Istanbul is Turkey's largest city and its primary commercial and cultural hub. Known as a historic geopolitical crossroads bridging Europe and Asia, it regularly hosts high-level diplomatic meetings and major defense exhibitions. Recently, Istanbul has served as a venue for multilateral defense talks, sanctions-related banking actions, and key diplomatic engagements involving regional powers. Last updated 1 day ago
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will travel to Ankara and Istanbul from October 21 to 23, 2026, the first bilateral visit to Turkey by a Canadian Prime Minister. He will meet President Erdoğan in Ankara on trade, investment, energy and mining, climate, defence and security.
BIG: Iran Air is still flying to Istanbul on the first day of new U.S. aviation sanctions. Flight IR719 landed there from Tehran at about 10:25 a.m. local time, and the same aircraft is now returning as IR718. - FR
Iran Air said the service would continue unless Turkish authorities formally suspended it. No suspension had been announced as of this morning.
US Treasury Secretary Bessent: "On September 23, all Iranian airlines will be shut down around the world. If they land, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system."
Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and AJet already cut all Iran flights. No bookings until March 2027.
Tehran denies its routes to Istanbul, Baku and Najaf are being suspended.
Turkey has revoked the operating license of Iran's Bank Mellat in Istanbul, where the branch had operated for decades. The notice cited Turkish law allowing authorities to bar a bank whose activity harms the stability of the financial system. Mahan Air flights are set to be suspended in two days.
The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned Istanbul-based Golden Global Bank, accused of moving large sums China paid for Iranian oil and funneling the proceeds to the IRGC.
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan held the first meeting of the Mecca Agreement in Istanbul, bringing together their Foreign and Defense Ministers and military chiefs-of-staff.
Pakistan's foreign ministry: The inaugural session of the strategic political and defense committee, held under the Makkah joint defense agreement, is convening in Istanbul.
The first meeting of the Mecca Defense Agreement will be held in Istanbul on Monday, bringing together Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Attending will be the three countries' foreign ministers, defense ministers and armed forces chiefs of staff, per a Turkish Foreign Ministry source.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is expected in Istanbul tomorrow for talks with President Erdogan.
The visit comes after Erdogan warned that Israel’s operations in Lebanon also threaten Turkey.
Hezbollah linked Al Akhbar claims the U.S. now views Turkey as the country with the broadest influence in Lebanon, even surpassing Saudi Arabia. @kaisos1987
WILD: Turkish activists hung a banner reading "Hide your children, Trump is coming!" on Istanbul's Haliç Bridge, ahead of his July 7 visit for the NATO summit in Ankara.
Macron called me in 2022 and said that Ukraine could not sign documents in Istanbul "with a gun to its head," and asked me to withdraw troops from Kyiv.
Turkey said it raided Islamic State networks nationwide, detaining nearly 200 people, following a gun battle outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul by three attackers.
Upon the reports of gunfire sounds in the vicinity of the Israeli Consulate located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has immediately initiated an investigation...
Turkish Minister of Justice:
Upon the reports of gunfire sounds in the vicinity of the Israeli Consulate located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has immediately initiated an investigation.
Within the scope of the investigation, one deputy chief public prosecutor and two public prosecutors have been assigned; our public prosecutors have promptly arrived at the scene and begun examinations.
Under the coordination of our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, in collaboration with relevant law enforcement units, the work is ongoing for the purpose of fully elucidating the incident, and the investigation is being conducted meticulously and in a multifaceted manner.
