Theme: Turkey

Turkish defense firm Baykar said two attack drones launched from a Bayraktar TB2 struck their targets during a flight test in northwestern Türkiye. The TB2 took off from the Kesan Flight Training and Test Center in Edirne province carrying 16 first-person-view (FPV) drones developed by Skydagger, released two of them over the test area and served as an airborne communications relay so that operators could guide the smaller drones to their targets. Baykar said it has signed export agreements with 36 countries for the TB2 and 16 for its Akinci combat drone, covering 39 countries across the two programs.

The US Treasury on Wednesday sanctioned India-based Suniel Kumar Sharma, his wife Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, two other Indian citizens who head two of the couple’s businesses and nine entities connected to Sharma, a network that the department said provided false flags and certifications to sanctioned vessels carrying Iranian petroleum, including vessels operating on behalf of the Iranian military and its proxies. Treasury said the scheme operated from Chandigarh and purported to represent nations from nearly every continent, from Guyana to Eswatini and Laos. The department also sanctioned Turkey-based Fugo Group Services Inc for its ongoing support of Iran’s aviation sector. The measures are part of “Operation Economic Outcast,” which aims to cut off Iran’s ability to sell oil to fund the war.

The presidents Lee Jae Myung and Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed in Seoul to expand cooperation in nuclear energy and defense, signing a memorandum on financing for nuclear power projects to support the participation of South Korean companies. According to Lee, cooperation on Turkey’s Sinop nuclear power plant project “has been progressing smoothly.” On defense, the two countries agreed to expand joint production and technological cooperation and to explore opportunities for companies from both sides to enter third-country markets together. Bilateral trade reached a record $10.7 billion last year.

The presidents of South Korea, Lee Jae Myung, and of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, signed in Seoul a memorandum on cooperation in financing nuclear projects to support the participation of South Korean companies in Turkey’s new nuclear power projects. Lee said cooperation on the Sinop plant project, including site assessments and the work of a joint working group, was “progressing smoothly” under the memorandum on nuclear energy cooperation signed in November 2025. The project aims to build Turkey’s second nuclear power plant, on its northern Black Sea coast, with the state-run Korea Electric Power Corporation seeking to participate. The two countries also agreed to deepen defense cooperation by expanding joint production and technological cooperation and jointly exploring opportunities for companies from both countries in third-country markets. The governments also signed an agreement on natural resources and mining and plan an intergovernmental channel to diversify critical mineral supply chains. Bilateral trade reached a record US$ 10.7 billion last year, according to Lee, after surpassing US$ 10 billion for the first time in 2023, a decade after the free trade agreement took effect in 2013.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan drew up a cooperation blueprint in Seoul covering areas from nuclear energy, the defense industry and infrastructure to advanced technologies, biotechnology and energy. “Today, our two countries drew up a blueprint for mutual prosperity across diverse areas,” Lee said. Erdogan called the bilateral relationship a “blood alliance,” recalling Turkey's participation in the 1950-53 Korean War. The two countries mark 70 years of diplomatic relations in 2027.

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Saturday, during a session on regional security at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, that Damascus is considering joining the Mecca alliance, a mutual defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Under the agreement, signed on August 7 in Mecca, an attack on one signatory is treated as an attack on all three, an arrangement similar in principle to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which has 32 member states. Samy Akil, an analyst at Syria Report, told Middle East Eye the talks are at an early stage and that Syria is unlikely to become the pact's fourth member in the near term.

Türkiye has moved Abdullah Ocalan, founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), to a newly built section of the island prison where he has been held for 27 years, pro-Kurdish legislators said.

Iraq's oil exports through the Kurdistan Region's pipeline to Turkey doubled from 250,000 to 500,000 barrels a day, according to Baz Karim Barzanji, head of the Erbil-based energy company KAR Group, who wrote on X on Saturday. The crude shipped on the route is marketed by the state-run Somo. Oil Minister Basim al-Abadi said exports through all routes had risen above 3.4 million barrels a day since the start of October.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said South Korea could become a partner in developing the planned Sinop nuclear power station, according to Reuters, in an interview with Yonhap News Agency. Erdogan called South Korea an important potential partner in the project and called for broader bilateral cooperation in advanced technologies, defense, logistics and other sectors, according to Yonhap.

Turkey moved Abdullah Ocalan to a newly built part of the Imrali island prison where he has been incarcerated since 1999, according to senior Kurdish official Mithat Sancar, in an Associated Press (AP) text republished by WRAL. Improving prison conditions for Ocalan, who heads the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), has been a key Kurdish demand in the push to end the 42-year conflict between the group and Turkish authorities. Sancar, a lawmaker for the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, called for the peace process to be sped up and said it had been on “a pause” for the last two months.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Russia and Ukraine to stop targeting civilian ships in the Black Sea and agreed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to work on a new grain corridor through the sea, according to Al Jazeera. The two spoke at a joint news conference in Istanbul on Saturday. “It is clear that attacks against civilian vessels and actions that further escalate tensions in the Black Sea serve no one’s interests,” Erdogan said. He added that the attacks are unacceptable “regardless of who carries them out or what justification is offered.”

Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Saturday at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain that discussions are under way to evaluate Syria’s entry into the Mecca alliance, according to Al Jazeera. The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan in the Saudi city of Mecca in August and states that an attack on one country is to be considered an attack on all three. Arab News also heard from the Syrian foreign minister that Damascus was considering whether to join the defense alliance binding Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that there is growing interest by the international community in facilitating a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea to ensure unfettered energy and grain shipments by Russia and Ukraine, according to Reuters, in a text republished by U.S. News. Turkey submitted proposals to Washington some time ago to ensure the safety of grain shipments through the Black Sea, and Rubio said the US is examining them, according to TASS: “We are examining proposals, for example, that were forwarded to us maybe some weeks ago, maybe a week ago from Turkey in that regard.”

Turkey has officially nominated a former foreign minister and yearslong ambassador to the UN for the next UN secretary-general, state-run media reported, AP said on Saturday. Broadcaster NTV identified the nominee as Feridun Sinirlioglu, the current secretary-general of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Türkiye is preparing to nominate Feridun Sinirlioglu as its candidate for UN secretary-general in the coming days, Turkish sources told Türkiye Today; he is secretary-general of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and a former foreign minister. TRT World also announced the nomination. The race for the UN’s top job has Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan leading the informal polls.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Türkiye for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Russia’s war against Ukraine and Black Sea security, according to TRT World. The Istanbul meeting will focus on strengthening bilateral ties and regional developments, the broadcaster said.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will not attend Friday's Organization of Turkic States (OTS) summit in Ankara, despite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's personal invitation in an October 21 phone call, according to Azerbaijani media cited by Turkish Minute. The absence follows the departure of Erdogan's chief presidential adviser, Oktay Saral, amid a dispute over Azerbaijan's restrictions on headscarves in schools, Turkish Minute reported.

Turkey is hosting a summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Ankara on Thursday and Friday under the theme “Turkic Century: Unity in Language, Thought and Deed,” with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as host, according to TRT World. The heads of state are expected to adopt the Ankara Declaration along with decisions and documents aimed at deepening cooperation and strengthening the bloc's institutional framework.

Libya’s eastern-based parliament in Tobruk reversed years of opposition and approved the 2019 maritime agreement between Tripoli and Türkiye, which Greece says disregards the rights of its islands, including Crete, and Turkiye hosted talks between Libya’s eastern and western administrations with the ultimate goal of reunifying them, with no agreement so far.

Egypt’s foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, held separate phone calls on Tuesday with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, and with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) foreign minister, Abdullah bin Zayed, the Egyptian ministry said on Wednesday. The Egyptian and Saudi ministers agreed to continue coordination through the four-way mechanism, which includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, according to the ministry.

Libya’s eastern parliament, the House of Representatives aligned with Haftar in Benghazi, ratified the 2019 maritime deal with Turkey on October 20, and the country’s two rival governments now recognize the boundary that runs between Crete and Cyprus, according to OilPrice. The line leaves Greek islands in the area with no sea beyond their territorial waters, and Ankara is pursuing the same kind of deal with Damascus.

Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan met with Iran in Tehran on Monday in an attempt to stop the Middle East war from reigniting, France 24 reported. It was the first joint visit to Tehran by the three countries since they formed a defense alliance in Mecca in August. Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, told state television the talks were “very good”.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for “regional unity” at a meeting in Tehran on Monday with representatives of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, which recently signed the Makkah defence pact, Dawn reported. Iran’s state broadcaster said the quadrilateral meeting discussed regional cooperation, the US-Israeli aggression against Iran and its consequences, among other topics. The talks also included Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Turkiye’s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin.

High-level delegations from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey were in Tehran on Monday for meetings with Iranian authorities, in an attempt to avert renewed fighting between Iran, Israel and the United States, according to the Associated Press (AP), in a text republished by the Times Herald. Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and the head of Turkey’s intelligence service, Ibrahim Kalin, were to meet Iran’s top security officials and negotiators to push for a deal between Tehran and Washington. The war in Yemen and strikes by Iran-backed Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia were also topics of the talks, according to AP, in a text republished by Bay News 9.

Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan's army chief, and Turkey's intelligence chief arrived in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials, according to Mehr News. Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said officials from the countries that signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement will hold regional security talks in Tehran on Monday, according to Sputnik. In an interview with state broadcaster IRIB, he said Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin will take part in the joint meeting.

Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are set to meet their Iranian counterparts in Tehran on Monday to discuss regional coordination, the Jerusalem Post reported. Saudi Arabia will be represented by Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, and Pakistan by army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to Reuters. It will be the first high-level contact between Iran and all members of the three-nation bloc since Saudi Arabia came under escalating attacks, the Middle East Eye reported.

Turkey warned the United States against fresh military strikes on Iran, saying a new attack would widen the conflict across the region and that diplomacy remains the only viable path, in a message delivered by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on October 23 after a meeting in Istanbul with counterparts from Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, according to the Tehran Times.

Turkey, the host of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN climate convention, is encouraging wealthy countries to spend more on climate support than on defence, according to OilPrice. The host of the next UN summit told The Guardian that wealthy countries should spend far more than the 5% of GDP NATO members have promised for defence, because “the climate issue is the security issue”. Asked whether as much should be spent on climate as on defence, he said: “Much more.”

Libya’s eastern parliament unanimously approved a maritime agreement with Turkey on Tuesday establishing a direct maritime economic corridor between the two countries. Greece condemned the approval and called the deal a violation of international law.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a more just and inclusive structure for the United Nations Security Council that can meet the expectations of the international community, in a message released by the government's Communications Directorate. He cited the deaths of more than 74,000 people in Gaza in what he described as genocide and urged countries to strengthen their commitment to the UN Charter and support reforms, according to the Hürriyet Daily News.

Chinese researchers mapped the complex geological evolution of Turkey's Kizilcaoren deposit, the country's most significant known rare earth reserve, in a study that dampens expectations over its commercial potential, according to the South China Morning Post. Chief scientist Yang Xiaoyong said that “so far, there is no evidence that Turkey or other countries in the Middle East have substantial rare earth deposits”.

Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia condemned the Houthi attacks on the kingdom, including strikes against civilians, infrastructure and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to TASS. The four countries called on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions, threats and attacks and return to the political process. They also said the Israeli occupation is the main source of instability in the region and beyond.

Pakistan has completed the ratification processes for the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan told a news conference, according to TRT World. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have already completed their ratification processes, while Türkiye is undertaking the requisite procedures “in accordance with its domestic legal framework,” he said.

US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said a strike on Iran this weekend is possible. “Could there be a strike this weekend? Absolutely,” he said in an interview with Mario Nawfal’s podcast, according to the Times of Israel. The envoy, who does not have a direct role on Iran, said the consequence would not be regime change: “If you keep threatening the world, our allies, the Gulf, there will be a consequence. The consequence won’t be regime change.” President Donald Trump said that if that is the case he knows nothing about it: “Well, if that’s the case, I don’t know anything about it,” he said, according to TASS. In Istanbul, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said everyone agrees a new attack on Iran would expand the war in the region: “A military intervention on Iran is not in any way a solution. Nobody approves this at the moment,” he told a press conference, according to the Jerusalem Post. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said after Friday’s meetings that renewed escalation between Iran and the United States would only have losers and raise oil prices.

Ministers from the United Kingdom, France and Germany, the E3 group, met in Istanbul on Friday, October 23, with counterparts from the R4 – Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt – along with Italy, and urged diplomacy between the US and Iran instead of new attacks, according to Al Jazeera. One of the ministers present said that “a military intervention on Iran is not in any way a solution” and that “nobody approves this at the moment”, according to Middle East Eye. A European minister warned that a further escalation between Iran and the US “would create nothing but losers” and would have very serious consequences for hydrocarbon prices.

Canada and Türkiye upgraded relations to a strategic partnership during the first bilateral visit by a Canadian prime minister, according to The Jerusalem Post, with Mark Carney seeking new trade partners to reduce reliance on the US. The two sides expect to raise bilateral trade from 3 billion dollars first to 5 billion and then to 10 billion. Carney and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched the first round of negotiations for a free trade agreement and signed the expanded air transport agreement between the two countries, according to the Canadian prime minister’s office.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the memorandum signed between Turkey and the government in eastern Libya led by Khalifa Haftar “is null and void, carries no legal effect, and that its ratification by the Libyan House of Representatives entails no legal consequences whatsoever for Egypt”. On Tuesday, Libya’s eastern government approved the agreement with Turkey establishing a maritime boundary between the two countries despite the presence of Greek islands, particularly Crete, between their coastlines. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan rejected the criticism from Egypt, Greece and Israel.

Middle Eastern media outlets published this week the text of the Mecca Defense Pact signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan on August 7, 2026, according to The Jerusalem Post. The agreement establishes a trilateral defense concept under which an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all three. It provides for a permanent secretariat, rotating leadership, regular ministerial meetings and the admission of new members, which, in the newspaper’s assessment, suggests something more ambitious than a typical defense-cooperation memorandum.

Qatar, Türkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia signed in Doha on Wednesday a memorandum to deepen defence industry cooperation, with joint production, technology transfers and more closely integrated supply chains — and the Qatari Defence Ministry says the “Badr” memorandum targets defence manufacturing, capabilities, technical training and research and development, according to Al Jazeera.

Israel condemned on Wednesday a decision by the eastern-based parliament of divided Libya to ratify a memorandum of understanding with Turkey on maritime demarcations in the Mediterranean, the Times of Israel reported. Israel’s foreign ministry said the agreement infringes upon the sovereign rights of its close allies in the region and that, once again, Turkey is working to destabilize the eastern Mediterranean. Egypt reaffirmed that the memorandum “is null” and “possesses no legal effect”.

Azerbaijan has barred 31 Turkish citizens from entering the country over social media remarks that authorities allege threatened the country’s national security and advocated the forcible overthrow of the government in Baku, according to the Middle East Eye. The decision deepens the dispute that began last month, when Azerbaijan banned headscarves in primary and high schools. The move sparked protests in Turkey and turned into a diplomatic crisis, according to the outlet.

Libya’s eastern-based House of Representatives unanimously approved on Tuesday the memorandum of understanding signed on November 27, 2019, with Turkey that delimits the two countries’ maritime jurisdiction areas in the Mediterranean, according to TRT World. The memorandum was signed by Libya’s then internationally recognised Government of National Accord. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the decision on Wednesday. “I hope this important decision will be beneficial,” he said, according to TRT World.

Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia signed in Doha on Wednesday a memorandum of understanding for the joint production of military hardware and expanded cooperation in military training, research and development, according to Middle East Eye. Turkey’s defence ministry said the agreement will be known as the “Badr deal”, a reference to the Battle of Badr in 624, and that it holds significant military and economic importance. Reuters, citing the Turkish ministry, described an agreement to boost defence cooperation and strengthen the four countries’ defensive capabilities.

Turkey will submit to parliament a mandate allowing military personnel to be deployed to Saudi Arabia under its joint defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, an agreement signed in August in Mecca and submitted to parliament for ratification on Tuesday, according to the Jerusalem Post. According to the newspaper, no Turkish troops deployed to other countries under the pact would take part in offensive operations, and technical personnel and experts would be sent initially to help with air defenses.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney travels to Ankara and Istanbul from October 21 to 24, the first bilateral visit to Türkiye by a Canadian prime minister, according to the prime minister's office. During the visit, Canada and Turkey are expected to sign a joint declaration to deepen bilateral cooperation in four areas, including defence and energy, Reuters reported.

Libya's eastern parliament approved a maritime boundaries deal with Turkey on Tuesday, drawing swift condemnation from Greece, which called it a violation of international law, Reuters reported in a text republished by ThePrint. Athens said the deal “remains illegal, null and void, contravenes international law of the sea, and infringes upon the sovereign rights of states in the region.” In the same report, Turkey's foreign ministry welcomed the Libyan parliament's decision, saying the agreement respected the mutual rights and interests of both countries under international law and the principles of equity.

The Turkish government submitted the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement to parliament on October 20, binding Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to mutual defense indefinitely, according to The Cradle. The text treats aggression from abroad against one member as aggression against all and obliges the others to immediately assist the attacked party, with the scale of support still to be defined, including military means.

Libya's Parliament reversed course and unanimously approved the memorandum of understanding on the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction in the Mediterranean signed with Türkiye, according to TRT World. House spokesperson Abdullah Bliheg announced that the chamber also voted unanimously to repeal Resolution No. 1 of 2020, which refused to ratify the two memoranda with Türkiye, and Resolution No. 6 of 2020, which called for severing political ties with Turkey, according to Alwasat News. The memorandum was signed between the former Government of National Accord (GNA) and Türkiye.

Türkiye closely coordinates with Russia on security of navigation in the Black Sea amid threats to civil sea traffic and regional trade, at a time of more frequent Ukrainian attacks on civilian facilities and vessels in recent weeks, a Turkish government source told Sputnik.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Baghdad on the sidelines of the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), according to Mehr News. The two foreign ministers exchanged views on bilateral ties, the latest developments in the region and issues of mutual interest.

Railway officials from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan signed on October 11, in Tashkent, a protocol to enhance the cost competitiveness of the CASCA+ corridor, according to Eurasianet, in a text republished by OilPrice. The protocol also calls on the participating states to simplify tariff regimes and improve customs clearance procedures.

Representatives from Iran, Turkey, Kuwait, Pakistan and the Palestinian Authority walked out of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s speech on Thursday at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Turkish police raided Halk TV’s headquarters in Istanbul on Wednesday morning, stopping live broadcasts and preventing staff from entering the building, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The outlet said on X that authorities assigned an administrator to take over Halk TV and, according to news reports, the raid is linked to a criminal investigation into owner Cafer Mahiroğlu. Police arrested 11 employees and took control of the opposition broadcaster, according to G1 Mundo.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Monday the UK is ready to consider further requests of support for Saudi Arabia, according to Middle East Eye. The offer comes after Houthi attacks on the kingdom escalated in recent days, the deadliest of which killed at least 12 and injured more than 300. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey stands beside Saudi Arabia against “unlawful and inhumane attacks”.

Turkey banned the use of social media by children under 15 on Saturday, October 10, with the decision published in the Official Gazette. The measure takes effect on November 1.

Turkey, Qatar and Kuwait condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi airports earlier this week, which killed three Saudi nationals and damaged property, according to Middle East Eye. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry denounced “in the strongest terms” the strikes on Abha International Airport in the south and King Khalid International Airport, according to the same report.

Pakistan says it has a substantial contingent of forces and resources in Saudi Arabia in a defensive capacity, amid Houthi attacks. The Pakistani foreign ministry spokesperson said those troops would not cross the border to attack the Houthis and would act in defence of Saudi territory. The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, 2026 by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye, commits the three countries to treat an armed attack against one member as an attack against all.

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) accused the Turkish state on Thursday of doing little to pursue the peace process that began in 2024, despite the Kurdish group having withdrawn all its combat forces from Turkiye, according to AFP, in a text published by The Hindu. The movement said it has withdrawn all its armed forces, both within and outside of Turkiye, that could be considered near the border.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey will not send troops to Yemen to fight Houthi forces, despite its defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, according to Firstpost. Fidan said the deal is defensive and does not authorise attacks on another country's territory. The Mecca Agreement, signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in August, commits the three to mutual defence, with an armed attack on one member treated as an attack on all three.

Turkey is sending mainly defensive and technical support to Saudi Arabia to help it fight Yemen’s Houthis, two officials said on Wednesday, according to Reuters, in a text republished by the Jerusalem Post. The support expected would be only military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems, with no other form of deployment by the alliance so far, according to the officials. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, after a meeting of the Mecca alliance, that the sides had discussed what support to provide Saudi Arabia for its defensive capabilities.

Turkey plans to step up its military support for Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks by deploying additional personnel and defence equipment amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom, several Turkish officials told Middle East Eye on Tuesday, October 6. In a joint statement on Monday, Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia said they had decided to immediately implement their collective defence commitments under the Makkah Alliance for Defence. Two Turkish officials said the country had maintained technical teams, air defence systems and electronic warfare equipment in the kingdom since last year to protect critical infrastructure, including energy facilities.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye decided on Monday, October 5, to move immediately to implement their collective defence commitments and ensure the rapid deployment of the agreed forces to Saudi territory, according to Reuters in a text republished by The Hindu, a move Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry describes as providing the agreed military forces and capabilities and ensuring their rapid deployment to the kingdom, according to Al Jazeera. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said the activation responds to the attacks and all those responsible for them, according to Al Jazeera.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey agreed to immediately implement their collective defence commitments, with the rapid deployment of agreed military forces and capabilities into Saudi Arabia, according to the Times of India. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said the alliance committee agreed to activate collective deterrence measures in response to attacks by the Houthi group. Pakistan and Turkey announced military support for Saudi Arabia after the emergency meeting of the alliance committee, in a joint statement by the three foreign ministers, according to the Middle East Eye.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that at least one person was killed and another wounded in a Russian drone attack on a Turkish-owned civilian vessel in the Black Sea. According to him, Azerbaijani and Indian citizens were on board and the ship’s captain was killed, with eleven crew members rescued and one of them injured; the fate of one other person is still being established. Romanian authorities said, according to AFP, in a text republished by RFI, that two crew died and 11 were rescued after a fire caused the ship to sink.

Israel said it killed the director of a Turkish NGO in a strike in the Gaza Strip. Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah had earlier announced the death of Saqr al-Qaisi, who led the Turkish humanitarian organisation Deniz Feneri, in a strike on a vehicle in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Hindustan Times.

Turkey said the Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the Mecca defence pact, which includes Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, will meet in Riyadh on Monday, according to Middle East Eye. The meeting will address recent developments in the region and the stage reached in the Alliance's institutionalisation efforts, the Turkish ministry statement said. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will travel to Riyadh with the defence minister and the chief of staff for the committee meeting of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, an alliance founded in August with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, according to the Anadolu Agency.

The A7 network, founded in Kyrgyzstan with Moscow's backing, operates through a constellation of shell companies in jurisdictions such as Hong Kong, Turkey and several African countries, according to El País. An investigation by the Financial Times found that more than $6.9 billion passed through international banks such as Standard Chartered, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank via the scheme.

Iran and Turkey are seeking to raise bilateral trade to $30 billion, with the development of the Bazargan border, the opening of a fourth crossing, expanded rail and road transport and the creation of a joint Khoy–Van–Mersin free zone, according to the Tehran Times. The Iranian outlet said trade between the two countries in the year 1404 was about $19.2 billion, including $6.8 billion in Iranian exports and $12.4 billion in imports.

Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia will hold an emergency meeting of the strategic political defence committee under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in Riyadh next week, according to The Times of India. The agenda includes the Houthi attacks and pursuing political engagement with the Houthis instead of kinetic action, according to The Times of India. Under the pact, an armed attack on any one of the three countries is to be treated as an attack on all three. Pakistan’s foreign minister said that more than six other countries want to join the agreement, according to Middle East Eye.

A closed-door meeting of the US-led Board of Peace for Gaza descended into a shouting match between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Israeli representative Michael Eisenberg, according to Israeli Channel 13, cited by Middle East Eye. The report, which cites no sources, says the altercation began when Fidan accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and that Jared Kushner had to step in.

Authorities in Turkey ordered the liquidation of some 130 investment funds worth $17bn earlier this month, according to Middle East Eye. The crisis involving funds accused of running Ponzi-like schemes has affected half a million people.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing a potential case at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seeking to use it as leverage in their escalating dispute, according to i24NEWS, cited by RT. According to RT, Netanyahu reportedly instructed an Israeli interministerial team and the head of Israel’s International Law Department to prepare a dossier focused primarily on alleged attacks against Kurdish minorities, along with accusations that Erdogan’s government finances Hamas. The move would follow Türkiye’s request last month for an Interpol Red Notice for Netanyahu, after a Turkish court issued an arrest warrant on charges including genocide over Israel’s interception of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla earlier this year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an interministerial team and a senior Justice Ministry official to prepare a legal case against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to the Middle East Eye, citing i24NEWS. The order followed Erdogan’s announcement that Turkey had asked Interpol to issue a red notice for Netanyahu. According to TASS, which also cites i24News, Netanyahu instructed his government to prepare a filing with the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing Erdogan. Neither Israel nor Turkey is a party to the Rome Statute and neither recognizes the ICC’s jurisdiction.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met and held talks in New York late on Saturday on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly, according to Mehr News. The two discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments, the Iranian account says, and Araghchi told Fidan that the current situation, including insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz, is a direct result of US and Israeli aggression that began on February 28 and has continued in various forms.

Turkey and Oman have halted incoming flights from private carrier Mahan Air, while the United Arab Emirates has stopped all flights by Iranian airlines, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in a post on X cited by Hindustan Times. Bessent said teams were dispatched across the globe to engage with countries and demand action against the Iranian regime and that “these efforts are delivering results”. The Treasury has held discussions with more than 50 countries, according to the Wall Street Journal cited by Hindustan Times.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent thanked the governments of the United Kingdom, Turkey, Oman and the United Arab Emirates for supporting “Operation Economic Outcast”, Washington’s economic campaign against Iran, according to Middle East Eye. Turkey and Oman halted incoming flights from private carrier Mahan Air, and the UAE stopped all flights by Iranian airlines. The UAE central bank blocked transactions to and from Iran by branches of Iran’s Bank Melli. The U.S. Department of the Treasury said it sanctioned 36 targets for supporting Iran’s aviation sector, which the regime uses to move weapons, personnel and illicit cargo.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia may agree to a transfer of S-400 missile systems from Turkey to a third friendly country, but that no such requests have been made so far, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. He also said Moscow believes the Anchorage summit yielded an agreement and is still ready to go back to it.

The chiefs of the defence forces and general staffs of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye met in Riyadh on Friday, September 25, according to a statement by the army, and discussed expanding intelligence sharing, military coordination and capability integration within the Mecca defence pact. Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said at the United Nations (UN) that further attacks on the holy city of Mecca would be a “red line” for Islamabad. The air defence of the Saudi-led coalition intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward Khamis Mushait, according to the coalition’s official spokesperson, Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki.

Türkiye and Iraq agreed on a gradual handover of the Bashiqa-Zelikan base in northern Iraq to the Iraqi federal government, after a meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), according to AP, via Business Standard. The joint statement says Turkish forces will hand over the base under a mechanism and timeline to be agreed by both sides, in light of progress on Iraq’s security measures, according to Türkiye Today. Iraq committed to fully extending state authority in Sinjar and ending the presence of banned foreign armed elements in the region.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukrainian attacks on Russian and foreign-flagged merchant vessels and tankers — including ships linked to the United States and Turkish merchant vessels hit by drones — prompted Russia’s retaliatory actions, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. Peskov also said Moscow is in no hurry to name new ambassadors to the United Kingdom and France, because normal bilateral relations with both countries are missing, according to TASS.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any solution for security in the Black Sea has to be comprehensive and requires “very complex negotiations”, and said Turkey has sent proposals on the matter to Moscow, among others, with no specific talks under way, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. Peskov also tied the return of Russian diesel exports to international markets to the safety of navigation and to the lifting of sanctions and restrictions against Russia, according to TASS.

Turkey’s and Pakistan’s top military chiefs are travelling to Riyadh after Saudi Arabia called an urgent meeting on implementing their mutual defence pact, Al Jazeera reports. Turkey’s Defence Ministry confirmed that the chief of general staff, General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, will travel to Saudi Arabia, according to Al Jazeera. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, 2026, treats an armed attack on any of the three countries as an attack on all three — Al Jazeera frames the move as Ankara and Islamabad edging closer to Saudi Arabia’s war against the Houthis in Yemen, Al Jazeera reports.

Turkey’s parliament speaker said he expects the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence pact, extended to Turkey in August and renamed the Mecca joint defence agreement, to be submitted for parliamentary approval next month, according to Middle East Eye. The pact states that an armed attack on any one of the three countries is treated as an attack on all, but parliamentary ratification remains pending, The Guardian reports.

Saudi Arabia is meeting military chiefs from Pakistan and Türkiye to discuss options under the Mecca pact, as France confirmed it is sending soldiers, radars and defense systems to guard the Yanbu oil terminal, according to Al Jazeera. The Houthis launched an offensive along the Red Sea coast this month, amid the U.S.-led war against Iran, with fighting spreading across Yemen, according to The Washington Post.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan will hold an urgent meeting of their chiefs of staff, announced by the Saudi foreign ministry, to discuss ways to back Riyadh in the escalation with Yemen’s Houthis. The barrage of ballistic missiles and drones against Saudi targets, which included the holy city of Mecca, is testing the mutual defence pact signed in August with Turkey and Pakistan. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement states that an armed attack against one of the three countries is considered an attack against all of them.

A 15-year-old student opened fire with a shotgun outside a technical school in Turgutlu, in Turkey’s western Manisa province, at around 8am on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, wounding at least 11 people, according to the Los Angeles Times, which carried an Associated Press dispatch, and Deutsche Welle. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said two of the wounded were in critical condition; the Associated Press reported three. The suspect, a pupil at the school, was detained along with his parents and his grandfather, the gun’s owner, and two chief prosecutors were appointed to investigate, including a claim that the student had been bullied. Deutsche Welle reports that minister Mustafa Ciftci said 31,000 school supervisors and police officers were assigned to schools deemed at risk under a measure announced on Monday, September 21, and that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan promised even tighter gun controls, saying “one of the perpetrators’ aims is to terrorise society”.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused Israel on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, of holding a “genocidal mindset” toward the Palestinians in a speech at the 81st United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, during which the Israeli delegation walked out and Palestinian representatives applauded, according to Al Jazeera. “Despite this so-called ceasefire, more than 1,300 civilians have been murdered in Gaza,” Erdoğan said, describing the territory as “the most inhumane, most shameful concentration camp of our time” and adding that “no one with humanity, mercy or conscience can turn a blind eye”. According to Anadolu Agency, he called for Gaza’s reconstruction to begin “without wasting any time” and urged member states to increase pressure on Israel. In the same address, Erdoğan said the UN has failed to fulfil its duty to preserve peace and security and is “bleeding out” in Palestine, Lebanon and Sudan, and lamented the absence of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who was denied a US visa for the second year in a row. TRT World reports that he also accused Israel of extending its offensive to Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran and Qatar.

The foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan said in a joint statement on Tuesday, 22 September 2026 that they affirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself in line with international law and stressed the need to preserve the safety of navigation in the region, amid escalating attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, as reported by Reuters and published by Middle East Eye and the Times of India. The four ministers met on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, voiced “deep concern” over the conflicts in the region, said dialogue and diplomacy were the only path to a sustainable solution and backed Yemen’s government in its efforts towards stability and peace. The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed on 7 August 2026 by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, states that an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack against all, according to the BBC.

A 15-year-old boy was arrested after at least 11 people were injured in a shooting on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, outside the İnci Üzmez Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Manisa, western Turkey, according to BBC News, which said two victims were in critical condition, the suspect fled on foot before being caught, and called it the third school shooting in the country in 2026. School security was tightened for the 2026-2027 academic year after the April shootings. Justice minister Akın Gürlek said, according to the Times of India, that the suspect’s mother, father and grandfather, who owned the weapon, had been detained.

A student opened fire on Tuesday morning, September 22, 2026, in front of the İnci Üzmez Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in the Turgutlu district of Turkey’s Manisa province, wounding 11 students, two of them seriously, according to The Associated Press, which cites Justice Minister Akin Gürlek and the provincial governor’s office, and to Euronews. The suspect, a pupil at the school, was detained shortly afterwards, and the minister said his parents and his grandfather, the owner of the shotgun used in the attack, were also taken into custody; two chief prosecutors were appointed to investigate the case, including allegations that the shooter was bullied at school. The education ministry suspended classes at the school for the day. The casualty count shifted through the morning, from four to eight wounded, before the minister’s figure. The attack comes a day after the education and interior ministers signed a protocol on school security for the 2026-2027 academic year and five months after two school attacks in southern Turkey in April, one of which left people dead in Kahramanmaraş and the other wounded 16 in Şanlıurfa.

Seven countries and the European Union (EU) launched the inaugural summit of “Partners for Multilateralism” (P4M) in New York on Monday, September 21, a group presenting itself as a defender of a UN-based international order and one removed from superpower politics. The joint declaration “A joint commitment to multilateralism, international law, peace and prosperity” lists Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, the EU, India and Kenya as initial co-sponsors, according to the office of Canada’s prime minister, and was co-hosted by European Council President António Costa, prime ministers William Ruto of Kenya, Anthony Albanese of Australia, Mia Mottley of Barbados and Mark Carney of Canada, and foreign ministers Mauro Vieira of Brazil and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar of India, according to UN WebTV. The text says economic interdependence “is increasingly used as a source of leverage”, cites the triple planetary crisis and the rapid development of artificial intelligence among the challenges requiring cooperation, and backs reform of multilateral institutions, including through the UN80 process. In his opening remarks, Jaishankar said the “four F crisis” — fuel, food, fertiliser and finance — “cannot be left to itself”, according to Times Now. In a joint editorial in the Financial Times, Costa, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Ruto and Carney wrote that P4M will not be another exclusive bloc or an international bureaucracy, and cited 2025’s record number of state-based armed conflicts since 1946, in 35 countries, according to The Hindu.