Mevlüt

Turkey has strongly condemned the killing of a civilian Palestinian woman at the hands of the Israeli security forces in Bethlehem and called on Israeli authorities to launch an impartial probe into the incident.

Turkey's attempts to normalize ties with foes will gain momentum through important visits and meetings with Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the Turkish Foreign Minister has reportedly told ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers.

The defense ministers of Turkey, Italy, and the U.K. are scheduled for a tripartite meeting in Istanbul late on April 8 for discussing bilateral and regional security and defense cooperation, along with the issue of Ukraine.

Turkey's top diplomat has said he will be in the United States in May for talks with his U.S. counterpart as part of the recently launched "Strategic Mechanism," which aims to bolster ties between the two allies.

Turkey has reshuffled dozens of ambassadors, including Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kıran, who has been appointed as Turkey's ambassador to Zagreb.

A senior United States official has described the role Turkey has been playing in the Ukrainian crisis as "pivotal," appreciating its mediation efforts between Moscow and Kiev.

U.S. Undersecretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland will visit Turkey on April 4 as part of her regional trip, which includes paying visits to France, Greece, Cyprus and Germany between April 2 and 9.

Turkey can provide ship support for the evacuation of civilians and injured Turkish and other nationals in Mariupol through the sea, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on April 3.

"In this context, our coordination with authorities of the Russian Federation and Ukraine continues," Akar said.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his Colombian counterpart, Marta Lucia Ramirez, held a joint press conference in Ankara, discussing the potential for commercial exchange between the countries.

Çavuşoğlu recalled that the volume of trade between the two countries had doubled last year to reach $2 billion.

Turkey said on Feb. 28 it was blocking warships from the key Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits in line with a convention that gives it control over the passage of military vessels in the strategic area.