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Trump praises Erdogan, says US will lift sanctions on Turkey

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US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the US would lift sanctions on Turkey imposed in 2020 over Ankara’s purchase of Russian defense missiles and signaled a willingness to sell the NATO ally F-35 fighter jets, moves that would both be massive gestures to Turkey and may face legal hurdles.

Trump was greeted by President Tayyip Erdogan at the airport with a magnificent state ceremony, as Turkish troops on horseback accompanied Trump’s convoy to the presidential palace in the first visit to Turkey by a US president in 11 years. In public statements, the leaders praised each other. Under Trump, the deteriorating human rights record in Turkey has never been a major worry for Washington.

Trump, speaking to reporters at the Turkish presidential palace, showered Erdogan with praise, saying he had “chemistry” with him and that the relationship with Ankara had never been stronger. The friendliness was an almost total reversal of a relationship that was distant under former President Joe Biden.

Improved ties notwithstanding, Turkey’s 2019 purchase of a Russian S-400 system and Washington’s subsequent implementation of US sanctions on a major Turkish defense company and exclusion of Turkey from the F-35 stealth fighter jet program in 2020 have long been a sore subject. Fixing such problems would remove a major strain in the relationship but that is unlikely to happen soon.””We’re going to be lifting the sanctions,” Trump told reporters ahead of his meeting with Erdogan during a visit to Turkey for a NATO summit. “It’s time.” “We don’t want to sanction friends,” he added, adding that his secretary of state and Treasury secretary are working on the problem.

Asked whether he was concerned that Ankara still possessed the Russian S-400s, he responded he was not. ‘I don’t care about anything concerning Turkey,’ he remarked. “Now I would say the relationship with Turkey is better probably than it has ever been.”MUCH MORE FAITHFUL.’

Trump also said he may support a move to allow Turkey to acquire F-35 stealth fighter fighters, though he did not clarify how such a sale would be made in the face of legal challenges and opposition from the US Congress. “Turkey has been, in many ways, far more faithful than other countries that we believe would be loyal. . . . greatest plane, the greatest, the best plane, the best plane out there right now. “And that is certainly something we’ll be looking at,” Trump said.

Erdogan also stated he was hopeful of a satisfactory outcome on Ankara’s request to buy F-35 fighter fighters. “We have already talked about this with the US and were promised five jets,” Erdogan stated. “I know that Mr Trump always keeps his promises,” he said.

The US Congress enacted a measure to ban Turkey from buying any F-35s as long as it kept the S-400s, stating the Russian system was a security risk to US-made combat aircraft. US law currently also prohibits Turkey from using or possessing the S-400 system if it wants to rejoin the F-35 program.

Two ​people familiar with the subject told Reuters earlier ​that Trump was anticipated to back a potential sale of F-35s to Turkey. One alternative that has gained some steam in recent weeks is to relocate the Russian system to a third nation, although an agreement on this has yet to be reached, the sources said, asking not to be named to discuss sensitive subjects.

It was unclear whether Russia would agree to such a move that would necessitate end-user responsibilities in arms sales.

NATO countries are looking to Turkey, the alliance’s second-largest military and a prominent producer of armed drones, as an increasingly important bulwark against Russian aggression on

Trump has stepped up his criticism of NATO over what he sees as the pact’s refusal to help with the Iran war, so members are unlikely to criticize Turkey’s declining ⁠democracy and ​rule of law, especially after the Republican president said he may not have attended the NATO summit ​at all if it hadn’t been Erdogan who invited him.

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party, of which Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is presidential candidate and Erdogan’s main competitor, has been hit by an unprecedented judicial crackdown, including jailing of its leaders.

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WhatsApp rolls out new ‘Mentions and Replies’ chat filter

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WhatsApp has began rolling out a new “Mentions and Replies” filter that will enable users to easily identify chats where they have been mentioned or their message has been replied to.

WABetaInfo says the feature is now being implemented for select users on WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.42.12.

The new filter will be available in the Chats page, allowing users to see conversations where they have been tagged or their messages addressed. It is said to help you keep track of key communications more easily in huge group conversations and groups.

The feature could be particularly useful for people who get a lot of messages and sometimes miss critical queries, answers or comments in crowded chats.

Another important feature is that even after you have cleared the notifications, the relevant chats will still be available through the filter, enabling you get back to conversations that need your attention.

Users will also be able to tweak the feature as per their tastes with choices to disable it through settings or relocate it to the “More” section.

The “Mentions and Replies” filter is now being handed out to a small number of beta users. WhatsApp has not yet announced when it will be sent out to all users.

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Eight countries, including Pakistan, urge diplomacy to resolve regional conflicts

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Foreign ministers of eight nations including Pakistan agreed to the urgent need to resolve regional crises through conversation, diplomacy and de-escalation.

The foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia (R4) and the FMs of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, met in Istanbul on 23 October 2026, the Foreign Office stated in a statement on Saturday.

Ministers discussed issues of regional and international importance, namely US/Israel-Iran conflict, Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the need for a negotiated two-state solution, appalling Houthi militia attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of Yemen, safety and freedom of navigation, escalated tension in Straits of Hormuz and Bab El Mandeb and the Black Sea.

They pledged their ongoing commitment to contribute to diplomatic efforts to promote peace and stability in the area and beyond and address the security, economic and trade ramifications of these concerns.

They stressed the importance of finding durable negotiated solutions to all ongoing issues in conformity with the applicable UN Resolutions. The Ministers resolved to continue the engagement in this format with a view to averting disputes and promoting peace and stability in the area.

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Pakistan warns Taliban regime to stop supporting terror outfits

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Pakistan reiterated its worries about militant activity emanating from Afghan territory and called on the Afghan Taliban leadership to stop all kinds of support, facilitation and tolerance for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and their affiliated groups.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting claimed that the claims against Pakistan’s security institutions could not take away from Islamabad’s long-standing security worries. It underlined that Afghan authorities must ensure that their land is not utilised to plan, prepare or carry out terrorist operations against Pakistan.

The ministry, reacting to the latest statements by the Afghan Taliban regime, said Pakistan’s concerns were not conjectural but were based on international reporting and documented proof. It stated that Afghan authorities were responsible for preventing the use of Afghan land for terrorist actions against Pakistan and that the blame on Pakistani security agencies would not clear them of their obligation.

The ministry said it was referring to a report by the United Nations Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, investigating the presence and actions of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, known as document S/2025/796.

It also cited a report presented to the US Congress by the US Lead Inspector General covering Operation Enduring Sentinel from January to March 2026.

The Pakistani ministry’s version of the US report said the Afghan Taliban had continued to allow the TTP to operate from Afghan territory. The report attributed the spike in attacks against Pakistan to growing Taliban backing and greater operational independence for the group.

The statement cited numbers that approximated the size of the TTP at between 4,000 and 6,000 combatants.

The ministry said the foreign evaluations illustrate the seriousness of Pakistan’s worries about terrorist safe havens and support networks in Afghanistan. It said that dismissing the capacity or desire of extremist groups to destabilise Pakistan did not take care of the issues expressed via solid evidence.

The statement also mentioned continuous efforts by armed extremists to get into Pakistan from across the Afghan border. It alluded to the killings of Afghan nationals and members of terrorist groups in Pakistani counter-terrorism operations, and the capture of foreign-made weaponry from militant elements.

“Such issues need to be taken seriously. The concerns raised about Afghan Taliban officials, including in Kandahar, allegedly facilitating terrorist groups need credible explanations and verifiable action, not outright denials,” the ministry said.

Pakistan said its security measures were aimed at terrorist threats, not at the Afghan people. The ministry said peace and stability of the two nations were interlinked and a terrorism-free region would benefit the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It encouraged the Afghan Taliban administration to take concrete measures to remove the support mechanisms accessible to the TTP, BLA and allied organisations. It added these steps must ensure that Afghan land is not utilised for planning, preparing or executing strikes against Pakistan.

The ministry stated that characterising Pakistan’s legitimate security concerns and steps for defence as enmity toward Afghanistan would neither address the root cause of the crisis, nor would it divert attention from it.

The statement stated that Pakistan would continue to take all necessary actions to preserve its citizens, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

At the same time, Islamabad was ready for a responsible engagement based on mutual respect, verifiable assurances and concrete action against terrorist safe havens, support networks and cross-border infiltration.

The ministry said that sustainable peace in the region would depend on the Afghan Taliban government taking real steps to address Pakistan’s core security concerns in a way that could be independently confirmed.

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