Un Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visits Ankara for diplomatic talks

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Ankara to discuss humanitarian issues, regional crises, and potential UN reforms with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During the meeting, Erdogan awarded Guterres the Ataturk International Peace Prize in recognition of his humanitarian efforts, particularly regarding the crisis in Gaza. The leaders discussed regional tensions, with Erdogan emphasizing Turkey's active diplomatic efforts to prevent the expansion of violence originating from the Iran conflict. Erdogan stated that Turkey is working to contain regional instability and warned against the risk of the Middle East being thrown into conflict. Additionally, they addressed the war in Ukraine, where Turkey continues to coordinate with the UN to seek a peaceful resolution. Contradictory reports exist regarding the scale of the conflict, with Turkish official statements focusing on diplomatic mediation, while reports cite the interception of Iranian missiles near Turkish NATO bases. Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel criticized Erdogan for not taking a firmer stance against the actions of the United States. Guterres commended Turkey for hosting the world's largest refugee population during his tenure.