These are some of the headlines we are tracking for you in this episode of On the News Line:
Turkey’s prime minister resigns
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced that he is stepping down as leader of the ruling AK Party and therefore as prime minister. Davutoglu, who is universally known as the soft face of the Turkish politics, says his decision is meant to save his party. Davutoglu’s announcement revealed to the world that rifts between the two had widened recently over state issues. The two leaders were at odds over the deal with the EU to stem the flow of refugees. Erdogan, frequently critical of the EU, has even belittled Davutoglu’s progress.
Israel-NATO warm up
Israel is getting close with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO. Tel Aviv will soon have a permanent office at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to hail the decision, saying the measure shows the eagerness of countries to cooperate with Tel Aviv.
Kerry’s deadline on Syria
The US continues threatening Syria with the aim of bringing about a political transition in the war-torn country. This time, US Secretary of State John Kerry has spoken of what he calls a different track if Syrian President does not give into to transition by August, which is seen by many as a euphemism for regime change. Kerry has also given a timeline for transition: August. The track Kerry is speaking about is most probably Washington’s plan B which includes providing anti-Syria militants with new advanced weaponry like anti-aircraft missiles.