Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz reaffirmed Ankara’s support for Turkish Cypriots and their political cause as Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) signed an additional protocol Thursday on a fiber-optic infrastructure project aimed at accelerating the island’s digital transformation.

Yılmaz met TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel and representatives of the coalition government at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, where the two sides discussed bilateral relations, ongoing development projects and cooperation in energy and digital infrastructure.

Speaking at a joint news conference after the meeting, Yılmaz reiterated Türkiye’s long-standing position on Cyprus, saying Ankara would continue to stand by Turkish Cypriots.

“Türkiye, as the motherland and guarantor, will always stand with the Turkish Cypriot people in line with its historic responsibility on the Cyprus issue, which is our national cause,” Yılmaz said. “It will continue to defend the just cause of the Turkish Cypriots on every platform and mobilize all its resources to ensure their prosperity and peace.”

Yılmaz also emphasized Türkiye would continue supporting projects designed to improve living standards in the TRNC under the 2026 Economic and Financial Cooperation Agreement.

“These projects serve to increase the welfare of the Turkish Cypriot people, enable young people to look to the future with greater confidence and help the TRNC reach better days,” Yılmaz noted.

He pointed to a memorandum of understanding signed on July 10 on supplying natural gas to the TRNC as part of a broader effort to deepen cooperation in areas including energy, connectivity, digitalization, education, transportation and health.

Yılmaz said Türkiye and the TRNC would continue working together despite what Ankara describes as the international isolation of Turkish Cypriots.

“As long as we act in unity of mind and heart, there is no difficulty we cannot overcome and no obstacle we cannot surmount,” he said. “Although our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters are being subjected to unjust isolation, we will continue working together for the development of the TRNC.”

A major focus of Thursday’s talks was the fiber-optic project, which Yılmaz described as strategically important for the TRNC’s digital future.

He said concerns had previously been raised over some provisions of the project’s implementation protocol and that the two sides had worked on revisions addressing the concerns of Turkish Cypriot institutions. Yılmaz and Üstel signed an additional protocol clarifying those provisions and strengthening the framework for implementation.

“The fiber project is a strategic development initiative that will reinforce the TRNC’s digital sovereignty, increase its economic strength and strengthen its connections with the world,” Yılmaz stressed.

The infrastructure is expected to improve service quality and lower costs for residents and businesses while expanding access to digital technologies. The project would also help Turkish Cypriot entrepreneurs reach global markets and allow public services to be delivered more efficiently and securely, he remarked.

Yılmaz underlined that Ankara viewed digital connectivity as another way to counter the isolation faced by Turkish Cypriots.

“We are strengthening the TRNC’s ties with the world through the opportunities offered by the most advanced technologies,” he stated.

Üstel, for his part, said relations between Türkiye and the TRNC were rooted in historical ties, a common struggle and a shared vision for the future.

He noted energy and digital infrastructure would be among the main pillars of a new phase in bilateral relations.

“The fiber-optic infrastructure investment whose additional protocol we signed today is not merely a high-speed internet project for us,” Üstel said. “It is a strategic investment that will form the basic infrastructure of our country’s digital transformation.”

The prime minister said the project would affect sectors ranging from public administration and education to health care, tourism, trade and finance.

The infrastructure would strengthen the government’s capacity to produce, collect and analyze data while improving digital security and facilitating faster decision-making based on reliable information, he noted.

Üstel added that the project would provide the foundation for a stronger e-government system and greater digital integration among public institutions.

“This transformation will also be one of the fundamental steps in our vision of becoming an information technology island,” he said. “With the additional protocol signed today, we are effectively launching this important transformation.”

The fiber project was launched between Türkiye and the TRNC on July 11, 2025. Yılmaz and Üstel said the additional protocol would move implementation forward as the two sides seek to expand economic integration and digital connectivity.

Üstel also thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for Ankara’s continued support, saying political stability and close cooperation between the two governments had helped turn major infrastructure projects into concrete initiatives.

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Türkiye and Moldova are seeking to deepen bilateral cooperation while supporting the economic, social and cultural development of the autonomous Gagauzia region, a senior official from Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) said during talks with Moldovan leaders on

Kürşad Zorlu, AK Party deputy chair responsible for relations with Turkic states, met Moldovan President Maia Sandu during a visit to the capital Chisinau, where he said relations between the two countries continued to expand.

Zorlu said Türkiye was closely following developments in Gagauzia and would continue contributing to efforts aimed at supporting the region’s economic and social development, preserving its cultural heritage and strengthening its ties with Moldova.

He also invited Sandu to attend the COP31 U.N. climate summit, which Türkiye is set to host in November.

Sandu said Moldova attached significant importance to its relations with Türkiye and welcomed Ankara’s growing international role. She said Gagauzia’s constitutional rights and autonomous status would be protected and expressed readiness for high-level cooperation with Türkiye on the region.

Sandu also said she looked forward to opening a vocational high school built by Türkiye together with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Zorlu separately met Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu, with talks focusing on Türkiye’s regional role, the Russia-Ukraine war and Moldova’s territorial integrity.

Despite wars and major upheavals in its neighborhood, Türkiye has continued to strengthen its position while seeking to contribute to peace and stability through mediation efforts, Zorlu noted.

Addressing the war in Ukraine, Zorlu said Türkiye maintained relations with Russia while pursuing a policy aimed at ending the war and supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

“In this context, Moldova’s territorial integrity is undoubtedly also very important to us,” he stressed.

Zorlu also held talks with Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, saying Türkiye-Moldova relations were developing rapidly on the basis of mutual trust, friendship and shared interests.

He reiterated Ankara’s support for Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and highlighted growing economic ties. Bilateral trade has reached the countries’ $1 billion target, Zorlu said, adding that the two sides hoped to set a new goal and further expand economic relations.

Gagauzia, an autonomous region in southern Moldova populated predominantly by the Gagauz, a Turkic-speaking Orthodox Christian people, has long served as an important dimension of Türkiye-Moldova relations.

Zorlu said Türkiye could pursue joint investments in Gagauzia alongside initiatives supporting the Gagauz language and culture, stressing that the region’s prosperity could not be separated from Moldova’s broader stability.

Tofan thanked Türkiye for its projects and support in Moldova and described Gagauzia as an important bridge between the two countries.

Zorlu later met Foreign Ministry State Secretary Carolina Perebinos for talks on future cooperation, reiterating Türkiye’s support for Moldova’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He said Moldova’s stability and prosperity were important for broader regional peace and security.

Following his meetings in Chisinau, Zorlu traveled with his delegation to Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, for further talks and visits.

In December 1994, Moldova’s Parliament offered some 160,000 Turkic Gagauz people within its borders a large degree of autonomy in order to create a favorable environment for maintaining a national identity and culture.

In 2020, Türkiye opened a consulate in Comrat, the capital of Moldova’s Gagauzia, becoming the first country ever to do so in the territory.

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The U.S. is seeking to establish a military coordination mechanism involving Türkiye, Syria and Israel to reduce the risk of further escalation, Washington’s Syria envoy Tom Barrack said Tuesday following an Israeli strike on a Syrian air base near the Turkish border.

Barrack, who is ⁠also U.S. ambassador to Türkiye, said Türkiye had not ⁠been warned about the Israeli strikes, “and consequently observed the aircraft heading north toward its territory and therefore could have reasonably prepared its own response,” referring to possible Turkish military reaction.

“Thankfully, calm ​heads were able to prevent the situation from deteriorating further,” Barrack told ​Reuters ⁠in a phone interview.

Türkiye condemned Israeli strikes on the Abu al-Dahur airbase in northwestern Syria but did not comment further, including about a potential deconfliction mechanism.

A deconfliction mechanism is a communications channel intended to prevent misunderstandings or accidental confrontations between military or political actors.

Tensions have grown between Israel and Türkiye, both of which border Syria, amid Israel’s expansionist and aggressive policies that violate international law.

Türkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest army and signed a mutual defense pact this month with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, has become one of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s main allies.

Ankara has been training Syria’s army, helping it rebuild state institutions and infrastructure and providing military and diplomatic support.

Israel’s strikes on the Syrian airbase “reflected a perception – whether accurate or misplaced – that Türkiye might in the near ⁠future ⁠increase its presence at that base,” Barrack said.

“This underscores the need for a deconfliction mechanism involving Israel, Syria and Türkiye. That is something we are actively working on to establish in order to prevent future miscommunication,” he said. “The priority now is to lower tensions and allow space for a more measured approach.”

The airbase, about 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) east of the Turkish border, has been out of service as a dedicated military airfield since 2013 and changed hands several times during Syria’s 14-year civil war between forces loyal to former regime leader Bashar Assad and opposition factions.

Syria’s state-run ⁠Ekhbariya television, citing a military source, said on Tuesday that Israel carried out eight airstrikes on the base’s runway and storage facilities. A separate military source and a civilian who lives near the base said there were no casualties.

The Israeli military declined ​to comment on the strikes.

Israel has for years struck targets in Syria to curb what it says is ​Iranian influence and to prevent weapons from reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Since Assad’s overthrow in 2024, it has also viewed Syria’s new rulers with suspicion and continued military attacks in the country, most ⁠recently attacking ‌government sites ‌in southern and central Syria in March.

Syria and Israel ⁠have held several rounds of de-escalation and border discussions since anti-regime ‌forces under Syrian President al-Sharaa’s command toppled Assad, but no agreement has been reached.

“An incident of the kind that occurred this ​morning demonstrates the need to intensify these ⁠efforts and expand the process,” Barrack said.

The envoy said the U.S. already ⁠facilitates an information-sharing and dialogue mechanism among the parties.

“What is required is a more robust architecture with ⁠greater resources committed to it. ​Investing in such mechanisms is far less costly than relying on kinetic means of communication that can run into the hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said, referring to military force.

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Türkiye on Tuesday strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, warning that Israel’s escalating attacks are undermining the country’s territorial integrity and stability.

In a statement issued Aug. 18, the Foreign Ministry said Israeli forces carried out airstrikes on the military facility, located in the Idlib countryside, in the early hours of Tuesday.

“We strongly condemn the airstrikes carried out by Israel early this morning against the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in the countryside of Syria’s Idlib,” the ministry said.

The ministry criticized Israel for “recklessly” continuing attacks targeting Syria’s infrastructure and capabilities while violating the country’s territorial integrity and unity.

Ankara also urged the international community to take a firmer stance against Israel’s increasingly aggressive actions in Syria.

“We call on the international community to adopt a more resolute position to put an end to Israel’s aggression against Syria, which is taking on a new dimension with each passing day, and to ensure accountability for these actions that disregard international law,” the ministry said.

The statement comes amid heightened tensions over Israeli violations in Syria, with Türkiye repeatedly stressing the need to preserve Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and political unity.

Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran strongly condemned the Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base.

“These attacks targeting Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and infrastructure are a continuation of a reckless policy of aggression that threatens regional peace and stability,” Duran said.

He said that Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, would continue to support Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and oppose any attempt that threatens peace and stability in the region.

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Israel’s recent strikes on a military base in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province and the use of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s image in an election poster by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party bearing the slogan “They want Netanyahu to lose” are seen by experts as signs of the growing political and strategic pressure Netanyahu is facing.

“The circumstantial aspect of the issue is that, as Israel heads into an election period, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main concern is finding a new political target,” Gökhan Çınkara, an associate professor at Necmettin Erbakan University and director of the Global and Regional Studies Center, told Daily Sabah.

“This was already evident in the campaign poster he used for the election,” he said, adding that the decline in support for Netanyahu’s Likud party could be seen as another indication of the pressure he faces.

As Israel’s Oct. 27 elections approach, political parties have stepped up their campaigning.

A new election poster displayed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party on a billboard in Tel Aviv features images of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan alongside Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“They want Netanyahu to lose. Don’t let them win,” as seen in the poster.

The campaign comes amid an increase in rhetoric targeting Türkiye and President Erdoğan by Israeli politicians ahead of the Oct. 27 vote.

Çınkara also remarked that Netanyahu’s political predicament and lack of a clear policy agenda has led him to target figures such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in an effort to consolidate his electoral base.

Alongside Netanyahu’s campaign move involving Erdoğan, diplomatic pressure on Tel Aviv is also mounting over the war in Gaza. On Tuesday, Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy, met Netanyahu to discuss efforts toward a cease-fire in Gaza.

The talks, which lasted about four hours, focused on obstacles to a cease-fire and arrangements for the postwar period. According to U.S. media reports, Kushner urged Netanyahu not to obstruct efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement.

Ufuk Necat Taşçı, assistant professor of International Relations at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University also noted that Israel entered the conflict with Iran on the basis of flawed intelligence assessments, while largely failing to achieve its main objectives.

He pointed to factors including Gadi Eisenkot’s growing political prominence and internal divisions within Netanyahu’s Likud party as signs of mounting domestic pressure.

As Kushner met Netanyahu, Trump also made remarks on Gaza, pointing to Hamas’ decision to lay down its arms.

“Israel should stop bombing Gaza,” Trump said.

Trump also stated it would not be appropriate for him to become directly involved in Israel’s Oct. 27 elections, though he said he could endorse a candidate.

Furthermore, Merve Suna Özel Özcan, associate professor and the vice chair of the International Relations Department at Kırıkkale University, said anti-Türkiye rhetoric is increasingly being used as a tool for electoral mobilization in Israel, with President Erdoğan portrayed not only as a regional rival but also as an external threat that could help Netanyahu rally support and bolster his political position.

She noted that portraying Türkiye as a potential security threat is not a new development in Israel, pointing to the Nagel Committee report, which had previously raised concerns over Ankara’s growing regional influence, particularly in Syria.

“Against this backdrop, Erdoğan’s appearance in Israeli election propaganda and the targeting of potential Turkish military capabilities in Syria should not be viewed as developments that emerged overnight,” the expert said. “Rather, they are the political and military manifestations of a threat narrative that has been developing for some time.”

Recently, Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper known for its criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, published an analysis arguing that Netanyahu has portrayed Türkiye as a major threat in an apparent effort to gain an electoral advantage while also examining Ankara’s bid to acquire F-35 fighter jets from the United States.

The analysis recalled that President Erdoğan and U.S. President Trump projected a warm rapport during the NATO summit in Ankara and that Washington signaled openness to a potential F-35 sale to Türkiye. It said those developments have been met with growing concern within both the Israeli government and the Israeli public, stating: “The election is approaching, and the ‘Mr. Security’ campaign has begun. In a calculated move, Benjamin Netanyahu last week launched a blitz of interviews, phone calls and statements in an attempt to block the sale of F-35 jets to Türkiye.”

Özcan offered that the changing regional environment following the Mecca Agreement should also be taken into consideration, while cautioning against portraying the agreement as an anti-Israel alliance.

All three countries support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the 1967 borders, the expert noted.

“From Israel’s perspective, therefore, the issue is not simply the emergence of another military mechanism, but the possibility that regional powers are beginning to build their own security and stability architecture,” she emphasized.

In an interview with the UAE-based The National, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan last month discussed tensions between Türkiye and Israel, as well as the Israeli government’s regional policies.

Fidan said there was no reason for a direct confrontation between Türkiye and Israel, arguing that Netanyahu has increasingly resorted to hostile rhetoric as he seeks a new political adversary ahead of the country’s upcoming elections.

Aylin Ünver Noi, professor of International Relations and Vice Rector of Beykoz University, indicated that “This should be viewed as an attempt to group together figures who oppose Israel’s regional policies, particularly its policies toward Hamas and the Palestinians.”

Whether the strategy will prove effective remains uncertain, she said, but the choice of figures featured in the campaign is significant because they have been associated with opposition to Israeli policies on the Palestinian issue.

“Türkiye and, in this context, the New York mayor should also be assessed from this perspective,” the expert added.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said last month that the city cannot enforce the international arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but called on the federal government to act.

In the video, Mamdani described the Israeli prime minister as a “war criminal” and said he is not welcome in New York City.

“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” he said in a video posted on X. “The federal government, however, does and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant,” he added, referring to the International Criminal Court.

Noi also described Türkiye’s broader foreign policy as focused on promoting regional and international stability and peace, pointing to Ankara’s diplomatic engagement in several conflict zones stretching from the Balkans and the South Caucasus to conflicts in Africa.

Israel, aggression in Syria

Israel has been carrying out incursions into Syrian territory since the December 2024 since the overthrow of the ousted Bashar Assad regime, including sending troops into a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone that separated Israeli and Syrian forces in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights since 1974.

Israel, on Tuesday, carried out airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, drawing attention from both Türkiye and regional countries.

Özcan stated that Israel’s latest strike in Syria should also be assessed within this broader context, arguing that the targeting of Abu al-Duhur Air Base could reflect Israeli concerns over Türkiye’s potential future military capabilities in the country.

“Although the base has remained largely inactive for some time, its potential future use by Türkiye suggests that Israel is concerned not only about existing threats but also about capabilities that could emerge in the future,” she said.

In a statement issued Aug. 18, the Foreign Ministry of Türkiye condemned the Israeli forces that carried out airstrikes on the military facility, located in the Idlib countryside, in the early hours of Tuesday.

“We strongly condemn the airstrikes carried out by Israel early this morning against the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in the countryside of Syria’s Idlib,” the ministry said.

The ministry criticized Israel for “recklessly” continuing attacks targeting Syria’s infrastructure and capabilities while violating the country’s territorial integrity and unity.

Ankara also urged the international community to take a firmer stance against Israel’s increasingly aggressive actions in Syria.

Çınkara also added that another key issue for Israel since the Oct. 7 attacks has been how to restore its eroded deterrence.

“Against this backdrop, Israel tends to perceive virtually any military activity in the region as a potential threat,” he underlined. “This has become one of the main factors driving Israel’s increasingly aggressive military posture in places such as Lebanon and Syria.”

Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran also strongly condemned the Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base.

“These attacks targeting Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and infrastructure are a continuation of a reckless policy of aggression that threatens regional peace and stability,” Duran noted.

He said that Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, would continue to support Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and oppose any attempt that threatens peace and stability in the region.

“Israel does not want a strong, unitary state on its border because it perceives such a state as a potential security threat,” Noi argued.

She also said the latest Israeli strikes should also be assessed against efforts to rehabilitate Syrian military infrastructure and Türkiye’s close relations with the new Syrian authorities.

“Türkiye has a fundamentally different approach,” Noi stressed. “Ankara wants to see a strong, unitary Syrian state and seeks to ensure its own security through stable relations with its neighbors.”

Türkiye’s broader regional policy is based on having stable and capable states along its borders and developing cooperative relations with them, according to her.

U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said Thursday that Washington is working to establish a deconfliction mechanism among Israel, Türkiye and Syria following an Israeli strike on a Syrian air base near the Turkish border.

Referring to the possibility of a Turkish military response, Barrack said Türkiye, after observing aircraft heading toward its territory, may have “understandably prepared to respond.”

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held separate phone calls Tuesday with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, diplomatic sources said.

Fidan and his Qatari counterpart discussed the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the sources.

In a separate call with al-Shaibani, Fidan discussed the latest developments in the region.

The calls came amid heightened attention on regional developments and the situation surrounding the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

Fidan met with his Qatari counterpart, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, on July 19, a few days after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the country to extend condolences for the late emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Türkiye and Qatar have steadily deepened their strategic partnership since establishing it in 2014 through high-level exchanges and bilateral agreements spanning a wide range of fields.

On the other hand, Fidan hosted his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, in Ankara on July 6 as the two neighboring countries continue to deepen relations following the collapse of the Baathist regime in 2024.

Regarding the U.S.-Israel-Iran war, Syria’s top diplomat stressed that the fighting in the region should come to an end as soon as possible. He noted that the regional tensions were also affecting Syria and said Damascus condemned Iran’s attacks against the Gulf countries.

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