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Things are looking up for Ankara as its quest for Eurofighters is nearing a successful conclusion. Read all about that here, and read below for more on why Turkey remains so critical to the world’s most burning issues.

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Leading the week

Ukrainian Minister of Defence Rustem Umerov speaks to the media at Ciragan Palace on July 23, 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Turkey hosted talks between Iran and the EU on Friday in Istanbul, with the sides agreeing to continue to meet again to break the deadlock over Iran’s nuclear problem, marking the first time the sides have met since Iran’s 12-day war with Israel in June. Ezgi Akin, Rosaleen Carroll and Elizabeth Hagedorn provide the background here and here.

Turkey also hosted talks between Ukraine and Russia to end their three-and-a-half-year-long war. It was a short affair with no progress on ceasefire terms, but at least they all got to spend some time in gorgeous Istanbul.

Turkey is getting increasingly impatient with the Syrian Kurds over their refusal to cave to Damascus’ demands to integrate their forces into Syria’s new national army with nothing tangible in return. Hakan Fidan, the foreign minister, threatened military intervention in Syria, as Ezgi reported.

Syria cancelled a planned meeting between its foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, and the commander in chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazlum Kobane, that was set to take place in Paris on........

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