Turkiye, US want to lift defense industry restrictions after talks, Turkish source says

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan for members of the news media at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 25, 2025. (REUTERS)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan for members of the news media at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 25, 2025. (REUTERS)
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Updated 26 March 2025
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Turkiye, US want to lift defense industry restrictions after talks, Turkish source says

Turkiye, US want to lift defense industry restrictions after talks, Turkish source says
  • Ties between the US and Turkiye have drifted away from a strategic partnership in recent years as disagreements between the two long-standing treaty allies have widened
  • The two emphasized the importance of stability in Syria and in the Balkans, while discussing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, and the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, the source added

ANKARA/WASHINGTON: Turkiye and the United States want to remove obstacles to defense industry cooperation, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said on Wednesday, after talks between the NATO allies’ top diplomats in Washington.
On Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan kicked off a two-day visit to Washington, where he was expected to ask Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other US officials to remove US sanctions on Turkiye and allow it back into a crucial fighter jet program.
The visit comes as Ankara seeks warmer ties with Washington under the administration of President Donald Trump and just days after a phone call between Trump and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that a top Trump aide described as “transformational.”
The top Turkish diplomat’s visit also comes at a critical time for Erdogan, after his main political rival and Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, was jailed pending trial on Sunday, prompting the largest anti-government protests in over a decade.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Turkish foreign minister meets Rubio in Washington

• Turkey wants back into F-35 program, lifting of CAATSA sanctions

• Trump and Turkey's Erdogan had 'transformational' phone call

Ties between the US and Turkiye have drifted away from a strategic partnership in recent years as disagreements between the two long-standing treaty allies have widened.
The administration of former President Joe Biden kept Turkiye at arm’s length over what it saw as the fellow NATO member’s close ties with Russia. Under Trump, who views Moscow much more favorably, Ankara is hoping for a warmer relationship with Washington. It also plans to capitalize on the personal ties between the two leaders.
During the meeting between Fidan and Rubio on Tuesday, both sides “clearly put forth their political will to lift obstacles to cooperation in the defense industry field,” the source said, adding they also followed up on matters discussed between Trump and Erdogan.
“Technical talks will be held for the resolution of existing problems,” the person added, without elaborating.
During his first term, Trump initially ignored advice from his aides to impose sanctions on Turkiye under its Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) over Ankara’s acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense missile systems in 2019. He then took the step in 2020.
That acquisition also led to Turkiye’s removal from the F-35 jet program, where it was a manufacturer and buyer. Ankara says its removal is unjust and illegal, and has demanded to rejoin or be reimbursed for its investment in the program.
Conversations between the allies on how to resolve the S-400 deadlock were ongoing under Biden. Turkiye had pledged to keep the systems non-operational, a source familiar with the discussions said, but a breakthrough never came.
A Turkish official, requesting anonymity, told Reuters ahead of Fidan’s visit that Ankara was aiming to agree with Washington that keeping the S-400s non-operational can be enough to resolve the matter.

RUSSIA IMPACT
During the Biden era, the allies had settled into a new phase of relations, with a more transactional focus rather than based on shared values, as differences over policies on Syria, the war in Gaza, and judicial matters persisted.
Since coming back into office on January 20, Trump upended Biden’s policy to isolate Moscow and provide unwavering support to Kyiv and instead focused on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. His shift spooked European leaders who feared Washington could be turning its back to Europe and bolstered Ankara’s role as a potential partner in reshaping European security.
The Turkish official said discussions between Washington and Ankara had “taken a new dimension” after Trump’s shift in approach to Moscow.
“If US sanctions on Russia are to be lifted, it becomes illogical for CAATSA to be implemented on third countries. As much as this issue is about Turkiye-USA ties, it is also about Turkiye-Russia ties,” the official added.
Sources familiar with the matter said the phone call between Erdogan and Trump may bring positive momentum to conversations in coming days, though no promises were made.
“The president had a great conversation with Erdogan a couple of days ago. Really transformational, I would describe it,” Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff said in an interview with right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson.
Exclusion from the F-35 program pushed Turkiye to purchase 40 Lockheed Martin Block-70 F-16 fighter jets. However, despite agreeing on the procurement, there has been little progress on the acquisition for months.
The Turkish source said Fidan and Rubio also discussed head of state-level visits to be held in the coming period, without elaborating.
The two also emphasized the importance of stability in Syria and in the Balkans, while discussing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, and the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, the source added.

 


Algeria protests France’s detention of Algerian consular agent

Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf. (AFP file photo)
Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf. (AFP file photo)
Updated 15 min 50 sec ago
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Algeria protests France’s detention of Algerian consular agent

Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf. (AFP file photo)
  • Ties between Paris and Algiers have been complicated for decades, but took a turn for the worse last July when French President Emmanuel Macron angered Algeria by recognizing a plan for the autonomy of the Western Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty

TUNIS: Algeria protested on Saturday against France’s detention of an Algerian consular agent over an alleged kidnapping of an Algerian citizen in France, the latest tension between the two countries.
The Algerian Foreign Ministry said that this unprecedented judicial turn, in the history of two countries’ relations, was aimed at disrupting the process of reviving bilateral relations.
French media reported that three people, including an Algerian consular official, were placed under investigation on Friday on suspicion of kidnapping Amir Boukhors, an opponent of the Algerian regime.
Algeria said that “the new, unacceptable, and unjustified development will severely damage Algerian-French relations and affirms its determination not to leave this case without consequences.”
The North Africa country described Boukhors as “a saboteur linked to terrorist groups.”
Ties between Paris and Algiers have been complicated for decades, but took a turn for the worse last July when French President Emmanuel Macron angered Algeria by recognizing a plan for the autonomy of the Western Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty.
Last month, an Algerian court sentenced French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal to five years in jail for undermining national unity, prompting a call for his freedom from Macron.
But French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said last week that ties with Algeria were back to normal after he held talks with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune following months of bickering that have hurt Paris’ economic and security interests in its former colony.

 


Syrian forces deploy at key dam under deal with Kurds

Kurdish-led fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces captured the dam from Daesh in late 2015. (Reuters)
Kurdish-led fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces captured the dam from Daesh in late 2015. (Reuters)
Updated 12 April 2025
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Syrian forces deploy at key dam under deal with Kurds

Kurdish-led fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces captured the dam from Daesh in late 2015. (Reuters)
  • Syria’s state news agency SANA reported “the entry of Syrian Arab Army forces and security forces into the Tishrin Dam ... to impose security in the region, under the agreement reached with the SDF”

DAMASCUS: Security forces from the new government in Damascus deployed on Saturday around a strategic dam in northern Syria, under a deal with the autonomous Kurdish administration, state media reported.
Under the agreement, Kurdish-led fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces will pull back from the dam, which they captured from Daesh in late 2015.
The Tishrin dam near Manbij in Aleppo province is one of several on the Euphrates and its tributaries in the Syrian Arab Republic.
It plays a key role in the nation’s economy by providing water for irrigation and hydro-electric power.
On Thursday, a Kurdish source said the Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria had reached an agreement with the central government on running the dam.
A separate Kurdish source said on Saturday that the deal, supervised by the US-led anti-terror coalition, stipulates that the dam remain under Kurdish civilian administration.
Syria’s state news agency SANA reported “the entry of Syrian Arab Army forces and security forces into the Tishrin Dam ... to impose security in the region, under the agreement reached with the SDF.”
The accord also calls for a joint military force to protect the dam and for the withdrawal of factions “that seek to disrupt this agreement,” SANA said.
It is part of a broader agreement reached in mid-March between Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi, aiming to integrate the institutions of the Kurdish autonomous administration into the national government.
The dam was a key battleground in Syria’s civil war that broke out in 2011, falling to Daesh before being captured by the SDF.
Days after Al-Sharaa’s coalition overthrew Syrian leader Bashar Assad in December, Turkish drone strikes targeted the dam, killing dozens of civilians and Kurdish officials, as Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

 


Hamas releases video showing Israeli-American hostage alive

Hamas releases video showing Israeli-American hostage alive
Updated 12 April 2025
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Hamas releases video showing Israeli-American hostage alive

Hamas releases video showing Israeli-American hostage alive
  • Israeli campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum identified the hostage as Edan Alexander
  • Alexander, a soldier in the Israeli army, said on the video that he wants to return home to celebrate the holidays

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Hamas’s armed wing released a video on Saturday showing an Israeli-American hostage alive, in which he criticizes the Israeli government for failing to secure his release.
Israeli campaign group the Hostages and Missing Families Forum identified him as Edan Alexander, a soldier in an elite infantry unit on the Gaza border when he was abducted by Palestinian militants during their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
AFP was unable to determine when the video was filmed.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, published the more than three-minute clip showing the hostage seated in a small, enclosed space.
In the video, he says he wants to return home to celebrate the holidays.
Israel is currently marking Passover, the holiday that commemorates the biblical liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
Alexander, who turned 21 in captivity, was born in Tel Aviv and grew up in the US state of New Jersey, returning to Israel after high school to join the army.
“As we begin the holiday evening in the USA, our family in Israel is preparing to sit around the Seder table,” Alexander’s family said in a statement released by the forum.
“Our Edan, a lone soldier who immigrated to Israel and enlisted in the Golani Brigade to defend the country and its citizens, is still being held captive by Hamas.
“When you sit down to mark Passover, remember that this is not a holiday of freedom as long as Edan and the other hostages are not home,” the family added.
The family did not give a green light for the media to broadcast the footage.

Alexander appears to be speaking under duress in the video, making frequent hand gestures as he criticizes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for failing to secure his release.
The video was released hours after Defense Minister Israel Katz announced military control of what it called the new “Morag axis” corridor of land between the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Yunis.
Katz also outlined plans to expand Israel’s ongoing offensive across much of the territory.
In a separate statement earlier Saturday, Hamas said Israel’s Gaza operations endangered not only Palestinian civilians but also the remaining hostages.
The offensive not only “kills defenseless civilians but also makes the fate of the occupation’s prisoners (hostages) uncertain,” Hamas said.
During their October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian militants took 251 hostages.
Fifty-eight hostages remain in captivity, including 34 whom the Israeli military says are dead.
During a recent ceasefire that ended on March 18 when Israel resumed air strikes on Gaza, militants released 33 hostages, among them eight bodies.
Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Gaza’s health ministry said Saturday at least 1,563 Palestinians had been killed since March 18 when the ceasefire collapsed, taking the overall death toll since the war began to 50,933.
 


UAE president meets with US Congressional delegation in Abu Dhabi to discuss ties and regional stability

UAE president meets with US Congressional delegation in Abu Dhabi to discuss ties and regional stability
Updated 12 April 2025
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UAE president meets with US Congressional delegation in Abu Dhabi to discuss ties and regional stability

UAE president meets with US Congressional delegation in Abu Dhabi to discuss ties and regional stability
  • American delegation included Senator Joni Ernst and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz

ABU DHABI: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan met with a delegation from the US Congress at Qasr Al-Shati in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Emirates News Agency reported.

The American delegation included Senator Joni Ernst and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, both prominent members of the US legislative branch.

The meeting focused on enhancing the strategic partnership between the two nations across a range of sectors and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing mutual interests for the benefit of both peoples.

Discussions covered key regional and international issues, particularly efforts to bolster security and stability in the Middle East.

Both sides emphasized the importance of continued collaboration to promote peace, development, and prosperity across the region and beyond.

The meeting was also attended by senior UAE officials and Yousef Al-Otaiba, the Emirati ambassador to the US.


Jordanian food manufacturers to showcase products at Saudi Food Manufacturing expo in Riyadh

Jordanian food manufacturers to showcase products at Saudi Food Manufacturing expo in Riyadh
Updated 12 April 2025
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Jordanian food manufacturers to showcase products at Saudi Food Manufacturing expo in Riyadh

Jordanian food manufacturers to showcase products at Saudi Food Manufacturing expo in Riyadh
  • Three-day event will feature more than 550 international brands

AMMAN: Jordanian food manufacturing companies will take part in the Saudi Food Manufacturing 2025 exhibition, which opens on Sunday in Riyadh, Jordan News Agency reported.

Organized for the second time by the Jordan Exporters Association, the kingdom’s participation highlights efforts to boost national exports and explore new opportunities in one of the region’s most dynamic sectors, JNA added.

The three-day event will feature more than 550 international brands, with national pavilions representing countries such as France, the Netherlands, the UK, Turkiye, India, Switzerland, Spain, Pakistan, Egypt, China and Italy.

JEA Chairman Ahmed Khudari said that Jordan’s involvement in the exhibition is part of broader efforts to diversify export markets and keep pace with global advancements in food manufacturing technologies and innovations.

“This is a key opportunity for Jordanian companies to promote their products, forge international partnerships and explore new marketing avenues,” Khudari said in a statement on Saturday.

“The Saudi market is one of the most important destinations for Jordanian industrial exports, thanks to the strong bilateral relations and geographic proximity between the two kingdoms,” he added.

Khudari highlighted the significant progress made by the Jordanian industry in recent years, citing improvements in product quality and competitive pricing that have enabled exports to reach more than 150 markets globally.

He added that growing industrial exports play a pivotal role in driving economic development, attracting investment, generating employment and boosting the kingdom’s foreign currency reserves.

Khudari also urged Jordanian food manufacturers to capitalize on the exhibition’s expected high turnout of international exhibitors, brand owners, experts and traders.

The JEA’s participation is supported through collaboration with the Jordan and Amman Chambers of Industry, as well as Export House, as part of a joint effort to strengthen Jordan’s presence in strategic international markets and expand the global footprint of its food manufacturing sector.