Transcontinental empire that shaped Southeast Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa (1299–1922)
Turkey's President Erdogan has accused Israel of provoking regional instability and has warned that Turkish and Turkish Cypriot rights in the eastern Mediterranean must be protected. Erdogan says the international community has been too silent and calls for a stronger stance against Israel; Netanyahu rebuttals accuse Erdogan of antisemitism and genocide rhetoric. The situation follows exchanges tied to the Lebanon and Syria fronts.
Israel has moved to recognise the Armenian genocide in a cabinet-backed proposal, a measure that still requires Knesset ratification. The move comes as Israel-Turkey ties deteriorate over Israel’s Gaza war, with commentators calling it a cynical bid to pressure Ankara. Several European and regional voices have weighed in on the implications for regional diplomacy.
UNESCO has placed Sebastia in the West Bank and five Mount Amel castles in southern Lebanon on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, citing ongoing conflicts. Israel opposes the move, calling it politicisation, while Palestinian and Lebanese officials celebrate protections amid tensions.
Ratko Mladić has died in a U.N. prison hospital in The Hague while serving a life sentence for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Serbian officials and parts of the Bosnian Serb community are preparing rites; victims' families and international courts say his conviction for Srebrenica remains a key measure of justice.