U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack highlighted Ankara’s strategic importance to Washington and played down lingering tensions over the S-400 issue, saying bilateral ties remain strong as Congress continues to weigh the sanctions process.

Barrack told broadcaster CNN Türk that Türkiye remains a crucial partner for U.S. President Donald Trump and stressed the importance of maintaining close communication between the two NATO allies.

“The congressional process regarding CAATSA is ongoing,” Barrack said, noting that the defense and weapons landscape has changed considerably in recent years.

He acknowledged that operating Russian defense systems alongside U.S. systems remains incompatible and said Congress needs to determine how to address the dispute surrounding Türkiye’s S-400 air defense system.

Barrack, however, described the issue as manageable and said it should not overshadow broader ties between Ankara and Washington.

“There is no interference in our relationship,” he said, while also pointing to the strength of Türkiye’s domestic defense industry.

Barrack also highlighted the relationship between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Trump, saying the two leaders have strong chemistry.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held separate talks with the leaders of Vietnam, Libya and Kuwait in New York on Monday, expanding Türkiye’s diplomatic outreach as world leaders gathered for the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly.

Erdoğan received Vietnamese President To Lam, Libyan Presidential Council Chairperson Mohammed al-Menfi and Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah at the Turkish House, or Türkevi, across from U.N. headquarters.

In his meeting with Lam, Erdoğan discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments, according to Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications.

Erdoğan welcomed Vietnam’s positive response to Ankara’s proposal to elevate bilateral ties to a “strategic partnership” and said Türkiye was working to expand cooperation in several fields, particularly investment, trade and the defense industry.

He also stressed the importance of continued coordination between Türkiye and Vietnam at international forums and called for greater cooperation on global issues.

Erdoğan congratulated Lam on his election as president and invited him to attend the leaders’ summit of the COP31 U.N. climate conference, which Türkiye is scheduled to host in Antalya in November.

Türkiye and Vietnam established diplomatic relations in 1978 and have steadily expanded political and economic cooperation, with Ankara seeking deeper engagement with the Southeast Asian country in trade, investment, defense, transportation and other sectors.

Erdoğan later received Menfi for closed-door talks at the Turkish House. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Trade Minister Ömer Bolat also attended the meeting.

Türkiye maintains close political, economic and security ties with Libya and has repeatedly emphasized its support for the North African country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and political unity.

Ankara and Tripoli signed security cooperation and maritime boundary agreements in 2019, which have become key elements of bilateral relations. Türkiye has also expanded engagement with different parts of Libya while supporting efforts toward political reconciliation and lasting stability.

Erdoğan separately hosted Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah for closed-door talks at the Turkish House.

Türkiye and Kuwait maintain multifaceted relations rooted in longstanding historical and cultural ties. Bilateral cooperation has gained momentum in recent years through high-level visits and agreements spanning trade, investment, defense and other sectors.

The series of meetings came as Erdoğan continued a packed diplomatic schedule in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. gathering.

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In a message on the International Day of Peace, the head of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate underlined that Türkiye will continue to stand with those facing injustice and oppression around the world and use every diplomatic means available to work toward a fairer world.

Burhanettin Duran said the occasion serves as a reminder, above all, of the situation in Gaza. “At a time when the most fundamental human values are being severely tested in Gaza, humanity’s shared responsibility in the face of the suffering endured by children, women and innocent civilians is to stand on the side of justice, conscience and peace,” Duran said. He stressed that hearing the voices of the oppressed, placing human life above all other considerations, and defending justice for everyone are indispensable to building a more livable world.

“Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye will continue to stand with those subjected to injustice and oppression wherever they may be in the world, make full use of the opportunities offered by diplomacy, and work for a fairer world,” he said.

“Our hope is for a world where the guns fall silent, law and conscience prevail, and no child is forced to grow up in the shadow of war, oppression or genocide,” Duran added.

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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on Washington to exert greater influence on Israel to curb policies undermining regional and global stability, while highlighting renewed momentum in Türkiye-U.S. ties as the two countries approach a century of diplomatic relations.

Speaking at the “Türkiye-U.S. Relations Toward the 100th Anniversary” panel organized by the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications in New York, Fidan said the century-old partnership had endured disputes, crises and major shifts in the international system.

“Our relationship has been tested over time and demonstrated its lasting value,” Fidan said, noting that two geographically distant countries had become allies and partners whose cooperation extends far beyond their borders.

Fidan said Türkiye-U.S. relations have gained strong, renewed momentum, pointing to the close relationship between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Donald Trump as a key factor.

He said Ankara and Washington should turn that momentum into concrete gains, institutionalize cooperation and resolve outstanding issues as bilateral diplomatic relations enter their second century.

Turning to regional security, Fidan said Ankara and Washington share an interest in sovereign and stable states capable of providing security and prosperity across the Middle East.

He said strengthening national institutions in Syria and Iraq was essential to preventing terrorist organizations from gaining room to operate.

“A Syria free from terrorism and with its territorial integrity preserved would represent significant progress for regional security and prosperity,” Fidan said.

He also emphasized what Ankara calls “regional ownership,” arguing that countries in the region should assume greater responsibility for their own security and stability.

Fidan warned that interconnected conflicts could undermine Türkiye-U.S. efforts, citing the war involving Iran, the conflict in Yemen and Israeli policies across the region.

“These threats reinforce one another and obstruct diplomacy,” Fidan said. “We particularly expect the United States to use its influence over Israel more effectively to bring an end to policies that undermine regional and global peace and stability.”

Fidan said Gaza remains a central test of the international community’s ability to establish security, cooperation and prosperity in the region. He reiterated Türkiye’s support for Trump’s efforts to end the Gaza crisis and said commitments contained in the peace plan should be fully implemented.

Beyond the Middle East, Fidan said Türkiye and the U.S. could deepen cooperation in the Caucasus, the Black Sea, Ukraine and the Balkans.

Ankara supports the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia and seeks to reduce escalation risks in the Black Sea while maintaining safe navigation, he said. Türkiye also continues to support diplomacy toward a lasting settlement in Ukraine and maintains communication channels with both Kyiv and Moscow.

Fidan said closer coordination and preventive diplomacy could also help contain tensions in Bosnia-Herzegovina and between Serbia and Kosovo.

As Türkiye and the U.S. approach the second century of diplomatic ties, Fidan said their partnership could also contribute to resolving protracted conflicts in Libya, Sudan and elsewhere in Africa.

“Our goal in the second century of our diplomatic relations with the United States is to use the Turkish-American partnership for the greater benefit of global peace and stability,” he said.

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Turkish prosecutors are seeking testimony from Enver Altaylı, who is serving a prison sentence on terrorism and espionage convictions, as authorities widen a reopened investigation into the 2011 death of former National Intelligence Organization (MIT) officer Kaşif Kozinoğlu in prison.

The Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office reopened the investigation into Kozinoğlu’s death after a court on Aug. 26 overturned a 2012 decision not to pursue prosecution. Authorities are investigating possible offenses including intentional killing, establishing or participating in a criminal organization and violations of Türkiye’s intelligence law.

Altaylı’s testimony could not immediately be taken because of health problems, but prosecutors plan to question him if his condition improves, according to information obtained in the investigation.

Kozinoğlu died on Nov. 12, 2011, after falling ill while being held at Silivri Prison. He was transferred to Silivri State Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The initial investigation examined surveillance footage and medical records and took testimony from prison, gendarmerie and medical personnel, fellow inmates and Kozinoğlu’s wife before prosecutors closed the case in April 2012.

According to documents cited by Sabah, investigators found letters in Altaylı’s digital material that were allegedly sent to the leader of the FETÖ. In one letter, Altaylı allegedly warned that Kozinoğlu’s possible appointment as head of MIT would pose a serious threat to the group, citing his role in efforts against FETÖ-linked schools in Central Asia.

The letter allegedly called for steps to prevent Kozinoğlu from gaining influence.

Kozinoğlu was later jailed as part of investigations that Turkish authorities now describe as FETÖ-linked plots and died shortly before he was due to present his defense in court.

Prosecutors are examining the letters and the sequence of events as part of their effort to determine whether there was any connection between the alleged warnings about Kozinoğlu and his death. The investigation remains ongoing.

Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the case was reviewed by a unit investigating unsolved crimes before prosecutors decided to reopen it. A special investigative team was subsequently established to reexamine the circumstances surrounding Kozinoğlu’s death.

The investigation has since expanded to include officials and others who were at the prison at the time. Six suspects have been jailed and 15 others placed under judicial control as authorities seek to determine whether third parties played a role in Kozinoğlu’s death.

Investigators are also examining material linked to Altaylı that could shed light on events preceding Kozinoğlu’s imprisonment and death.

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Elif Eralp is expected to lead Berlin after Die Linke (the Left Party) scored a historic win in the German capital’s state elections on Sunday.

The 45-year-old candidate celebrated the victory with a speech peppered with Turkish remarks, against a backdrop of people performing Turkish folk dances to songs by Turkish pop star Tarkan blaring from loudspeakers.

Eralp told supporters that they had made history together. “We are all part of this city, this country,” she told a mixed group that included citizens of migrant backgrounds like herself.

“From today, we’re changing Berlin together,” she told celebrating party members in Berlin.

Eralp, the daughter of a couple who left Türkiye after her father faced political pressure as a left-wing labor activist during the 1980 coup, grew up in Hamburg, where she studied law. She entered politics as a legal policy adviser for the Left Party in the Bundestag in 2010 and rose to become the party’s deputy chair in the Berlin state organization in 2025.

She campaigned on the soaring cost of housing in the German capital and immediately promised to follow through on a pledge to nationalize private housing associations that account for a large share of the city’s housing stock.

The result, which roughly doubled the party’s previous score, could see her become the first mayor of Berlin from the Left Party, which grew out of the former East German communist party following the country’s reunification 36 years ago.

Her party is set to displace Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) from the mayor’s office.

The Left Party took 25.3%, ahead of the CDU at 19% and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 16%. It also far outstripped the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), who took 12.1%.

Sunday’s election in Berlin came on the same day the AfD followed up on its success in the Sept. 6 Saxony-Anhalt election by taking first place in an election in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. It also recorded its best-ever result in Berlin.

But while the AfD has attracted most attention, the Left Party has also benefited from a general turn against the mainstream parties of the center-left and center-right.

Meanwhile, the head of Germany’s Central Council of Jews on Sunday voiced opposition to a Left Party-led government in Berlin and urged other parties not to enter coalition talks with the socialist election winner.

Josef Schuster said he was concerned about the Left Party’s solidarity with pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting the Israeli government. He accused the party of making antisemitic statements, claims its officials have repeatedly and firmly denied.

“During the election campaign, the Left Party repeatedly crossed the line with antisemitic remarks,” Schuster claimed. Entering a Left Party-led coalition, he argued, would mean promoting the “ongoing normalization of hatred against Jews.”

Eralp voiced support during the campaign for Berlin’s Palestinian community and sharply condemned war crimes in Gaza by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. She pledged that a Left Party-led state government would end what she described as repressive police measures against peaceful pro-Palestinian protests in the capital.

In response to the accusations, Eralp said party leaders had distanced themselves from a handful of isolated incidents. She added that the Left Party opposes all forms of racism and noted that during her career she has been involved in projects combating antisemitism.

“It is absolutely clear that we stand for the protection of Jewish life,” she said in a recent televised debate with her rival. “Just as we stand for the protection of Muslim and Palestinian life.”

The Left Party rejects accusations of systematic antisemitism, saying it is against all forms of “group-focused hostility,” including antisemitism, racism and sexism.

Mother’s pride

Hülya Eralp shared the joy of other supporters of her daughter as the initial election results were announced. “I am proud of her. I didn’t expect her to garner so many votes,” she told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday.

Eralp said she broke down in tears over her daughter’s electoral victory.

“I haven’t been able to sleep for days because of the anticipation and excitement. It is a very beautiful feeling,” she said.

She said her daughter’s success had historic significance for Berlin, noting, “Elif said it herself; she has made history. It is very important that she achieved such success as a politician of immigrant background in Berlin’s history. Such an achievement in the capital is truly a wonderful thing.”

She said she hoped her daughter Elif would become a great mayor in every respect.

Her mother underlined that her daughter’s interest in politics and human rights developed from an early age, adding that she and her husband fought against racism and supported immigrants since they arrived in Germany.

Eralp added that she had also worked for years at an immigrant organization, where she helped young people enter vocational training.

“I worked with employers on how multicultural and multilingual education and vocational training could be provided. Even after retiring, I continue to work as a volunteer,” Eralp said.

Eralp said Elif grew up in such an environment, noting that immigrants, workers and people fighting against racism were frequently present in their home.

“We never guided her. We never told her, ‘Go into politics’ or anything like that,” Eralp said, adding that her daughter had shown an interest in developments around her and in politics from childhood.

Hülya Eralp said it was no coincidence that her daughter became a lawyer, noting that Elif had been sensitive to issues of justice from a young age.

“She was a child who cared deeply about justice. Whenever she saw even the slightest injustice, she would intervene. Everyone would say, ‘You will definitely become a lawyer and defend human rights,’” Eralp said.

Eralp said her daughter worked in the field of human rights after completing her legal education, adding that Elif Eralp worked as a human rights lawyer in the German Bundestag for about 10 years.

She said her daughter later accepted an offer from the Left Party and was eventually nominated as its candidate for mayor of Berlin following her work within the party.

Eralp said her daughter thought for a long time about the offer to run for office.

“She thought about it a lot, asking herself, ‘Should I run or not?’ She asked all of us. We told her, ‘This is a historic event. You need to do it. This has now been written on your forehead; you have to do it.’ That’s how she accepted,” she said.

She also called on immigrants in Germany to stand up for their rights and fight against racism.

“My request to immigrants is: Please stand up for your rights. Never surrender,” Eralp said, stressing the importance of fighting racism in Germany.