Egypt has expressed “great concern” at recent attacks on Kurdish groups by Turkey and Iran. In a statement yesterday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid called on the two countries to halt the attacks which he said were violating the sovereignty of Iraq and Syria. The Turkish military has targeted YPG units in northern Syria in the wake of last week’s terror attack in Istanbul while Iran has hit targets in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Turkey to launch ground incursion into Syria: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday threatened to launch a ground offensive into northern Syria to push the militia back from the border, saying that the recent wave of airstrikes were “only the beginning,” according to Turkish state media.

The handshake: This comes just days after President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Erdogan expressed hopes that the two countries could improve ties after meeting for the first time since El Sisi came to power in 2013. The two were pictured shaking hands and conversing on the sidelines of the World Cup in Qatar on Sunday, and the day after both said the meeting could serve as a starting point for improving relations.