Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is located partially in the continent of Asia and partially in Europe. It shares borders with Greece and Bulgaria to the Northwest, Iran to the east and Iraq to the southeast. It also shares various borders with Syria, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
70%-75% of Turkey's population are Turks, and 19% are Kurds, making them the country's largest minority group. The country's capital is Ankara, and the largest city and financial city is Istanbul.
As of November 2021, the President of Turkey is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has served in this position since 2014. Prior to that, he served as Prime Minister of the country from 2003-2014.
Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, an estimated 3.6 million Syrian refugees have taken up residence in Turkey, most of them living with temporary residence permits.
The exercise comes as Poland declares its willingness to host NATO nuclear weapons, leading Russia to issue a threat.
Qatar may be getting tired of mediating between Israel and Hamas; Hamas considering moving leadership elsewhere.
Turkey proposed a security arrangement plan to Arab states during the Israel-Hamas war's early stages, some Arab nations rejected it.
Hamas leaders traveled to Ankara amid a new phase of support for Hamas in the region, which could have major ramifications for the Gaza conflict.
The new flotilla could result in catastrophe and should not be allowed.
Erdogan met Hamas leader Haniyeh to discuss Gaza aid and regional peace amid tensions with Israel. They emphasized support for Palestine and called for unity.
Turkish President Erdogan blames Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for escalating tensions in the Middle East, citing recent events including attacks and retaliation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Sunday that Iran gave neighboring countries and Israel's ally the United States 72 hours' notice it would launch the strikes.
Iran informed Turkey in advance of its planned operation against Israel, conveyed through diplomatic channels, aiming to limit escalation in the Middle East.
The flotilla itself is organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), a group of 12 NGOs from countries such as the US, Turkey, and South Africa, and should leave for Gaza on Monday.
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