Published December 28,2025

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The prime minister of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) voiced support for Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent remarks, stressing that a fair, lasting and realistic solution on the island is possible only based on two sovereign states.

In a statement on Sunday, reacting to remarks by Greek Cypriot Administration leader Nikos Christodoulides, Ünal Üstel said recent statements citing UN resolutions as determining the form of a settlement reveal an insistence on federation and a rejection of any alternative.

Emphasizing that this approach rejects a solution based on two sovereign states and aims to impose a unilateral model on the Turkish Cypriot people. Reiterating that “our position is clear, explicit and indisputable,” Üstel stressed that this view is neither temporary nor tactical.

He said this stance reflects a historical and legitimate will distilled from the Turkish Cypriot people’s struggle for existence, adding: “President Erdoğan’s clarity on this issue is not merely a political thesis for us, it is a strategic compass that illuminates our path.”

He said progress cannot be achieved through ambiguous language or models subtly imposed by the Greek Cypriot side, stressing that the sovereign equality of Turkish Cypriots cannot be left to “selective interpretations of UN resolutions.”

“The chapter of federation is closed,” Üstel said, adding that efforts to revive failed models are doomed to fail against the will of the people.

He said those advocating a two-state solution have a responsibility to clearly explain to the Turkish Cypriot people the implications of joint statements signed under UN auspices, calling it a test of sincerity.

“The Turkish Cypriot people know what they want. Our motherland Türkiye stands behind this stance,” Üstel said, adding they will continue on this path decisively.

Erdoğan, speaking at a party meeting on Dec. 24, said Türkiye would not allow the rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots to be usurped, and that agreements or messages would not change Türkiye’s policy.

Published December 28,2025

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Wreckage removal has been completed at the site of a private jet crash in Ankara’s Haymana district that killed all eight people on board, including Libya’s Chief of General Staff Mohammed Ali Al-Haddad, officials said Sunday.

The aircraft crashed near Kesikkavak village in Haymana on Dec. 23, killing all eight people, including a five-member military delegation and three crew members.

Operations were coordinated from a center set up by Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). Teams from Libya and France carried out on-site inspections on Wednesday alongside Turkish officials.

Following the inspections, wreckage removal began, with aircraft parts loaded onto trucks using heavy machinery and transported from the area.

After the work was completed, the gendarmerie and AFAD teams began to withdraw from the site.

Published December 28,2025

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Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan expressed appreciation for Türkiye’s support for the Sudanese people and hailed close ties between the two countries.

Speaking at the Sudanese Embassy building in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Saturday evening, Burhan said his visit aimed to thank President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his government, and the people of Türkiye for standing by Sudan “without hypocrisy or pretense.”

He said that relations between the two countries are “historic and fraternal.”

Burhan added that the events currently unfolding in Sudan have proven the solidity of this relationship and its suitability as a model for strategic relations, especially in times of hardship.

“The world followed President Erdoğan’s statements regarding Sudan with respect,” Burhan said, noting that the Turkish president made more than three statements about Sudan within a single week, “which reflects Sudan’s importance to Türkiye.”

Last Thursday, Erdoğan and Burhan discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

Burhan pledged to facilitate the entry of aid from the Turkish Red Crescent into Sudan and expressed readiness to provide warehouses for it.

“With regard to health cooperation, we thank the Turkish Red Crescent for its support, and we will do what is necessary to facilitate their work,” he added.

Burhan expressed his will to see Türkiye as part of the international Quad mechanism, which consists of the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, and aims to support efforts to end the war and restore peace and stability in Sudan.

In September 2025, the Quad proposed a plan calling for a three-month humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan, paving the way for a permanent end to the war and a nine-month inclusive transitional process leading to an independent civilian government.

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023, has since killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others.

Published December 24,2025

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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met on Wednesday in Ankara with a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas’ Political Bureau, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

During the meeting, Fidan and the Hamas delegation reviewed the latest developments in Gaza, ministry sources said.

The talks included an exchange of views on phase two of the Gaza peace plan.

Fidan emphasized that Türkiye continues to defend the rights of Palestinians “in the strongest manner on every platform,” and briefed the delegation on Türkiye’s ongoing efforts to address housing needs and provide humanitarian assistance in war-battered Gaza.

The Hamas delegation, for its part, stated that it has fulfilled the conditions of the ceasefire but that Israel continues to carry out attacks on Gaza and its people.

They said this approach is aimed at preventing a transition to phase two of the peace plan.

The delegation also said that 60% of the trucks permitted to enter Gaza carry commercial goods, stressing that the amount of humanitarian aid entering the enclave still falls short of meeting urgent needs.

They highlighted ongoing shortages, particularly in basic necessities, medicines, shelter materials, and fuel.

The meeting also addressed developments in the reconciliation process among Palestinian factions and the situation in the West Bank.

During the discussions, Israel’s practices in the West Bank were described as unacceptable.