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Türkiye FM Says Iran, US 'Sincere' about Ceasefire, Israel Seeks to Declare Türkiye ‘New Enemy'

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a joint press conference with Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Doha on March 19, 2026. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP)
Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a joint press conference with Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Doha on March 19, 2026. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP)
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Türkiye FM Says Iran, US 'Sincere' about Ceasefire, Israel Seeks to Declare Türkiye ‘New Enemy'

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a joint press conference with Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Doha on March 19, 2026. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP)
Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a joint press conference with Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in Doha on March 19, 2026. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP)

Türkiye's foreign minister said on Monday he believed both Iran and the United States remain "sincere" about reaching a ceasefire despite the failure of Pakistan-mediated talks on the weekend. 

He also stated that Israel "cannot live without an enemy" and its government is now trying to portray Türkiye as one. 

US President Donald Trump has blamed the Iranian republic's refusal to abandon its nuclear ambitions for the collapse of the talks, AFP said. 

"Both sides are sincere about the ceasefire," Hakan Fidan said in an interview with the official Anadolu news agency, adding that he has been in contact with the parties involved in the negotiations. 

"I am thinking that if the nuclear issue comes down to an all-or-nothing situation especially regarding enrichment, we might face serious obstacles," Fidan said. 

"Hopefully, we will try to overcome this with the support of some mediators," he added. 

Türkiye, while a fierce critic of Israel, joined diplomatic efforts with Egypt and Pakistan to reach a ceasefire in the conflict. 

Fidan continued to say that Israel "cannot live without an enemy" and its government is now trying to portray his country as one. 

Tensions between Türkiye and Israel have steadily escalated since the Gaza war erupted following Hamas's October 7, 2023, cross-border attack in Israel. 

The dispute entered a new phase over the weekend after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned his US counterpart Donald Trump of "possible provocations and sabotage" that could jeopardize an initial ceasefire arrangement in the US-Israeli war on Iran. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Saturday that Israel would continue to confront Tehran and its regional allies. 

"After Iran, Israel cannot live without an enemy," Fidan said in a televised interview with the state-run Anadolu news agency. 

"We see that not only Netanyahu's administration but also some figures in the opposition -- though not all -- are seeking to declare Türkiye the new enemy," he said. 

"This is a new development in Israel... turning into a state strategy," he added.

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World

Musk Super PAC Wades into US Midterms With $800,000 for Republicans in Close Races

Elon Musk departs after a welcome ceremony with President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP)
Elon Musk departs after a welcome ceremony with President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP)
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Musk Super PAC Wades into US Midterms With $800,000 for Republicans in Close Races

Elon Musk departs after a welcome ceremony with President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP)
Elon Musk departs after a welcome ceremony with President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP)

SpaceX founder Elon Musk has spent more than $800,000 in recent days on over a dozen key congressional races through his super PAC, funding direct-mail and other campaign materials for Republican candidates who face close races in the midterm elections.

Musk’s political action committee America PAC, which has been sitting on a $50 million war chest funded by the world's richest man, reported its first spending for the 2026 election in a filing late on Wednesday, with a focus on races in Texas and other battleground states.

The PAC expects to play a major role in Republican voter turnout efforts, with spending on door knockers, digital advertising and direct-mail campaigns ahead of the November 3 election, Reuters reported in July. It has a funding target of up to $120 million, according to the New York Times.

A spokesperson ‌for America PAC declined ‌to comment on Thursday. SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The ‌PAC ⁠spent the most ⁠money in Texas, where Musk's SpaceX is headquartered with multiple rocket and Starlink facilities. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has received a $247,595 boost from Musk since August 20 for his Senate race against Democrat James Talarico, who has been narrowly leading in public opinion polls since mid-April according to election tracker Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin.

US Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican and the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee which controls federal spending, was the next biggest beneficiary with $170,224 going towards her campaign, the filing shows. She is in a closely watched race against Democrat Troy Jackson.

In Ohio, where Republican Senator Jon Husted faces a ⁠tough battle to keep his seat against former Senator Sherrod Brown, America PAC has printed $105,675 ‌in materials. Like Collins, Husted sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee which controls ‌the funding for some of Musk’s biggest government contracts at SpaceX.

The PAC's filing showed Musk also boosted the campaign of Senator ‌Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. That committee oversees the Pentagon and ‌many of the projects that Musk’s space, satellite and artificial intelligence companies provide to the federal government.

In US House races, Musk’s PAC boosted several sitting members of the Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees as well as other committees that may touch on or oversee the work of his companies. They include Republican Representatives Scott Perry and Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania, Tom Kean of New ‌Jersey, Jennifer Kiggans of Virginia, Mike Lawler of New York and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin.

All of the spending disclosed on Wednesday night was for "printing," suggesting it ⁠was used for direct-mail, ⁠postcards, door hangers, canvassing literature, yard signs and the like.

The spending has drawn criticism from Democrats, including US Representative Chris Pappas, who is favored in polls to win next week's Democratic primary for the New Hampshire Senate race. If victorious, he would face former Republican Senator John Sununu, who is running for his old seat.

Musk's PAC spent more than $90,000 on materials opposing Pappas, who has been highly critical of Musk's past work running the Department of Government Efficiency.

“MAGA Republicans like Elon Musk are trying to buy this Senate seat for John Sununu because they know he would be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s toxic agenda,” Rachel Petri, Pappas' campaign manager, said in a statement to Reuters.

Sununu's office did not return a request for comment.

A spokesman for US Representative Ryan Mackenzie said the campaign has not talked with any super PACs, including Musk's, about coordinated campaign spending.

Spokesman Arnaud Armstrong said Mackenzie was a champion for government reform "leading the charge to crack down on congressional stock trading, taking on large corporations, and holding big tech accountable."

A spokesperson for Husted declined to comment while representatives for the other Republican candidates did not immediately return requests for comment.

World

Russia Says It Struck Two Vessels in Black Sea Carrying Arms for Ukraine

FILE - Ukrainian Air Force's F-16 fighter jets fly over a Patriot Air and Missile Defense System in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on Aug. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)
FILE - Ukrainian Air Force's F-16 fighter jets fly over a Patriot Air and Missile Defense System in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on Aug. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)
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Russia Says It Struck Two Vessels in Black Sea Carrying Arms for Ukraine

FILE - Ukrainian Air Force's F-16 fighter jets fly over a Patriot Air and Missile Defense System in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on Aug. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)
FILE - Ukrainian Air Force's F-16 fighter jets fly over a Patriot Air and Missile Defense System in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on Aug. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)

Russian forces struck two cargo vessels ‌in ‌the Black ‌Sea ⁠that had been ⁠transporting weapons, ammunition and ⁠military equipment ‌for ‌Ukraine, Russia's Defense ‌Ministry ‌said on Friday.

Reuters ‌could not independently verify ⁠the ⁠statement.

Earlier, a Ukrainian drone strike caused a fire ‌at ‌an oil ‌depot ⁠in the Russian ⁠Black Sea port ⁠city ‌of Sochi, ‌authorities in ‌the ‌Krasnodar region where ‌the city is located ⁠said on ⁠the Telegram messaging app.

World

South Korea Weighs 'Contributions' to Hormuz Security

File photo of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz (AFP)
File photo of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz (AFP)
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South Korea Weighs 'Contributions' to Hormuz Security

File photo of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz (AFP)
File photo of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz (AFP)

South Korea said Friday it was weighing "contributions" to US security efforts in the Strait of Hormuz provided its own military readiness was not compromised, but noted no decision had been made.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly pressured ally South Korea to provide help for the war in the Middle East, saying Seoul rejected his request for assistance securing the Strait of Hormuz.

"Contributions to the Strait of Hormuz could be managed within limits that do not compromise military readiness," a South Korean presidential official told reporters, according to AFP.

"The references made during today's briefing regarding military contributions-such as combat participation, non-combat roles, and search operations-were merely general descriptions of various options. Please be advised that nothing has been decided yet concerning actual contributions," the president's office said in a separate statement.

The comments came a day after local broadcaster JTBC reported that South Korea's government was "leaning toward" dispatching troops to help in Hormuz and reviewing details ahead of seeking parliamentary approval.

Trump has struggled to get help from allies in the war that the United States and Israel launched on Iran six months ago.

The fighting has hit an impasse as Iran maintains a stranglehold on the strategic Strait of Hormuz and Washington presses its counter-blockade of Iranian ports.