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Turkey Rejects US Decision on Resettlement of Afghan Refugees

Afghan soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint outside the US Bagram air base, July 2, 2021.REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail
Afghan soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint outside the US Bagram air base, July 2, 2021.REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail
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Turkey Rejects US Decision on Resettlement of Afghan Refugees

Afghan soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint outside the US Bagram air base, July 2, 2021.REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail
Afghan soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint outside the US Bagram air base, July 2, 2021.REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail

Turkey criticized what it described the “irresponsible decision taken by the US” regarding Afghan refugees, a spokesperson for the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The US State Department on Monday announced a new program under which thousands more Afghans will have a chance to resettle as refugees in the United States. Afghans in the program would have to make their own way to a third country, where they will wait 12 to 14 months for their application to be processed.

A senior State Department official said Washington had been in discussion with neighboring countries on potential outflows, adding it was important that Pakistan's borders with Afghanistan remain open, while others might travel to Turkey via Iran.

However, Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement it rejected a reference to Turkey as a migration route for Afghans.

"As Turkey, we do not accept the irresponsible decision taken by the United States without consulting our country. If the United States wants to take these people to its country, it is possible to transfer them directly to their country by planes," the ministry said.

“This announcement will cause a major refugee crisis in our region and increase the misery of Afghans on the migration routes,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said in the statement.

Bilgic added that Turkey, which has hosted the largest number of refugees in the world for the past seven years, “does not have the capacity to undertake a new migration crisis on behalf of a third country.”

The State Department is offering potential refugee status to several new categories of Afghans who assisted the United States during the war in Afghanistan, including those who worked for news media and non-governmental organizations.

The department said in an announcement on Monday that the action was meant to protect Afghans “who may be at risk due to their US affiliation,” but who were not eligible for a special immigrant visa program that has begun to resettle thousands of Afghans and their family members.

But Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged that gaining entry into the United States would not be easy for the affected Afghans, who must reach a third country before they can even apply for US refugee status, beginning a process that can take more than a year, thanks to backlogs and rigorous security vetting.

In the same context, Turkey's Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın held a phone call with Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor to United States President Joe Biden, on Tuesday.

In the call, they discussed bilateral relations and regional developments.

The two officials pointed out that international cooperation is essential to avoid a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and to ensure an environment of stability and peace.

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World

Japan Fires Missile in Joint Drill with US and Allies in Northern Philippines, Facing South China Sea

US and Philippine troops in a foxhole participate in counter-landing live fire exercises during Balikatan, the annual joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines, at Long Point Beach, Brgy. Aporawan, Aborlan, Palawan, Philippines, April 27, 2026. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez Purchase Licensing Rights
US and Philippine troops in a foxhole participate in counter-landing live fire exercises during Balikatan, the annual joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines, at Long Point Beach, Brgy. Aporawan, Aborlan, Palawan, Philippines, April 27, 2026. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez Purchase Licensing Rights
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Japan Fires Missile in Joint Drill with US and Allies in Northern Philippines, Facing South China Sea

US and Philippine troops in a foxhole participate in counter-landing live fire exercises during Balikatan, the annual joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines, at Long Point Beach, Brgy. Aporawan, Aborlan, Palawan, Philippines, April 27, 2026. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez Purchase Licensing Rights
US and Philippine troops in a foxhole participate in counter-landing live fire exercises during Balikatan, the annual joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines, at Long Point Beach, Brgy. Aporawan, Aborlan, Palawan, Philippines, April 27, 2026. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez Purchase Licensing Rights

Japan's Self-Defense Forces fired a Type 88 anti-ship missile during a joint maritime exercise with US, Australian, and Philippine forces on Wednesday, hitting a decommissioned Philippine Navy ship in waters facing the disputed South China Sea.

The drill took place as Manila and Tokyo began talks on a potential defense equipment transfer, made possible by Japan's decision to scrap restrictions on military exports, said Reuters.

Discussions include the possible early transfer of Abukuma class ‌destroyers and TC-90 ‌aircraft to the Philippines, Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro ‌Koizumi ⁠said.

Philippine Defense Secretary ⁠Gilberto Teodoro and Koizumi witnessed the live missile firing on the ground, while Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. watched the exercise from military headquarters in Manila via a live video feed, the president's office said.

"The exercise showcased coordinated maritime strike operations among allied forces and highlighted the AFP's growing capability to operate alongside international partners in promoting regional security and freedom of ⁠navigation," it said in a statement.

The Philippine military said ‌two Type 88 volleys were fired, hitting ‌the BRP Quezon within six minutes of the launch. The strike took ‌place about 75 km (46.6 miles) off the coast of Paoay in the ‌northern Philippines, which faces the South China Sea.

The Philippine Department of National Defense said Japan's Type 88 missile system was "designed to defend coastal areas and deter maritime threats."

"I'm very, very proud and happy that we were able to ‌pull this off for the first time and it will only get larger in scope with more partners," ⁠Teodoro said.

The ⁠live-fire drill was part of the annual war games held by Manila and Washington, known as "Balikatan", or "shoulder-to-shoulder".

Japan, together with Canada, Australia, France and New Zealand, are joining Balikatan as active participants for the first time, highlighting Manila's widening network of security partnerships.

On May 2, Filipino and American troops also deployed the anti-ship missile NMESIS in Batanes province, near Taiwan, as tensions simmer over the self-governed island that China views as its own territory.

More than 17,000 troops are taking part in this year's exercises, including around 1,400 from defense treaty ally Japan and 10,000 from the United States, even though Washington remains heavily engaged in the Middle East.

Beijing routinely criticizes Manila's joint military exercises with allies, saying they heighten regional tensions.

World

London Police Set Up Specialist Jewish Protection Team

Members of the Jewish community ride past a memorial wall, dedicated both to the victims of the October 7 attacks in Israel and Iranians killed in recent protests in Iran, on Limes Avenue in Golders Green after a suspected arson attack in London, Britain, April 28, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville
Members of the Jewish community ride past a memorial wall, dedicated both to the victims of the October 7 attacks in Israel and Iranians killed in recent protests in Iran, on Limes Avenue in Golders Green after a suspected arson attack in London, Britain, April 28, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville
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London Police Set Up Specialist Jewish Protection Team

Members of the Jewish community ride past a memorial wall, dedicated both to the victims of the October 7 attacks in Israel and Iranians killed in recent protests in Iran, on Limes Avenue in Golders Green after a suspected arson attack in London, Britain, April 28, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville
Members of the Jewish community ride past a memorial wall, dedicated both to the victims of the October 7 attacks in Israel and Iranians killed in recent protests in Iran, on Limes Avenue in Golders Green after a suspected arson attack in London, Britain, April 28, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Melville

British police are setting up a new team of 100 officers including counter terrorism specialists to help protect Jewish communities across London after a series of antisemitic attacks including the stabbing of two men.

The plan announced on Wednesday for a dedicated protection team comes as officers announced more arrests for antisemitism, including detaining a 35-year old man on Saturday after rocks were thrown at an ambulance belonging to the Jewish community, Reuters reported.

London's top police boss ⁠Mark Rowley said ⁠Jewish communities were facing "sustained threats" from hostile state actors as well as extreme right-wing groups, elements of the extreme left and terrorists.

Detectives are examining whether the arson incidents have possible Iranian links, after British security officials warned that Iran ⁠was using criminal proxies to carry out hostile activity.

Since late March, there have been a number of high-profile arson attacks with four Jewish ambulances burned and synagogues targeted. Last week, two Jewish men were also stabbed. Both victims survived the attack.

Over the past four weeks, police said they had arrested around 50 people for antisemitic hate crimes and charged eight individuals. On top of ⁠that, ⁠28 arrests have been made as part of investigations alongside counter terrorism policing for arson and other serious incidents.

"This new team will be primarily focused on protecting the Jewish community, which faces some of the highest levels of hate crime alongside significant terrorist and hostile state threats," said a statement from London's Metropolitan Police force.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened a meeting on Monday with business, health and cultural leaders aimed at trying to tackle antisemitism.

World

US Military Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Kills 3 in Eastern Pacific

This screen grab from a video posted on the X account of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on May 5, 2026, shows a vessel before being struck at the direction of Commander General Francis L. Donovan on May 5, 2026. (Photo by US Southern Command / AFP)
This screen grab from a video posted on the X account of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on May 5, 2026, shows a vessel before being struck at the direction of Commander General Francis L. Donovan on May 5, 2026. (Photo by US Southern Command / AFP)
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US Military Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Kills 3 in Eastern Pacific

This screen grab from a video posted on the X account of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on May 5, 2026, shows a vessel before being struck at the direction of Commander General Francis L. Donovan on May 5, 2026. (Photo by US Southern Command / AFP)
This screen grab from a video posted on the X account of US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) on May 5, 2026, shows a vessel before being struck at the direction of Commander General Francis L. Donovan on May 5, 2026. (Photo by US Southern Command / AFP)

The US military launched another strike Tuesday on a vessel suspected of transporting drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing three men.

The attack came a day after US forces struck an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing two people.

The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 191 people in total.

Despite the Iran war, the strikes have ramped up again in recent weeks, showing that the administration’s aggressive measures to stop what it calls “narcoterrorism” in the Western Hemisphere are not letting up. The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.

The attacks began as the US built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.

In the attack Tuesday, US Southern Command once again said it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. According to The Associated Press, it posted a video on X showing a boat cruising along the water before a huge explosion left the vessel in flames.

President Donald Trump has said the US is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

Critics, meanwhile, have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes.