Russia’s top diplomat to visit Turkiye Monday: sources

Russia’s top diplomat to visit Turkiye Monday: sources
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during an earlier meeting with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the G20 event in Johannesburg on Feb. 20, 2025. (Russian Foreign Ministry/AFP)
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Updated 23 February 2025

Russia’s top diplomat to visit Turkiye Monday: sources

Russia’s top diplomat to visit Turkiye Monday: sources
  • Sergei Lavrov will hold talks in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan
  • Turkiye wants to play a leading role in bringing an end to Russia-Ukraine hostilities

ISTANBUL: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Turkiye on Monday, which marks the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Turkish diplomatic sources said Sunday.
Lavrov will hold talks in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, the source said, adding that the men will discuss the war in Ukraine, among other things.
Turkiye, a member of NATO, wants to play a leading role in bringing an end to hostilities, as it tried to do in March 2022 by twice hosting direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
Receiving his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asserted that his country would be an “ideal host” for talks on Ukraine involving Moscow, Kyiv and Washington.
Moscow and Washington have already begun a direct dialogue in recent weeks, against a backdrop of rapprochement between US President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Russian and American officials met in on Tuesday to begin rebuilding their relations, a meeting denounced by Zelensky, who fears an agreement on Ukraine reached without him at the table.
Lavrov, who last visited Turkiye in October, is also expected to visit Russian ally Iran.


Syrian and Turkish armies to cooperate in counterterrorism, border control

Syrian and Turkish armies to cooperate in counterterrorism, border control
Updated 22 sec ago

Syrian and Turkish armies to cooperate in counterterrorism, border control

Syrian and Turkish armies to cooperate in counterterrorism, border control
  • Turkish foreign minister says ‘we do not view Syria’s security as separate from Turkey’s security’
  • Talks focused on common issues in counterterrorism, border control, enhancing regional stability, and bilateral cooperation

LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic and Turkiye will collaborate on counterterrorism along their shared border to enhance military cooperation between the two countries.

On Sunday, Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad Hassan Al-Shaibani discussed these issues with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and General Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalın.

Syria’s Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Murhaf Abu Qasra and General Intelligence Chief Hussein Al-Salama also joined the high-level delegation that visited the Turkish capital, Ankara.

The talks focused on common issues in counterterrorism, border control, enhancing regional stability, and bilateral cooperation. They discussed joint training to improve coordination between Turkiye and Syria, the SANA news agency reported.

“We discussed the joint steps that can be taken to ensure Syria's full security while preserving its territorial integrity,” Fidan wrote on X.

“The Syrian administration possesses the determination and resolve to overcome the challenging trials it faces. We do not view Syria’s security as separate from Turkey’s security,” Fidan added.

Abu Qasra described the meetings with his Turkish defense counterpart and officials as “a significant new milestone” in strengthening cooperation between the two armies. He said in a post on X that such collaboration will “contribute to establishing security and stability in the region.”

Ankara has strengthened its relations with Damascus since December, after the collapse of the Assad regime last year, which was an ally of Iran and opposed Turkiye for supporting rebel groups.


Israeli forces raid houses of Palestinian prisoners ahead of release in Gaza deal

Israeli forces raid houses of Palestinian prisoners ahead of release in Gaza deal
Updated 12 October 2025

Israeli forces raid houses of Palestinian prisoners ahead of release in Gaza deal

Israeli forces raid houses of Palestinian prisoners ahead of release in Gaza deal
  • Israeli soldiers issued threats to prisoners’ family members, warning them against holding any celebrations after their release
  • Nearly 1,950 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be freed on Monday in exchange for 48 Israeli captives

LONDON: Israeli forces conducted raids on several homes of Palestinian prisoners who are expected to be released as part of the captive exchange deal between Israel and Hamas early on Sunday.

Israeli soldiers entered the homes of prisoners due for release, tampered with their belongings, and issued threats to family members, warning them against holding any celebrations, according to the Wafa news agency.

Homes in Nablus, the Balata and Askar Al-Jadid refugee camps, as well as the towns of Salem to the east, Aqraba, and Zeita Jamma’in to the south, were raided. Similar raids were conducted in Hebron and the nearby Deir Samet, where one prisoner from the village is scheduled to be released on Monday, the Wafa added.

Nearly 1,950 Palestinian prisoners and detainees from the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip are set to be freed on Monday in an exchange deal for 48 Israeli captives, 20 of whom are alive.

Late Thursday, the Israeli government approved a ceasefire in Gaza proposed by US President Donald Trump. The deal includes a prisoner and captive swap, an end to hostilities in the Gaza Strip, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory, and the entry of humanitarian aid.


45 Gaza flotilla activists arrive in Jordan after deportation by Israel

45 Gaza flotilla activists arrive in Jordan after deportation by Israel
Updated 12 October 2025

45 Gaza flotilla activists arrive in Jordan after deportation by Israel

45 Gaza flotilla activists arrive in Jordan after deportation by Israel
  • Activists include nationals from Tunisia, Europe, the US, and Canada
  • Last week, 131 Gaza flotilla activists were deported from Israel to Jordan via the Allenby Bridge crossing

LONDON: Jordan announced on Sunday the arrival of 45 foreign nationals whom Israel deported after being detained aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, which attempted to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza in early October.

The Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs announced that 45 nationals from Tunisia, Spain, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Finland, the UK, and Canada entered Jordan through the King Hussein Bridge.

The ministry announced that it had coordinated with the embassies of the various countries to organize and facilitate the departure of their citizens from Jordan, the Petra news agency reported.

Last week, 131 Gaza flotilla activists were deported from Israel to Jordan via the Allenby Bridge crossing.

The Israeli Navy detained approximately 470 individuals as the flotilla sailed through international waters, heading to Gaza early in October. The global flotilla aimed to break the Israeli siege over Gaza and draw international attention to the two years of genocidal campaign in the territory.


Hamas will not govern post-war Gaza: Hamas source close to negotiating committee

Hamas will not govern post-war Gaza: Hamas source close to negotiating committee
Updated 12 October 2025

Hamas will not govern post-war Gaza: Hamas source close to negotiating committee

Hamas will not govern post-war Gaza: Hamas source close to negotiating committee
  • ‘For Hamas, the governance of the Gaza Strip is a closed issue’
  • Hamas’ leadership has in the past been divided on key issues, including on the future administration of Gaza

DOHA: A Hamas source close to the group’s negotiating committee told AFP on Sunday that it will not participate in post-war Gaza governance, as world leaders prepare to converge on Egypt for a Gaza peace summit.
The source’s comments come days after an Israel-Hamas ceasefire came into effect, and as both sides discuss implementing US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war, which calls for Hamas’ disarmament and for the group not to be involved in running post-war Gaza.
“For Hamas, the governance of the Gaza Strip is a closed issue. Hamas will not participate at all in the transitional phase, which means it has relinquished control of the Strip, but it remains a fundamental part of the Palestinian fabric,” the source told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Unlike other more top-heavy militant organizations in the region, Hamas’ leadership has in the past been divided on key issues, including on the future administration of Gaza.
But where there appears to be no division among top members is on the question of disarmament, which the group has long described as a red line.
“Hamas agrees to a long-term truce, and for its weapons not to be used at all during this period, except in the event of an Israeli attack on Gaza,” the source said.
Another Hamas official who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive topics had earlier told AFP that Hamas’ disarmament was “out of the question.”
The first clause of Trump’s 20-point plan calls for Gaza to become a “deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors.”
The plan also states Hamas will not have a role in future governance of the Strip, and that its military infrastructure and weapons should be “destroyed and not rebuilt.”
Under Trump’s plan, a temporary technocratic and apolitical Palestinian committee would be charged with the day-to-day running of public services.
The source close to the negotiators said they had asked for mediator Egypt to call a meeting before the end of next week to agree on the composition of this committee, adding that “the names are almost ready.”
“Hamas, along with the other factions, have submitted 40 names. There is absolutely no veto over them, and none of them belong to Hamas,” he added.


3 Qatari diplomats killed in car crash while heading to Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh

An Egyptian traffic policeman guards in Peace Square at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 10, 2025. (REUTERS
An Egyptian traffic policeman guards in Peace Square at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 10, 2025. (REUTERS
Updated 12 October 2025

3 Qatari diplomats killed in car crash while heading to Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh

An Egyptian traffic policeman guards in Peace Square at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 10, 2025. (REUTERS
  • Gulf and Arab states on Sunday offered their condolences
  • Egyptian city to host on Monday a global summit aimed at ending the war in Gaza

CAIRO: Three Qatari diplomats were killed in a car crash Saturday while heading to Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, local health officials and Qatar’s embassy in Egypt said on Sunday.

Two other diplomats were injured when their vehicle overturned about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Sharm El-Sheikh, the officials said.

Gulf and Arab states meanwhile on Sunday offered their condolences over the passing of the Qatari officials.

, through its foreign ministry, conveyed the “Kingdom’s solidarity with the families of the deceased and extended its heartfelt wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.”

The UAE, Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait also issued separate statements commiserating with the Qatari people for the death of the diplomats.

In a post on X, the embassy said the accident victims were employees of the Amiri Diwan, Qatar’s top government body. It said two others were injured and were receiving necessary medical treatment at the city’s hospital.

The embassy said the injured and the bodies of the deceased would be repatriated later on Sunday to Doha.

The diplomats, who were from the Qatari protocol team, were traveling to the city ahead of a high-level summit celebrating a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the officials said. 

Qatar mediated the ceasefire along with Egypt and the US. Turkiye also joined the negotiations earlier this month in Sharm el-Sheikh, which was capped by a ceasefire and the release of hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Sharm el-Sheikh will host the summit to be co-chaired by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt and US President Donald Trump, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.

The statement said more than two dozen world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and United Nations Secretary General António Guterres will attend the summit.

With agencies