Tufan Erhürman , the president of Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) said Thursday that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pledged to maintain more frequent contact following their recent meeting, calling the move a significant step in ongoing diplomatic engagement.

Speaking at a press conference at Ercan Airport, Erhürman evaluated his Feb. 11 meeting with Guterres in New York, noting that it was their first face-to-face meeting.

He recalled that after being elected president, he sent a letter responding to Guterres’ congratulatory message, expressing his wish to arrange a meeting at the earliest possible time. Noting that Guterres responded faster than expected, Erhürman said they held a meeting lasting about one hour and 10 minutes on Feb. 11.

“First and foremost, we intended to once again convey our people’s will for a solution to the secretary-general. We did so. Secondly, from the very beginning of the meeting process, we put on the table our four-point methodology proposal, which we had shared with the public and the international community long before the election period,” Erhürman said.

“Various discussions and comments were made about this four-point methodology. We had the opportunity to explain face-to-face what these points mean for us and what exactly we intended with them,” he added.

As a third issue, he said he conveyed his views on confidence-building measures discussed in Geneva and New York and “taken over by us, as well as additional proposals presented by both us and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides.”

Erhürman reiterated his view that meetings in the 5+1 format are not well suited for discussing confidence-building measures, which should instead be finalized during talks between the two leaders in Lefkoşa (Nicosia), the TRNC’s capital.

He said he observed no decline in Guterres’ interest in developments related to the island, adding that the secretary-general continues to closely monitor all progress.

Erhürman noted that the meeting, lasting nearly twice as long as planned, also demonstrated Guterres’ level of interest.

He said he briefed Guterres on proposals for new crossing points between the TRNC and the Greek Cypriot Administration. He emphasized that Guterres promised more frequent contact, though the format, whether in-person or otherwise, was not yet decided.

Erhürman added that past developments had weakened trust and communication between the sides. In addition, he said he explained that agreements the Greek Cypriot administration concluded with various countries on security and energy matters were also factors reducing trust, as they largely exclude Turkish Cypriots and Türkiye.

He stressed that these agreements concern areas involving Turkish Cypriots’ sovereign rights – including security, maritime jurisdictions, hydrocarbons, energy, trade routes and European Union citizenship – and therefore undermine confidence.

Erhürman said the secretary-general emphasized that a solution, stability and peace in Cyprus would contribute to lasting regional stability and peace and that he would therefore continue to follow the issue closely.

He also said he held a lengthy phone call the same evening with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, during which they discussed the meeting, and Fidan briefed him on the Türkiye-Greece dialogue process.

Erhürman-Guterres meeting

Erhürman met Guterres in New York on Feb. 11.

The meeting took place in a positive atmosphere, according to a statement from the TRNC Presidency.

The talks addressed current and regional developments, primarily the Cyprus issue. Erhürman conveyed his previously announced four-point methodology for the solution process and the latest developments regarding confidence-building measures.

The TRNC president also emphasized that the unjust and unlawful isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people must be lifted without further delay.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday underscored deepening economic and defense ties between Türkiye and Serbia amid regional and global uncertainties, as they signed a joint declaration to boost bilateral cooperation.

Meeting in Ankara, the two leaders voiced satisfaction with the progress achieved under the High-Level Cooperation Council, established in 2017, and highlighted its role in advancing relations through four meetings held to date.

In a joint declaration adopted following the talks, the sides welcomed the rise in bilateral trade to $3.5 billion in 2025 and stressed the importance of taking coordinated steps to reach the new $5 billion target. They agreed to convene the next meeting of the Türkiye-Serbia Joint Economic Commission at the earliest opportunity, describing it as the backbone of economic and trade relations.

The leaders reaffirmed their determination to expand cooperation across a wide spectrum, including foreign policy, trade, defense industry, culture, tourism, education, energy, transportation, connectivity, advanced technologies and environmental issues.

They reiterated their commitment to boosting defense industry collaboration, in line with understandings reached during the fourth High-Level Cooperation Council meeting held in Belgrade in October 2024.

Erdoğan and Vucic also underlined the importance of EXPO 2027 in Belgrade for regional economic growth and cooperation and expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the first two meetings of the Balkan Peace Platform, held on July 26, 2025, and Jan. 23, 2026.

The two leaders welcomed the steady increase in mutual tourist numbers, noting its contribution to closer ties between the two nations, and praised Turkish construction firms for their successful infrastructure projects in Serbia, particularly in transportation and energy.

They pledged to accelerate efforts toward agreements strengthening the legal framework in advanced technologies and education and to enhance cooperation in civil aviation, culture and tourism.

Reaffirming their readiness to continue cooperation in bilateral and regional platforms to strengthen peace and stability in the Balkans, Erdoğan and Vucic emphasized the importance of regular high-level visits in further deepening ties and agreed to hold the next council meeting at the earliest opportunity.

In a joint news conference, Erdoğan said that Türkiye is working to ensure peace and stability in its region and beyond “at a time of rising global uncertainty,” stressing that Ankara “never neglects the Balkans.” The president emphasized regional engagement and highlighted Turkish efforts to promote peace and stability across the Balkans alongside broader diplomatic initiatives.

He said the two leaders assessed the impact of ongoing developments on their relationship and discussed next steps.

“At a time of rising global uncertainty, Türkiye is working to ensure peace and stability in our region and beyond, and we never neglect the Balkans,” he stressed.

During their talks, he noted that they also discussed how to maintain Balkan stability and strengthen regional economic development.

He also announced that Türkiye will participate in EXPO 2027, which Serbia will host in Belgrade, expressing confidence that the event will provide additional opportunities to strengthen economic, commercial, and cultural ties.

Erdoğan acknowledged Serbia’s strong interest in learning Turkish, saying institutions such as the Yunus Emre Institute and the Türkiye Maarif Foundation are working to meet that demand.

He said they also discussed development projects in the Sandzak region, which he described as a bridge of friendship between the two countries, and noted that Türkiye closely follows initiatives aimed at fostering growth there.

Erdoğan congratulated the Muslim community in Serbia on the upcoming holy month of Ramadan.

He also highlighted Türkiye’s efforts to promote regional ownership-based initiatives, citing the second meeting of the Balkan Peace Platform hosted in Istanbul on Jan. 23, 2026, and thanked Vucic for his personal support for the platform.

Erdoğan described Vucic’s visit as highly valuable for advancing peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

Serbian president hails Erdoğan’s leadership, backs stronger bilateral cooperation

For his part, Vucic praised Erdoğan’s leadership and voiced support for deeper economic, political, and security cooperation between the two countries.

“When I speak to you, I do so with the utmost respect, as a great leader, not only of Türkiye, but also of the region and indeed a leader with global influence,” he said, noting that the issues discussed and conclusions reached were “very important.”

Vucic said Türkiye is “an extremely important partner for Serbia,” highlighting its political weight as well as its role in the economy, defense industry, and technology.

Turkish influence in economic, military, technological fields

He emphasized that although Serbia is smaller in size, it highly values Türkiye’s political importance and its influence in economic, military and technological fields.

He underlined that Turkish companies are investing in various parts of Serbia, particularly in less developed southern regions, creating job opportunities.

He said some in Serbia may not fully recognize the scale of Turkish investments in less developed regions, especially in the south, where companies are contributing to employment and development.

The Serbian leader also referred to major infrastructure projects involving Turkish public institutions and private firms, including road and railway developments, and expressed hope that Erdogan’s next visit to Serbia would be his largest ever, with “very important agreements” to be signed.

He said the two sides discussed numerous infrastructure projects in detail, including highway and railway developments, and expressed hope that agreements related to a key highway project would soon be signed to help resolve transportation challenges.

Balkan Peace Platform

“I strongly support President Erdoğan’s Balkan Peace Platform initiative,” Vucic said, adding that regional cooperation is “extremely important.”

He said he would gladly accept an invitation to participate in future meetings under the Balkan Peace Platform, describing the initiative as vital for preserving regional stability.

According to him, bringing together people and economies across the Balkans is essential for long-term peace and prosperity.

He also said the two sides discussed activating a joint committee that will have an intensive agenda in the coming months, noting that further frameworks for parliamentary friendship groups are expected to be established.

For the first time, he said, the leaders discussed cooperation in military and technical fields, including collaboration between their armed forces. Strengthening such cooperation could help preserve peace and ensure a better future for both nations, he added.

Vucic thanked Türkiye for agreeing to participate in EXPO 2027 to be hosted by Serbia, calling the decision important for expanding economic and cultural ties.

He described Erdoğan as an “experienced and wise leader” who knows how to contribute to peace, and said Serbia, as a sovereign and independent country, respects leaders who seek to preserve stability.

Vucic thanked Erdoğan for his hospitality and reiterated that Serbia looks forward to hosting him soon for what he hoped would be a landmark visit.

Türkiye condemned Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories, specifically its actions in the West Bank, warning that recent decisions could undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

Speaking during the Turkish Defense Ministry’s weekly press briefing on Thursday, spokesperson Zeki Aktürk criticized Israel for ongoing cease-fire violations despite moving into the second phase of a Gaza peace plan.

Israel has faced global condemnation after its Security Cabinet approved measures on Sunday aimed at changing the legal and civil framework in the occupied West Bank to strengthen Israeli control, with several leaders describing it as a step toward de facto annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory.

Aktürk said Ankara condemned Israel’s decisions aimed at imposing a new legal and administrative status on the occupied West Bank following widespread destruction and attacks in Gaza. He stressed that such measures constitute a clear violation of international law and risk damaging ongoing efforts toward a negotiated settlement. “We once again emphasize that we will continue to support the Palestinian people’s efforts to establish an independent and sovereign state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Aktürk said.

The Arab League held an emergency meeting on Wednesday in Cairo to discuss recent Israeli measures aimed at expanding illegal settlement activity and tightening its control of the occupied West Bank.

A statement after the meeting said the Arab League Council urged U.S. President Donald Trump to fulfill his pledge, as part of his efforts to achieve peace, and to take “practical and clear” steps to prevent Israel from annexing the occupied West Bank.

The council said any annexation of Palestinian land constitutes a war crime, expressing its support for the Palestinians’ right to full sovereignty of their state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital and including its holy sites.

According to Israeli media, the measures include repealing a law that barred the sale of land in the West Bank to illegal Israeli settlers, unsealing land ownership records, and shifting authority for building permits in a settlement bloc near Hebron from a Palestinian municipality to Israel’s civil administration.

Developments in Syria

To a question, the spokesperson said Türkiye is closely monitoring the implementation of the Jan. 30 agreement between the Syrian government and the terrorist group YPG. “We continue to closely follow on the ground the implementation of the agreement signed between the Syrian government and the YPG on Jan. 30,” Aktürk said.

Last Tuesday, Syrian security forces entered the city of Qamishli under a “comprehensive agreement,” which includes a cease-fire and a phased integration deal with the YPG that was reached in late January to end the state of division in the country and lay the groundwork for a new phase of full integration. The Syrian Army launched an operation against the YPG on Jan. 16 in areas west of the Euphrates River. The operation later expanded east of the river with the participation of tribal forces, leading to most of the territories previously occupied by the group coming under government control.

Russian drone crash

Following the briefing, the Defense Ministry also issued a statement on yet another drone incident off Türkiye’s Black Sea coast. On Wednesday, authorities discovered parts of a drone off the coast of the Ünye district of Ordu province. Local media initially reported that it was loitering munitions of Iranian origin, but the ministry said on Thursday that it was likely a Russian drone and did not contain “any explosives.”

Several drones and unmanned maritime vehicles have been shot down or discovered crashed in recent months on Türkiye’s Black Sea coast and cities far from the coast. Authorities say it is a spillover of the raging conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as most of them were found to be of Russian or Ukrainian origin.

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Details have emerged on a draft report by a parliamentary committee on the terror-free Türkiye initiative for the disarmament of the terrorist group PKK.

The most significant sections of the report focus on legal arrangements to encourage the terrorist group to lay down its arms and references to rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and Türkiye’s Constitutional Court.

Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, who also chairs the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Committee of Parliament behind the report, sent the draft report to political parties for consensus. The document was prepared within the framework of work carried out by the committee, which is composed of deputy parliamentary group leaders serving as coordinators. The report is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

The report recommends enacting a special law for the process and amending certain existing laws. It cites the need to establish a legal framework to encourage and accelerate the disarmament process of the PKK. It emphasizes the necessity of legal regulations to provide a basis for PKK members on the run to return home.

It proposes that necessary amendments to the Turkish Penal Code, the Law on the Execution of Sentences and the Anti-Terror Law be made in parallel with the proposed laws.

Under the heading “Democratization Steps,” the report highlights rulings by the European Court of Human Rights and Türkiye’s Constitutional Court, as well as principles of international law.

It does not explicitly mention an individualized “right to hope,” which was once proposed to be implemented for Abdullah Öcalan, jailed ringleader of the group. However, it makes an indirect reference through its emphasis on ECtHR and Constitutional Court rulings and international legal principles.

The report also assesses that certain administrative steps could be taken regarding the practice of appointing trustees to municipalities whose administrators were accused of funding the PKK and/or aiding and abetting the terrorist group.

Under the democratization heading, the report notes that amendments may be made to the laws on political parties, elections, and public meetings and demonstrations.

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Three irregular migrants died after a rubber boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of Foça in western Türkiye, authorities said Thursday, as search efforts continued for four people believed missing.

The vessel set out despite stormy weather and went down early in the morning off Izmir’s Foça district. Coast Guard Command teams were dispatched to the area following an emergency call.

Rescue crews saved 38 migrants from the sea and recovered the bodies of three others. Survivors told authorities that four more people had been on board, prompting an air- and sea-backed search and rescue operation.

Türkiye is a key transit route for migrants attempting to reach Europe, and its coast guard regularly carries out rescue and interception operations along the Aegean coastline.

In a separate development, five suspected migrant smugglers were arrested in Izmir in connection with a deadly incident off the Greek island of Chios earlier this month.

Prosecutors said the boat, which departed from the Çeşme district, capsized after being struck by a Greek Coast Guard vessel on Feb. 3. Fifteen migrants, 11 men and four women, died, and 24 others were injured. Some passengers were initially reported missing.

An investigation launched by the Çeşme prosecutors led to the detention of seven suspects accused of organizing the illegal crossing. Five were formally arrested on charges including migrant smuggling and “killing with probable intent,” while two were released under judicial supervision.

Türkiye has intensified nationwide operations in recent years amid rising regional migration pressures.

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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, accompanied by ministers, was welcomed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Wednesday.

Mitsotakis was in Türkiye for the 6th High-Level Cooperation Council that aims to improve occasionally strained ties between the two neighbors.

Erdoğan and the prime minister were scheduled to hold a joint news conference after their meeting.

It remains to be seen whether Mitsotakis’ visit will add further momentum to warming ties, especially after the prime minister said in an interview earlier this month that the dispute over the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean stood out as an obstacle to better ties.

Athens and Ankara have tried to overcome their differences in recent years, leaving behind a troubled past. Last month, diplomats from the two countries came together in the Greek capital for a “positive agenda” meeting.

Tensions have flared intermittently in recent years between the historic rivals, who remain divided over where their continental shelves begin and end in the Aegean, an area believed to hold significant energy potential and linked to disputes over airspace and overflights.

Last month, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said Greece intends to extend its territorial waters, potentially including areas of the Aegean Sea, despite long-standing Turkish objections. Greece has already expanded its territorial waters in the Ionian Sea from 6 to 12 nautical miles following agreements with Italy, and it has signed a maritime delimitation deal with Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Greek Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lana Zochiou said on Tuesday the aim was “to assess the progress of bilateral cooperation” and “to keep communication channels open to defuse any potential crises.”

Ministers of the two countries will sign a series of agreements to strengthen bilateral ties and will exchange views on regional and global issues during Mitsotakis’ visit.

Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, said last week that the meeting was expected to comprehensively assess ties between the two nations and discuss ways to further enhance cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

Regarding his meeting with Erdoğan during his Türkiye visit, Mitsotakis told Skai TV earlier this month that Greece and Türkiye did not need arbitrators or intermediaries to discuss bilateral issues. He hailed improvement in relations since the Athens Declaration was signed during Erdoğan’s visit to Greece in 2023.

Mitsotakis noted that resolving their dispute in maritime delimitation would bring Türkiye closer to the European Union, of which Ankara hopes to be a member. He warned, however, that the prevalence of “casus belli” in the Aegean would prevent Türkiye’s access to European funds. Mitsotakis, quoted by the Greek TV, admitted that Athens used the issue as “leverage” against Türkiye, so that Ankara would “abandon misguided claims.”

Türkiye recently extended the navigation warnings, known as Navtex, in the wake of Greece’s violation of Türkiye’s maritime borders. Mitsotakis, who was accused by the Greek opposition of remaining silent on the issue, hit out at the warnings and claimed they were illegal and Greece would not seek Türkiye’s permission for running projects in those waters, such as electrical interconnection projects.

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