Türkiye and the Levant

Since Armenia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, normalizing relations with Turkey has been one of the country’s top foreign-policy priorities. The rationale behind this has been both economic, to end the blockade and facilitate access to Turkish Mediterranean ports, and political, to drive a wedge in the Azerbaijan–Turkey strategic partnership. Armenia took steps towards normalization in 2008 and 2009. As a result of intensive negotiations, Armenia and Turkey signed two protocols in Zurich in 2009 to open their borders and establish diplomatic relations. However, Turkey did not ratify them, under intense pressure from Azerbaijan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Tuesday that Russia will host a special Russian-Arab summit later this year. The announcement came during Putin's meeting at the Kremlin with the Omani sultan, Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said, the first-ever state visit of the Arab country's sultan to Russia.

The new Syrian leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, made an important appearance on the world stage in the last days, visiting Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates. This was not al Sharaa’s first international outing since overthrowing the Baathist regime, led by Bashir al-Assad, in December. In February he visited Saudi Arabia and made short stops in Türkiye and Egypt. But this time round the visits appeared better prepared. In Türkiye, al Sharaa participated in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum where he met some of the world leaders and delegations present. He also met with Turkiye’s President, Recip Tayib Erdogan. From Antalya, al-Sharaa flew to Abu Dhabi for meetings with the UAE President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, and other Emirati officials.

A haunting portrait of a nine-year-old Palestinian boy who lost both arms during an Israeli attack on Gaza City won the 2025 World Press Photo of the Year Award Thursday. The picture, by Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times, depicts Mahmoud Ajjour, evacuated to Doha after an explosion severed one arm and mutilated the other last year. 

A conference organised in The Hague by LINKS Europe Foundation brought together experts and activists from the South Caucasus, the European Union and beyond to discuss the current state of political transition in the region. The gathering gave particular attention to the European Union's evolving role in the region amidst rapidly changing domestic and regional dynamics as well as Türkiye's influence as a regional power.

Last week, LINKS Europe organised a major conference in the Hague with the theme, “The South Caucasus, again in transition”. The event brought together experts, policy practitioners, and political voices from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia to discuss the regional dynamics in the South Caucasus and the role of the European Union and Türkiye in the region.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of military operations in Hamas-run Gaza, saying the army would seize "large areas" of the Palestinian territory. Katz said Israel would bolster its presence in the Gaza Strip to "destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure". The operation would "seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones", he said in a statement, without specifying how much territory.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu appeared before police for questioning on terror-related charges on Saturday, a day after his interrogation over corruption allegations. His arrest this week has sparked widespread protests across Türkiye, with demonstrators rallying in multiple cities to voice their opposition. The mayor, who is a popular opposition figure and seen as a top challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was detained on Wednesday following a dawn raid on his residence over allegations of financial crimes and links to Kurdish militants.