Eastern Mediterranean

The so-called “foreign ministry” of the pseudo-state, denounced the reports about Turkey included in the conclusions of the European Union’s General Affairs Council on 17 December, adding that linking Ankara’s issues to the Cyprus is “unacceptable”.

More than 50 million foreign tourists visited Türkiye in January-November, up 7.1 percent from the same period of 2023, according to data from the Culture and Tourism Ministry on Dec. 20.

Including Turks residing abroad, the number of total visitors reached 57.36 million people in the first 11 months of 2024.

Istanbul has been officially recognized as Türkiye's sole "global city," with five others earmarked for potential global status, according to an assessment by the Industry and Technology Ministry as part of a strategic plan to enhance regional competitiveness and economic integration in the international arena.

The bi-communal body responsible for establishing the fate of Greek and Turkish Cypriots who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963 to 1964 and the events of 1974, managed to identify the remains of 11 individuals in 2024.

Turkish manufacturers have begun working overtime to meet an influx of over half 1 million orders for the newly adopted flag of Syria following the Baath regime's overthrow, a sector representative has said.

Syrians wait to cross into Syria from Türkiye at the Öncüpınar border gate, near the town of Kilis, southern Türkiye, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.

Approximately 100,000 refugees have returned to Syria from neighboring countries since opposition fighters overthrew Syria's strongman Bashar al-Assad, the head of the U.N. migration agency estimated on Dec. 18.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz has strongly criticized Israel's actions in Syria, particularly its expansionist policies beyond the Golan Heights, labeling them "extremely dangerous" and detrimental to Syria's stability, whlie stressing cooperation with allies for Syria's reconstruction.

Syria's stability is of critical importance for both its region and the wider world, Türkiye's foreign minister said on Saturday, calling for "an orderly, inclusive, and Syrian-led transition process."

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will visit Lebanon on Monday, December 13, he announced during the conference titled "Post-Junta Era 1974-2024: 50 Years of Greek Foreign Policy. "

The rapidly evolving crisis in Syria will take center stage at the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, with Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis representing Athens.

The fragmented situation in Syria, following the Assad regime's collapse, remains fluid, as recent developments underline.