Politics
South Korea’s FM highlights Türkiye’s growing strategic role
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun praised Türkiye for playing an increasingly strategic role on the global stage, underlining the strengthening ties between Seoul and Ankara.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Cho said South Korea and Türkiye are steadily strengthening their international standing in areas where they have strong defense industries and continue mutually beneficial cooperation through various projects, “especially the Altay main battle tank project.”
“We hope this mutually beneficial cooperation will expand further in the coming period,” Cho said, and stressed that it will not only strengthen the defense industry capacities of both countries but also make significant contributions to “reinforcing regional and global peace and security.”
Recalling that the (South Korean and Turkish) leaders emphasized during their meeting that the two countries are advancing with determination toward the goal of achieving a strong global position in the defense industry, Cho said they agreed to continue cooperation in various areas, including joint production, technological cooperation and exchange programs in education, based on mutual trust.
“We closely follow Türkiye’s long-standing and determined efforts to strengthen its own defense industry capacity,” Cho said, noting that especially exceeding $10 billion in defense exports for the first time last year and “successfully hosting IDEF, the largest defense industry fair in its history, are considered concrete indicators of remarkable progress in this field.”
Cho emphasized that rather than pursuing a mere balancing policy amid competition between the U.S. and China, the South Korean government adopts a pragmatic approach based on assessing national interests from a holistic, organic and multidimensional perspective.
He noted that while developing new growth dynamics based on cooperation with China on an equal footing, they also aim to strengthen their own industrial competitiveness, noting that Seoul aims to elevate its economy by enhancing cooperation with the U.S. in advanced technology fields and boosting the competitive capacity of its industries.
Recalling that South Korean President Lee Jae Myung recently visited both China and Japan, Cho said they aim to continue strong and mature cooperation with these countries with determination in the coming period.
Deep trust, friendship
He underlined that Türkiye is a brother country that fought to defend South Korea’s freedom and democracy by sending nearly 20,000 soldiers during the Korean War, noting that the memory of this sacrifice and solidarity still forms “the foundation of deep trust and friendship between the two countries.”
The minister stated that within the framework of relations built on this historical legacy, cooperation has been steadily developed in many fields, particularly political, economic and cultural.
Cho emphasized that Lee’s official visit to Türkiye last year, the first in 13 years, was an extremely important occasion reaffirming the shared will to further advance the strategic partnership, adding that the visit also resulted in an agreement to increase high-level contacts and dialogue between the two countries.
Increasing trade volume
He noted that in the economic field, the two countries have steadily increased trade volume based on the South Korea-Türkiye Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which entered into force in 2013, reaching a record high of $10.4 billion in 2023.
“Building on the cooperation experience accumulated to date, the parties aim to expand cooperation beyond existing areas into future strategic sectors such as defense industry, nuclear energy, biotechnology, renewable energy and artificial intelligence,” Cho said.
He added that in the coming period the two countries will continue to steadily deepen their strategic partnership across politics, economy, society and culture, “further strengthening concrete cooperation that contributes to regional and global stability.”
Dialogue with North Korea
Noting that communication between North and South Korea has been disrupted for a long time, Cho said his country has been making multidimensional and determined efforts to reopen dialogue channels with North Korea.
He said that despite the lack of a positive response from North Korea so far, the government believes a long-term approach is essential to reduce tensions, rebuild mutual trust and keep dialogue open on the Korean Peninsula. The foreign minister added that Seoul will continue determined diplomatic efforts, including in close cooperation with countries such as Türkiye that support peace, coexistence, and development on the Korean Peninsula.
Türkiye’s mediating role
“We expressed that we welcomed the achievement of a cease-fire in Gaza and that we appreciated Türkiye’s mediation efforts,” Cho said, noting that South Korea has articulated a clear stance on developments in Gaza.
He also expressed hope that the cease-fire becomes permanent and that the humanitarian situation improves, and noted that South Korea expects the Gaza Peace Plan to be implemented without delay and in full.
Cho said his country has provided humanitarian aid to civilians affected by events in Gaza and will continue to actively contribute to international efforts to establish peace in the Middle East.
As for the recognition of the Palestinian state, Cho said the South Korean government consistently supports a two-state solution and actively participates in international discussions on this issue. He added that they plan to contribute more actively to the implementation of the two-state solution in the coming period.
The minister also emphasized that they consistently maintain their position that Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence must be respected, and that they attach great importance to the international community’s efforts to end the war and establish lasting peace.
Türkiye at strategic crossroad
Cho stated that Türkiye is at a strategic crossroads connecting Europe and the Middle East, noting that Ankara’s strategic value is increasingly coming to the fore in terms of diversifying global supply chains and establishing regional production hubs.
He stressed that in this context, Türkiye is considered to have the quality of an important hub for production investments by Korean companies and expansion into third countries.
Recalling that more than 200 Korean companies operating in various sectors have invested in Türkiye, Cho said the government will continue to provide the necessary policy and institutional support to further increase Korean companies’ investments and commercial activities in Türkiye, thereby contributing to the further development of economic cooperation between the two countries.
The minister also noted that interest in Korean culture is rising in Türkiye, while interest in Turkish cuisine, culture and art is steadily expanding in South Korea.
He pointed out that the number of mutual tourists continues to increase based on the two countries’ rich tourism resources and cultural appeal.
Cho said that ahead of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027, South Korea aims to further deepen people-to-people ties with Türkiye by expanding youth exchange programs, boosting tourism and strengthening cooperation among educational and cultural institutions, with the goal of fostering deeper mutual understanding and building a sustainable relationship grounded in mutual respect and trust.
The growing rift between the main opposition New Party (YP) and the former main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) manifested in Muğla, a southwestern city home to world-famous Bodrum and other top tourism destinations. A local CHP official suggested that Mayor Ahmet Aras should face disciplinary proceedings for his contacts with YP.
YP was formed in July by Özgür Özel, the former chair of CHP. Özel was removed from office by a court ruling over allegations of vote-buying during a 2023 intra-party election that brought him to power. He was replaced by his predecessor Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Kılıçdaroğlu’s return sparked a bitter row with supporters of Özel, who accused him of betraying the party by accepting the court’s request for his reinstatement. Özel initially appealed the verdict but decided to form the new party after receiving overwhelming support among CHP lawmakers.
Under Kılıçdaroğlu, CHP began what it called a “cleansing” process, expelling several figures accused of corruption. The new administration has been more muted about the fate of members openly supporting Özel while several mayors resigned from the party and remain independent, leaving the door open for a future switch to YP.
Aras, who was Bodrum mayor for CHP before his election as Muğla Metropolitan Municipality mayor in the 2024 elections, faces accusations of cooperating with YP while remaining in CHP. CHP’s local branch was angered when Aras temporarily handed over his duties to a YP municipal assembly member in Muğla during a recent visit to Syria. Aras also reportedly ceased contact with CHP’s Muğla branch.
Aziz Gürsoy, head of CHP’s disciplinary board in Muğla, told the Sabah newspaper that Aras has almost severed all ties with CHP.
“It is neither ethical nor legitimate for Mr. Aras to remain in the CHP under the current conditions. In fact, I believe there is bad intent here. He needs to be expelled immediately. Even during his trips abroad, he leaves the municipality (to YP). He has no communication with us. He no longer has any emotional or organic ties to the CHP,” Gürsoy stated.
Stating that they will protect the institutional structure of the CHP under all conditions and that no one is above the party, Gürsoy said: “The current picture creates serious concern among the CHP base. If this situation continues, as the president of the provincial disciplinary board, I will personally apply to headquarters for Mr. Aras’s expulsion. We will not hesitate to take any step necessary to protect the rights, rules and institutional structure of the CHP.”
According to the CHP bylaws, metropolitan mayors can only be referred to the High Disciplinary Board upon the request of the Party Assembly.
The name of Lütfü Türkkan, a lawmaker from the opposition Good Party (IP), came up in an investigation into judiciary officials accused of taking bribes. Prosecutors in Istanbul separated the case of Türkkan and referred it to Ankara on Monday for further investigation.
The Bakırköy Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul has recently ordered the arrest of eight suspects in an investigation into judges accused of taking bribes in exchange for verdicts in favor of defendants in some cases. The investigation specifically focused on a former judge working at the Court of Enforcement who was accused of receiving millions of Turkish liras in bribes.
Suspects in the case are also accused of running a criminal organization apparently thriving on bribes. Authorities are now looking into cases handled by several Istanbul courts between 2022 and 2024, on suspicion that some businesspeople, politicians and lawyers sought to influence trials and get verdicts in their favor in exchange for bribes, employing judges and court staff. In connection with the case, the Board of Judges and Prosecutors suspended five people, including judges and prosecutors.
In one instance of the suspicious cases, investigators are looking into the claim that M.Ş. and Y.A., identified only through their initials, served as mediators in a case involving lawmaker Türkkan and secured a verdict in favor of the lawmaker, reports by Turkish media outlets say.
In a social media post on Sunday, Türkkan rejected claims, though he acknowledged that a case he was party to was handled by one of the arrested judges. He said that being a party to a trial involving the suspect did not mean that he should be associated with “allegations (of bribery).” He said his lawyers were looking into the case and he never met the judge in person during the trial.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will be joined by National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu on a visit to Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh on Monday.
They will attend a meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the historic Mecca Joint Defense Alliance, formed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in August. The meeting comes amid rising threats to Saudi Arabia by the Houthis in Yemen.
Foreign Ministry sources said on Sunday that Fidan would reaffirm Türkiye’s strong solidarity with and support for Saudi Arabia in the face of Houthi attacks and underline that provocative acts targeting sacred sites are unacceptable. Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to its most sacred site, the Kaaba, located in Mecca. Mecca has recently come under fire from the Houthis.
The Houthi group said on Saturday that it targeted Saudi oil company Aramco in Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones in response to attacks on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.
The operation “successfully achieved its objective,” causing fires at the targeted sites, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement.
Saree added that Sanaa and other provinces had been subjected to 60 airstrikes over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of strikes to 1,420. He attributed the attacks to Saudi Arabia.
The spokesperson warned that the group would respond to “blockade with blockade, and escalation with escalation.”
Meanwhile, Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s government, said in remarks carried by Saudi media, including Asharq Al-Awsat, that Houthi claims of targeting Riyadh on Saturday were “misleading.”
He added that the Houthis were trying to “divert attention from the scale of their losses and growing public anger over the militias’ conduct and their ties to foreign agendas that have brought chaos and destruction to Yemen.”
Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government against Houthi forces, which have controlled Sanaa and several other governorates since September 2014.
In July this year, the Houthis announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, saying the move was in response to a Saudi naval and air siege on areas under their control in Yemen. The group has since targeted energy infrastructure in the kingdom.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud signed the Mecca agreement for joint defense in Mecca on Aug. 7, 2026. The agreement aims to bolster the security of Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia through joint deterrence and defense, and reflects the three countries’ commitment to developing regional solutions to regional issues and their shared strategic vision centered on regional security and stability.
A Strategic Political and Defense Committee, comprising the foreign and defense ministers and chiefs of general staff of the three countries, was established to guide activities under the agreement. The committee held its inaugural meeting in Istanbul on Aug. 31, 2026. At the meeting, foundational decisions were adopted, and technical work toward institutionalizing the alliance was reviewed. Accordingly, the alliance’s secretariat is expected to be established in Riyadh as soon as possible. Retired Pakistani Lt. Gen. Nauman Mahmood has been nominated to serve as its first secretary-general.
The foreign ministers of the three countries held a meeting in New York on Sept. 24, 2026, on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. Regional developments were discussed at the meeting. In a joint statement issued afterward, the three countries condemned attacks targeting the holy city of Mecca and Saudi Arabia’s civilian and economic infrastructure. The chiefs of general staff of the three countries met in Riyadh on Sept. 25, 2026.
Turkish sources said Fidan would convey Türkiye’s views on the next steps for the alliance and its institutionalization process. He will also offer Türkiye’s assessment of threats to peace and stability in the Middle East and views on regional developments related to the joint security of the allies. He is also expected to highlight how the alliance’s progress in a short time has proved valuable for the prospects of lasting stability in the region, as well as the importance of the alliance both in building capacity for a joint and efficient response to existing threats and in preventing regional crises.
Fidan is also expected to underline the prioritization of peaceful means to resolve conflicts in the region and the need to avoid steps that may escalate tensions. He will also stress the importance of ensuring the freedom and security of navigation on international trade routes and discuss how Israel has continued to undermine efforts for regional peace and stability.
In an interview last month, Fidan said the alliance had reached an advanced stage, with efforts underway to establish its headquarters and assign personnel, describing the initiative as a “very game-changing platform.” Fidan also implied that Türkiye stood ready to provide technical assistance to Saudi Arabia amid an escalating conflict with the Houthis in Yemen.
Fidan stated that there is “a very strong will” behind the alliance and that Ankara is working to turn that political will into action.
“The Mecca alliance is really at a good stage. There’s a very strong will that has been put forward. We’re working with all our strength to put this will into action,” Fidan told broadcaster NTV last month.
He said steps toward institutionalizing the alliance are underway, particularly work to establish a secretariat envisaged under the agreement and a military headquarters affiliated with it. He added that detailed preparations for both structures have “almost been completed” and that the three countries have reached a common understanding of how they will operate.
“There are steps currently being taken toward institutionalization. In particular, the work on establishing the secretariat mentioned in the agreement and bringing an affiliated military headquarters into operation is almost complete. We have reached a common understanding. From now on, the remaining stage is to send personnel and make the headquarters operational. I am pleased with the process on this issue,” Fidan said.
He said that once institutionalization steps are completed, talks could be held with the other two founding countries on admitting new members.
“There is such a principle decision because our president said this from the beginning. If this does not grow, then it would not be an alliance area. We would have created a bloc. Our regional vision is for as many countries in the region as possible to come together and establish a common defense area.
“This defense area is not against outsiders; it is about solving problems within the region better through regional ownership and creating an environment of trust that has not existed before, in order to prevent new crises from emerging. The basic point of departure for all of this is the search for regional solutions to regional problems,” Fidan said.
He stressed that the alliance was not intended to create a new regional bloc against other countries but to establish a common defense framework based on regional ownership.
“It is an alliance open to the countries of the region,” he said.
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz was among the dignitaries attending the International Bediüzzaman Symposium, held under the theme “Quranic Solutions to Global Crises,” in Istanbul on Sunday. The occasion was also a remembrance of prominent 20th-century Muslim scholar Said Nursi, who also carried the honorific Bediüzzaman, or “wonder of the age.”
Speaking at the symposium, Yılmaz explained how the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) sought to portray itself as followers of Nursi and how the scholar fought against imperialist forces during his lifetime.
The two-day event hosts scholars from across the world. Along with Yılmaz, Mohammed Abu al-Khair Shukri, Syria’s minister of Awqaf, or Endowments, in charge of managing religious affairs; Safi Arpaguş, head of Türkiye’s Presidency of Religious Affairs; and Necmettin Bilal Erdoğan, head of the board of trustees at Türkiye’s Foundation for Dissemination of Knowledge, attended Sunday’s symposium.
Nursi, who passed away in 1960, was a Kurdish scholar best known for his Risale-i Nur collection of writings on the Quran. Early in his life, he was instrumental in the fight against the Russian occupation of eastern Türkiye, where Nursi originated. He was also a staunch opponent of Western powers invading present-day Türkiye in the last days of the Ottoman Empire. Nursi inspired several movements that came to be known as “Nurcular.” FETÖ also claimed to follow Nursi’s teachings but evolved into what it is known today: a terrorist group that tried to seize power in 2016 through its military infiltrators.
In his speech at the symposium, Yılmaz delved into FETÖ’s scheme to brainwash people into doing its bidding. “Unfortunately, we confronted a network exploiting the name of Bediüzzaman and his writings, a network that stirred up strife in our country. FETÖ is a terrorist network serving international powers and intelligence agencies. It is also a structure treating its members as slaves who do not question the leader. The Quran teaches us to use our minds. FETÖ held people’s minds hostage,” Yılmaz said.
Yılmaz, who also heads a board overseeing the terror-free Türkiye initiative, spoke at length about the process that aims for the full dissolution of the terrorist group PKK. The PKK, exploiting disillusioned Kurds deprived of their rights, carried out a campaign of violence since the 1980s that killed tens of thousands of people across Türkiye. In 2024, Türkiye launched the initiative by highlighting the need to strengthen unity between Turks and Kurds against external threats. Yılmaz said they wanted to remove terrorism from Türkiye’s and the wider region’s agenda permanently.
He lamented that, for a long time, the very imperialist powers Nursi fought against sought to pit people against each other in the region.
“As the Republic of Türkiye, we have to end those conflicts, this ethnic and sectarian strife, and act in unison. We have to create a region where terrorism is no longer an issue, where foreign powers are not able to exploit our resources,” he said.
“Bediüzzaman Said Nursi was a man of these lands. He fought against imperialists. He did not flee to another country to incite strife in Türkiye as certain people did,” he said, referring to Fethullah Gülen, who died in Pennsylvania, United States, where he spent his last years in a self-styled “exile” while facing multiple arrest warrants issued by Türkiye for his role in the 2016 coup attempt.
The Turkish Parliament will begin its weekly session on Tuesday, following the inauguration of the new legislative year last Thursday. Parliament’s General Assembly will debate a new bill on the Turkish Red Crescent, while the Planning and Budget Committee will hear from Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan.
The bill on the Turkish Red Crescent would make the Turkish Red Crescent, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the national Red Crescent and Red Cross societies of other countries the sole authorized entities for receiving and using in-kind and cash assistance sent to Türkiye during ordinary or extraordinary circumstances. Cash compensation will also be paid to personnel of the Turkish Red Crescent who are actively serving in the field to carry out the organization’s activities during extraordinary periods and times of disasters, war and conflict. In provinces and districts where Red Crescent branches and representative offices are located, the heads of the provincial and district Red Crescent branches will also become members of the boards of trustees of the Foundations for Social Assistance and Solidarity, the state entities overseeing social aid schemes for disadvantaged individuals.
On Tuesday, Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan will make a presentation to the Parliamentary Planning and Budget Committee. Karahan is expected to deliver a comprehensive presentation on global developments, the Turkish economy, inflation and the monetary policy framework at the meeting.
The Parliamentary Public Works, Reconstruction, Transport and Tourism Commission will also convene to discuss the bill on Foreign Digital Accommodation Platforms.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, parliamentary group meetings of the political parties represented in Parliament will be held.
Cemil Tugay, the independent mayor of Türkiye’s third-largest province, Izmir, who resigned from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), will join the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) this week, media outlets reported Sunday. Tugay met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex on Sept. 30, fueling rumors about the switch. Tugay and Erdoğan reportedly met to discuss the needs of Izmir, but media outlets said the mayor later met officials at the AK Party’s Izmir branch, leading to further speculation about the switch.
Erdoğan will officially welcome him to the party at the AK Party’s parliamentary group meeting on Oct. 7. Along with Tugay, the mayors of two district municipalities in Izmir are expected to join the AK Party, media reports said. Pro-opposition Sözcü newspaper reported that Tugay canceled all appearances after meeting with Erdoğan and has not returned calls from journalists.
If the switch takes place, it will be the first time the AK Party has taken over a municipality in Izmir, a longstanding CHP stronghold. The CHP is already in tatters after former Chair Özgür Özel founded the New Party (YP) in July, taking dozens of lawmakers from the CHP with him. The YP is now the main opposition party thanks to the sheer number of its lawmakers in Parliament, while several mayors have signaled that they would join the party soon.
The number of mayors elected under the CHP banner who have since joined the AK Party has risen to 44.
The latest switches include the mayors of the Çerkezköy, Çiğli, Elmalı, Şenkaya and Marmara districts, continuing a series of defections from the CHP since the 2024 local elections.
President Erdoğan presented party badges to the nine mayors during the party’s Expanded Provincial Chairs Meeting in Ankara last month and wished them success in their work.
The CHP won 420 municipalities across Türkiye in the 2024 elections. With 44 mayors having since resigned from the party and joined the AK Party, the figure represents roughly one in every 10 mayors elected on the CHP ticket, according to the figures.
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