Politics
Ankara opposes Greece’s energy deal near Crete, cites 2019 Libya pact
Türkiye on Thursday criticized Greece’s agreement with Chevron for hydrocarbon exploration south of Crete, calling the move contrary to international law and good neighborly ties.
“We oppose this unlawful activity, which is being attempted in violation of the 2019 Memorandum of Understanding on Maritime Jurisdiction between Libya and our country,” the Turkish Defense Ministry said at its weekly press briefing.
It noted that the activity, while not directly impacting Türkiye’s continental shelf in the region, also violated Libya’s maritime jurisdiction declared to the United Nations on May 27, 2025.
“We continue to provide the necessary support to the Libyan authorities to take action against these unilateral and unlawful activities by Greece,” the ministry said.
The Chevron-led consortium signed exclusive lease agreements on Monday to look for natural gas off southern Greece, expanding the United States’ presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The 2019 agreement signed by Türkiye and Libya set out maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea and was rejected by Greece as it ignored the presence of the Greek island of Crete between the coasts of Türkiye and Libya.
The Chevron deal doubles the amount of Greek maritime acreage available for exploration and is the second in months involving a U.S. energy major as the European Union seeks to phase out supplies from Russia and the U.S. seeks to replace them.
As neighbors and NATO members, Türkiye and Greece have been at odds over a range of issues for decades, primarily maritime boundaries and rights in the Aegean, an area widely believed to hold energy resources and with key implications for airspace and military activity.
Relations with Somalia
Responding to questions about recent developments in Somalia and the status of Turkish troops in the country, the ministry also said Türkiye’s training, advisory and support activities aimed at ensuring security and stability in the friendly nation were continuing with increasing scope as part of its contributions to international stability.
The statement said Türkiye would continue to provide security for ongoing drilling operations as well as for the “Space Port and Test Launch Site” being built in Somalia, and to offer maximum support to counterterrorism operations carried out by the Somali National Army. It added that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) would maintain effective deterrence through their presence and support in Somalia.
Somalia’s territorial integrity also matters for Türkiye, which is a major partner of Mogadishu, especially in the wake of Israel’s controversial recognition of breakaway Somaliland. Ankara has joined other countries to condemn the recognition by its major foe in the Middle East, which looks to expand its footprint in Africa, where Türkiye also emerged as a key actor in the past two decades under the leadership of President Erdoğan.
On Feb. 5, Somalia’s federal Cabinet approved a series of major maritime trade agreements, including a new cooperation deal with Türkiye that covers maritime trade developments, ship traffic improvements, port service modernization, mutual recognition of seafaring certificates of competency, technical cooperation and know-how sharing, ensuring equality in port services, and the facilitation of commercial activities.
The Türkiye-Somalia cooperation has developed in a multidimensional way since 2011, especially in the economy, education, health, infrastructure and development.
Moreover, it was recently announced that Türkiye’s new deep-drilling ship Çağrı Bey left for Somalia from the southern province of Mersin to begin the operation for oil exploration.
It is the second Turkish vessel to be deployed in Somali waters after Oruç Reis. It is also the first drilling ship to be deployed outside Turkish waters.
The research and seismic vessel Oruç Reis was dispatched to Somalia from Istanbul in October 2024, and it completed its mission in the summer of last year.
Türkiye, which enjoys close ties with Somalia, has a strong cooperation with Mogadishu in a number of areas, from energy to defense to infrastructure investments. The two governments have signed several deals on cooperation in recent years.
Developments in Syria
Regarding the latest developments in Syria, the ministry stressed that, “Türkiye expects the integration process between the Syrian government and the YPG to be completed swiftly,” adding that authorities are closely monitoring developments on the ground and taking all necessary measures in line with Türkiye’s interests.
The statement also noted that there is no alternative to an integration that reinforces Syria’s unitary structure and upholds the principle of “one state and one army.”
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 all of the territories previously occupied by the group coming under government control.
On Jan. 18, the Syrian government and theYPG reached a comprehensive cease-fire and full integration agreement, outlining sweeping measures to restore state authority in the northeast.
Syrian security forces and administrative bodies have entered areas previously controlled by the YPG, including Hassakeh, Qamishli and Ain al-Arab (Kobani), as well as strategic facilities such as airports, oil fields, and border crossings.
The agreement provides for the gradual handover of security responsibilities, the deployment of state institutions, and the integration of YPG forces into official government structures.
A Turkish court ordered the arrest of 36 suspects in an expanding investigation into the 2009 helicopter crash that killed prominent politician Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu and five others, with prosecutors investigating alleged involvement in a premeditated killing linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the operation was carried out in coordination with the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the Ankara Police Department’s Organized Crime Branch as part of the investigation into the crash.
Prosecutors issued detention warrants for 47 suspects accused of participating in premeditated murder as part of alleged FETÖ activities and committing various offenses aimed at preventing authorities from uncovering the truth surrounding the crash.
Authorities carried out searches and seizures at 45 locations across 16 provinces in an Ankara-based operation.
Prosecutors said 10 of the suspects were already in prison, while 33 others were detained on Sept. 25. Five additional suspects were subsequently taken into custody, bringing the number detained in the latest operation to 38.
All 38 suspects were brought before the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutors requested the arrest of 36 suspects and judicial control measures for the remaining two.
Yazıcıoğlu, the founder and then-chairperson of the Great Unity Party (BBP), was killed when a helicopter carrying him and five others crashed in the Göksun district of Kahramanmaraş on March 25, 2009.
The other victims were BBP officials Erhan Üstündağ, Yüksel Yancı and Murat Çetinkaya, journalist Ismail Güneş and pilot Mustafa Kaya Istektepe.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash has continued for more than 17 years.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the latest investigation was continuing on multiple fronts and was being conducted meticulously.
Security forces arrested five suspected members of the Daesh terrorist group and detained six others in separate operations in three provinces and Istanbul, authorities and local media reported Tuesday.
In the southeastern province of Gaziantep, gendarmerie units launched an investigation into suspected activities linked to the Daesh terrorist group.
The investigation identified five foreign nationals suspected of involvement with the group, prompting simultaneous raids in Gaziantep, the northwestern province of Kocaeli and the central province of Nevşehir.
Authorities said the suspects had entered Türkiye illegally. Digital materials seized during searches of their addresses were taken for examination.
The five suspects were referred to a court following procedures at the gendarmerie and were subsequently arrested and sent to prison pending trial.
Separately, counterterrorism police in Istanbul detained six suspects as part of an investigation into the alleged financing of Daesh.
Investigators found that the suspects had conducted money transfers with numerous individuals previously investigated over alleged links to Daesh and other terrorist groups, according to reports citing the investigation.
The suspects’ financial transactions were examined by Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) as authorities investigated their alleged connections with people linked to Daesh and conflict zones.
Police detained the six suspects in simultaneous early-morning raids on their homes and workplaces.
Authorities seized $13,000 in cash as well as digital materials and documents allegedly linked to the terrorist group during the searches.
Türkiye has carried out a series of operations targeting suspected Daesh members and the group’s alleged financing networks in recent years.
The main opposition New Party (YP) launched a new intra-party election process on Sunday, with all members eligible to vote in the election of district chairs. The first stage of the multi-week process replaced the “delegate” system, but it was not without a hitch. In one district, the vote was called off after supporters of candidates engaged in a brawl. Similar scenes unfolded in several other districts.
In the traditional system of Turkish politics, parties first pick delegates at the neighborhood level, and these delegates are the only eligible voters to pick their own candidates for district chairs. District delegates then vote for provincial chairs in turn. Speaking in the Karesi district of the western province of Balıkesir on Sunday, where he watched the voting, Party Chair Özgür Özel touted the election as “next-generation politics and direct democracy.” Özel founded YP in July after he was ousted from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) over allegations of vote-buying in a 2023 election in which he was elected to the CHP’s top office.
The YP is scheduled to hold district congresses and then provincial congresses to elect new chairs in those constituencies in October.
Yet, Özel’s “direct democracy” failed the test in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district. Supporters of two candidates for district chair engaged in an all-out brawl, alleging irregularities. When tensions further escalated, party officials decided to call off the voting due to security concerns.
In the Odunpazarı district of the central province of Eskişehir, supporters of one candidate objected to the vote count after the rival candidate won by a three-vote margin. Party members called for a recount, which was approved by the party’s supervisory board, but a brawl erupted between rival camps at the polling station, forcing authorities to call off the recount and refer the case to the party’s headquarters.
In Bursa’s Nilüfer district, party members protesting against both candidates scrawled the name of the party’s Bursa chair on ballots in an act of defiance.
In the Mezitli district of the southern province of Mersin, a man was arrested after firing into the air during a brawl between party supporters during the election.
Turkish security forces detained five foreign nationals suspected of links to the Daesh terrorist group in an operation in southeastern Türkiye’s Adıyaman province, authorities said Monday.
The operation was carried out by counterterrorism units of the Adıyaman Provincial Gendarmerie Command as part of an investigation coordinated by the Adıyaman Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
During the investigation, gendarmerie teams identified the addresses of five Iraqi suspects, identified by their initials as R.K.Q.B., W.K.Q.B., R.H.K.B., N.T.H.M. and N.T.G.
Counterterrorism units, backed by special operations teams, conducted simultaneous raids at the identified addresses and detained all five suspects.
The suspects underwent medical examinations before being transferred to the Provincial Gendarmerie Command for further questioning and legal procedures.
During searches of the addresses, security forces seized five mobile phones and five SIM cards.
Türkiye has conducted sustained counterterrorism operations against Daesh for years, targeting the group’s members, facilitators and financial networks both domestically and across its borders. Turkish security forces regularly carry out nationwide raids to prevent attacks and dismantle the organization’s presence in the country.
Meanwhile, in Syria, security forces dismantled a cell linked to the Daesh terrorist group and detained four alleged leaders in a series of operations, state media reported.
Syria’s Internal Security Forces and General Intelligence Directorate carried out the operations targeting Daesh, according to the state-run SANA news agency.
Authorities said the operation dismantled a Daesh-linked cell whose activities stretched from Raqqa to the provinces of Aleppo, Idlib and Homs.
The four detained suspects were accused of involvement in kidnappings, planting improvised explosive devices and carrying out assassinations, SANA reported.
Preliminary findings indicated that members of the cell were directly involved in at least five kidnappings and were preparing further attacks aimed at undermining security and stability in the country, according to the report.
Security forces also seized a large quantity of explosives that authorities said had been prepared for use in terrorist attacks during the operations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto discussed bilateral ties and regional and global developments in a phone call, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said Monday.
Erdoğan expressed satisfaction with cooperation between Türkiye and Indonesia on international platforms and said maintaining that solidarity would benefit both countries, according to a statement from the directorate.
The Turkish president emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation between Ankara and Jakarta across several areas, particularly trade and the defense industry.
Erdoğan noted Türkiye would continue taking steps to advance bilateral cooperation in those fields, the statement said.
Türkiye and Indonesia have sought to deepen their defense ties in recent years alongside broader efforts to expand political and economic relations.
During the call, Erdoğan also invited Subianto to attend the COP31 Leaders Summit, which is set to be held in the southern Turkish resort city of Antalya.
In April 2025, in a joint news conference with his Indonesian counterpart Subianto, President Erdoğan noted that they discussed steps to raise bilateral trade to $10 billion in a balanced and mutual manner, as both leaders vowed to further boost cooperation.
Türkiye’s growing military and diplomatic clout in the Eastern Mediterranean and its landmark maritime deal with Libya are unsettling Israel, with Israeli security officials reportedly warning that Ankara’s expanding regional footprint is increasingly limiting Tel Aviv’s room for maneuver.
The Jerusalem Post reported Monday that Israel’s security establishment, including military intelligence, is closely monitoring Türkiye’s growing influence in Libya and the wider Mediterranean, viewing Ankara’s moves as increasingly constraining Israel’s regional ambitions.
The report focused on the 2019 Türkiye-Libya maritime boundaries agreement, which established a maritime corridor between the two countries and strengthened Ankara’s position in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Israeli newspaper claimed the agreement effectively bypassed a chain of Greek islands, including Crete and Rhodes, while Türkiye’s growing military presence in the region has further shifted the strategic balance in the Mediterranean.
It also highlighted Türkiye’s military support for Libya, saying Ankara has since expanded its presence at Libyan ports, strengthened its aerial footprint and secured opportunities to explore energy resources in the country.
According to the report, Türkiye’s expanding military infrastructure and operational reach have given Ankara greater influence over strategic maritime routes extending well beyond its shores.
The newspaper also linked Israel’s concerns to planned regional energy projects, arguing that Türkiye’s maritime position could complicate a proposed natural gas pipeline connecting Israel with the Greek Cypriot administration and Greece before reaching Europe.
Ankara has maintained that projects crossing areas covered by its maritime jurisdiction require Türkiye’s consent and has repeatedly stressed that it will protect its rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The report said the issue is particularly significant for Israel because some 98% of its imports arrive by sea, making maritime access a major economic and security concern.
Against Türkiye’s expanding regional influence, Israeli security officials cited by the newspaper described the emerging situation in stark terms: “Türkiye is cornering Israel.”
-
Sports3 days agoEvery Formula One world champion from 1950 through 2025
-
Sports3 days agoMercedes’ Russell holds off Verstappen to bag Azerbaijan GP win
-
Politics2 days agoTürkiye pursues dialogue, diplomacy at UN General Assembly
-
Economy2 days agoTürkiye bolsters ‘agro diplomacy’ to minimize impact of geopolitical risks
-
Economy2 days agoUS, China agree to AI dialogue, tariff cuts on $30B in goods
-
Politics2 days agoTurkish officials hit back at Israeli minister over remarks on Erdoğan
-
Politics2 days agoTürkiye, Pakistan, Saudi military chiefs meet in Riyadh
-
Economy2 days agoEurope turns to tax breaks, subsidies to tackle record-high fuel prices