عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Israel Summons Turkish Envoy Over Half-mast Salute for Hamas Leader

Israel Katz, Foreign Minister to the United Nations speaks during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at UN headquarters in New York, US, March 11, 2024. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Israel Katz, Foreign Minister to the United Nations speaks during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at UN headquarters in New York, US, March 11, 2024. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
TT
TT

Israel Summons Turkish Envoy Over Half-mast Salute for Hamas Leader

Israel Katz, Foreign Minister to the United Nations speaks during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at UN headquarters in New York, US, March 11, 2024. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Israel Katz, Foreign Minister to the United Nations speaks during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, at UN headquarters in New York, US, March 11, 2024. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Israel's foreign ministry summoned the deputy Turkish ambassador for a reprimand on Friday after Türkiye's embassy in Tel Aviv lowered its flag to half mast in response to the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.

"The State of Israel will not tolerate expressions of mourning for a murderer like Ismail Haniyeh," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

Haniyeh was killed in Tehran while there to attend the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Israel has not made any official claim of responsibility for his death but Iran and allies including Hamas and Hezbollah have accused Israel of the assassination and vowed revenge, Reuters reported.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared Friday, Aug 2, a day of national mourning for Haniyeh.

Tensions between Israel and Türkiye have risen sharply since the start of the war in Gaza, in which more than 39,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Ukraine Adds Another Turkish Corvette to its Navy for the War with Russia

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, people react during the launching ceremony of the Ukrainian Navy’s Ada class corvette “Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi” in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. This vessel was constructed for the Ukrainian Navy at a shipyard in Türkiye. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, people react during the launching ceremony of the Ukrainian Navy’s Ada class corvette “Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi” in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. This vessel was constructed for the Ukrainian Navy at a shipyard in Türkiye. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
TT
TT

Ukraine Adds Another Turkish Corvette to its Navy for the War with Russia

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, people react during the launching ceremony of the Ukrainian Navy’s Ada class corvette “Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi” in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. This vessel was constructed for the Ukrainian Navy at a shipyard in Türkiye. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, people react during the launching ceremony of the Ukrainian Navy’s Ada class corvette “Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi” in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. This vessel was constructed for the Ukrainian Navy at a shipyard in Türkiye. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Ukraine has taken delivery of a second Turkish-built navy corvette, officials said Friday, although they did not say specifically how the warships might be used in the war against Russia, The AP reported.

Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, attended the launching ceremony of the Ada-class corvette during a visit to Türkiye, the Ukrainian presidency announced on its website.

The corvette Ukraine already had is currently undergoing sea trials.

Turkish Ada-class ships are typically able to strike planes, other ships and submarines.

Ukraine, which has coastlines on the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov, had a small navy at the time of Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion.

But it has developed deadly uncrewed sea drones that have severely limited Moscow’s Black Sea naval capability.

The Ukrainian presidency said the corvettes would help protect the country’s interests in the Black and Azov seas “but also, in particular, in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.”

The presidency statement did not elaborate.

International law forbids the passage of warships through Türkiye's busy Bosporus Strait, which links the Mediterranean and Black seas, during times of war. However, the presidency's statement didn’t say where exactly the Turkish shipyard was located, meaning it could be on the northern side of the strait, with a direct route to Ukraine.

Ukraine ordered the two Turkish corvettes under an agreement signed in 2020, the presidency said.

Ukrainian authorities last month adopted a Maritime Security Strategy that aims to rebuild its naval capability.

It is also getting help with that from Western partners. The maritime capability coalition, headed by the United Kingdom and Norway, was established last December.