Ankara

The Organization of Turkic States will play a strategic role in regional transportation, supply chain and energy security, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on March 16.

"Thanks to the southern gas corridor, the backbone of which is TANAP, Turkic states have become a key player in Europe's energy security," Erdoğan said at a gathering of the Organization of Turkic States.

Russia has signaled that it can end the implementation of the grain deal if the problems in front of the export of Russian products through the Black Sea remain until May 18.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry reiterated once again on March 16 Türkiye's position that Ankara does not recognize the "illegal annexation" of Crimea by Russia.

House sales to foreigners in Türkiye decreased by 27.0 percent in February compared to the same month last year, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) announced on March 15.

A total of 3,350 houses were sold to foreigners last month, accounting for 4.2 percent of the country's total house sales of 80,031.

A Turkish doctor living in the States who was on vacation in Türkiye during the devastating quakes canceled his return tickets to volunteer at a field hospital in the southern quake-hit province of Hatay's Iskenderun district.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Finnish counterpart, Sauli Niinistö, will meet on March 17 to discuss Finland's bid to join NATO amid reports that Ankara plans to ratify Finland's accession protocol to the alliance in the coming days while delaying Sweden's bid.

Presidential Spokesperson İbrahim Kalın met with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan at the White House and U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland at the U.S. Department of State on March 14, as part of his visit to Washington.

Turkey wants to "share the wealth of the Aegean," its defense minister, Hulusi Akar, said at the weekend, while Ankara seeks to maintain a low tone in Greek-Turkish relations and is sending signals of cooperation to Athens. In interviews with CNN Turk TV and the Anadolu Agency, Akar referred positively to the phone conversation he had with his Greek counterpart Nikos Panagiotopoulos.

An Afghan doctor who studied medicine in Türkiye has been awarded the "International Women of Courage Award" for her work with migrants.

Zakira Hekmat, the founder of the Afghan Refugees Solidarity Association, is a physician who has been working with migrants for 14 years.

A regime change in Syria through a planned transition process, which envisages elections and a new constitution, is required for a political solution in the country, Syrian Turkmen Assembly Chair Mehmet Türkhan said on March 13.