Turkey Denies Moving S-400 to Incirlik Base

Russian service members sit in the cabins of S-400 missile air defense systems in Moscow (File Photo: Reuters)
Russian service members sit in the cabins of S-400 missile air defense systems in Moscow (File Photo: Reuters)
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Turkey Denies Moving S-400 to Incirlik Base

Russian service members sit in the cabins of S-400 missile air defense systems in Moscow (File Photo: Reuters)
Russian service members sit in the cabins of S-400 missile air defense systems in Moscow (File Photo: Reuters)

Turkey has denied reports that the S-400 missile defense system was moved to Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey.

"The claims on social media that the S-400s were taken to Incirlik are not true," a statement from the Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The Incirlik base, which is under NATO supervision, hosts US nuclear warheads. Washington uses the base under an agreement with Turkey approved by its parliament.

The allegations of transferring the batteries of the Russian system to the base came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met his US counterpart Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome last Sunday.

Turkey refused to get rid of the Russian missiles, as demanded by Washington, which fears that they could be used to collect information about the capabilities of the advanced F-35 warplane.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that a joint working group on disagreements would be established with the US, including the issue of the Russian-made advanced S-400 defense system, the Gulenist Group (FETO).

During a parliamentary session, Cavusoglu presented the 2022 budget of the Foreign Ministry and related institutions at the Planning and Budget Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM).

The minister stated that Turkey remains in contact with the US, adding that the meeting between Erdogan and Biden was in a constructive atmosphere.

Cavusoglu said that the US cooperation with the PKK/YPG, FETO's presence in the US, and its stance on the S-400-related sanctions are incompatible with the spirit of alliance.

He pointed out that relevant institutions and ministries related to forming the working group and discussing issues are carrying out studies.

Meanwhile, Turkish authorities detained 17 people on Wednesday for attacking a visiting US Navy civilian employee in Istanbul.

The group that carried out the act, the Turkey Youth Union (TGB), put a hood over the head of the US civilian in a protest against US policy in the Middle East.

They shared images on Twitter of the incident, in which a group of people chanted anti-US slogans.

"You are our enemy, and you are not wanted here. We will not allow US soldiers to roam free in our lands. Yankee go home," the group said.

The group also criticized US support for Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters who are considered terrorists by Ankara.

The 17 people detained had targeted a civilian employee of a US Navy ship that "came to our city as part of a port visit," the governor's office said in a statement. It did not elaborate on any possible charges against the group.

The governor's office said that "the 17 detainees targeted a civilian employee of a US Navy ship who came to our city as part of a visit to the port."



Turkish FM to Attend Trump’s Board of Peace Meeting in Washington, Italy as ‘Observer’ 

28 November 2025, Berlin: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Wadephul. (dpa)
28 November 2025, Berlin: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Wadephul. (dpa)
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Turkish FM to Attend Trump’s Board of Peace Meeting in Washington, Italy as ‘Observer’ 

28 November 2025, Berlin: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Wadephul. (dpa)
28 November 2025, Berlin: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Wadephul. (dpa)

‌Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will travel to Washington in lieu of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" on Thursday, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

A Turkish diplomatic source told Reuters ‌that Fidan, during the ‌talks, would call ‌for ⁠determined steps to ⁠resolve the Palestinian issue and emphasize that Israel must end actions to hinder the flow of aid into Gaza and stop its ceasefire violations.

Fidan ⁠will also reiterate Türkiye's ‌readiness ‌to contribute to Gaza's reconstruction and its ‌desire to help protect Palestinians ‌and ensure their security, the source said.

He will also call for urgent action against Israel's "illegal ‌settlement activities and settler violence in the West Bank", ⁠the ⁠source added.

According to a readout from Erdogan's office, the president separately told reporters on Wednesday that he hoped the Board of Peace would help achieve "the lasting stability, ceasefire, and eventually peace that Gaza has longed for", and would focus on bringing about a two-state solution.

The board, of which Trump is the chairman, was initially designed to oversee the Gaza truce and the territory's reconstruction after the war between Hamas and Israel.

Meanwhile, Italy will be present at the meeting as an "observer", Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Wednesday.

"I will go to Washington to represent Italy as an observer to this first meeting of the Board of Peace, to be present when talks occur and decisions are made for the reconstruction of Gaza and the future of Palestine," Tajani said according to ANSA news agency.

Italy cannot be present as anything more than an observer as the country's constitutional rules do not allow it to join an organization led by a single foreign leader.

But Tajani said it was key for Rome to be "at the forefront, listening to what is being done".

Since Trump launched the Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, at least 19 countries have signed its founding charter.


Energy Secretary: US to Stop Iran's Nuclear Ambitions 'One Way or the Other'

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright speaks during a press conference after a meeting with Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas on February 11, 2026. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP)
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright speaks during a press conference after a meeting with Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas on February 11, 2026. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP)
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Energy Secretary: US to Stop Iran's Nuclear Ambitions 'One Way or the Other'

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright speaks during a press conference after a meeting with Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas on February 11, 2026. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP)
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright speaks during a press conference after a meeting with Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas on February 11, 2026. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP)

The United States will deter Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons "one way or the other", US Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned on Wednesday.

"They've been very clear about what they would do with nuclear weapons. It's entirely unacceptable," Wright told reporters in Paris on the sidelines of meetings of the International Energy Agency.

"So one way or the other, we are going to end, deter Iran's march towards a nuclear weapon," Wright said.

US and Iranian officials held talks in Geneva on Tuesday aimed at averting the possibility of US military intervention to curb Tehran's nuclear program.

Iran said following the talks that they had agreed on "guiding principles" for a deal to avoid conflict.

US Vice President JD Vance, however, said Tehran had not yet acknowledged all of Washington's red lines.


Iran, Russia to Conduct Joint Drills in the Sea of Oman 

This handout photo released by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)'s official website Sepanews on February 17, 2026, shows boats maneuvering around a tanker vessel during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Strait of Hormuz. (Sepahnews / AFP)
This handout photo released by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)'s official website Sepanews on February 17, 2026, shows boats maneuvering around a tanker vessel during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Strait of Hormuz. (Sepahnews / AFP)
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Iran, Russia to Conduct Joint Drills in the Sea of Oman 

This handout photo released by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)'s official website Sepanews on February 17, 2026, shows boats maneuvering around a tanker vessel during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Strait of Hormuz. (Sepahnews / AFP)
This handout photo released by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)'s official website Sepanews on February 17, 2026, shows boats maneuvering around a tanker vessel during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Strait of Hormuz. (Sepahnews / AFP)

Iran and Russia will conduct naval maneuvers in the Sea of Oman on Thursday, following the latest round of talks between Tehran and Washington in Geneva, Iranian media reported.

On Monday, the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of Iran's military, also launched exercises in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a challenge to US naval forces deployed in the region.

"The joint naval exercise of Iran and Russia will take place tomorrow (Thursday) in the Sea of Oman and in the northern Indian Ocean," the ISNA agency reported, citing drill spokesman, Rear Admiral Hassan Maghsoudloo.

"The aim is to strengthen maritime security and to deepen relations between the navies of the two countries," he said, without specifying the duration of the drill.

The war games come as Iran struck an upbeat tone following the second round of Oman-mediated negotiations in Geneva on Tuesday.

Previous talks between the two foes collapsed following the unprecedented Israeli strike on Iran in June 2025, which sparked a 12-day war that the United States briefly joined.

US President Donald Trump has deployed a significant naval force in the region, which he has described as an "armada."

Iranian officials have repeatedly threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, particularly during periods of tension with the United States, but it has never been closed.

A key passageway for global shipments of oil and liquefied natural gas, the Strait of Hormuz has been the scene of several incidents in the past and has returned to the spotlight as pressure has ratcheted amid the US-Iran talks.

Iran announced on Tuesday that it would partially close it for a few hours for "security" reasons during its own drills in the strait.