Türkiye and the Levant

Initially the Altay was supposed to be powered by a German engine, but restrictions imposed by the German government on arms exports to Turkey forced the Turkish government to look for alternatives

21 March is celebrated as International Nowruz Day. Nowruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on 21 March. It is celebrated as the beginning of the new year by more than 300 million people all around the world and has been marked for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and other regions.

Demonstrations escalated this week in Lebanon with hundreds of demonstrators blocking major roads in Beirut. The demonstrators condemned the ongoing economic crisis and record-low currency exchange rates. 

Turkey hopes that newly discovered gas fields in the Black Sea will by 2028 yield output that will help it satisfy its increasing demand for gas. In 2019, Turkey’s total gas import bill was around $12 billion. The country is currently conducting further seismic analysis activities, soon to be extended  to a 10,000-square-meter area in the Black Sea

The foreign ministers of Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan held a trilateral meeting in Ankara on Tuesday (23 February). Hailing the results of the meeting Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said his country wants to work closely with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan as part of its "Asia Anew" initiative, which it launched in 2019 to improve ties with Asian countries

In Turkey, local bookstores known as "sahaf" offer a variety of world and Turkish literature. They are becoming a frequently visited tourist attraction for both the locals and the foreigners who indulge in feelings of nostalgia and learn about other cultures.

"The US needs Turkey to counter Russia in the Black Sea region, the Middle East, and the South Caucasus. Turkey can also be useful in the US strategy to contain China", argues Benyamin Poghosyan in this op-ed. However given the number of problems between the two countries US-Turkey relations may normalise, but they will continue to develop in the cooperation/competition framework, he argues.

Syria's White Helmets, officially known as Syrian Civil Defence, are shifting their function from saving lives of people buried under the ruins of war to burying the deceased from COVID-19.