Turkey

Libya's Top Military Chief Killed in Plane Crash in Turkey

The head of Libya's armed forces and four other passengers died on Tuesday when their business jet crashed shortly after taking off from Ankara, officials in Turkey's capital and Tripoli said. The wreckage of their Falcon 50 aircraft was located by Turkish security personnel in the Haymana district near Ankara, Turkish Interior Minister ...

Hezbollah 'Dissatisfied' with Iran Funding, Demands $2 Billion for Reconstruction

Hezbollah has reportedly requested $2 billion from Iran for reconstruction efforts, double the amount Tehran had initially planned to provide, citing a shortage of funds, according to The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation. The report noted that “despite Hezbollah continuing to purchase weapons, and despite the economic situation not affecting ...

Turkish Ministers to Meet Syria's Sharaa in Damascus

Turkish and Syrian foreign ministers held a joint press conference after talks in Damascus, focusing on relations between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkey’s foreign minister said discussions covered ongoing talks with the SDF and reaffirmed Ankara’s support for integrating the group into Syrian forces in a ...

Lebanon Must Pick the Abraham Accords over the Muslim Brotherhood

Lebanon must pick a side in the regional map of alliances. One seeks peace, prosperity and higher standards of living for all and consists of the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Bahrain, and Morocco, enshrined by the Abraham Accords. The rival alliance—Qatar, its ATM, and Turkey, its NATO muscle, as well as Syria, Algeria, and Tunisia—dismisses ...

Beirut Readies for a Historic Papal Mass

More than 120,000 people are expected to attend Pope Leo XIV's mass in Beirut on Tuesday, the final day of his Lebanon visit and a chance to pay his respects at the site of the huge 2020 port explosion. The pontiff arrived from Turkey on Sunday on his inaugural visit abroad as pope and brought a message of hope, particularly to young people in ...

The Layers of Pope Leo XIV’s Inaugural Journey

Pope Leo XIV’s first foreign trip is striking and prompts a closer look at what motivated his choice of destinations. To those versed in Church history, his decision to travel first to Turkey and Lebanon may appear obvious, but it remains thrilling. Contemporary Turkey harbors the most important venues of paleo-Christian history. Turkey ...

Iran and Turkey Agree to Build Key Trade Rail Link

Iran and Turkey have agreed to begin constructing a new joint rail link to serve as a strategic gateway between Asia and Europe, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday. The planned route, known in Iran as the Marand–Cheshmeh Soraya railway transit line and running towards Turkey's Aralik border region, will cover around 200 ...

After Call for Christian Unity, Pope Leaves Turkey for Lebanon

Pope Leo XIV headed to Lebanon on Sunday with a message of peace for the crisis-hit nation after wrapping up a four-day trip to Turkey's tiny Christian community that focused on unity within the Church. Ending the first part of his maiden overseas tour since being elected leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, Leo boarded the papal ...

81 Journalists Travel with Pope Leo XIV on Historic Journey

81 international journalists are traveling with Pope Leo XIV on his apostolic journey from Turkey to Lebanon. The group includes cameramen and photographers representing around twenty media outlets from 15 countries. Major American networks such as ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and CNN are part of the pool, highlighting the global attention given to this ...

Pope Visits Istanbul's Blue Mosque

Pope Leo XIV visited Istanbul's famed Blue Mosque early on Saturday on the third day of his trip to Turkey. It was the first time the American pope, elected in May as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, visited a Muslim place of worship since taking over from his late predecessor Francis. The Blue Mosque is one of Istanbul's main ...

Pope Leo XIV in Turkey: A Historic Moment

On the second day of his visit to Turkey, Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in Istanbul before joining Orthodox leaders for a historic prayer in Iznik. In a country where Christians make up only 0.1% of the population, his visit is seen by many as “a blessing.” The Pope emphasizes the importance of supporting refugees and the most ...

Pope Leo XIV and Bartholomew Mark 1,700 Years Since Nicaea in Turkey

Pope Leo XIV will join the leader of the world's Orthodox Christians Friday to celebrate 1,700 years since one of the early Church's most important gatherings, on the second day of his visit to Turkey. The American pope began his four-day visit on Thursday in Ankara, where he urged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to embrace Turkey's role as a ...