Morning Briefing: Feb. 14, 2026

By Asiye Latife Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Saturday, including US President Donald Trump signaling support for the idea of regime change in Iran; EU foreign policy chief saying the UN Security Council 'not working the way it was meant to be’; and the US completing the transfer of more than 5,700 ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq.

TOP STORIES

• Trump says regime change in Iran 'would be the best thing that could happen'

US President Donald Trump signaled support for the idea of regime change in Iran.

“Seems like that would be the best thing that could happen," Trump told reporters after a visit to Fort Bragg in the state of North Carolina.

"For 47 years, they've been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we've lost a lot of lives while they talk. Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off. We've been going on for a long time. So let's see what happens," he added.

• EU foreign policy chief says UN Security Council 'not working the way it was meant to be'

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the UN Security Council "is not working the way it was meant to be," arguing that the body fails to reflect the realities of today's world and lacks effective accountability mechanisms.

Speaking at a panel during the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Kallas said the global order must be reformed to ensure that no country is above international law.

She said major international crises have historically led to the development of international cooperation, but argued that what is missing is accountability.

"Everybody signs up to the United Nations Charter, the principles are there. But what happens if somebody breaches those principles? The accountability is clearly not working," said Kallas.

• US completes transfer of over 5,700 ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq

US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it has completed a 23-day mission to transfer more than 5,700 adult male ISIS (Daesh) fighters from detention facilities in northeastern Syria to Iraqi custody.

The transfer began Jan. 21 and concluded following a nighttime flight from northeastern Syria to Iraq on Feb. 12, according to a statement.

CENTCOM said US forces successfully transported the detainees to help ensure they “remain secure in detention facilities.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The EU must forge partnerships with countries like Türkiye, India and Brazil to address global challenges, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.
• The co-founder of Palestine Action won a legal challenge in the UK over the group's ban as a "terrorist organization."
• The US military said three suspected narco-terrorists were killed when it carried out a strike in the Caribbean on a vessel allegedly tied to designated terror organizations and narcotics trafficking.
• The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) claimed victory in general elections, even as its main competitor, Jamaat-e-Islami, raised questions about the counting process.
• Korea confirmed three additional cases of African swine fever (ASF), raising the number of infections this year to 14.
• US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will join Middle East naval forces, according to the New York Times.
• UN Security Council welcomed a Syria-SDF deal and reaffirmed Syria’s territorial integrity.
• Two senior Iranian reformist political figures have been released days after their arrest, local media and their attorney said.
• China completed the first-ever rocket recovery from sea.
• A university shooting in the US state of South Carolina leaves 2 dead and 1 injured.
• Iraq is holding more than 5,000 ISIS (Daesh) members transferred from Syria, the Justice Ministry said.
• The UN General Assembly approved a global AI scientific panel despite US objections.
• The US has put on hold the implementation of a $1.6 billion health cooperation framework with Kenya pending a final decision by the High Court.
• The Kremlin said the next round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine will take place Feb. 17-18 in Geneva.
• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed Europe's plans to increase defense spending, emphasizing that it would also strengthen the European pillar within NATO.
• China said a lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip could pave the way for full de-escalation in the Red Sea and stressed that regional stability is closely interconnected.
• The Pheu Thai party extended support to poll winner Conservatives, paving the way for a new government in Thailand.
• Portugal advanced a bill to restrict minors’ access to social media
• NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the US is more anchored than ever in NATO as European countries increase their defense efforts.
• Israeli forces fired at an Al Jazeera news crew as it covered an illegal settler attack in the town of Talfit, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
• 25 Palestinians were injured as illegal settlers rampaged through a village in the occupied West Bank.
• Indonesia plans to acquire its first aircraft carrier from Italy, a Defense Ministry official said.
• 1 person was killed and dozens were injured as violent winds batter Spain, with a red alert issued in the Valencia region.
• The Kyrgyzstan president highlighted “steady positive dynamics” in ties with Kazakhstan.
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that the rules-based international order no longer exists as it once did, and announced proposals to address challenges in an increasingly fractured world.
• Türkishe President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed trade, counterterrorism cooperation with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani.
• A SpaceX rocket was launched, headed to the International Space Station for an eight-month science mission, NASA reported.
• Israeli artillery and gunfire targeted several towns in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire.
• The US Homeland Security chief ended temporary protected status for Yemen.
• US President Donald Trump said he plans to visit Venezuela, citing strong ties between the two countries and growing cooperation in the oil sector.
• New prototypes of the homegrown combat aircraft KAAN, which will undergo testing during the development process led by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), have made their debut.
• Sanae Takaichi is almost certain to continue as the country’s first female premier as a Japanese parliamentary vote is set for next week.
• Climate inaction poses growing economic and security risks, leaders warned at the Munich Security Conference.
• Türkiye rejected resolutions adopted by the European Parliament that contained “baseless allegations” against the country.
• Ukraine and its European partners agreed on a €90B aid package and joint weapons production.
• Azerbaijan's Aliyev said a peace treaty is possible the 'very next day’ if Armenia amends its Constitution.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• US tech giants expect to spend $670B primarily in artificial intelligence, data centers

US-based tech giants like Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet are projected to spend $670 billion on capital investments this year, primarily funding their artificial intelligence (AI) and data center efforts.

Analysts said the massive influx of capital resembles the rapid railroad expansion of the Gilded Age, covering the late 1870s to the late 1990s, when the world’s first billionaires emerged with industrialization.

The rise of railroads and the further advancement of port and mining activities held a key place in the US economy at the time, while agriculture began to lose its former glory.

The large investments may have a long payback period, and the cash flow and profitability may come under pressure in the short term, analysts warned.

• Türkiye secured $13.1B in foreign direct investments in 2025, defying global slowdown

Türkiye defied global economic slowdowns last year and received $13.1 billion in foreign direct investments (FDIs), a surge of 12.2% year-on-year, according to the country’s Investment and Finance Office.

The wholesale and retail trade sector attracted the most investments with a 32% share totaling $3.052 billion, driven primarily by the rise of e-commerce platforms in the country.

The manufacturing sector followed with a 31% share, reaching $3.02 billion, while the information and communications sector received $1.308 billion, or a 14% share.

• Partial government shutdown looms over US Homeland Security Department

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) faces a partial government shutdown after Congress failed to approve funding for the agency by a deadline Friday.

DHS is now the only federal agency without funding for the remainder of fiscal year 2026, which continues through Sept. 30, while lawmakers have already approved spending bills covering the rest of the government since a record-long shutdown ended in November.

The latest funding measure, passed at the end of January, provided DHS with a two-week extension to allow Congress additional time to negotiate changes to the agency’s immigration enforcement practices -- a stipulation pushed by Senate Democrats following the killing of two Americans by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the state of Minnesota in January.