The Ministry of National Defense announced that the first plane in the evacuation of Turkish Armed Forces personnel from Afghanistan landed in Ankara successfully, and that the evacuations will continue.
Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan criticized the international community for failing to stop Israel’s attacks on Gaza, where he said “babies, children, and the elderly die of starvation.” He called for urgent UN reform, arguing the current system cannot end oppression in the Middle East.
Erdoğan also highlighted Türkiye’s role in supporting regional peace efforts in Syria, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia, stressing cooperation through the Turkic States Organization and major transport projects like the Middle Corridor and Development Road. He said Türkiye seeks a just global order based on diplomacy, trade, and stability.