Turkey

• Turkey convened emergency peace negotiations in Istanbul on Thursday involving representatives from Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and international mediators to address escalating refugee flows and cross-border military operations. • Syrian government forces launched new offensive operations against opposition-held territories, displacing an estimated 340,000 civilians and creating a humanitarian emergency affecting 8.7 million people across the region. • UN humanitarian coordinator warned of imminent famine conditions in northwest Syria unless fighting ceases and aid corridors reopen, with food insecurity affecting 70% of the population in conflict zones.

More than 33GW of battery capacity approved for Turkish grid since 2022 compared with 12-13GW in GermanyTurkey has given the green light to more batteries to buffer its electricity grid than any EU member state, a report has found, in a further sign of rich countries losing steam in the race to a clean economy.More than 33GW of battery capacity have been approved in Turkey since 2022, according to the climate thinktank Ember, while the total planned and operational capacity in European frontrunners that started deploying them earlier, such as Germany and Italy, is 12-13GW. Continue reading...

• Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have initiated mediation between the US and Iran to end the ongoing war, relaying messages since its start. • An Islamabad-brokered ceasefire plan was presented to both sides on Monday, proposing a 15-20 day settlement with immediate ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz ahead of a US Tuesday deadline threatening escalated strikes. • Earlier on March 25, a 15-point US proposal via Pakistan demanded dismantling Iran's nuclear facilities, missile limits, and a 30-day ceasefire, countered by Iran's five conditions including compensation and maritime control rights.

• Tensions between the United States and Turkey reached new levels on Wednesday following Turkish military incursions into northeastern Syria targeting Kurdish militant groups, operations the US opposes due to potential civilian casualties and disruption to counter-terrorism efforts. • US Secretary of State issued a formal statement urging Turkey to exercise restraint, while Turkish officials countered by questioning US commitment to NATO and threatening to restrict American military access to Incirlik Air Base absent policy changes. • The dispute reflects broader disagreements over Syria strategy, regional stability priorities, and the role of Kurdish armed groups in counter-ISIS operations, complicating US military logistics and diplomatic coordination in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The meeting of foreign ministers was, in a way, the opening ceremony of an initiative that is intriguing diplomatsMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe meeting on Sunday of the foreign ministers of Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Islamabad not only represented the best hope for a ceasefire in Iran but was also the embryo for a new order designed to curb Israeli and Iranian dominance after the war.Although the four nations have met as a quartet before, the one-day meeting of foreign ministers in Islamabad on Sunday was, in a way, the official opening ceremony of an initiative that is intriguing diplomats. Continue reading...