Türkiye's ARCA Defense signed a landmark agreement at SAHA 2026 in Istanbul today to build a €300 million ammunition factory in Põhja-Kiviõli, Estonia.

The plant, fully funded by ARCA via its Estonian subsidiary, will produce 155mm artillery shells, 60/81/120mm mortar rounds, and 122mm rockets primarily for European and NATO export, with production starting in 2028 and creating up to 1,000 jobs.

Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur called the signing "historical."

Türkiye and Japan held their first-ever Defense Industry Cooperation Day at SAHA 2026 in Istanbul, where their state defense bodies (SSB and ATLA) signed a letter of intent to deepen joint work on defense equipment and technology.

Over 10 Japanese firms (including Terra Drone) and 20–30 Turkish companies joined a first-of-its-kind matchmaking session focused on UAVs and advanced tech.

The deal pairs Japan's high-tech expertise with Türkiye's drone-manufacturing scale.

Source: Nikkei

Dr. H. A. Hellyer | Defense & Security Expert | Royal United Services Institute:
 

Islamophobia & resistance to Türkiye's EU membership remain real obstacles - but even so, the drive is toward deeper security cooperation with Türkiye, not isolation.
 
Israel's effort to frame Türkiye as an enemy is a fool's errand. Global public opinion has shifted.
 
Israel faces a paradox - the Trump administration is arguably the most pro-Israel in living memory, but this may be the peak.
 
Support among Democrat voters is at a historic low & trending further down. A similar erosion is visible among Republican voters though for a different reason.
 
Israeli strategists should be rethinking their trajectory. So far, there is no evidence they are.

FULL INTERVIEW

Marco Rubio: What do you get someone who has everything? I thought a crystal football.

Pope Leo: Wow. Okay.

EU leaders are preparing for “potential” talks with Putin as frustration grows over stalled US-led Ukraine negotiations.

European Council president António Costa said the bloc has Kyiv’s backing to be “prepared to contribute positively for negotiation.”

Zelensky confirmed discussions with the EU but stressed any outreach must show “a united European voice” and maintain pressure on Russia.

Source: FT

Diet Coke is running short in India after the Iran war disrupted aluminium can shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Since Diet Coke in India is sold only in cans, delays have forced Coca-Cola distributors to ration supplies and delay orders.

The Gulf produces about 9% of the world’s aluminium.

Source: Reuters

NEW: Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have restored U.S. military access to their bases and airspace after briefly restricting support for Washington’s Strait of Hormuz mission, easing tensions with the Trump administration.

The move clears the way for the U.S. to restart “Project Freedom.”

Source: WSJ

BIG: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan jointly inspected Egyptian Air Force fighter jets stationed in the UAE.

The UAE Defense Ministry confirmed the deployment publicly.

The aircraft are likely Egyptian Rafale fighter jets supporting UAE defense.

Trump:

Just concluded my meeting with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the very dynamic President of Brazil. We discussed many topics, including Trade and, specifically, Tariffs. The meeting went very well.

Our Representatives are scheduled to get together to discuss certain key elements. Additional meetings will be scheduled over the coming months, as necessary.

Reports say several explosion-like sounds were heard near Bandar Abbas a short while ago.

The exact source and location are still unclear, and local media say investigations are ongoing.

Source: Fars

Trump:

I had a great call with The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. We discussed many topics, including that we are completely united that Iran can never have a Nuclear Weapon. We agreed that a regime that kills its own people cannot control a bomb that can kill millions.

I’ve been waiting patiently for the EU to fulfill their side of the Historic Trade Deal we agreed in Turnberry, Scotland, the largest Trade Deal, ever! A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!

I agreed to give her until our Country’s 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Israel denies any connection to the explosions.

Source: N12

BREAKING: Iran's Fars:

During exchanges of fire between Iranian forces and the enemy, parts of the commercial area at Bahman Port were hit.

More details are expected later.

Iranian military source claims after U.S. forces attacked an Iranian oil tanker, Iran returned fire with missiles on U.S. units in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing them to retreat with damage.

Source: Fars

Greek fishermen in Lefkada discovered an unmanned, military-grade surface vehicle drifting near a sea cave today.

They towed the boat to Vasiliki port and handed it to the Hellenic Coast Guard.

It resembles to Ukraine's Magura V5 kamikaze USV.

Armenia's PM Nikol Pashinyan says "on the issue of Ukraine, we are not allies with Russia," noting Armenia has sent humanitarian aid to Kyiv, a stance he's voiced since 2022.

Moscow responded by summoning Armenia's Ambassador in protest, while Pashinyan also confirmed he'll skip Russia's May 9 Victory Day parade.

Armenia has frozen CSTO participation, diversified arms purchases (France, India), and is pursuing closer EU ties.

Márton Melléthei-Barna, Péter Magyar's brother-in-law and a founding legal figure of Hungary's incoming Tisza Party, withdrew his nomination as Justice Minister, just a week after being named.

He cited the need to avoid casting "the slightest shadow" on Hungary's democratic transition, after opposition critics accused Magyar of nepotism over the family tie.

Magyar said he'll announce a new Justice Minister nominee tomorrow ahead of the new government's expected swearing-in around May 9.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved $25.8 billion in emergency weapons sales to Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE — triple the $8.6 billion initially disclosed.

The package includes large numbers of Patriot missile interceptors, though deliveries could take years due to limited U.S. production capacity.

Source: Bloomberg

Air defense systems were activated in western Tehran, according to Iran’s Mehr.