Politics
Turkish, Greek Cypriot leaders meet in push to revive negotiations
Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday said he held an “open and honest” meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman as both sides discussed confidence-building steps and efforts to restart stalled Cyprus negotiations.
The meeting, which lasted about 90 minutes, took place at the residence of the head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), Khassim Diagne.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Christodoulides said the leaders reviewed progress on confidence-building measures and agreed to provide guiding principles to their negotiators to help advance the process.
“We had an open and honest meeting,” he said, adding that broader substantive issues were also discussed.
Christodoulides said the two sides agreed to meet again soon to assess developments and determine whether further progress could be made toward resuming formal negotiations on the island’s future.
According to the Greek Cypriot leader, the talks included a detailed review of all confidence-building measures, including both areas of progress and points where delays have occurred. Issues related to crossing points between the two sides were also on the agenda.
He said the purpose of the contacts was to create momentum toward restarting comprehensive negotiations while preserving the framework established in previous United Nations efforts.
Christodoulides also said he has requested a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in March and plans to convene the Greek Cypriot National Council to brief political leaders and gather their views.
Christodoulides also noted that the principle of political equality between the two communities had been reaffirmed in line with recent U.N. discussions, as both sides explore ways to rebuild trust and move the long-stalled peace process forward.
The meeting comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts to revive talks on the divided island. Cyprus has been mired in a decades-long dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement.
The Greek Cypriot side is recognized as a political entity by most of the international community, while the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) pushes for recognition, with the support of Türkiye.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that Lebanon is counting on Türkiye to contribute to its economic recovery, support the implementation of the U.S.-mediated framework agreement and help strengthen stability in southern Lebanon.
Ahead of his first official visit to Türkiye on Thursday since taking office in January 2025, Aoun told an interview with the Anadolu Agency (AA) that Lebanese-Turkish relations have “the potential to move to advanced levels of cooperation.”
“Türkiye has a central position in the current regional scene, and coordination with it is a strategic necessity, not a temporary option,” he said.
Lebanon and Israel signed the U.S.-sponsored framework agreement on June 26. The deal provides for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territory in return for the deployment of the Lebanese army there, along with the disarmament of armed groups, including Hezbollah.
“Türkiye’s NATO membership and broad regional ties qualify it to play a supportive role in the international promotion of the framework formula and to encourage relevant parties to fully comply with its terms,” Aoun said.
“Türkiye can contribute to the success of this track, especially since the framework that emerged from negotiation rounds in Washington and Rome requires broad regional and international follow-up to ensure its implementation on the ground,” he added.
The Lebanese president stressed that Beirut is committed to implementing the framework agreement.
“But the success of this agreement depends on clear guarantees, foremost among them a full Israeli withdrawal that is simultaneous with the deployment of the Lebanese army, a permanent halt to violations and attacks in the south, and an effective international mechanism to verify both sides’ compliance, so that Lebanese commitments do not become a unilateral step in the absence of a corresponding Israeli move,” Aoun said.
“We call on Türkiye, given its regional weight and multiple relationships, to support this track politically and diplomatically in a way that strengthens its chances of success, prevents it from becoming an agreement with incomplete implementation, and contributes to supporting Lebanon’s efforts to achieve the Israeli withdrawal and strengthen international efforts aimed at preventing any security vacuum in the south, in line with our keenness to preserve stability in this sensitive area,” the president said.
Asked about Türkiye’s possible role in supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty and stability, Aoun said: “Ankara, as an active regional state, has real tools of influence and can contribute to supporting the Lebanese state and its legitimate institutions, foremost among them the army, in a way that strengthens the extension of state authority over all territory.”
“Türkiye can also use its relations to contribute to controlling the eastern and northern borders and preventing any arms smuggling or infiltration that threatens Lebanese security,” he said.
“We are not asking Türkiye for a role that replaces the Lebanese state, but for a supportive and complementary role that aligns with our effort to place arms solely in the hands of legitimacy and stabilize the country after years of war,” he added.
Aoun said Lebanon looks forward to strengthening cooperation with Türkiye in supporting state institutions, especially the army, and opening new horizons for cooperation on border stability and combating the transfer of illegal weapons.
On the economic front, Aoun said Lebanon is counting on Türkiye to contribute to economic recovery in Lebanon through investment, trade and reconstruction.
“This could be done by encouraging Turkish companies to pump direct investments into Lebanon’s productive sectors, activating existing trade agreements, removing logistical obstacles to the exchange of goods in a way that eases the burden on Lebanon’s struggling economy, and benefiting from Türkiye’s wide experience in reconstruction,” he said.
On military cooperation, Aoun said the Lebanese army needs multi-level support to strengthen its deployment and extend state authority.
“The Lebanese army is facing an existential challenge in extending the state’s authority over all its territory,” he said. “This requires multi-faceted support: modern equipment and gear, specialized training, and logistical support that enables it to deploy effectively in sensitive areas, especially in the south, where its deployment is supposed to coincide with a full and simultaneous Israeli withdrawal.
Aoun said he will raise with the Turkish side the possibility of expanding the existing military support and training programs, especially since Ankara has shown readiness to contribute to strengthening the capabilities of the Lebanese military institution.
“But at the same time, we emphasize that any Turkish support comes in addition to existing U.S. and international support, not as an alternative to it,” he said.
Asked about the possibility of Türkiye joining an international force that could replace the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the south, Aoun said: “This file is still under discussion.”
“There are multiple proposals, including one that speaks of a European force led by France and Italy, another that proposes Turkish participation with NATO support, alongside other proposals that include Arab and Islamic countries,” he said.
“For us, the priority is to ensure that no security vacuum occurs after UNIFIL’s mandate ends,” Aoun said. “Any proposal to form an alternative force, including possible Turkish participation, will be viewed from one angle: its ability to support the Lebanese army in extending its authority and ensuring stability in the south.
“We are not in the process of excluding any serious partner in this track, but the final decision remains linked to broader international consensus and to what serves Lebanese sovereignty first,” he added.
“Türkiye has contributed through UNIFIL’s naval force to peacekeeping in the south,” Aoun said. “This participation was effective in controlling maritime movement toward Lebanon over the past years, in coordination with the Lebanese army’s naval forces.”
Asked about Hezbollah’s rejection of any negotiating track with Israel and its impact on efforts to implement cease-fire understandings and address outstanding issues, Aoun said: “The size of this challenge cannot be underestimated, as any negotiation or implementation track needs a minimum level of internal consensus to succeed on the ground.”
“The Lebanese state, represented by the presidency and the government, is the only party constitutionally authorized to make decisions related to sovereignty, security and foreign relations, and this is what we constantly insist on,” he said.
“At the same time, we realize that the success of implementing the ceasefire understandings and addressing outstanding issues, foremost among them placing arms solely in the hands of the state, requires a cumulative approach and continuous internal dialogue, away from confrontation, so that everyone becomes convinced that Lebanon’s supreme interest lies in a strong state with its legitimate institutions alone, not in the continuation of division over decisions of war and peace,” he added.
On reports about a possible Syrian role or mediation in placing weapons under Lebanese state control, despite repeated denials by Damascus, Aoun said: “The decision to place arms solely in the hands of the Lebanese state is an exclusively Lebanese sovereign decision.”
“There is no room for any mediation or external interference in it, whether Syrian or otherwise,” he added.
“The Syrian side itself has repeatedly affirmed, at the highest levels, that it does not intend to intervene militarily in Lebanese affairs, and that its support is limited to backing the principle of placing weapons and decisions of war and peace in the hands of the Lebanese state,” Aoun said. “This is a position we welcome, and it aligns with our vision of the sovereignty of Lebanese decision-making.”
The Lebanese president said he stressed during meetings with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa that coordination between the two countries should be at the level of political leadership and based on respect for each country’s sovereignty and noninterference in internal affairs.
“As for statements or speculation about a broader Syrian role, these are media interpretations that do not reflect any negotiating reality or official position,” he said. “We are always keen to correct any confusion that may arise regarding this sensitive file.”
Former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu announced Wednesday that he is stepping away from party politics and ending the political activities of the Future Party (GP), arguing that Türkiye’s political system has become incapable of reforming itself.
In a statement posted on social media, Davutoğlu said the decision followed consultations with the party’s leadership and members.
“We have decided to withdraw from party politics and terminate the Future Party’s political activities,” he said.
Davutoğlu argued that the country’s political landscape is trapped between the concentration of power on one side and the fragmentation of alternative political forces on the other. The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lost a majority of its lawmakers after chairman Özgür Özel formed the New Party (YP) after being ousted as party leader in May following a court ruling. Tensions remain high between the two parties as CHP stands to lose more members. Media reports say that around 200 CHP mayors across Türkiye are expected to join the YP soon, while 264 former CHP lawmakers pledged their loyalty to the new party in a joint statement on Monday. The YP is also expected to attract more CHP lawmakers in the coming days, potentially increasing its parliamentary group to around 100 members and further diminishing the CHP’s status in Parliament.
He said Türkiye’s political mechanisms have largely lost the ability to correct themselves and warned that the country’s three major ideological traditions – conservatism, nationalism and modernization – are facing an existential test.
He stressed that the move should not be interpreted as surrender or an abandonment of politics.
“This is not a decision of surrender. It is a decision to establish moral distance,” he said. “This is not giving up on politics, but a call for everyone to rethink politics.”
Davutoğlu said his political struggle would continue outside party structures through work in areas including education, culture, diplomacy, economics and social solidarity.
“Our struggle did not begin with any office, nor will it end with the legal existence of any political party,” he said.
The Future Party’s dissolution is unlikely to significantly alter Türkiye’s political landscape, where nearly 190 registered political parties are active. However, only a small number wield meaningful electoral influence or hold seats in the legislature, with most remaining minor parties lacking a nationwide political presence.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said Thursday that any lasting settlement to the decades-long Cyprus dispute must begin with recognition of the Turkish Cypriots’ sovereign equality and equal international status, following U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ latest contacts on the island.
In a written statement issued after Guterres’ meeting with the leaders of the two sides, Üstel said the U.N. chief’s visit demonstrated that the political realities on the island “can no longer be ignored” and argued that future negotiations should be based on those realities rather than past frameworks.
He underlined that a fair, permanent and sustainable agreement could only be achieved after the Turkish Cypriots’ inherent rights, sovereign equality and equal international status are acknowledged. Without those principles, Ustel said, any new negotiating process would have little chance of success.
Reiterating the Turkish Cypriot leadership’s longstanding position that Cyprus is home to “two separate peoples, two separate democracies and two separate states,” he added that efforts to revive a federation-based settlement model had repeatedly failed and would not provide a lasting solution.
The prime minister also criticized the Greek Cypriot administration’s continued efforts to resume talks from where negotiations ended at Crans-Montana in 2017. He said the Turkish Cypriot side would not participate in negotiations that were unlikely to produce results, would consume time or would reopen issues affecting what he called the Turkish Cypriot people’s acquired rights.
“What’s important is not holding meetings, but establishing a realistic framework that guarantees the rights of the Turkish Cypriot people,” Üstel said.
He also noted Ankara’s role as a guarantor and the presence of Turkish troops on the island as indispensable for the security of Turkish Cypriots and for peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, emphasizing those issues were not open for negotiation.
Despite the political disagreements, Üstel said his government would continue supporting practical cooperation aimed at improving daily life and promoting mutually beneficial initiatives between the two sides.
However, he said such cooperation would not come at the expense of the Turkish Cypriots’ statehood, sovereign equality or equal international status.
Israel’s aggression is exacting a heavy toll not only on Palestinians and Lebanese but also on people of different faiths across the region, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, warning that the consequences of Israel’s violations are being felt far beyond its immediate victims.
“The price of Israel’s aggression is being paid not only by our Palestinian and Lebanese brothers and sisters, but by the entire region and people of different faiths,” he told a news conference after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.
“Israel is step by step occupying Palestinian lands by disregarding fundamental human rights in the region and trampling international law underfoot,” Erdoğan said.
The remarks came after an Israeli media report said Israeli forces had illegally seized land under Palestinian Authority administration in the occupied West Bank to connect two illegal Israeli settlements, further expanding settlement infrastructure on occupied Palestinian territory. Under the Oslo Accords, Area A falls under Palestinian civil and security control, while Israeli law prohibits Israeli settlers from entering the area. Palestinian rights groups and Israeli watchdogs have warned that the placement of the new settlements is intended to erode the framework established by the Oslo Accords.
Meanwhile, Erdoğan said that ending terrorism would lift a decades-long economic burden on Türkiye.
“When calculated in terms of investment, employment, tourism, agriculture, financing and security, the average annual cost of terrorism exceeds $50 billion,” Erdoğan said.
He said eliminating terrorism would unlock Türkiye’s economic potential across multiple sectors.
“Once the obstacle of terrorism is removed, Türkiye’s economy will begin writing a new story in every field,” he said.
Erdoğan also said the government’s “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative would deliver both security and economic gains.
“When the Terror-Free Türkiye process reaches its goal, mothers will not only lay their heads on their pillows with peace of mind, but our country will also be freed from this heavy economic burden,” he said.
On Cyprus, Erdoğan reiterated that the issue centers on the Turkish Cypriot people’s sovereign equality and equal international status rather than a technical power-sharing dispute.
“No initiative that ignores the Turkish Cypriots’ sovereign equality, inherent rights and legitimate interests in the Eastern Mediterranean has any chance of succeeding,” he said.
Welcoming U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ recent visit to the island, Erdoğan said formulas that seek to reduce Turkish Cypriots to minority status have repeatedly failed and stressed that lasting peace can only be achieved through a fair, permanent and sustainable settlement.
Marking the anniversary of the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, Erdoğan said Türkiye exercised its guarantor rights to end the suffering of Turkish Cypriots and help establish peace and stability on the island. He added that Ankara would continue supporting the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and would never leave Turkish Cypriots alone.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Wednesday welcomed Türkiye’s statement following U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ visit to the island, reaffirming that any lasting settlement in Cyprus must be based on the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people.
In a written statement, the TRNC Foreign Ministry said attempts to revive federation-based settlement models that have been tried for decades and repeatedly failed do not reflect the realities on the island.
The ministry stressed that the existence of two separate peoples and two sovereign states in Cyprus is the fundamental reality and warned that any process that ignores this fact has no chance of succeeding.
It also welcomed the statement issued by Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry following Guterres’ meetings on the island, describing Ankara’s position as consistent with the realities on the ground.
The ministry said a just, lasting and sustainable settlement could only be achieved through recognition of the Turkish Cypriot people’s inherent rights, sovereign equality and equal international status.
It added that no negotiation model or political process that falls short of these two fundamental principles would be acceptable.
The statement further said a realistic path forward for Cyprus can only be built on the island’s existing political and factual realities, respect for the will of both sides and an approach that promotes a new culture of cooperation.
Allegiances are shifting in Turkish politics as mayors and lawmakers switch sides to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). A prominent mayor is reportedly set to join the party soon, according to unconfirmed reports, while confirmed reports indicate that former Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chair Özgür Özel is recruiting more mayors to his New Party (YP).
There is no summer slowdown in Turkish politics, with Parliament still in session and the main opposition fighting for survival. Özel has so far secured his place in the crowded political landscape by quickly elevating his New Party to the position of the main opposition, surpassing the CHP, from which he split just one week ago. Yet, the YP will still depend on broader public appeal.
This may come in the form of mayors who have left the CHP for the YP. Özel previously announced that more than 200 mayors would join the party. More than a dozen mayors have announced their switch over the past two days, and more are expected to do so in the coming days. Among those leaving the CHP for the YP are the mayors of Denizli, Manisa (Özel’s hometown), Çanakkale, Artvin, Bilecik and Burdur, along with the mayors of several smaller districts.
However, Özel is most eager to recruit Mansur Yavaş, the mayor of the capital, Ankara. Yavaş has remained either vague or silent in his support for the YP, while Özel has repeatedly said he would welcome him. Yavaş is viewed as a figure who could help the party’s “social democrats” attract conservative voters. In a recent interview, Özel implied that any mayor who does not openly pledge loyalty to the new CHP administration while remaining in the party would sooner or later join the YP.
The YP is also expected to attract more CHP lawmakers in the coming days, potentially increasing its parliamentary group to around 100 members and further diminishing the CHP’s standing in Parliament. In addition, 264 former CHP lawmakers pledged their loyalty to the new party in a joint statement on Monday.
Nevertheless, the YP is not the only party welcoming new names. Media reports on Wednesday claimed that Cemil Tugay, the mayor of the CHP stronghold of Izmir, Türkiye’s third-largest city, would soon join the AK Party. Tugay is currently an independent after leaving the CHP amid the turmoil that brought former Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu back to power after a court ruled that Özel had bought his way to the party’s chairmanship.
Nevşin Mengü, a journalist with close ties to the CHP, claimed that Tugay and three district mayors from Izmir would join the AK Party on Aug. 14, the anniversary of the party’s founding, which will be marked with major events in Ankara.
Elsewhere, four CHP district mayors in Istanbul, including one serving as acting mayor after replacing another CHP mayor, are also rumored to be preparing to join the AK Party. According to media reports published on Wednesday, the mayors of Tuzla, Şile and Eyüpsultan, along with the acting mayor of Çekmeköy, will join the party next month.
The AK Party has attracted many mayors from the CHP since the 2024 municipal elections, mostly those who fell out with the Özel administration. The last high-profile CHP figure to join the AK Party was Burcu Köksal of Afyon province in western Türkiye. The AK Party has also rejected several applications from CHP mayors seeking to join its ranks for various reasons.
Since the 2024 municipal elections, 76 mayors have joined the AK Party. Most came from the CHP and the New Welfare Party (YRP), which is ideologically closer to the AK Party than to the CHP. The AK Party has also welcomed nine mayors from the Good Party (IP), a right-wing party formed by lawmakers who split from the AK Party’s current ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). In addition, the AK Party has gained 14 opposition lawmakers since the 2023 general elections, most of them from the Good Party.
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