Diary
ISTANBUL
Here are the main topics Anadolu's English Desk plans to cover on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):
US envoy set to visit Israel for Iran, Gaza talks
US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Israel on Tuesday for an open-ended trip, with planned meetings with Israeli officials to discuss the Iran and Gaza files. Talks are expected with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, Mossad chief David Barnea, and other officials.
Developments in comprehensive agreement between Syrian government, SDF
Developments in the implementation of the “comprehensive agreement” between the Syrian government and the SDF are being followed. The process began Monday with the deployment of security forces in Al-Hasakah province and Ayn al-Arab.
Developments in movement to and from Gaza via Rafah border crossing
Latest updates are being monitored following the official reopening of the Rafah border crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border, with 150 patients and their companions were set to leave Gaza and 50 others set to return, according to Egyptian media.
President Erdogan's visit to Saudi Arabia
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay an official visit to Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh where he will be welcomed with an official ceremony.
Erdogan will receive Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues.
UN briefing on global issues
UN Information Service holds biweekly press briefing. The agenda is announced shortly before the briefing, with discussions expected to cover pressing global issues ranging from conflicts to health.
EU foreign policy chief visits Norway
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas continues her visit to Norway, including a tour of a Coast Guard vessel in Tromso with Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. She will speak at the Arctic Frontiers Conference 2026 and take part in a joint press point. Kallas will also meet Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt and join the Arctic Mayors Forum.
European reactions to tensions between US, Iran
As the US builds up its military forces in the region following protests across Iran amid escalating concerns over a possible US-Iran war, the desk will monitor reactions and comments from European states.
Sino-Russian International Forum
The Sino-Russian International Forum, aimed at deepening cultural ties between Moscow and Beijing, is scheduled to be held in Moscow on Feb. 3. The event is part of the program of the “Unique Russia” program, the country’s largest exhibition of traditional and modern arts, and is expected to draw senior diplomats from both countries.
Potential visit by OSCE chairperson-in-office to Russia
Developments in Moscow to be followed amid a potential visit by OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ignazio Cassis to the Russian capital. Cassis and OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu visited neighboring Ukraine on Monday, where they held talks with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. Cassis said later last month that he would visit Kyiv and Moscow, but provided no specific dates.
Expected visit by NATO chief to Ukraine
Developments in Kyiv are being monitored as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is expected to visit Ukraine. Ukrainian lawmakers report that Rutte will be addressing a session of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, and is also expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the visit.
Trump to meet with Colombian counterpart
US President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro will meet at the Oval Office for closed-door talks. The meeting follows a phone call last month amid rising tensions between Washington and Bogota over the US military action in Venezuela.
UN chief to speak at Palestinian rights committee
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will deliver remarks at the 2026 Opening Session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People
US House of Representatives expected to vote on government funding package
Seeking to end a partial government shutdown that took effect Saturday, the US House of Representatives is expected to vote on a Senate-passed funding package that includes five full-year appropriations bills and a two-week stopgap measure for the Department of Homeland Security.
US secretary of state to meet South Korean, Indian counterparts
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will separately host South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun at the Department of State, followed by talks with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
March to be held in Venezuela, marking 1 month since US military operation
A march will be held in Venezuela’s capital Caracas to mark one month since President Nicolas Maduro was captured and jailed in New York following a US military operation. Participants are expected to demand Maduro’s release.
China’s Xi hosts Uruguay’s Orsi
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosts Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi, marking Orsi’s first state visit to China.
German top diplomat visits New Zealand
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is visiting New Zealand as part of his trip to Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Kazakhstan president kicks off maiden Pakistan visit
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev begins a two-day maiden visit to Pakistan.
THE ECONOMY
Türkiye's inflation
TurkStat to release consumer price index (CPI) figures for January. In December, the annual inflation eased to 30.89%, while monthly inflation stood at 0.89%.
SPECIAL REPORTS
TIMELINE – Venezuela after Maduro: One month since US military intervention
Report on major developments in Venezuela as Feb. 3 marks one month since the US intervention and the capture of Nicolas Maduro.
The timeline traces key events since the US military operation in Caracas, including Maduro’s capture and transfer to US custody, how Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as acting president and the subsequent shifts in Venezuela’s political leadership and security command, contested claims of authority, and the release of hundreds of political prisoners under an amnesty process.
It also examines major policy and economic shifts over the month – from statements by President Trump and Washington’s moves to reopen airspace and ease energy sanctions, to oil sector reforms, Venezuela’s first LPG shipment to the US, and renewed crude sales, as well as mixed regional and global reactions to the intervention.
EXPLAINER – What is holding back a US strike on Iran?
Report exploring why the US has so far refrained from an attack on Iran, focusing on its fears of retaliatory attacks on American forces in the region and on Israel.
The story explores Washington’s assessments of Iran’s missile and military capabilities, as the US seeks to reinforce security of its own assets and allies over fears of retaliatory attacks by Tehran.
The report outlines steps the US has taken to reinforce defenses, strengthen regional bases and prepare contingency plans, and it has analysis from experts including Mehran Kamrava, a political scientist at Georgetown University in Qatar, International Crisis Group’s special adviser for the Middle East and North Africa's Joost Hiltermann, and Jason H. Campbell, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute on the strategic calculations and potential risks.
FACTBOX – What START treaties achieved and what comes next
Report on the upcoming expiration of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) on Feb. 4, the last major nuclear arms control agreement between the US and Russia.
The story traces the agreement’s origins as a post–Cold War milestone, outlining how it reduced strategic nuclear arsenals, established intrusive verification measures and imposed limits on deployed warheads and delivery systems, before examining its current status and what is at stake if it lapses.
It also looks at prospects for future arms control, including whether Washington and Moscow could negotiate a follow-on framework and whether any new agreement might broaden to include other nuclear powers.
INTERVIEW – UNICEF says Rafah reopening ‘good in principle’ but insufficient for Gaza
Interview with Jonathan Crickx, UNICEF State of Palestine chief of communications, on the humanitarian situation in Gaza following the reopening of the Rafah border crossing.
Speaking from inside Gaza, Crickx says the move is positive in principle but far from sufficient given the scale of needs, warning that nearly 4,000 children require urgent medical evacuation and that conditions for children remain “absolutely dramatic” amid shortages, inadequate shelter and continued attacks.
He also says Rafah remains closed to humanitarian aid, stressing the need to open all entry points as the story examines what the partial reopening means for Palestinians after nearly two years of Israeli blockade, ongoing restrictions on goods, and a backlog of around 22,000 patients awaiting passage.
‘Beyond language’: Why Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum remains a cultural icon in Türkiye
Report on the enduring influence of Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum in Türkiye, tracing how her music crossed linguistic and cultural boundaries to shape Turkish musical memory from the late 1930s to today.
The story explores how radio bans during Türkiye’s Westernization drive, the reach of Egyptian cinema, and deep Ottoman-era cultural ties helped build Umm Kulthum’s vast Turkish fan base — widely regarded as her largest outside the Arab world.
It features insights from Turkish musician Arif Altunkaya and author Murat Ozyildirim on her artistic legacy, mutual musical influences between Egypt and Türkiye, and how her voice continues to resonate with new generations despite the language barrier.
