Israeli thanks Turkey for foiling attacks
ANKARA, Turkey -- Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday thanked Turkish authorities for their cooperation in reportedly foiling attacks against Israeli citizens in Turkey, and warned Israel would not "sit idly by" in the face of threats to its citizens from Iran.
Lapid made the comments after a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, as the two countries press ahead with efforts to repair ties that have been strained over Turkey's strong support for the Palestinians.
Earlier this month, Israel issued a warning for its citizens to avoid travel to Turkey and urging Israelis in Turkey to leave immediately. The warning said Israeli citizens could be targets of Iranian attacks.
Turkish media reports said authorities had detained five Iranians suspected of planning attacks on Israelis in Istanbul.
"In recent weeks, the lives of Israeli citizens have been saved thanks to security and diplomatic cooperation between Israel and [Turkey]," Lapid said. "We are full of appreciation for the Turkish government for this professional and coordinated activity."
Lapid continued: "For its part, Israel won't sit idly by when there are attempts to harm its citizens in Israel and around the world. Our immediate goal is to bring about calm that will enable us to change the travel warning to [Turkey]."
The travel warning angered Turkey, whose economy depends on tourism to a large extent. Ankara responded by issuing a statement that said Turkey was a safe country.
Standing next to Lapid, Cavusoglu said Turkey "cannot permit these kinds of incidents taking place in our country."
Flights resume at damaged Syria airport
DAMASCUS, Syria -- The international airport in Syria's capital of Damascus resumed flights on Thursday after an Israeli airstrike that caused serious damage to the facility two weeks ago, a private company said.
Cham Wings Airlines said it had four flights that took off from the Damascus International Airport on Thursday for Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq.
The June 10 Israeli airstrike caused significant damage to infrastructure and runways and rendered the main runway unusable.
Shortly after the strike, work began to repair the damage and flights have been mostly diverted to the international airport in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's largest city.
Israel's military has declined to comment on the airstrike.
EU drug regulator backs French vaccine
LONDON -- The European Medicines Agency said Thursday that it is recommending the authorization of the coronavirus vaccine made by French pharmaceutical Valneva, making it the sixth shot given the green light in Europe.
The EU drug regulator said that it had cleared Valneva's two-dose vaccine for people ages 18 to 50. The main study used to assess Valneva's vaccine was research in about 3,000 people ages 30 and over; scientists compared it to the AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine.
Those results showed Valneva's vaccine triggered the production of higher levels of antibodies than the AstraZeneca vaccine. The agency said "the [Valneva] vaccine is as effective at triggering the production of antibodies in people aged between 18 and 29 as it is in people aged 30 years and older."
Still, the European agency said there were limited data on how effective Valneva's vaccine might be against the virus's omicron variant and its subvariants, which are currently fueling surges of cases across Europe. The agency said the side effects from Valneva's shot were mostly mild, including aches, nausea and tiredness.
Valneva's vaccine is made using the same technology used for flu and polio shots. It uses a killed version of the covid-19 virus, which primes the body to make antibodies against it. The vaccine also contains adjuvants, or ingredients to boost the immune response.
Iraq replaces lawmakers loyal to cleric
BAGHDAD -- Iraq's Parliament swore in dozens of new lawmakers on Thursday, replacing 73 legislators loyal to powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, strengthening the power of rival Iran-backed Shiite factions in the assembly.
The 73 had resigned collectively earlier this month amid a prolonged political impasse over the formation of the country's next government. The unprecedented walkout, based on a request from al-Sadr, threw Iraq into further uncertainty, reshuffling the deck after the Oct. 10 elections, which gave him the biggest bloc in Parliament.
Although he emerged as a winner, al-Sadr has been locked in a power struggle with internal Shiite rivals backed by Iran and was unable to cobble together a coalition that can form a majority government.
Two weeks ago, he ordered lawmakers from his parliamentary bloc to resign in a bid to break the eight-month impasse.
According to Iraqi laws, if any seat in parliament becomes vacant, the candidate who obtains the second highest number of votes in their electoral district would replace them. In this case, it made al-Sadr's opponents from the Coordination Framework, a coalition led by Iran-backed Shiite parties and their allies, the majority with around 122 seats.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid arrives to speak to the media after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, June 23, 2022. Lapid on Thursday thanked Turkish authorities for their cooperation in allegedly foiling attacks against Israeli citizens in Turkey and warned Israel would not "sit idly by " in the face of threats to its citizens from Iran.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu speaks to the media during joint news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, June 23, 2022. Lapid on Thursday thanked Turkish authorities for their cooperation in allegedly foiling attacks against Israeli citizens in Turkey and warned Israel would not "sit idly by " in the face of threats to its citizens from Iran.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid speaks to the media during a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, June 23, 2022. Lapid on Thursday thanked Turkish authorities for their cooperation in allegedly foiling attacks against Israeli citizens in Turkey and warned Israel would not "sit idly by " in the face of threats to its citizens from Iran.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid greet each other before their talks, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, June 23, 2022. Turkish authorities have detained five Iranian suspected of planning attacks against Israelis, Turkish media reports said Thursday, ahead of a visit to Turkey by Lapid. Lapid met Cavusoglu on Thursday as the two countries press ahead with efforts to repair ties that have been strained over Turkey's strong support for the Palestinians.(AP Photo/Necati Savas, Pool)
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid pose for photos before their talks, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, June 23, 2022. Turkish authorities have detained five Iranian suspected of planning attacks against Israelis, Turkish media reports said Thursday, ahead of a visit to Turkey by Lapid. Lapid met Cavusoglu on Thursday as the two countries press ahead with efforts to repair ties that have been strained over Turkey's strong support for the Palestinians. (Necati Savas, Pool Photo via AP)
Lawmakers prepare to attend a Parliament session Thursday in Baghdad, Iraq. (AP/Hadi Mizban)