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Sisi meets Erdogan in Turkey

El-Sisi’s official visit, which began yesterday in response to President Erdoğan’s invitation, aims to lay the foundation for a new phase in bilateral relations…reports Asian Lite News

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi emphasised that his current visit to Türkiye, along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s earlier visit to Cairo, reflects the shared will to initiate a new phase of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

El-Sisi expressed his great pleasure at his first visit to the Republic of Türkiye and his meeting with President Erdoğan, noting that the historical relations between the two nations date back to the establishment of the Turkish Republic by leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

The Egyptian presidency affirmed that El-Sisi’s official visit, which began yesterday in response to President Erdoğan’s invitation, aims to lay the foundation for a new phase in bilateral relations and to enhance cooperation in various fields.

Ambassador Ahmed Fahmy, the official spokesperson for the Egyptian Presidency, stated that this historic visit represents a significant step towards strengthening bilateral relations in light of regional challenges that require consultation and coordination between the two countries.

The visit is expected to include the two presidents chairing the first meeting of the Egypt-Türkiye High Level Strategic Cooperation Council .

During the meeting, the two sides will discuss ways to enhance cooperation across various fields and exchange views on regional and international issues, including efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and address the humanitarian crisis there.

“All aspects of Turkey-Egypt relations will be reviewed, and joint steps that could be taken in the upcoming period to further improve bilateral cooperation will be addressed at the Council meeting,” the statement said, adding several agreements are expected to be signed during the meeting.

The two leaders’ talks will also include discussions on “current regional and global matters, particularly the ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories,” the statement noted.

The visit follows Erdogan’s trip to Cairo in February, signaling a thaw in bilateral ties after years of hostility. Relations between Turkey and Egypt soured after the ouster of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 and the subsequent banning of his Turkey-backed Muslim Brotherhood group, which led both countries to expel each other’s ambassadors.

Ties between the two countries began to improve in 2020 when Ankara launched a diplomatic effort to reduce tensions with its estranged regional rivals, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

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Erdogan Backs Restoring Ties with Syria

The Turkish leader was also quoted as saying that Turkey has no intention of meddling in Syria’s internal affairs…reports Asian Lite News

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that there is no reason not to re-establish relations with Syria, according to media reports.

“Just as we were together in the past in developing relations with Syria, we will act together in the same way,” Erdogan told reporters after Friday prayers in Istanbul.

The Turkish leader was also quoted as saying that Turkey has no intention of meddling in Syria’s internal affairs, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Because the Syrian people are a community with whom we have lived together as brotherly nations,” he said.

Erdogan recalled that Turkey maintained vibrant relations with Syria in the past, noting, “There is no doubt that such engagements could resume in the future.”

On Wednesday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that his country remains open to initiatives regarding its relationship with Turkey.

After the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in March 2011, Turkey’s relations with Syria have become significantly strained.

Ankara has aligned itself with several opposition groups against the Syrian government.

Since 2015, Turkey has launched several military operations in Syria, accusing the Syrian government of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a Kurdish rebel group designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey.

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Erdogan Urges Islamic Unity Against Gaza Offensive

The President noted that his country is also working hard “to ensure that the crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Israel are not overlooked in the international arena”….reports Asian Lite News

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Islamic countries to act in unity in response to the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.

He made the remarks on Friday when addressing the fifth General Assembly of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum in Istanbul via video message, Xinhua news agency reported.

“We are continuing our diplomatic contacts so that Islamic countries can act together against the Israeli cruelty in Gaza,” Erdogan said.

The President noted that his country is also working hard “to ensure that the crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Israel are not overlooked in the international arena”.

He reiterated Turkey’s commitment to supporting the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and globally recognised Palestinian state.

“We will continue our struggle until an independent and territorially integrated Palestinian state is established on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Erdogan said.

After Hamas launched a surprise attack and killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel mounted a massive military offensive against Hamas-ruled Gaza.

Since then, the Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks in the enclave has risen to 27,947, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Friday.

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Israel to Reassess Diplomatic Ties With Turkey

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.(Photo :twitter.com/elicoh1)

Israeli ambassadors stationed in Turkey have been told to return to Israel, reports Asian Lite News

Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has said that he has ordered the return of the diplomatic representatives from Turkey in order to conduct a reassessment of Israel-Turkey relations.

“Against the background of the harsh statements from Turkey, I ordered the return of the diplomatic representatives from Turkey in order to conduct a reassessment of Israel-Turkey relations,” Cohen posted on X.

According to The Times of Israel, a review of diplomatic relations with Turkey is demanded by Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, following the “harsh” condemnation of Israel’s military operation against Hamas by Turkish leaders.

Israeli ambassadors stationed in Turkey have been told to return to Israel, according to Cohen.

Last week, Israel recalled its diplomats from the country as it also called on Israeli citizens to leave due to terror threats, according to The Times of Israel.

Amid Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan termed Hamas as ‘mujahideen’ defending their lands, as he announced the cancellation of his visit to Israel.

While addressing a conference of his AK party faction in parliament a few days back, the Turkish President said that Israel “can view Hamas as a terrorist organisation along with the West. The West owes you a lot. But Turkey does not owe you anything,” The Times of Israel reported.

Speaking out against Israel, Erdogan also stated that he is cancelling plans to visit Israel because of its “inhumane” war.

“Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a group of mujahideen defending their lands,” he said, according to The Times of Israel.

“We had a project to go to Israel, but it was cancelled, we will not go,” Erdogan added.

Meanwhile, the foreign minister of Turkey, Hakan Fidan has said that Israel committed “a crime against humanity” in its war in Gaza while speaking in Qatar, The Times of Israel reported.

“Targeting our Palestinian brothers, including children, patients and the elderly, even in schools, hospitals and mosques, is a crime against humanity,” he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, during a Security Council meeting, the UN chief said, “It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,” claiming that “the Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.”

He added, “They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence; their economy stifled; their people displaced; and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.”

Lambasting the UN chief after his remarks, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen stated, “Mr. Secretary-General, in what world do you live?” He rebutted as he addressed the Security Council. “Definitely, this is not our world.”

Following this, Cohen also cancelled a private meeting with Guterres, saying that there is “no place” for a “balanced approach”.

The October 7 attacks by Hamas killed at least 1,400 Israelis and wounded more than 4,500. The major offensive included the firing of thousands of rockets at Israel and the infiltration of the Jewish state by terrorist forces. (ANI)

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Erdogan Vows New Constitution

Erdogan has been pushing for a new constitution to replace the current one, which was ratified in 1982 and has been amended 19 times since then….reports Asian Lite News

Erdogan has been pushing for a new constitution to replace the current one, which was ratified in 1982 and has been amended 19 times since then.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised to make a new constitution in the new term of the parliament and invited all political parties and all segments of the society to join the effort.

“Now we have a new task and a new opportunity before us. This is to give our country a new and civilian constitution,” Erdogan said in a speech at the opening ceremony for the new legislative year of the parliament, Xinhua news agency reported.

“We invite all parties, all MPs (members of parliament), all social segments, and everyone who has a say and proposal on this issue, to join our call for a new constitution with a constructive understanding,” he said.

Erdogan said his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was open to all kinds of compromises to draft the constitution, and they expected the same constructive approach from other political actors.

Erdogan has been pushing for a new constitution to replace the current one, which was ratified in 1982 and has been amended 19 times since then. The last amendment in 2017 introduced a presidential system and abolished the parliamentary system.

Erdogan has been leading the country since he became prime minister in 2003.

He became the first executive president of Turkey in 2018 following a constitutional referendum in 2017 which changed Turkish parliamentary system into a presidential one.

In May, Erdogan was elected as a president for his third term. The AKP has been working on a draft charter since last year.

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Erdogan: Turkey May End EU Bid

The Turkish leader called on the Nordic country to do its part as Ankara accuses Stockholm of failure to address Turkey’s security-related concerns….reports Asian Lite News

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkey may “part ways with the EU,” suggesting that his country may end the bid to join the European bloc.

“The European Union is trying to break away from Turkey,” Erdogan told journalists on Saturday in Istanbul before leaving for New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly meetings.

Turkey would make its own assessment on a recent report adopted by the European Parliament, in which the EU criticised Ankara for failing to make progress in several areas to revive its membership talks, the Turkish President added.

“After these evaluations, we may part ways with the EU if necessary,” Erdogan warned.

Turkey has pursued membership in the 27-nation bloc for over two decades, yet the accession process has experienced limited advancement owing to numerous disparities between Ankara and Brussels. Since 2018, the accession negotiation process has been frozen, Xinhua news agency reported.

Regarding Sweden’s application to join NATO, Erdogan said that he would align with the decision made by the Turkish Parliament.

“The West keeps saying Sweden, Sweden. We say that it’s not possible for us to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ unless our Parliament makes a decision,” he added.

The Turkish leader called on the Nordic country to do its part as Ankara accuses Stockholm of failure to address Turkey’s security-related concerns.

“It’s not enough to just draft laws. They should be implemented,” Erdogan said.

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Putin To Meet Erdogan In Sochi

MOSCOW, March 5, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Moscow, Russia, on March 5, 2020. Russia and Turkey agreed Thursday on a ceasefire in the de-escalation zone in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan which lasted for about six hours. (Sputnik/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

Their talks come a week before Turkey and the United Nations seek to revive a Ukraine grain export deal that aided ease a global food crisis.

President Vladimir Putin will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday in Sochi, Al Jazeera reported, quoting Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Their talks come a week before Turkey and the United Nations seek to revive a Ukraine grain export deal that aided ease a global food crisis.

Peskov told the media persons on Friday, “It is true that the talks will be held on Monday. They will be in Sochi in the middle of the day.”

As international attempts to patch up the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which sent grain and other supplies to regions of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia where famine is a growing threat, continue, the declaration put an end to weeks of speculation about when and where the two presidents may meet next. It came to an end in July when Russia abruptly withdrew from the agreement, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Russia and Ukraine are important global providers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil, and other agricultural products that are essential to developing countries.

The deal was mediated by Turkey and the UN in July 2022. During the war with Russia, it permitted Ukraine to resume exporting food from three of its Black Sea ports.

Under the initiative, vessels sailed to and from Ukraine while ship and cargo inspections were managed from Turkey. While the deal was in force, around 33,000 tonnes of grain left Ukraine, according to Al Jazeera.

The UN said that the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022—which Russia refers to as a “special military operation”—was to blame for the world food crisis, which was addressed by the Black Sea grain agreement, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)

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Turkey preparing to host Putin in August

MOSCOW, March 5, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Moscow, Russia, on March 5, 2020. Russia and Turkey agreed Thursday on a ceasefire in the de-escalation zone in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan which lasted for about six hours. (Sputnik/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

One of the key issues expected on the agenda is whether the Black Sea Grain Initiative will be prolonged, reports Asian Lite News

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan he is ready to host his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Ankara next month for talks on several issues.

“We are preparing to host Putin in August,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.

According to Erdogan, one of the key issues expected on the agenda of the two leaders’ talks is whether the Black Sea Grain Initiative will be prolonged, reports Xinhua news agency.

The deal, brokered by Turkey and the UN that allows Ukraine to export grain and other agricultural products from its Black Sea ports, will expire on July 17.

Erdogan had called for extending the deal last week, stressing that poor African countries in particular are in desperate need of grain shipments from Ukraine.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative was launched in July 2022 to provide a humanitarian maritime corridor for ships with food and fertilizer exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

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Erdogan urges Sweden to ‘keep promises’ for NATO bid

The President further said that he would bring that to allies’ attention at the NATO summit held in Vilnius, Lithuania next week….reports Asian Lite News

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reaffirmed that his country would not green-light Sweden’s accession to NATO unless the Nordic nation adopted a firm stance against “terror groups”.

“How can a state that doesn’t distance itself from terror organizations contribute to NATO?” Xinhua news agency quoted Erdogan as saying at the graduation ceremony of the National Defense University in Istanbul on Friday.

He said his government expected Sweden to abide by its promise of taking into account Turkey’s security concerns.

The President further said that he would bring that to allies’ attention at the NATO summit held in Vilnius, Lithuania next week.

Erdogan noted that Turkey backed NATO’s open-door policy and was ready to welcome any state committed to the alliance’s fundamental principles.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO last year but faced objections from Turkey on the grounds that the two countries harbor members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Gulen movement.

Turkey eventually lifted its objection to Finland earlier this year after the Nordic country took “concrete steps” against such groups, and the country went on to become NATO’s 31st member in April.

But Ankara maintains its veto of Sweden.

The military alliance will hold a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12, at which NATO wants to finalise Sweden’s admission process.

ALSO READ: Erdogan: Ukraine deserves NATO membership

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Erdogan: Ukraine deserves NATO membership

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has met with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the Turkish city of Istanbul,

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has met with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the Turkish city of Istanbul, reports Asian Lite News

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Zelensky spent this week visiting NATO countries, courting support ahead of a NATO summit in Lithuania next week where members are expected to reaffirm that Ukraine will eventually join, the CNN reported.

The Turkish President said: “Without a doubt, Ukraine deserves to be in NATO.”

Zelensky said he was “happy to hear” that Turkey supports Ukraine’s bid to join during a joint press conference.

This is Zelensky’s first visit to Turkey since the war broke out between his country and Russia in February 2022, but he has often spoken on the phone with Erdogan, whose country has been pushing for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

The two presidents met on Friday night at the Vahdettin Palace on the Asian side of the city, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Finishing a busy day in Turkey,” Zelensky tweeted, followed by another tweet of an image of the two leaders shaking hands. “Coordination of positions on the peace formula, the NATO summit, security guarantees, and the grain initiative” were discussed, he said.

Meanwhile, the White House said that Ukraine’s entry into NATO will be discussed at the alliance’s ensuing summit but it won’t come out as a member.

Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor, said that the summit to be held next week in Vilnius will highlight NATO’s readiness to consider Ukraine’s membership, which he termed a “milestone” in itself. Sullivan said, “The NATO Summit will dive into the question of NATO’s relationship with Ukraine, both the question of its pathway towards future membership and the question of an ongoing partnership that has existed for several years.”

“Ukraine’s pathway to NATO will be discussed at the summit, but Kyiv still has further steps that it needs to take before membership and Ukraine will not be joining NATO coming out of this summit,” he added.

Sullivan noted that Ukraine would have the chance to talk about the reforms that are still essential for Kyiv to match NATO standards.

Even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready to attend the summit to establish that his country should join the alliance when its conflict with Russia ends, Sullivan said the White House expects Sweden’s NATO membership to win final approval in the foreseeable future.

He also said Turkey and Hungary can “possibly” drop their opposition at the forthcoming summit.

“If not, we believe it will happen in the not-too-distant future,” said Sullivan, adding that there was “fundamental goodwill” towards Sweden’s move within the alliance.

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland ended decades of military non-alignment and submitted applications to join NATO last year.

Finland officially joined the bloc in April, but Turkey and Hungary prevented Sweden from joining because of the requirement for unanimity in support of new members.

Due to a long-standing disagreement over Stockholm’s decision to allow alleged Kurdish militants to dwell in the Nordic nation, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is preventing Sweden from entering the European Union.

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