Latest developments in Türkiye and around the world

Here's a roundup of the latest developments from Türkiye and around the world in the last 24 hours.

What happened in the world?

• The U.N. special rapporteur on the right to health on Monday warned that the medical evacuation rate in Gaza is "very low," standing at 47%, as many healthcare facilities are "completely dysfunctional."
• Five rockets were fired from Iraq toward a U.S. military base in northeastern Syria, with no reported injuries to U.S. personnel.
• Thousands took part in protests organized by the Solidarity Network Against the Occupation of Palestine (RESCOP) in different cities of Spain to call for an end to the massacre in the Gaza Strip on Monday.
• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where Scholz stressed the importance of preventing further escalation of tensions and the spread of conflict in the region.
• The U.S. House of Representatives approved a substantial $95 billion foreign aid package for Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific region. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated her discontent with the $95 billion aid package approved by the U.S. Congress.
• Global military expenditure rose by 6.8% to a historically high level of $2.44 trillion in 2023 versus 2022, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said Monday.
• Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu's National People's Congress party won 71 of 93 parliamentary seats.
• Two Japanese military helicopters collided during a training exercise, tragically resulting in the death of one crew member and leaving seven others missing on April 21.
• Nine of the Turkish teams participating in the 2024 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) world championship held in Texas, U.S., with 17 teams at the high school level, were awarded in various categories. 

What happened in Türkiye?

• President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid for the first official visit to Iraq by a Turkish president in 13 years. Erdogan and Rashid discussed counterterrorism and Israel's ongoing Gaza offensive.
• A strategic framework agreement was signed between Türkiye and Iraq that constitutes a “solid roadmap.”
• Under the auspices of President Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Sudani, a quadrilateral memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the Development Way Project was signed between Iraq, Türkiye, Qatar and the UAE.
• Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday called on the international community to oppose the US veto on Palestine’s UN bid and recognize the state of Palestine.
• Ambassador Elizabeth Richard, the U.S. coordinator for counterterrorism, visited Ankara on Monday as part of the ongoing U.S.-Türkiye Counterterrorism Consultations.
• Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed critical matters with Mauritania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Muhammed Salim Merzuk during a joint press conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Istanbul Representation.
• President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul on April 20.
• Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited the Netherlands today within the scope of the 10th meeting of the Wittenburg Conference, which has been held between Türkiye and the Netherlands since 2008.
• Roketsan, a leading Turkish defense manufacturer, has announced the successful deployment of its latest product, the CIRIT Laser-Guided Missile.
• Airports in Istanbul saw 27.1 million passengers traveling in the first quarter of the year, within the January-March period.
• Türkiye's consumer confidence hiked 1.4% every month in April.
• Two members of the terrorist group PKK surrendered to Turkish security forces in the country's southeast.

What is happening in the world?

• The number of Palestinians killed in Gaza during the Israeli military onslaught has reached 34,151, including 14,500 children and 9,500 women.
• U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announces plans to begin sending individuals back to Rwanda in 10 to 12 weeks.
• United Nations calls for comprehensive and independent investigations to be conducted in the areas where the mass graves are located in Gaza.
• Former U.S. President Donald Trump's hush money criminal trial continues in New York.
• Major-General Aharon Haliva, head of Israel’s military intelligence, resigns citing the failure to stop Hamas’s deadly surprise attack, becoming the first senior official to take the blame and step down.
• Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is in Pakistan on a three-day trip to discuss regional and bilateral relations days after Iran and Israel carried out attacks against each other, risking the Gaza war to expand into a regional conflict.

What is happening in Türkiye? 

• 23rd April National Sovereignty and Children's Day will be celebrated tomorrow.
• It was stated that temperatures are expected to reach 24-26 degrees Celsius in Istanbul in the coming days and a warning was issued to be cautious and take precautions.
• Mayor Ahmet Metin Genc of Trabzon Province announced that the protocol for the Light Rail System Project will be signed between Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure on Wednesday, April 24.
• Due to the expiration of the 4-year term of Council of State President Zeki Yigit, an election will be held on April 24 at 2:00 p.m.
• The Ministry of National Defense (MSB) holds a Confidence-Building Measures meeting with Greece.

Source: Newsroom