Ankara

Türkiye has told Iran that it does not want further escalation in the region following Tehran's attack against Israel late on April 13.

According to diplomatic sources, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on the phone on April 14.

Senior Turkish and American officials will meet in the Turkish capital to discuss joint efforts to improve bilateral ties and discuss regional issues, including the situation in Gaza and Russia's occupation of Ukraine.

Under Secretary of State Department John Bass will be in Ankara on April 15 and 16, the State Department has announced.

Calling themselves "stan countries," Central Asian countries are looking to boost their tourism industries. Kazakhstan, which welcomes tourists from Russia, China and India, is eyeing for Western travelers as well.

If you're looking for something different, uncustomary and lesser known countries in your travel plan for a holiday, have a go at Kazakhstan in Central Asia.

In response to the burgeoning demand for the iconic Eastern Express among avid travelers, two new tourist trains are set to embark on their inaugural voyages to southeastern routes next week, with one destined for Diyarbakır and the other for Tatvan, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has said.

Security forces carried out five-day operations targeting illegal migration, apprehending 1,117 irregular migrants during the Eid holiday across the country, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has announced.

In a post on the social media platform X on April 12, Yerlikaya stated that the operations dubbed "Shield-19" also included inspections with mobile migration checkpoints.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has spoken with Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas on the phone to discuss the latest developments regarding the continued offensive by the Israeli military on the Palestinians in Gaza, reiterating once again the need for an immediate ceasefire in the enclave.

Turkish tourists are flocking to Lesvos on the occasion of the seker bayrami holiday in Turkey, with more than 1,700 visitors arriving on five ships from Ayvali on the opposite coast on Thursday.

The visitors were welcomed at the port of Mytilene with ouzo, sweets and hats by representatives from the local municipality and other agencies.

Turkish and American top diplomats have discussed on the phone the latest developments in Gaza amid fears of a fresh escalation between Israel and Iran.

According to Turkish diplomatic sources, the phone conversation between Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken occurred upon the initiative of the latter.

The Foreign Ministry opted for a mild response Wednesday to Turkish allegations that Greece is undermining the climate of relatively good relations, but officials increasingly believe that the Turkish government, partly due to domestic political pressure, may opt, at a time of its own choosing, to return to the period of high tension that prevailed from 2020 to 2023.

Türkiye has issued a warning to its neighbor Greece, cautioning against potential tensions following Greece's announcement of plans to declare a marine park in the Aegean Sea.