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Honduras Waiting for Israeli Reciprocity for Embassy Move

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez speaks during an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, US September 24, 2018. REUTERS/Darren Ornitz
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez speaks during an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, US September 24, 2018. REUTERS/Darren Ornitz
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Honduras Waiting for Israeli Reciprocity for Embassy Move

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez speaks during an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, US September 24, 2018. REUTERS/Darren Ornitz
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez speaks during an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, US September 24, 2018. REUTERS/Darren Ornitz

Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez said on Friday that his government would transfer its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem once Israel opens an embassy in Tegucigalpa.

Hernandez announced the embassy move in August and a month later opened a commercial office in Jerusalem as an extension to Honduras' Tel Aviv-based embassy, Agence France Presse reported.

Moving an embassy to Jerusalem is highly contentious. Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, while Palestinians view east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. 

"We're just waiting for the state of Israel, reciprocally as is appropriate diplomatically, to open its office in Tegucigalpa and we'll be transferring our embassy to Jerusalem," said Hernandez.

Traditionally, most diplomatic missions in Israel have been in Tel Aviv as countries maintained a neutral stance over the status of Jerusalem.

Israel is currently represented in Honduras by its Guatemala embassy.

Guatemala was one of the first countries to follow the lead of US President Donald Trump when he moved his country's embassy to Jerusalem, sparking a rift between Washington and the Palestinian authorities.

Hernandez's statement came as Honduras took possession of a warship worth more than $50 million bought from Israel.

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Türkiye Has No ‘Secret Agenda’ in Syria, Minister Says

Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan addresses the audience during a press briefing meeting to review the past year and to share insights regarding regional and global developments in Istanbul, on January 10, 2025. (AFP)
Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan addresses the audience during a press briefing meeting to review the past year and to share insights regarding regional and global developments in Istanbul, on January 10, 2025. (AFP)
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Türkiye Has No ‘Secret Agenda’ in Syria, Minister Says

Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan addresses the audience during a press briefing meeting to review the past year and to share insights regarding regional and global developments in Istanbul, on January 10, 2025. (AFP)
Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan addresses the audience during a press briefing meeting to review the past year and to share insights regarding regional and global developments in Istanbul, on January 10, 2025. (AFP)

Türkiye “does not have any secret agenda” in Syria and wants to construct a “new culture of cooperation,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday.

One of Türkiye’s priorities in the upcoming year is to clear the region of terrorism, Fidan said, referring to Kurdish militants based in northeast Syria. “The extensions of the separatist group in Syria are now facing destruction and the old order is no longer going to continue,” he told a news conference in Istanbul.

Fidan also criticized the United States’ support for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, as the US seeks to prevent a revival of the ISIS group.

“This kills the spirit of alliance and solidarity,” Fidan said. He said Türkiye is “not going to shy away from taking the necessary steps” in terms of military action.

Türkiye views the SDF as an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which is listed as a terror organization by Türkiye and other states.

Referring to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s comments that US troops should stay in Syria, Fidan dismissed the views of the outgoing US administration. “This is the problem of the new government and the old government does not have a say in this,” he said.

The SDF is currently involved in fighting the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army.

Fidan also backed suggestions for Syrian Kurds to join a new national military but said all non-Syrians fighting for the SDF — a reference to those with ties to the PKK — should leave the country.