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Madrid Summit Not a Deadline for Decision on Finland and Sweden’s NATO Bids, Says Turkey

Turkish Presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin gives a press conference following talks with Sweden and Finland over their bids to join NATO at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on May 25, 2022. (AFP)
Turkish Presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin gives a press conference following talks with Sweden and Finland over their bids to join NATO at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on May 25, 2022. (AFP)
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Madrid Summit Not a Deadline for Decision on Finland and Sweden’s NATO Bids, Says Turkey

Turkish Presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin gives a press conference following talks with Sweden and Finland over their bids to join NATO at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on May 25, 2022. (AFP)
Turkish Presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin gives a press conference following talks with Sweden and Finland over their bids to join NATO at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on May 25, 2022. (AFP)

A NATO summit in Madrid at the end of June is not a deadline for a decision on Sweden and Finland's membership bids, which are opposed by Turkey, the Turkish president's spokesman said on Saturday.

Sweden and Finland applied to join the Western defense alliance last month in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but their bids have faced resistance from Turkey, which has accused them of supporting Kurdish militants.

While the two Nordic countries have said talks would continue to resolve the dispute, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Ankara had not received any responses to its demands, including stopping support for groups Turkey considers terrorists, lifting arms embargoes on Ankara and extraditing suspects it seeks.

Speaking to the state-run Anadolu news agency during a visit to Madrid, Erdogan's spokesman and chief foreign policy adviser Ibrahim Kalin repeated that progress on the membership bids hinged on how Sweden and Finland respond to Turkish demands.

"We don't see ourselves in a time constraint like the NATO summit," Kalin was cited as saying, adding that while the summit was important in addressing common issues like Russia's invasion of Ukraine and cooperation within the alliance, potential allies have to take steps to alleviate concerns of current members.

"We don't feel like we are under any time pressure like 'let us get this done by the NATO summit'. What is important here is that Sweden and Finland openly, clearly and concretely put forth what kind of steps they will take regarding counter-terrorism," he added.

Any bid to join NATO requires backing from each of its 30 members. Turkey, which has been a NATO ally for over 70 years, has said it will not change its view unless the Nordic countries take "concrete steps" about its concerns.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during a visit to Washington this week that he would convene senior officials from Finland, Sweden and Turkey in Brussels in coming days to discuss the issue. NATO leaders will convene on June 29-30 in Madrid.

Earlier, Erdogan said NATO was not an organization that could provide protection from terror, citing demonstrations and events organized by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group in allied countries like France, Germany, the Netherlands and Greece, whose envoy to Ankara was summoned over the issue on Friday.

He said Ankara would not "fall for the same mistake" while PKK members "roam free" in Finland and Sweden.

The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and European Union.

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World

Russia’s Lavrov, China’s Wang Discuss Cooperation, Ukraine, Iran at Asia Security Meeting

In this handout photograph taken and released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on October 14, 2026, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku. (Handout /Russian Foreign Ministry / AFP)
In this handout photograph taken and released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on October 14, 2026, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku. (Handout /Russian Foreign Ministry / AFP)
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Russia’s Lavrov, China’s Wang Discuss Cooperation, Ukraine, Iran at Asia Security Meeting

In this handout photograph taken and released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on October 14, 2026, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku. (Handout /Russian Foreign Ministry / AFP)
In this handout photograph taken and released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on October 14, 2026, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku. (Handout /Russian Foreign Ministry / AFP)

The Russian ‌and Chinese foreign ministers discussed the state of bilateral cooperation as well as the crises in Ukraine and Iran during an Asia security meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping reaffirmed ‌their strategic ‌alliance at a ‌regional summit ⁠last August and ⁠both praised prospects for closer cooperation.

The statement on Wednesday said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi met in Azerbaijan at ⁠a meeting of the ‌Conference on ‌Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.

It ‌said the two ministers "praised the ‌development dynamics of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation" and "synchronized watches on bilateral political dialogue".

It said discussions ‌also focused on "relations with the United States and the situation ⁠around ⁠the Ukrainian and Iranian crises".

Both Russia and China have called for an end to the Iran conflict, saying it could expand and threaten stability throughout the region.

China has affirmed its "no limits" partnership with Russia throughout the 4-1/2-year-long war in Ukraine, while calling for diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

World

Netanyahu Says He Is Not Seeking to Attack Iran Again Before Israel Election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) attends a ceremony marking the opening of Colombia's new embassy in Jerusalem, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, Israel, 14 October 2026. (EPA)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) attends a ceremony marking the opening of Colombia's new embassy in Jerusalem, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, Israel, 14 October 2026. (EPA)
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Netanyahu Says He Is Not Seeking to Attack Iran Again Before Israel Election

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) attends a ceremony marking the opening of Colombia's new embassy in Jerusalem, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, Israel, 14 October 2026. (EPA)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) attends a ceremony marking the opening of Colombia's new embassy in Jerusalem, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, Israel, 14 October 2026. (EPA)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that he was not in favor of a preemptive strike against Iran before Israel's October 27 election but also warned Tehran and its proxies against striking Israel.

"It is not convenient for us, it's no good," Netanyahu said in an interview on Israel's Army Radio, when asked about the possibility of a preemptive strike and allegations by his political rivals that he was seeking a military confrontation ahead of the election.

"Even if Iran fires missiles at us they will blame me," Netanyahu ‌said, though ‌he also repeated his previous warnings to Iran, saying ‌Israel ⁠would respond forcefully ⁠if attacked.

He would not elaborate on the possibility of a preemptive strike after the election or about his recent discussions with Washington about Iran.

The United States and Iran have been at war since February 28 when the US and Israel attacked Iran and Tehran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states.

Israel and Iran have not traded ⁠fire since June.

Netanyahu said that Iran's proxies were looking to launch attacks ‌on Israel before the election.

Defense Minister Israel Katz, speaking from the self-declared security zone Israeli forces are ⁠occupying in southern Lebanon, ⁠warned Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah against attacking Israel.

"Hezbollah will suffer a severe blow and lose additional territories in southern Lebanon within the Nabatieh and Litani regions, which will become part of Israel's permanent security zone. The army is prepared to carry out the maneuver," Katz said.

Katz said that a million Shiites would be displaced and that Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut would not be spared.

Israel launched air strikes and a ground invasion in southern Lebanon this year in parallel with the war in Iran, after Hezbollah fired into Israel in revenge for the attacks against Tehran.

Hundreds of thousands of people from Lebanon's Shiite community, from which Hezbollah draws its support, were uprooted by the fighting.

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Israel Army Chief Says Reinforcing Troops on All Fronts

Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. (Reuters file)
Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. (Reuters file)
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Israel Army Chief Says Reinforcing Troops on All Fronts

Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. (Reuters file)
Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. (Reuters file)

Israel's army chief said on Wednesday that the military was reinforcing troop levels "across all fronts", citing an increased risk of escalation as the country heads into elections this later month.

On a visit to the occupied West Bank, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said the potential for incidents on Israel's borders had grown because of the election period, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing a tight race to stay in power in the October 27 poll.

"In light of the increased number of alerts across all fronts and the sensitivity of this period, the potential for escalation has grown," he said, according to an Israeli military statement.

"We have reinforced our forces across all areas."

He added that the military had raised its level of readiness as it prepares "for scenarios in which attempts may be made to catch us by surprise".

Israel recently marked the third anniversary of Hamas's surprise October 7 attack, in which the group's fighters stormed into Israel with pickup trucks and paragliders and opened fire at sites including a music festival.

Citing the need for "vigilance", Zamir said the military was "at a high level of readiness to launch extensive offensive operations against anyone who attempts to harm Israeli civilians".

In Gaza, a year after a US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect, the Israeli army now controls more than 60 percent of the devastated Palestinian territory and its strikes are ongoing.

In Lebanon, violence has decreased in the south since a framework agreement between the government and Israel, which includes the disarmament of Hezbollah. But the implementation of that deal has stalled.

Israel has also faced incoming fire from Iran during the Middle East war, which began in February with US-Israeli strikes on the country.