This is Beirut

Lebanon Announces Three Return Options for Citizens Stranded in Antalya

This is Beirut, 17/06 22:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Beirut Turkey Tripoli Istanbul Antalya Nakhal

In response to the situation of Lebanese citizens stranded in the Turkish city of Antalya, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport announced three return options, following instructions from Minister Fayez Rasamny. This initiative aims to ensure the safety of Lebanese nationals and facilitate their swift return home. Option 1: Via ...

Lebanon Hoped for Tourists and Got War Instead

Christiane Tager, 16/06 22:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Beirut International Airport Gulf Israel Turkey

Tourism, a vital sector that accounted for over 20% of Lebanon’s GDP before the 2019 crisis, was poised to provide a much-needed boost to the country’s battered economy. Following Eid al-Adha, hotel occupancy rates in Beirut surged to 80%, signaling a bright season ahead. “We had a surge of bookings for the next two weeks, but they’re ...

Istanbul Mayor on Trial for 'Threatening' Prosecutor

This is Beirut, 16/06 12:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Turkey Ekrem Imamoglu Erdogan

Istanbul's jailed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the leading opponent of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appeared in court Monday on charges of threatening the city's public prosecutor. The case is one of a number of investigations targeting Imamoglu, but is not connected to the graft probe that led to his arrest in March, which sparked Turkey's ...

‘Urgent Action’ Needed to Prevent Iran-Israel Conflict Spreading: Turkey

This is Beirut, 15/06 20:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel Turkey Donald Trump Middle East USA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said "urgent action" was needed to prevent the Iran-Israel conflict engulfing the Middle East, in a call with US counterpart Donald Trump on Sunday. "President Erdogan hailed the recent comments by US President Trump concerning a resolution of the conflict between Israel and Iran... and stressed that urgent ...

Turkey's Erdogan Warns against 'Devastating' Israel-Iran War

This is Beirut, 14/06 19:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkey Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Iran Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday warned against a "devastating war" between Israel and Iran that could trigger a refugee crisis in a telephone conversation with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two leaders were speaking as Israel and Iran exchanged deadly barrages of missiles and drones and amid fears the ...

Can Ahmad al-Sharaa Deliver on His Anti-ISIS Policy?

Alexandre Baz, 14/06 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron Damascus Gulf Turkey United States

Ahmad al-Sharaa, once a senior figure in the jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has emerged as a central player in post-Assad Syria. Since taking power in December 2024 in a country ravaged by 13 years of war, Sharaa has positioned himself as a pragmatic and reform-minded leader, both to foreign governments and Syria’s deeply ...

Arab, Iranian Foreign Ministers to Meet this Week in Norway

This is Beirut, 10/06 12:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia Tehran Turkey Norway

The foreign ministers of Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Oman will meet in Norway this week at an annual peace forum, the Norwegian government announced on Tuesday. The ministers, including Iran's foreign minister and chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi, will take part on Wednesday and Thursday in the Oslo Forum, an annual gathering ...

Russia and Ukraine Accuse Each Other of Delaying POW Swap

This is Beirut, 07/06 18:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Ukraine Russia Turkey Prisoners of War

A large-scale prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine -- the only concrete outcome of peace talks -- was thrown into doubt Saturday after Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of delaying and thwarting the swap. The hold-up to an exchange that both sides said would take place this weekend came as Moscow's army launched a barrage of ...

Turkey Arrests Five Mayors From Main Opposition Party

This is Beirut, 04/06 13:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Turkey Politics Opposition Arrest Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkish police arrested five opposition mayors early Wednesday alongside 17 others as part of a probe into corruption allegations at CHP-held municipalities, a party spokesman told AFP. The latest arrests targeted a former lawmaker and three CHP mayors in Istanbul, and two more in the southern province of Adana, the spokesman said. The latest ...

Six Months after Deposing Assad, Syria Faces Security, Economic Challenges

This is Beirut, 03/06 11:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Damascus Turkey Syria

Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has in six months established himself internationally and had crippling sanctions removed, but still needs to rebuild national institutions, revive the economy and unite the fractured country. AFP looks at the main challenges facing Sharaa, whose Islamist-led coalition toppled longtime Syrian ruler ...

Azerbaijan's Quiet Diplomacy Between Turkey and Israel

This is Beirut, 03/06 09:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Israel Turkey Azerbaijan Syria

With growing influence after its recapture of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenian separatists in 2023, Azerbaijan is using its close ties with Israel and Turkey to defuse tensions between the regional foes in Syria. Azerbaijan's top foreign policy adviser Hikmet Hajiyev confirmed Baku has hosted more than three rounds of talks between Turkey and ...

5.8-Magnitude Quake Rattles Turkey's Southwestern Resorts

This is Beirut, 03/06 08:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Turkey earthquake

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Marmaris area of southwestern Turkey early on Tuesday, killing one teenager and injuring dozens of people, the interior minister said. A 14-year-old girl died following a panic attack and some 70 people were hurt in the Mugla province as they rushed to find safety, including "some who jumped from a height", ...

Turkey