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At a demonstration in the Israeli coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv, numerous people expressed their solidarity with the hostages who have been held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip for almost two years. According to an estimate by the organizers, around 350,000 people gathered in the evening in “Hostages’ Square” in the center of Tel Aviv. They loudly demanded the release of the hostages and an end to the Gaza war, as a dpa reporter observed.

Hundreds of thousands demonstrate in Tel Aviv on Tuesday for the release of the hostages and an end to the war in the Gaza Strip. Picture: Keystone/AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg

The forum of hostage relatives had called for a nationwide day of protest on Tuesday under the slogan “Israel stands together”. Demonstrations and road blockades had already taken place during the day. Protest actions were intended to draw attention to the situation of the hostages. The organizers of the protest accuse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of prolonging the war for political reasons and sabotaging an agreement for their release.

At the rally in the center of Tel Aviv in the evening, speakers and participants – including several relatives of abductees – demanded an end to the Gaza war and the immediate release of the Hamas hostages.

The organizers announced in the evening: “More than 350,000 people at the rally (…) have sent a clear message: The government must sign the agreement currently on the table. The whole nation demands an end to the war and the return of all hostages.”

Just over a week ago, the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas declared that it had agreed to a new proposal for a ceasefire by the mediating states Egypt and Qatar, which also provides for the release of some hostages. Israel’s political leadership has not yet responded to the proposal.

Ofir Braslavski, whose son Rome was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, said: “I don’t want to get my son back in a body bag.” Terrorists had recently published a propaganda video in which Rom, who is also a German citizen, could be seen emaciated and emaciated. “A month has passed since then and nothing is being done.” Rome’s family has been waiting for his return from hostage-taking for two years.

The demonstrators waved blue and white Israeli flags and yellow flags symbolizing solidarity with the hostages. In between, they sang the Israeli national anthem “Hatikva” – hope – together.

Ties between Turkey and Israel, once marked by strategic cooperation, have reached a new low amid growing military competition and sharply divergent interests in war-ravaged Syria.

Israel is unhappy about the unqualified support Turkey is offering Syria’s new interim government led by Ahmad al-Sharaa. Ankara has stepped up its presence in Syria after the outbreak of sectarian violence between Bedouin Arab tribes and Druze militias in Sweida province. Upon Syrian request, it is working on a defence pact that could involve the establishment of Turkish military bases on Syrian soil.

Turkish officials said the assistance, which includes training, advisory services and technical support, is aimed at boosting Syria’s defence against terrorist groups like the Islamic State. Ankara also backs the integration of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the national army, although the deal’s implementation remains in limbo.

But Israel, alarmed by Ankara’s growing influence in southern Syria, launched airstrikes in Sweida and on Damascus’s Ministry of Defence last week. Israeli officials claimed the attacks were intended to protect Druze communities in Syria, in solidarity with Israel’s own Druze minority.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Israel for what he described as a cynical justification. “Israel, using the Druze as an excuse, has been expanding its banditry into neighbouring Syria,” he said during a televised address, branding the country a “terror state”.

The breakdown in trust is not new. Although Turkey was the first Muslim-majority nation to recognise Israel in 1949, and developed close defence and intelligence cooperation by the late 1990s, under Erdogan’s rule, Ankara has adopted a more Islamist and anti-Western foreign policy. Tensions began escalating in the mid-2000s, particularly after Erdogan hosted leaders of Hamas in 2006, and worsened dramatically after the 2010 flotilla incident, when Israeli commandos killed nine people aboard a Turkish vessel heading for Gaza.

Over the past year, relations have deteriorated further. Israel’s military dominance in the region, particularly its recent operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iranian forces, has unsettled Turkey. Conversely, Israel views Turkey’s increasing support for Syrian rebel groups, some of which are tied to designated terrorist organisations, as an existential threat.

Jerusalem is particularly concerned about Ankara’s military build-up. Turkey recently signed a deal with Germany to acquire 40 Eurofighter Typhoon jets, marking a significant upgrade of its air force. An Israeli defence official told a local newspaper that while the Typhoons are not superior to Israel’s F-35s, they represented a worrying trend. “It’s a clear and worrying signal that Turkey is accelerating its arms buildup in a way that could eventually challenge Israel’s military edge in the region,” the official said.

Turkey is also pursuing US-made F-16s and has revived its interest in rejoining the F-35 programme. These efforts, coupled with Ankara’s expanding naval and drone capabilities, have sparked alarm in Israeli policy circles.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticised the Netanyahu government for its inaction. “If Israel had a functioning Foreign Ministry or a normal government, it would have already intervened diplomatically to prevent this arms deal from advancing,” he said. “Germany and the UK are now equipping Turkey with powerful jets that could eventually alter the balance of power in the region.”

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Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.

Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways

As US destroyers closed in on Venezuela’s coast on Thursday, China condemned Washington’s military build-up and warned against foreign interference, backing Nicolas Maduro in a showdown that is drawing in powers far beyond the Caribbean.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China opposed “any move that violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and a country’s sovereignty and security”.

She added that Beijing rejected “the interference of external forces in Venezuela’s internal affairs under any pretext” and urged the United States to “do more things conducive to peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region”.

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Her remarks came as Maduro hosted China’s ambassador in Caracas, Lan Hu, praising what he called “notable advances” in joint projects.

“China is without a doubt the country that leads the world with the concept of human development,” Maduro said in a message on Telegram after the meeting, which was also attended by Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaking during a meeting with members of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) in Caracas on Wednesday. Photo: AFP alt=Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaking during a meeting with members of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) in Caracas on Wednesday. Photo: AFP>

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The exchange highlighted Beijing’s alignment with Caracas as the Trump administration escalates its pressure campaign.

The White House confirmed that three destroyers and an amphibious squadron carrying about 4,000 Marines have been dispatched to the Caribbean. Washington says the aim is to disrupt cartels, but Venezuelan officials and their allies call the patrols a direct threat to sovereignty.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was “prepared to use all American power” to stop drugs from entering the United States and to “bring those responsible to justice”.

She described Maduro’s government as “a narcoterrorist cartel” and noted that the reward for his capture has been raised to US$50 million.

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Maduro responded by mobilising 4.5 million members of the Bolivarian Militia and ordering a 30-day suspension of drone flights nationwide.

“We defend our seas, our skies and our lands. We freed them. We guard and patrol them. No empire will touch the sacred soil of Venezuela,” he said in a televised speech in Caracas.

China has poured about US$67 billion into Venezuela since 2007, far more than into any other South American country, making it Caracas’s most important creditor and one of its few remaining lifelines.

The partnership, launched under then-president Hugo Chavez, tied Chinese loans to Venezuelan oil and grew into a strategic alliance that has survived debt disputes and US sanctions.

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While Chinese companies have scaled back direct purchases of Venezuelan crude, Beijing continues to shield Maduro diplomatically. Last year, China was one of the first countries to recognise a highly contested election process that gave him a third term.

Regional leaders have been divided in their reactions to the American military build-up near Venezuela.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reiterated her opposition to intervention and called for disputes to be solved through dialogue.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said the United States was mistaken if it believed military action could resolve Venezuela’s crisis and warned of “grave regional consequences”.

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Brazil also voiced concern. Celso Amorim, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s top foreign policy adviser, said he viewed the US naval deployment with “worry” and stressed that non-intervention remained a fundamental principle of Brazilian diplomacy.

He cautioned against a narrative of using “total force” to fight organised crime, saying such problems should be tackled “with cooperation among countries and not unilateral interventions”.

Others stayed quiet or echoed Washington. Argentine President Javier Milei, a Trump ally, did not comment but amplified messages from the US Embassy about defence cooperation.

In Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa ordered intelligence services to investigate alleged ties between Venezuelan cartels and domestic gangs. Paraguay’s Senate declared the Cartel de los Soles a terrorist organisation, awaiting approval by President Santiago Pena.

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This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Turkey has spent weeks walking a diplomatic tightrope, caught between its outrage over Israel’s actions and its reluctance to cross the United States. A ceasefire deal brokered by President Donald Trump has given Ankara some breathing room – at least for now.

Iran foreign minister Abbas Araghchi (R) speaks with Turkey foreign minister Hakan Fidan (L) ahead the family photo during the 51st session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, on June 21, 2025.

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“We welcome the news that an agreement has been reached on the establishment of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which came late last night,” Erdogan said before departing for the NATO summit in The Hague.

Israel’s war on Iran had put Erdogan in a tricky spot – maintaining his hostility towards Israel without damaging his ties with Trump.

On Saturday, Erdogan slammed Israel, calling it a “terrorist state”, while warning that the war on Iran threatened to plunge the region into chaos. The speech, delivered in Istanbul at a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, was just the latest in what has become an almost daily verbal assault on Israel.

But the United States bombing of Iran just a few hours after Erdogan spoke drew little reaction from Ankara beyond a short statement expressing its “concern” over the attack.

Turkey’s rivalry with Iran shifts as US threats create unlikely common ground

Words versus actions

Erdogan’s actions have also not always matched his rhetoric.The Turkish leader resisted opposition calls to close the US-operated NATO Kurecik radar base near the Iranian border.

“Turkey is not interested once again in going into conflict with America because, if you close Kurecik, then it is a NATO issue, and Israel has close relations also with NATO,” said international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara’s Middle East Technical University.

The Kurecik radar station, Bagci said, is important to Israeli security.

“Turkey signed the acceptance (agreement) that Israel should take information from Kurecik,” Bagci added. “There is no in an article in the case of war that Turkey would not provide the information. So, this is why Erdogan, based on this fact, is not undertaking any steps against Israel.”

Earlier this month, Erdogan lobbied Baghdad not to follow Tehran’s calls to intercept Israeli warplanes using Iraqi airspace to strike Iran. All moves that are likely to play well with Trump. Erdogan values what Trump has called a “great friendship”.

The two leaders are expected to meet for the first time since Trump’s re-election on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, where Erdogan will likely be seeking an invitation to Washington.

With Turkey and Iran long-time regional rivals, competing for influence from the Caucasus to Central Asia and the Middle East, Ankara also shares the West’s concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

“Turkey definitely doesn’t want a nuclear-armed Iran, because that is going to trigger a proliferation process in the Middle East,” said Serhan Afacan, head of the Center for Iranian Studies, a research organisation in Ankara.

Interim president Sharaa weighs up Ankara and Riyadh in power struggle for Syria

Refugee fears and regional risks

The United States bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities – which Washington claims has ended Tehran’s atomic programme – drew no condemnation from Ankara. But the risk of a wider conflict has raised fears of growing instability and the possibility of a refugee wave into Turkey from Iran.

Trump’s surprise move to broker a ceasefire between Iran and Israel will come as a relief to Ankara, said regional expert Professor Zaur Gasimov of the German Academic Exchange Service in Istanbul. He warned the ceasefire came just as signs were emerging of a refugee exodus.

“What we see now is already now is the mobility of people within Iran, leaving Tehran and other bigger cities, going to different directions, that is a challenge for the entire region. And maybe Turkey is a country that is about to observe a refugee influx coming from Iran by the border,” said Gasimov.

He warned Ankara is likely not prepared for such an exodus.

“That is a challenge. So, Turkey is currently observing the situation with great attention, and certain answers to this challenge is not ready yet,” said Gasimov.

Azerbaijan and Turkey build bridges amid declining influence of Iran

Economic toll

Turkey, which borders Iraq and Syria, has struggled for decades with chaos on its southern frontier. It currently hosts as many as five million refugees and has paid a heavy economic price through the loss of valuable regional markets.

Ankara will likely be eyeing the potential rewards of a weakened Tehran in the long-running competition for regional influence.

“A weak Iran is good for Turkey always, but not a dead Iran,” said Bagci.

“Iran is important for connectivity. They [Iran] have many neighbours like Turkey. They are close to Russia, Central Asian republics, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, you name it. And the destabilisation of the region is in nobody’s interest.

“That is why China and Russia are very careful in their statements, and everybody is trying now for a diplomatic solution.”

How long Trump’s brokered ceasefire will last remains to be seen. But for Ankara, the hope is that wider regional chaos has been avoided – and that it has managed, at least for now, to balance its competing interests.

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Israel, Iran, US, Turkey, Qatar and UK Grapple with Explosive Regional Conflict as Missile Strikes Trigger Urgent Travel Warnings and Heightened Fears for Holidaymakers Across the Middle East

A dangerous wave of escalating conflict has gripped the Middle East, with Israel, Iran, the United States, Turkey, Qatar, and the United Kingdom all entangled in a rapidly intensifying geopolitical crisis. In recent weeks, Israel and Iran have exchanged missile strikes, while the US has launched targeted attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, further inflaming regional tensions. Qatar has now been drawn into the conflict zone after Iran targeted Al-Udeid, the largest US military base in the region. As violence spreads and diplomatic relations strain, countries like Turkey — a key tourism hub sharing a border with Iran — face increased scrutiny from global travellers. In response, the UK government has issued updated travel advisories, urging caution and reassessment of plans to the broader Middle East. With missiles flying, military escalation rising, and global powers involved, concerns over traveller safety have grown significantly, particularly for those heading to destinations near the affected areas.

Middle East Tensions Rise: What UK Travellers Should Know About Visiting Turkey Amid Regional Unrest

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In recent weeks, escalating military action between Israel and Iran has raised significant concerns for travellers planning to visit regions bordering the conflict zone. The situation intensified with missile exchanges between the two nations, and the United States has now entered the fray by launching targeted strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. These developments have caused unease among tourists, particularly those with planned holidays to nearby countries like Turkey, a long-favoured summer destination for British nationals.

Is It Still Safe to Travel to Turkey Despite Regional Tensions?

Despite the dramatic events unfolding across parts of the Middle East, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) currently maintains that Turkey’s primary tourist destinations — such as Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum, and Cappadocia — remain generally safe for travellers. These areas are far removed from the conflict zones and continue to operate as normal, with no immediate disruption reported across tourist-facing infrastructure, including airports, hotels, and popular resorts.

However, the FCDO has issued regional advisories cautioning against all but essential travel to areas close to Turkey’s eastern borders, particularly those adjacent to Iran, Iraq, and Syria. These advisories are largely precautionary, accounting for the proximity of Turkish territory to the increasingly unstable geopolitical theatre. British citizens are urged to monitor travel advice frequently, particularly if their itineraries include transit through, or extended stays near, southeastern Turkey.

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A Closer Look at the Conflict: What’s Unfolding in the Middle East?

The recent spike in conflict began earlier this month when Israel launched an unexpected and coordinated strike on a series of Iranian military and nuclear facilities. The pre-emptive assault was seen as an aggressive response to Iran’s growing nuclear capabilities, and it triggered a swift retaliation. Iran, in response, launched a barrage of missiles targeting Israeli military positions, igniting what many analysts now describe as a low-intensity air war.

In a significant escalation, US forces intervened over the weekend by launching airstrikes on three key nuclear facilities located within Iranian territory. These strikes are widely viewed as a strategic alignment with Israeli efforts to deter Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and have drawn sharp criticism from Tehran.

Just days later, Iran targeted Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar — the largest American military installation in the Middle East — with a volley of ballistic missiles. Though the full extent of damage remains unconfirmed, the attack underscores how far the conflict has expanded geographically, now involving not just Israel and Iran but key US military interests and infrastructure across the region.

Turkey’s Geographic Position and Political Stance

Turkey shares a portion of its eastern border with Iran, placing it in a potentially vulnerable geographical position. Nonetheless, Ankara has historically maintained a nuanced diplomatic stance between Western allies and neighbouring Middle Eastern powers. While it is a NATO member, Turkey often treads a fine line in foreign policy — maintaining open diplomatic channels with Iran, Russia, and Western nations alike.

So far, there have been no indications that Turkey will become directly involved in the hostilities. Its focus remains on maintaining border security and stability within its territory. Turkish military forces have historically been proactive in securing its eastern provinces, particularly in response to threats arising from regional unrest. This ongoing vigilance has been instrumental in maintaining relative peace in areas removed from the direct conflict zone.

Should British Tourists Cancel or Postpone Trips to Turkey?

At present, there is no official directive advising British tourists to cancel trips to Turkey’s western or coastal regions. Flights from the UK continue to operate as scheduled, and the country’s major tourist hubs remain fully functional and welcoming to international visitors. That said, travellers are advised to remain informed, stay in contact with their travel providers, and register with the FCDO’s travel alerts if heading to Turkey in the coming weeks.

Holidaymakers should also consider purchasing comprehensive travel insurance that includes coverage for cancellations due to geopolitical instability, and ensure they are aware of their airline or tour operator’s flexibility in the event of last-minute changes.

Rising missile strikes between Israel, Iran, and the US — with Turkey and Qatar caught in the regional fallout — have triggered urgent travel warnings from the UK, prompting global concerns over safety in the Middle East. Travellers are now urged to reassess plans as tensions escalate across key borders.

While the geopolitical crisis in the Middle East continues to evolve, current assessments suggest that Turkey’s main tourist destinations remain secure and open for travel. However, the situation remains fluid, and travellers should stay updated with official government guidance. The FCDO continues to monitor the region closely, and British citizens are encouraged to consult real-time updates and heed all regional advisories to ensure a safe and stress-free holiday experience.

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