Politics
Armenia’s Rubinyan hails ties with Türkiye going beyond deadlock
Ruben Rubinyan, the Armenian Parliament’s vice speaker and the country’s special representative for normalization of ties with Türkiye, recently said the two countries are no longer in “railway deadlock,” referring to the revival of the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway.
Rubinyan was quoted by the Armenian media as saying that the normalization process has seen multiple developments recently, including direct trade between the countries and the opportunity to use the said railway. He stated that the end of the deadlock meant that they can extend beyond Georgia for exports.
Referring to the working group established for the reopening of the Gyumri-Kars railway, Rubinyan said, “We hope this railway will become operational as soon as possible, and we also expect the commitments that have been made to be fulfilled.”
During the tenure of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the two countries took significant steps for normalization.
In 2021, Türkiye’s former ambassador to Washington, Serdar Kılıç, was appointed as Türkiye’s special representative, while Rubinyan was appointed as Armenia’s counterpart.
Kılıç and Rubinyan met in Moscow in January 2022. Türkiye and Armenia agreed to continue negotiations aimed at the full normalization of relations without preconditions. This process was welcomed positively by the international community.
Flights between Armenia and Türkiye, which had ended in 2020, resumed on Feb. 2, 2022. An aircraft departing from Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul landed at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan.
As of Jan. 1, 2023, direct air cargo trade between Türkiye and Armenia became possible.
Restrictions preventing users in Türkiye from accessing websites in Armenia were also removed, with the exception of websites belonging to Armenia’s official institutions.
While negotiations continued, both sides continued to send positive messages regarding the process. In 2024, Armenia announced that the Armenian side of the Alican Border Gate (the Margara Border Crossing) on the Turkish border had been completely renovated and made ready for service.
Under a decision taken by the two sides at the end of 2025, holders of diplomatic, service and special passports from Türkiye and Armenia became eligible to obtain free e-visas as of Jan. 1, 2026, providing greater visa facilitation.
Following talks on May 4 between Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Pashinyan, a memorandum of understanding was signed regarding the joint restoration of the Ani Bridge, with one end in Türkiye and the other in Armenia.
It was stated that, as of May 11, the bureaucratic preparations necessary to launch direct trade between Türkiye and Armenia had been completed, while the required technical and administrative work for opening the shared border between the two countries was continuing.
Thanks to a new regulation, goods traveling from Türkiye to Armenia via a third country or arriving from Armenia via the same route could now list “Armenia/Türkiye” as their final destination or point of origin.
In a statement made in May, Pashinyan announced that “just as the Azerbaijani railway has been opened, the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway has also been opened to Armenia’s exports and imports.”
Pakistan’s ambassador to Türkiye said Wednesday that Islamabad remained in close contact with Ankara throughout diplomatic efforts that led to a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, underscoring the two countries’ longstanding strategic partnership and shared approach to regional peace.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Ambassador Yusuf Junaid said negotiations held in Islamabad helped pave the way for the agreement and that a final signing ceremony is expected to take place on Friday, as previously announced by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“We remained in continuous contact with the brotherly leadership of Türkiye throughout this process and maintained a common position on all these issues,” Junaid said.
The ambassador described peace and stability as key priorities of Pakistan’s foreign policy, which he said is guided by the vision of the country’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, emphasizing friendship with all nations, particularly neighboring states.
Junaid said wars and conflicts benefit no one and often result in severe humanitarian and economic consequences. He stressed that Pakistan seeks to play a constructive role in resolving regional and international crises through diplomacy and dialogue.
The ambassador also praised President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s role in international mediation efforts, describing him as one of the most influential leaders of the modern era.
“President Erdoğan is one of the most effective and influential leaders in modern history,” Junaid said. Referring to Türkiye’s mediation initiatives in conflicts including the war between Russia and Ukraine, he added that Ankara had achieved significant success in promoting security and stability in regions where peace remains fragile.
Türkiye has sought to position itself as a diplomatic mediator in several regional conflicts in recent years, hosting talks between Russia and Ukraine and supporting broader efforts aimed at reducing tensions across the Middle East.
Junaid expressed gratitude for what he described as Türkiye’s consistent support for Pakistan on critical international issues. He noted that the relationship between the two countries extends beyond traditional diplomatic ties and is rooted in a deep sense of solidarity.
Highlighting examples of mutual support during times of crisis, Junaid recalled that then-Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was among the first foreign leaders to visit Türkiye following the 1999 Marmara earthquake. He also noted that Erdoğan and first lady Emine Erdoğan were among the first international figures to visit Pakistan after devastating floods in 2010.
The ambassador said the two nations share strong historical, cultural and linguistic connections dating back centuries. He pointed to similarities between Turkish and Urdu and said the relationship between the peoples of the two countries has been shaped by generations of cultural interaction and common heritage.
“The bond between Türkiye and Pakistan is not merely a friendship,” Junaid said. “It is a relationship built on shared history, mutual support and a sense of brotherhood.”
Last year February, Erdoğan arrived in Pakistan and received a formal welcome from Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Islamabad. The leaders attended the seventh meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council of Türkiye and Pakistan. The meeting ended with a joint declaration to deepen and diversify strategic partnerships and to sign 24 cooperation agreements in several fields.
Deals include the exchange of military and civilian personnel for social and cultural purposes, cooperation on electronic warfare between the air forces of two countries and cooperation on training for military health care. In the energy field, the two countries signed a deal amending cooperation on hydrocarbons and a deal on energy transformation and mining.
Other deals and memoranda of understanding include cooperation on industrial property, religious education, halal commerce, cooperation between the central banks of the two countries, cooperation on public affairs, communications and media, health care and pharmaceuticals.
Erdoğan named Pakistan as his “second home” and lauded Pakistan’s founders, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Muhammad Iqbal, for establishing modern-day Pakistan with inspiration from the Republic of Türkiye.
A leading organizer of the Global Sumud Flotilla praised Türkiye’s role in international solidarity efforts for Palestinians, saying Turkish participants and supporters have been central to sustaining the movement aimed at challenging Israel’s blockade of Gaza and raising awareness about the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories.
J. Zacharias Crist, a boat organizer and activist with the Global Sumud Flotilla, said he witnessed firsthand the significant contribution of Turkish citizens and Muslim communities to the initiative.
“I saw personally that Muslims, and especially Turks because we departed from Türkiye, were the backbone of this movement,” Crist told Anadolu Agency (AA) on the sidelines of an international youth summit in Istanbul. “Without them, it would have been much more difficult for the movement to begin and to continue after the intervention.”
Crist spoke during the “Cut to the Chase: Truth Beyond Borders” international youth summit, organized by Marmara Anatolian Imam Hatip High School under the hosting of Boğazici University.
The activist, who converted to Islam nearly two decades ago and later settled in Türkiye, said his participation in the flotilla deepened his understanding of the challenges faced by Palestinians living under Israeli occupation and blockade.
Crist said he was detained after taking part in a recent flotilla mission and described what he characterized as harsh treatment by Israeli forces during his custody.
“I experienced being kept in stress positions for hours, being restrained and subjected to violence,” he said.
Crist said one of the most striking aspects of the experience was that activists from different nationalities were treated similarly during the interception.
“What I noticed when we traveled to occupied Palestine with the Global Sumud Flotilla was that the occupation forces did not distinguish between an American passport, a European passport, a Turkish passport or an Indonesian passport,” he said. “In their eyes, we were all Palestinians.”
Crist, who holds both Turkish and American citizenship, argued that international activists benefit from diplomatic protections that many Palestinians lack.
Reflecting on the broader impact of activism, Crist argued that grassroots campaigns can influence realities on the ground but acknowledged that civil society efforts alone are insufficient.
“Activism changes realities on the ground,” he said. “But governments also need to take greater responsibility.”
He described the Sumud movement as a nonviolent civilian initiative that seeks to draw attention to the humanitarian situation in Gaza while encouraging broader political action from states and international organizations.
Crist also stressed the importance of preserving Palestinian cultural identity and historical narratives, arguing that storytelling remains a crucial aspect of advocacy.
One dimension of the conflict, he said, involves what he described as attempts to erase Palestinian cultural heritage and identity. Protecting and amplifying Palestinian voices, he added, should be treated as a central component of international solidarity efforts.
As both a Turkish and American citizen, Crist said he has observed differences in public mobilization between Türkiye and many Western countries.
“I have seen firsthand how Türkiye is able to mobilize people in ways that many Western countries cannot,” he said.
While acknowledging growing support for Palestinians across Europe and North America, Crist argued that the role of Türkiye and Muslim communities is often underestimated internationally.
He recalled a conversation with an Italian journalist during the flotilla mission who told him that the movement would not have advanced without Turkish participation.
“We will continue doing whatever is necessary for a free Palestine,” he underlined. “I would be happy to take part in the next flotilla or any future mission.”
Crist also encouraged young people to become involved in humanitarian and advocacy initiatives, saying youth participation remains essential to sustaining global solidarity movements.
“Young people have both the energy and the sense of purpose needed,” he said. “I invite them to be part of this movement.”
Security sources said on Wednesday that the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) captured Daesh operative Ahmet Kazancı “in the border area.”
Kazancı was part of the Daesh affiliate ISKP, or Islamic State-Khorasan Province, whose activities concentrate on South and Central Asia. He is also known under the aliases “Abu Ubeyde” and “Abu Ibrahim.” Sources said he succeeded Özgür Altun, another Turkish national also known as Abu Yasir Al Turki, who was in charge of Daesh’s “media wing” for Türkiye, a propaganda branch for the terrorist group. He was working under Altun and replaced him when Altun was captured.
MIT has cooperated with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to capture Altun, one of the most wanted terrorists within an international network of Daesh. Altun, who was nabbed in June 2025 on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was once promoted in Daesh-linked publications as the group’s “media spokesperson.”
Sources stated that Kazancı traveled from Türkiye to Afghanistan and Pakistan and stayed in Daesh camps there. He was active in arranging the transportation of Daesh members from Türkiye to the region, assisting Altun. He survived air strikes in Pakistan against Daesh. Sources said he was planning to infiltrate into Türkiye, before the Turkish intelligence discovered his plan and captured him in an unspecified border area. During questioning, Kazancı admitted his association with Altun, described the military and ideological training he received within the group and acknowledged carrying out media and propaganda activities for the group, according to the sources. Security sources said the operation disrupted Daesh plans targeting Türkiye and exposed networks used to transfer recruits to the terrorist group.
Daesh remains a threat to Türkiye, which lost dozens of citizens in attacks by the group that thrived in its southern neighbors, Iraq and Syria.
Since the 2019 collapse of the self-proclaimed “caliphate,” some suspected Daesh members have settled in Türkiye, operating the so-called Khorasan Province (Daesh-K) network, which looks for “new methods” and recruits more foreign nationals for its activities after constant counterterrorism operations became a “challenge,” according to Turkish security sources.
MIT thwarted the terrorist group’s efforts for recruitment, obtaining funds and logistics support after its latest operation in the aftermath of a church shooting in Istanbul in January 2024.
Türkiye was one of the first countries to declare Daesh a terrorist group in 2013 and carried out a steady stream of operations to thwart the group, rounding up hundreds of suspects over the past few years. Operations prevented plots by Daesh to attack places of worship in Türkiye. Terrorists from Daesh and other groups, such as the PKK and its Syrian wing, the YPG, rely on a network of members and supporters in Türkiye. Turkish authorities have ordered the freezing of millions of lira worth of assets since 2013 to crack down on terrorism financiers in line with United Nations sanctions.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France on Tuesday that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa “did a good job” in Syria. “They brought the country back together,” Trump said as he was commenting on the U.S.-Iran deal, Israel’s attacks in Lebanon and how Syria could handle Hezbollah instead of Israel.
Since he took office, Trump has repeatedly boasted about good relations with Erdoğan. He is expected to meet Erdoğan at the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.
Türkiye is a major supporter of the Ahmed al-Sharaa administration, which took power in its southern neighbor after the ouster of the Baathist regime. Al-Sharaa has been invited to White House according to unconfirmed reports while he was also invited to the G7 summit.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been invited to White House, but the visit will not happen at this time, a Syrian official told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Thursday, when asked about the possible reported visit this weekend. Sharaa has also been invited to the G7 summit in France and the NATO summit in Ankara, said the official. It is not clear whether he will attend the G7, but a possible meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara is being considered, the official added. Sharaa visited the White House last November in the first by a Syrian head of state since the country’s independence in 1946. He addressed the UN General Assembly in New York in September, marking his first major appearance on the world stage since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Trump also met Sharaa in Riyadh in May 2025, shortly before Washington lifted sweeping sanctions on Syria.
Türkiye’s Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) has secured a legal victory in the U.S. in a debt recovery case involving a school alleged to have links to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), according to a statement released by the institution on Tuesday.
The TMSF said the bankruptcy administration of Bank Asya, which is managed by the fund, prevailed in a lawsuit filed before the Kings County Supreme Court in New York seeking repayment of a loan extended to Brooklyn Amity School.
The court ruled that the school must repay the outstanding debt, along with accrued interest, related to a $15.5 million (TL 717.64 million) loan package provided by Bank Asya in 2011 for the purchase and renovation of school property.
According to the TMSF, the financing consisted of five separate loans that were granted with unusually favorable terms, including a 19-year maturity period and a four-year grace period before repayments were due.
The fund said court records showed that the loans were issued following a recommendation by Ali Akbulut, a former member of Bank Asya’s board of auditors and one of its major shareholders.
After the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016, the school reportedly stopped making loan payments. During proceedings in the U.S., the defendants argued that Bank Asya’s bankruptcy resulted from political circumstances in Türkiye and therefore eliminated their repayment obligations.
However, in its June 1, 2026 ruling, the New York court rejected those claims and ordered repayment of the debt with interest.
The TMSF also noted that reports prepared by Türkiye’s Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) found that the loans had been extended without sufficient financial due diligence and under highly favorable conditions.
The decision is seen as a significant legal victory for the TMSF in its long-running efforts to recover assets and outstanding debts linked to Bank Asya following the bank’s collapse.
FETÖ is also known for its global network of schools and associations it founded while it disguised itself as an international nonprofit group with religious undertones long before the coup attempt.
Italy will deploy a SAMP-T air defense system to Türkiye’s Konya province as part of NATO’s standing defense plans aimed at strengthening the alliance’s air defense capabilities, the country’s Defense Ministry announced Tuesday.
In a statement, the ministry said the Italian system will be stationed at the 3rd Main Jet Base Command in Konya.
“Within the scope of NATO’s Standing Defense Plan, one Italian SAMP-T Air Defense System will be deployed to the 3rd Main Jet Base Command in Konya in order to strengthen the alliance’s air defense,” the ministry said.
The deployment is intended to reinforce allied solidarity and enhance collective security measures in the region, according to the statement.
The SAMP-T (Sol-Air Moyenne Portée/Terrestre) is a next-generation medium- and long-range air and missile defense system jointly developed by Italy and France. It is designed to counter a broad range of aerial threats, including aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and tactical ballistic missiles.
The system employs advanced Aster 15 and Aster 30 interceptor missiles and provides 360-degree air defense coverage. Considered a cornerstone of Italy’s air defense network, the SAMP-T is mounted on highly mobile wheeled platforms, allowing for rapid deployment and operational readiness.
Equipped with multifunction radar systems such as the Arabel radar or the newer Kronos radar, the system can simultaneously track and engage multiple targets. It is also designed to maintain high effectiveness in electronic warfare environments while protecting military units and critical infrastructure from air and missile threats.
Türkiye is preparing to host a NATO summit, 22 years after the bloc’s landmark summit in Istanbul. Alliance leaders are set to meet in Ankara to focus on deterrence, defense capabilities and burden-sharing as the alliance adapts to new geopolitical realities.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan: Israel wants to invade some countries and carry out terrorism
Pakistan envoy praises Erdoğan’s leadership, Türkiye’s mediation efforts
SON DAKİKA | MSB kaynaklarından NATO zirvesi açıklaması: Gerekli çalışmalar sürdürülmektedir!
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan: Israel wants to invade some countries and carry out terrorism
Pakistan envoy praises Erdoğan’s leadership, Türkiye’s mediation efforts
SON DAKİKA | MSB kaynaklarından NATO zirvesi açıklaması: Gerekli çalışmalar sürdürülmektedir!
-
Sports3 days agoBelgium salvages draw against Egypt after Lukaku’s introduction
-
Economy3 days agoLibya inks production-sharing deals with Türkiye’s TPAO, foreign firms
-
Economy2 days agoTürkiye registers $6.4B budget deficit in May
-
Daily Agenda17 hours agoLast minute | The Halkbank case that had been going on for 9 years in the USA was dropped! “We will continue to contribute to the growth of the country’s economy”
-
Economy3 days ago‘EU can suspend Israel trade deal over international law violations’
-
Economy2 days agoTürkiye home prices extend real decline as high rates weigh on market
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoPresident Erdoğan: 2026 will be a year of summits for Türkiye
-
Politics2 days agoTürkiye becoming indispensable actor within NATO: Official