US ambassador to Turkey sees solution to F-35 issue 'by year-end'
Welcome back to the Daily Briefing.
This is Beatrice Farhat, filling in for Gabrielle.
In today's edition:
- US Turkey envoy sees F-35 thaw
- Wildfires hit Turkey’s Izmir
- Will Israel, Turkey align on Syria deconfliction?
- Netanyahu sees hostage deal after Iran war ‘victory’
- Iran arrests 700 in crackdown on alleged Israeli spies
I highlight these top stories below.
Thanks for reading.
Beatrice
US ambassador to Turkey sees solution to F-35 issue 'by year-end'
US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack (L) shakes hands with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan within an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Antalya, on May 15, 2025. — UMIT BEKTAS/AFP via Getty Images
New US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack says a resolution to the long-running F-35 dispute could be reached by the end of the year, signaling a potential breakthrough in US-Turkey defense ties.
“My belief is that by year-end, we have the possibility of having a solution,” Barrack told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, adding that Congress is open to “a fresh look” at Ankara’s removal from the fighter jet program over its 2019 purchase of Russian S-400s.
Barrack’s optimism follows a recent Trump-Erdogan meeting in The Hague, where the Turkish president declared “a new era” in bilateral ties. Ankara is seeking either delivery of the jets or reimbursement for its $1.4 billion payment. Technical talks have quietly begun. Read Ezgi Akin’s report.
Wildfires force evacuations, airport closure in Turkish tourist hotspot
Firefighters work to extinguish flames in a forest in Izmir, Turkey, Aug. 16, 2024. — MURAT KOCABAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
Fierce wildfires have swept through Turkey’s Aegean province of Izmir, disrupting travel and prompting evacuations as extreme winds and scorching temperatures batter the region.
The main airport in Izmir — a key gateway to popular resorts and historic sites like Ephesus — was temporarily closed Sunday, stranding hundreds of tourists and delaying flights for up to 21 hours. Fires damaged homes and injured at least 21 people, while strong gusts grounded firefighting helicopters and fueled fears of further spread.
Authorities suspect arson in at least one blaze, and nearly 260 wildfires have ignited across Turkey in the past three days amid a Mediterranean-wide heat wave linked to climate change. Read the full story.
With Iran in decline, can Israel and Turkey align on Syria deconfliction?
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Turkish House in New York on Sept. 19, 2023. — Turkish Presidency
As Israel and Syria reportedly engage in ongoing dialogue in an effort to decrease tensions, Turkey and Israel — once on a collision course over their seemingly conflicting interests in Syria and the war in the Gaza Strip — are also likely to ease their own tensions through Azerbaijan-hosted deconfliction talks, experts say.
In a stark revelation, Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi announced earlier this week that Israel and Syria were in contact nearly daily. “There is direct daily dialogue at all levels between Israel and the regime in Syria,” Hanegbi was quoted as saying last Tuesday, according to several Israeli media outlets.
As deconfliction talks between Syria and Israel progress, so, too, do concurrent deconfliction talks between Israel and Turkey, with some analysts expecting a breakthrough. The two countries have already apparently reached preliminary understandings on how to avoid clashes inside Syria and deepen trilateral coordination with Baku — a close partner of both. Read Barin Kayaoglu’s report.
Netanyahu eyes hostage breakthrough as Gaza families mourn victims
Northern Gaza has been devastated by strikes — Bashar TALEB
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country's recent war with Iran created "opportunities" to free hostages held by Hamas militants in Gaza, where witnesses and rescuers reported that more than 30 people were killed on Sunday.
Netanyahu said that after his country's recent "victory" over Iran in the 12-day war, "many opportunities have opened up — first of all, to rescue the hostages."
"Of course, we will also have to solve the Gaza issue, to defeat Hamas, but I estimate that we will achieve both goals," he added.
His comments came as devastating bombardments continued in Gaza on Sunday, witnesses and rescuers said.
Civil defense spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told Agence France-Presse that the day’s death toll had risen to 34 across various locations in the Gaza Strip, including at least four children.
With over 700 arrests, Iran regime turns inward to thwart Israeli infiltration
A young man walks past anti-US graffiti outside the building formerly hosting the US Embassy in Tehran — today known as the "Den of Spies" museum — on Jan. 30, 2024. — ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images
The Islamic Republic's war with Israel may be on hold, but its war against Iranian citizens, waged under the banner of "national security," appears to be just beginning.
In the wake of its bruising 12-day conflict with Israel, the Iranian regime has launched a sweeping crackdown, detaining hundreds on charges ranging from espionage to spreading pro-Israel propaganda.
This week, the country's security apparatus confirmed the arrest of over 700 people across the country, as the Islamic Republic struggles to contain public backlash over what many view as its failure to prevent a yearslong Israeli infiltration campaign. The infiltration is believed to have enabled Israel's gains in the recent war, particularly through targeted, high-profile assassinations. Read the full report from our correspondent in Tehran.