Published February 06,2026

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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos on Friday.

The meeting took place in Ankara, according to a brief statement and photo shared on the Foreign Ministry’s Nsosyal account. Further details were not immediately available.

Published February 06,2026

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Türkiye has spent a total of 3.6 trillion Turkish liras (approximately $91.5 billion) over the last three years to compensate for the damage in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in the country’s southern and eastern provinces, with a focus on Kahramanmaras and Hatay, according to the Turkish Strategy and Budget Office (SBB).

Intensive efforts were made to address earthquake damage following assessments by public institutions and organizations, the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other international organizations.

The housing needs of survivors were the priority, while the construction of permanent housing for disaster victims has been completed.

A total of 433,667 homes and 21,690 workplaces were allocated via lotteries.

In order to continue education and training activities in the region, $1.6 billion was set aside to build 13,321 classrooms and $158.2 million to reinforce 2,776 classrooms, respectively. The number of classrooms in the region is expected to increase by 15% once all construction work is completed, compared to pre-disaster levels.

Some $116.9 million was spent on the reconstruction, reinforcement, and maintenance of faculty buildings of universities in the region, as well as to renew the campus infrastructure.

The 2026 Investment Program allocates a little over $55 million for the reconstruction, reinforcement, maintenance, and repair of the affected facilities of the universities in the region.

Meanwhile, efforts were made to prevent job losses in the affected region and to support the labor market. On-the-job training programs and vocational courses cost $66.4 million and served 60,582 people in 11 provinces in the earthquake zone.

As part of the infrastructure investments, around $91.7 million in cash resources was allocated for landscaping and the purchase of vehicles, tools, and equipment to ensure that local municipality activities continue uninterrupted.

A total of $502.1 million was spent to address the urgent infrastructure and vehicle/equipment needs of the municipalities in the region, while around $1.2 billion was allocated to repair the energy infrastructure, especially the electricity distribution network, by the end of 2025.

Some $453.9 million was spent on repairing road and highway damage, $917.1 million on providing access to new settlements and housing and social facilities, $194.8 million on repairing urban roads, and $605.4 million on railway lines by the end of 2025. The allocated figure for railway lines is planned to be at $722.2 million by 2027.

The agricultural sector received $398.9 million in support payments for 11 provinces in 2025.

Efforts are ongoing to improve the economic activities in the manufacturing industry in particular, as well as to rebuild the earthquake-stricken zone, which is a key production and export hub for the country.

A total of $403.6 million was mobilized by development agencies and the Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises Development and Support Agency (KOSGEB) for the recovery of the industrial sector through investments in small industrial sites, as well as the support for industrialists in the region.

The SBB report states that the recovery has largely been complete as a result of long-term and intensive efforts after the earthquake.

Inclusive, planned, and complementary investments have been realized to improve the region, while the reconstruction of the region was the priority, according to the SBB.

The report says that some significant progress has been made to meet the permanent housing needs of survivors, while funds were used to provide the necessary infrastructure to effectively deliver all public services, as well as to improve economic and social life.

Published February 06,2026

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The trajectory of Türkiye-Iraq relations was discussed at a panel in the Turkish capital Ankara, where experts said growing institutional cooperation and shared security concerns are shaping the bilateral agenda.

The event, titled “New Regional Dynamics and the Future of Türkiye-Iraq Relations,” was hosted by the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA).

– ‘Cooperation gains momentum under al-Sudani government’

During the panel, Bilgay Duman, strategic analysis director at Anadolu, said Iraq holds a central position in the region and that developments there directly affect Türkiye.

He said Ankara’s Iraq policy prioritizes Iraq’s political unity and added that relations have gained momentum under Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

Duman added that Türkiye’s more institutional and restrained stance during anti-government protests in Iraq in 2019 helped position Türkiye as an important balancing actor in the eyes of Iraqis

He also stressed that bilateral ties should advance independently of broader regional rivalries and pointed to the presence of the PKK terror group and ISIS (Daesh) as areas for joint action.

“I believe Türkiye-Iraq relations should move forward independently from regional processes,” he said.

– Period of institutionalization in bilateral ties

Mehmet Alaca, chief correspondent at Anadolu, said ties have become more institutionalized in recent years but remain vulnerable to regional tensions.

He noted that regional developments over the last two years could both accelerate proactive and cumulative progress in relations and carry the risk of disruption.

Referring to water disputes that sometimes feature in political debates in Iraq, Alaca said some Iraqi politicians can provoke the issue, while Türkiye consistently emphasizes its humanitarian dimension.

Alaca said Baghdad has become more responsive to Turkish concerns about the PKK, given the terror group’s presence in northern Iraq.

In the process toward a “terror-free Türkiye,” he said both Baghdad and the Erbil administration play central roles, noting that Iraq hosts the Qandil Mountains, considered the PKK’s main base.

Alaca added that tensions between the Syrian administration and the YPG terror group, followed by a ceasefire and full integration agreement process, could have positive spillover effects on Türkiye-Iraq ties.

– Potential for deeper regional cooperation

Adel Badavi of Baghdad University said tensions involving the Gulf region and friction between the US and Iran have created a complex and fragile security environment affecting both Türkiye and Iraq.

He added that despite these pressures, the two countries have the potential to foster deeper regional cooperation and integration, including through the Development Road Project, which he said could promote broader economic connectivity.

Salam Jabbar of the Hivar el-Fikr Research Center said regional instability since the start of Israeli attacks on Gaza has tested both countries, which have sought to maintain stability.

He added that Türkiye is Iraq’s fourth-largest trade partner and that instability in Iraq would also negatively affect the Turkish economy.

Published February 06,2026

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday described Türkiye as a “vital” ally for Canada within NATO and pointed to significant potential to expand bilateral ties, particularly in trade and industry.

“Let me reinforce a few things in it. One is Türkiye is a vital partner in NATO, a vital partner in a very important and sometimes challenging part of the world,” Carney told reporters at a news conference in Vaughan.

Highlighting economic cooperation, he said: “In addition, there is tremendous opportunity. We have a series of opportunities to deepen our commercial relationships with Türkiye,” noting that he had begun discussions with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in New York at the UN General Assembly in September last year and planned to follow up.

He added that cooperation could extend to “aspects of defense cooperation and nuclear cooperation” while stressing the broader scope of the relationship.

“I’ll just make the observation that since we’re here, Türkiye is one of the leaders in manufacturing globally, including advanced manufacturing,” Carney said, noting that there are “areas where we can partner without question.”

During the news conference, Carney also announced “a new, more ambitious sovereign path” for Canada’s auto sector, unveiling a national automotive plan that includes $2.3 billion in new purchase and lease incentives to boost zero-emission vehicle adoption.

As part of the shift, the government is repealing the previous electric vehicle (EV) sales mandate and replacing it with stricter greenhouse gas emission standards for model years 2027 to 2032.

“We’re tightening by twofold our (greenhouse gas) emissions standards, and we’re giving the industry the flexibility on how they achieve that,” Carney said.