and the president’s political party affiliation could be addressed as part of that process.
Despite the walkout, other opposition politicians remained in the chamber during the opening session. Erdoğan later greeted lawmakers from several parties following his address.
Parliament is scheduled to resume its regular legislative work on Oct. 6.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has vowed that anyone found responsible for a deadly mine collapse in the western province of Manisa will be held accountable, as an investigation continues following the deaths of five miners.
Speaking Saturday at Teknofest Southeast in Şanlıurfa, Erdoğan said authorities were pursuing both administrative and criminal investigations into Thursday’s collapse in the Soma district, where five miners were killed and two others were rescued with injuries.
The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry has launched an administrative investigation, while the Soma Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a judicial inquiry. Nine people, including officials from the company operating the mine, have been taken into custody.
“The investigation is continuing in multiple directions. Anyone found to have been negligent or guilty will certainly be held accountable. We will also follow the process closely,” Erdoğan said.
He offered condolences to the families and colleagues of the five miners who lost their lives and wished a speedy recovery to the two injured workers, who remain under medical treatment.
Erdoğan made the remarks during the opening of Teknofest Southeast at Şanlıurfa GAP Airport, where thousands of visitors gathered to attend the country’s flagship aviation, aerospace and technology festival.
The president praised young participants for their technological achievements, saying their projects demonstrated the progress Türkiye has made in science and innovation.
“Once again, we are proudly witnessing the level Türkiye has reached in technology and the high-quality projects produced by the Teknofest generation,” he said, congratulating young people who displayed their inventions and turned their ideas into reality at the festival.
The atmosphere at the airport, along with the determination, enthusiasm and ambition of the participants, showed that Türkiye’s future was in capable hands, Erdoğan said.
He added that the country’s long-term development vision, known as the “Century of Türkiye,” would carry the imprint of a generation increasingly involved in technological innovation.
“These young people are a source of pride for our nation and among the country’s most valuable assets,” he said, praising their knowledge, confidence and ambition.
Erdoğan also thanked the Industry and Technology Ministry, the Turkish Technology Team Foundation and other organizations involved in organizing the festival, describing Teknofest as the world’s largest aviation, aerospace and technology event.
He said he had personally recommended Şanlıurfa as the host city, arguing that its historical and cultural heritage made it an appropriate setting for an event bringing together technological innovation and young talent.
“Once again, we are experiencing the excitement of Teknofest, an event shaped from beginning to end by young people, and this time we are doing so in Şanlıurfa,” he said.
Erdoğan highlighted the city’s ancient history, describing it as a center of religious heritage, science and civilization. Şanlıurfa is home to Göbeklitepe, an archaeological site widely recognized for its significance in understanding early human history.
He also recalled the contributions of scholars associated with the region, including Al-Battani, Sinan ibn Thabit, Ibn Wasif of Harran and Yunus al-Harrani, who made contributions to fields including mathematics, astronomy, medicine and philosophy.
The president said hosting Teknofest in Şanlıurfa was intended to connect the country’s historical legacy with the ambitions of its younger generation and the technologies of the future.
He added that organizers wanted young Turks to draw inspiration from their cultural roots while introducing international participants to the country’s history and heritage.
Teknofest began in 2018 with applications from 4,333 teams, Erdoğan said, noting that participation had increased significantly over the years.
This year’s Southeast edition attracted more than 730,000 teams and over 1.6 million competitors from all 81 Turkish provinces and 97 countries, according to the president.
Visitor numbers had also approached 1 million, he added, highlighting the growing public interest in the festival.
Türkiye’s Underwater Defense Command (SAS) is training its personnel to respond to threats ranging from drifting sea mines and unexploded ordnance to improvised explosive devices and unmanned maritime systems, as the naval unit maintains operations aimed at securing the country’s waters.
The unit, part of the Turkish Naval Forces Command, carries out explosive ordnance disposal, underwater operations and other specialized missions at sea and on land. Its personnel have also taken part in counterterrorism operations when assigned, according to SAS commander Navy Capt. Dr. D. Ilhan Sayıcı.
“These missions require many years of training and experience,” Sayıcı said. “Procedures must be followed completely during a mission because there is no margin for error. For us, the first mistake is the last.”
Established in 1964, the command has participated in operations ranging from the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation to more recent counterterrorism missions, Sayıcı noted.
One of its main areas of expertise is neutralizing explosive threats, including naval mines, unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive devices and suspicious underwater objects.
SAS teams have also been tasked with responding to drifting mines and other potential threats in the Black Sea, where mines have posed risks to maritime traffic.
He said the unit’s objective is to protect maritime transportation, respond rapidly to potential threats and safeguard Türkiye’s maritime interests.
Becoming a SAS commando requires about a year of intensive training, with officers and noncommissioned officers joining on a voluntary basis.
Candidates are evaluated not only on physical fitness but also on psychological resilience, technical knowledge, leadership and their ability to make decisions under intense pressure, Sayıcı said.
The unit regularly conducts shooting, diving, demolition, helicopter and field exercises to maintain operational readiness.
A SAS officer identified as Lt. B. described one of the unit’s procedures, known as the Tactical Claw Operation, which is designed to neutralize drifting naval mines and unmanned aerial or maritime vehicles.
Under the procedure, SAS personnel are transported to the area by helicopter before entering the water and placing explosives on the target. They then withdraw to a safe area by boat or helicopter before remotely detonating the device, the officer said.
SAS teams have intervened against more than 300 suspicious objects, including mines and unmanned aerial and maritime vehicles, according to the unit.
Its personnel have also served in counterterrorism operations inside Türkiye and across the border, including operations Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch, Peace Spring and the Claw series, Lt. B. said.
The unit has also carried out missions in Libya, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania.
During a recent training exercise, SAS commandos practiced clearing a booby-trapped building, rescuing a hostage and neutralizing an improvised explosive device. Another explosive device detected in the field was targeted using sniper and rocket fire.
Another SAS officer, identified as Lt. S., said fewer than 30% of candidates have completed the approximately yearlong training course in previous years.
The officer said personnel undergo regular physical conditioning on land and at sea alongside specialized operational training.
“The physical and mental endurance required by our work can only be developed through continuous and disciplined training,” he emphasized, adding that exercises also focus on patience, composure, attention and decision-making.
Lt. B. said teamwork remains central to the unit’s approach, particularly during missions involving explosives.
“There is no room for fear, hesitation or mistakes in our understanding of duty,” he said. “We remind ourselves that we do not have the luxury of making a mistake.”
U.S. President Donald Trump voiced strong support for Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday when asked about delays in lifting CAATSA sanctions that led to Ankara’s removal from the F-35 fighter jet program.
Noting that he loves Türkiye, Trump said he talks to President Erdoğan all the time.
“He is a friend of mine, as you know. And I’ll always make him happy,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for Alabama, where he was due to attend a Republican Party campaign event.
Trump had announced during the NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara in July that sanctions on Türkiye would be lifted, saying Washington did not want to impose sanctions on its friends.
The U.S. imposed sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in 2020 after Türkiye purchased the Russian-made S-400 air defense system.
Ankara turned to the S-400 after its efforts to purchase the U.S.-made Patriot air defense system failed to produce a deal. Türkiye was subsequently removed from the F-35 fighter jet program.
Türkiye will open a Turkish school with capacity for about 1,000 students in the Syrian capital Damascus on Oct. 4 as Ankara and Damascus expand cooperation, the Turkish Education Ministry said.
The Damascus International Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Turkish School, named after Türkiye’s president, will open in the Artuz area of the Syrian capital and will begin providing education during the 2026-2027 academic year.
The school will operate under Türkiye’s Education Ministry and include kindergarten, primary, middle and high school levels, the ministry said in a statement on Friday.
The ministry said the school was established as part of growing education cooperation and coordination between Türkiye and Syria, including efforts aimed at expanding access to education for Syrian children and young people.
The facility has 36 classrooms and will accommodate about 1,000 students.
A delegation from the Turkish Education Ministry is expected to attend the opening ceremony and the school’s first class.
Ankara said the project was also intended to support children from families returning to Syria and help them adapt to education following their return.
The ministry described the school as part of broader efforts to strengthen educational links between the two countries, which share longstanding historical, cultural and social ties.
Türkiye has expanded its education-related activities in Syria as Ankara and Damascus have sought closer cooperation in several areas.
Turkish education officials have held a series of meetings and visits in Syria in recent months. Türkiye’s education office in Damascus said officials inspected the new school’s campus in September ahead of its planned opening.
The Education Ministry said it expects the school to provide students in Syria with access to Türkiye’s educational system while contributing to closer ties between the two countries.
The opening comes as Türkiye and Syria increase coordination on education following years of conflict that severely disrupted Syria’s education system and displaced millions of people.
Turkish officials have said supporting education and facilitating the adaptation of returning families are among the objectives of Ankara’s cooperation with Syrian authorities.
On Aug. 6, officials from Türkiye’s Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and Syria’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research also signed a memorandum of understanding to advance educational cooperation between the two countries.
Under the memorandum, the two parties will continue work on the legal framework, governance structure, academic organization, student admission procedures, quality assurance mechanisms and administrative regulations for the planned Syria-Türkiye University in Damascus.
Damaged vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla are being repaired in Türkiye’s Antalya after an Israeli attack in international waters, with volunteers working to prepare the ships for another voyage toward Gaza.
Some of the vessels were left with damaged engines, broken masts and torn sails after the attack. They were later brought to Antalya, where local and international volunteers are carrying out repairs at a shipyard.
Two vessels have already been repaired and sent to Italy as part of preparations for another Gaza-bound mission, said Sümeyra Akdeniz Ordu, a board member of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
“We are trying to recover the ships drifting at sea one by one. We are carrying out a rescue mission,” Ordu told Anadolu Agency (AA). “We are repairing these ships so they can sail to Gaza again.”
Fourteen flotilla vessels are currently in Antalya, Ordu said, adding that volunteers from different countries were helping coordinate and repair the ships.
She said each vessel had a special significance for the activists and that they were treating the ships “like their own children” as they worked to restore them.
The damage was extensive, Ordu said, describing broken masts, damaged engines and cut hoses. She also said the sails had been torn with knives.
“The mast was broken, surface cleaner and coffee had been poured into the engines, and the hoses on each ship had been cut one by one,” she said. “They caused this damage by ramming them with larger ships.”
The repairs have been difficult because of the extent of the damage, but volunteers have continued working, Ordu said.
Türkiye has provided a safe port for the repair effort, she added.
Ordu said the activists remained determined to continue their efforts despite the damage to the vessels.
“If the enemy does not give up, we cannot give up,” she said. “We are trying to be a voice here for our Palestinian friends.”
She said the damage to the vessels showed what she described as the violence and hostility directed at the flotilla.
“We, too, insist on continuing every form of resistance,” Ordu said.
-
Economy3 days agoTürkiye moves to finalize capital markets law changes after fund turmoil
-
Politics3 days agoErdoğan calls for ‘grand consensus’ amid terror-free Türkiye success
-
Politics3 days agoTürkiye, Azerbaijan, Georgia defense chiefs discuss Caucasus security
-
Economy21 hours agoRevolut: $115 billion fintech taking on Europe’s biggest banks
-
Politics3 days ago8 may vie for top seat at Türkiye’s dwindling CHP
-
Economy3 days agoAI use doubles in Türkiye, but lack of expertise remains key barrier
-
Economy3 days agoOpenAI fires 3 employees following AI security revelations
-
Politics3 days agoTürkiye vows continued co-op with Iraq after troop withdrawal