Witkoff to Putin:

Thank you, President Putin. It's so good to see you.

Germany's Chancellor Merz on 1961 Turkish-German Recruitment Agreement:

These Turkish guest workers didn’t initially live in the city centers. They lived in workers’ colonies, settlements and separate dormitories near the factories.

Simple accommodation, sometimes converted factory halls, multi-bed rooms, shared kitchens, in some cases curfews.

Work, sleep, work, sleep. That was the daily rhythm of the first generation.

Witkoff to Putin:

Trump is grateful for your decision to remove export controls on Russian diesel.

It's an example of us working together.

I want to thank you for that.

Germany's Chancellor Merz:

Turkish guest workers helped build the industrial substance of our country.

The Ruhr region would not have become so prosperous and so great in those years without this first generation.

Germany's Chancellor Merz:

What would German literature be today without Aras Ören and Deniz Utlu? German film without Fatih Akin and Sibel Kekilli? German football without İlkay Gündoğan?

German oncology and immunology without Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci, the two founders of BioNTech...

Germany's Chancellor Merz:

Germans and Turks became modern, open-minded and tolerant in the 1960s, 70s and 80s through their encounters with one another.

It took teachers who practiced German with the children of this first generation in the afternoons, sometimes without pay.

Germany's Chancellor Merz:

Social progress can be lost again if it is not actively defended.

This fear is currently increasing rather than decreasing, and it is once again being ideologically charged and exploited.

I didn’t actually want to say the non-word here, but it is omnipresent at the moment, and this non-word is ‘remigration.’

Behind it lies an attack on the modern Germany that we have built together over the past 65 years.

Putin to Witkoff:

In our conversations, including our most recent telephone call, Trump emphasized the need to end this conflict, above all because of the losses of military personnel.

Of course, we are not talking only about military casualties, but also about the suffering of civilians.

Putin to Witkoff:

Following the announcements from both sides about diesel supplies, prices on global markets fell by 5–6%.

We are preparing to ship several vessels immediately. The tankers are being prepared right now.

The first tanker will depart in two or three days, carrying 40,000 tons. More will follow one after another.

We only need to ensure that the financial arrangements are in place so everything works.

Turkish President Erdogan:

Almighty God granted our Syrian brothers and sisters a magnificent victory.

On December 8, 2024, the Syrian people achieved a tremendous victory that, God willing, will be told for years and passed on from tongue to tongue, from heart to heart, for years to come.

After 13.5 years of oppression, despite Israel’s serious provocations, we see that peace, calm and stability are beginning to take root again in Syria.

Our Syrian brothers and sisters are building their common future in unity and solidarity under the wise leadership of President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

We believe that with the completion of the integration process in the north, a brand new page will open in Syria.

We, as Türkiye, continue to stand by Syria at every stage where we are needed.

NEW: Türkiye is preparing to deploy military personnel to Saudi Arabia under a joint defense pact with the kingdom and Pakistan.

The deployment mandate will go to Türkiye’s parliament once the agreement is ratified.

Source: Reuters

French President Macron on Iran:

We said from the very first day that this was not our war, that we had not made this decision, and that peace and stability in the region were our priority.

We have always been clear in saying that we are resolutely opposed to any form of nuclear activity in Iran.

NEW: Türkiye, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia have signed a defense industry cooperation pact called “Badr” in Doha, Qatar.

The four countries’ defense ministers signed the memorandum of understanding.

The deal covers joint production, research and development, and technical military training.

It aims to move existing bilateral projects into a multilateral industrial framework.

Each country will contribute its own military production strengths.

The name “Badr” means full moon in Arabic.

French President Macron:

The great difficulty at the moment is the cost of transportation. It has increased tenfold.

The logistics chain has been completely disrupted by transportation costs and the lack of guarantees and insurance.

French President Macron:

We are in a period that can lead to tension: the elections in Israel, the midterm elections in the United States.

So in this period, we must redouble initiatives and efforts to prevent these tensions from turning back into conflict.

French President Macron blasts Trump:

There has been foreign manipulation of information afterward — that is certain.

This led to unacceptable and downright stupid comments from many people, including foreign leaders.

We have seen artificial-intelligence-generated images showing scenes that never happened in France.

People have claimed that we were invaded by hordes of migrants and Islamists, which is completely false.

French President Macron:

In moments like these, you see who loves France and who does not.

All those who are speaking badly about our country right now are people who do not love our country.

I love my country. So we are going to correct what happened.

French President Macron:

We are doing everything we can. We have released strategic reserves.

We are securing the available supplies, doing everything we can, and helping to bring about peace.

There are still many uncertainties and contingencies, and we must have the humility to recognize them.

French President Macron on Lebanon:

Southern Lebanon is occupied by the Israeli army, and pressure is being placed on Lebanon, undermining its sovereignty.

This is the worst way to address the Hezbollah issue.

French President Macron:

For several years, we have pursued a strategy of reducing these dependencies.

In 2017, less than 5% of cars sold were electric. In September, more than 40% were electric.

This strategy is gradually reducing our dependencies, but we still have them.