ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Türkiye, where Erdogan questioned Germany’s silence on Israel’s Gaza attacks and Merz expressed Berlin’s desire to see Türkiye in the EU, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit kicking off in South Korea’s coastal city of Gyeongju, Hamas transferring the remains of two more Israeli hostages, and Afghanistan and Pakistan agreeing to maintain a ceasefire during talks mediated by Türkiye and Qatar.

​​​​​TOP STORIES

• Germany wants to see Türkiye in EU: Chancellor Merz

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Berlin desires to see Türkiye in the EU, noting Ankara’s role in foreign policy.

Merz said he told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he seeks to launch a strategic dialogue on the issue at the European level and that they discussed the Copenhagen criteria.

“We want to continue these discussions going forward,” Merz, who visited Türkiye as chancellor for the first time, said in a news conference with Erdogan in the capital Ankara.

• Turkish President Erdogan questions Germany’s silence on Israel’s Gaza attacks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sharply criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza and called on Germany to join efforts to end the humanitarian crisis during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ankara.

The Turkish president said he could not agree with earlier remarks by the German chancellor supporting Israel, adding that Israel’s attacks have killed nearly 60,000 people, including children, women and the elderly.

• APEC summit kicks off in South Korea

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit began in South Korea’s coastal city of Gyeongju as leaders sought to boost growth amid trade tensions.

The two-day summit, chaired by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, is being attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

• Hamas transfers remains of 2 more Israeli hostages, Israel says

The Palestinian group Hamas handed over the remains of two Israeli hostages to the Red Cross under a ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army confirmed.

A military statement said the coffins were transferred by the Red Cross and the bodies were taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for forensic tests.

The Prime Minister's Office confirmed following the identification process that the bodies belonged to the Israeli hostages Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch, noting that their families have been informed.

• Afghanistan, Pakistan extend ceasefire following Türkiye-Qatar mediation talks

Afghanistan and Pakistan agreed to maintain a ceasefire during talks via the mediation of Türkiye and Qatar.

A statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said meetings were held Oct. 25-30 in Istanbul, with the attendance of Türkiye, Qatar, Afghanistan and Pakistan to strengthen a ceasefire agreed on in Doha earlier this month under the mediation of Türkiye and Qatar.

The statement noted that the parties reached a consensus on the continuation of the ceasefire.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• New York declared a state of emergency to free up funds to provide $65 million in assistance to food banks as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are set to expire amid a federal government shutdown.
• Israeli forces killed a 15-year-old Palestinian boy during a raid in the town of Silwad in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
• Türkiye’s Ambassador to Montenegro has called for a swift and thorough investigation into a weekend stabbing of a local man in the capital Podgorica allegedly involving Turkish citizens, stressing that the incident must not be turned into a provocation targeting the Turkish community.
• The Trump administration announced the lowest refugee admission ceiling in the country’s history, limiting entry to just 7,500 people for the 2026 fiscal year, with priority given to white Afrikaners from South Africa.
• The Netherlands faces one of the tightest election outcomes in its history, with Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) and the centrist Democrats 66 (D66) virtually tied after Wednesday’s parliamentary elections.
• A confidential assessment by a US government oversight body has concluded that Israeli forces carried out “many hundreds” of possible breaches of US human rights law in Gaza.
• France and Spain renewed calls to restrict the use of veto powers at the UN Security Council, saying the mechanism has repeatedly blocked global action in the face of humanitarian crises such as the one in Gaza.
• The Russian Defense Ministry said it received an order from President Vladimir Putin to halt combat operations in areas near the cities of Pokrovsk, Dymytrov and Kupiansk to provide a safe passage for foreign journalists to a group of encircled Ukrainian soldiers.
• In talks with US President Donald Trump, China's President Xi Jinping said Beijing is seeking "long-term benefits" of cooperation, and it was “normal for the two leading economies of the world to have frictions now and then.”
• A UN spokesman said that humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip remain heavily constrained despite a ceasefire, citing continued restrictions and damaged infrastructure.
• Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa held talks in Damascus with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on ways of strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation in various fields.
• Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the Higher Planning Council will approve the construction of 1,973 new settlement units in the occupied West Bank during its next session.
• Prince Andrew, King Charles' brother, will lose his prince title and leave his Royal Lodge home near Windsor Castle amid growing pressure over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
• The US is prepared to offer immediate humanitarian aid to the people of Cuba in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
• Lebanese President Joseph Aoun ordered the army to counter any Israeli incursions into liberated areas in the south, in the first such move since a ceasefire took effect in late 2024.
• Azerbaijan and the UK signed a Bilateral Cooperation Plan for 2026/27 between their defense ministries, the British Embassy in Baku announced.
• French police arrested five suspects following a robbery at a gold and precious metals laboratory in Lyon.
• Sudan called on the international community to hold the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) accountable for killing hundreds of patients and medical staff in El-Fasher.
• The members of the UN Security Council condemned the assault by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on El-Fasher in Sudan's North Darfur and expressed "grave concern" over escalating violence.
• France has sent a team of military and civilian personnel to Israel to take part in planning the post-ceasefire phase in the Gaza Strip, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced.
• The French National Assembly narrowly approved a resolution denouncing the 1968 migration agreement between France and Algeria, a move that has reignited political and diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
• China urged the US and South Korea to uphold their non-proliferation obligations after reports that Washington has approved Seoul’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarines.
• Polish jets have intercepted a "Russian spy plane" over the Baltic Sea for the second time in three days, said the defense minister.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Turkish president urges Europe to boost defense cooperation amid changing security conditions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Europe’s evolving security landscape demands resolving defense supply challenges and strengthening cooperation via joint projects at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the capital Ankara.

"In light of changing security conditions in Europe, we need to move past the difficulties previously encountered in the supply of defense industry products and focus on joint projects," Erdogan said.

Emphasizing that Ankara welcomed Berlin’s recent positive steps in this field, such as the procurement process of Eurofighter aircraft, Erdogan noted that given the momentum Türkiye has gained in the defense industry, there are extensive opportunities for cooperation with Germany.

He added that this collaboration could be further strengthened on a "win-win basis."

• Tesla recalls more than 6,000 Cybertrucks over detaching light bar hazard

US electric vehicle (EV) giant Tesla is recalling 6,197 Cybertrucks in the US over concerns that an optional off-road light bar may detach while driving, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.

The recall affects model year 2024 vehicles manufactured between Nov. 13, 2023 and Nov. 5, 2024 that had the optional accessory installed by service technicians, according to the report.

The issue stems from service technicians inadvertently using incorrect surface primer to attach the light bar to the windshield, which can cause partial detachment.

• Finnish oil firm Teboil changes hands as Lukoil sells assets to Gunvor

Finnish oil company Teboil confirmed that it will be sold to the multinational Gunvor Group, transferring ownership from Russia's Lukoil, local media reported.

According to the Finnish daily Ilta-Sanomat, Teboil announced the change of ownership in a letter to its stakeholders, stating that the transfer will take place following Lukoil’s decision to sell its international holdings to Gunvor due to sanctions imposed on the Russian oil company.

Teboil said in the letter that it "will take all reasonable steps to fulfill its obligations," which have been delayed due to sanctions-related restrictions, the report said.