A Turkish C-130 military cargo plane en route from Azerbaijan to Turkey crashed near the Azerbaijan-Georgia border on Tuesday, according to Turkey’s Defense Ministry. The aircraft was carrying 20 Turkish soldiers, though no official confirmation of casualties or survivors has been released. Joint rescue operations involving Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities began immediately after the crash. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed deep sorrow and said efforts to reach the wreckage were ongoing. Senior Turkish officials, including the interior, foreign, and communications ministers, have coordinated with their Georgian counterparts. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Ali Asadov conveyed condolences and pledged support in the rescue efforts. An investigation into the cause of the crash has been launched.

Turkey’s Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office has issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 other senior Israeli officials, accusing them of genocide and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The warrants, released on Friday, November 7, name key figures such as Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. Turkish prosecutors allege that Israel’s military actions in Gaza constitute deliberate and systematic genocide. The investigation also includes Israel’s airstrike on the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital in Gaza. Turkey, which previously joined South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, says it aims to uphold international law and accountability. Israel has strongly condemned the move, calling it a “political stunt” by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while tensions continue amid a fragile ceasefire in Gaza.

Turkish political commentator Levent Gültekin has alleged that Israel, along with its allies, seeks to dismantle strong Muslim states in the Middle East, with Iran and Turkiye being the next targets after Iraq and Syria. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Gültekin stated that Israel does not want any powerful Muslim nation to exist in the region and is pursuing a long-term plan to fragment them. Citing past actions, he claimed that Israel and its partners have already divided Iraq and Syria, and similar plots now focus on Iran and Turkiye.

He further emphasized that the ongoing hostility between the United States, Israel, and Iran has intensified recently. According to him, U.S. praise for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and their growing cooperation are strategic and concerning. Gültekin warned that despite global discussions about peace in Gaza, Israel’s broader goal remains the same—to reshape the Middle East and weaken its strongest Muslim nations. He concluded that Israel’s real objective in Iran is not regime change but dividing the nation into several smaller parts.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to continue their fragile ceasefire following a five-day negotiation in Istanbul, Turkey, announced the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday, October 30. The two South Asian neighbors, whose relations deteriorated after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, have been locked in escalating border clashes over alleged support for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering TTP militants responsible for attacks in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, while Afghanistan denies the claims.

The latest tensions erupted after Pakistan launched an airstrike in Kabul on October 9, killing several top TTP leaders. In retaliation, Afghan forces attacked Pakistani military posts along the Durand Line, leading to days of intense fighting that claimed more than 200 Afghan and 23 Pakistani soldiers’ lives. After a temporary ceasefire on October 15, fresh diplomatic efforts began in Doha, later moving to Istanbul under Qatari and Turkish mediation.

Both nations have now agreed to avoid hostilities until the next meeting on November 6 in Istanbul to finalize ceasefire conditions. Turkey emphasized the importance of restraint and dialogue to maintain regional stability.