Meccan Defense Alliance: Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan held their first committee meeting under the new Meccan Joint Defense Agreement in Istanbul, agreeing on the alliance’s name and structure and outlining steps toward a Riyadh-based secretariat. Artemis Accords: Turkey signed NASA’s Artemis Accords in Washington, pledging peaceful, transparent space exploration and inviting U.S. officials to see Turkey’s space ambitions. Cyprus Ferry Disaster: A Turkish ferry capsized off Northern Cyprus with at least eight dead and 20 missing; survivors accuse the captain of ignoring warnings and abandoning ship, while authorities arrested the captain and crew and search efforts continue in deep waters. Armenia-Turkey Border Talks: Armenian diplomats visited the Margara and Akhurik crossings, discussing border operations and railway restoration tied to normalization plans. Regional Security Watch: Turkey’s role in the wider SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan continues to draw attention as Russia, China and India meet amid rising geopolitical pressure. Defense Industry: Five Turkish firms, led by Aselsan, entered Defense News’ Top 100 list, with combined 2025 defense sales reaching $14.9bn.