Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan has probably never held more global sway: he will host the first direct RussiaUkraine peace talks in three years on Thursday,

After the decision by the Kurdish militant group PKK to disband, Turkey was eyeing Wednesday a raft of legal and technical measures to ensure its full implementation and finally end a four-decade insurgency.

For Turkey, peace with the PKK now would further reduce a weakened Iran’s ability to project power westward. Some groups suspected of being affiliated with the PKK, such as the Sinjar Resistance Units in northern Iraq, have been indirectly supported by Iran.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has publicly backed Pakistan during India’s Operation Sindoor, calling PM Shehbaz Sharif his “precious brother” and praising the rare friendship between their nations.

The talks have taken place in the warring capitals of Moscow and Kyiv, from Washington and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to countries across Europe. Now, all eyes are finally turning to Istanbul to seek an end to Russia's 3-year-old,

Indian travelers are boycotting Turkey due to its support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. India is strategically countering Turkey's actions by strengthening ties with its regional rivals like Greece,

Amid boycott calls from Indians, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced his support for Pakistan in his address after chairing a Cabinet meeting in Ankara. Erdogan said that Ankara will continue to back the "brotherly people of Pakistan" in good and bad times.

The PKK has "completed its historical mission", said a statement published by a news agency close to the group, and the struggle against Turkey's oppression of Kurdish people could now continue via "democratic politics".