Politics
President Erdoğan discusses US-Iran war with Saudi crown prince
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday had a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to discuss the latest situation in the region.
During the phone call, Erdogan “shared his concern that the conflicts will have severe repercussions in terms of regional and global security unless necessary intervention is made,” the Turkish Communications Directorate said in a statement on social media platform NSosyal.
He said that Türkiye and Saudi Arabia are carrying out “significant works” in order to resolve disagreements through dialogue and that giving diplomacy a chance is the “most rational way.”
Erdogan also expressed his good wishes for the Kingdom following the attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, killing several top officials, including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes that hit several Gulf countries.
Cyprus this week hosts outgoing U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, who will become the first head of the international body to visit the divided island in 16 years. The visit is significant as Greek Cypriots appear to be pushing for a solution to the decades-old division, although it may not be one acceptable to Turkish Cypriots.
Guterres’ first stop on the Mediterranean island will be a laboratory where teams work to identify the remains and determine the whereabouts of people who went missing during past hostilities between the two sides. On Tuesday, he will hold separate talks with Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides. He will later meet both leaders together in the island’s buffer zone on Wednesday.
The U.N. chief’s visit aims to encourage both sides to adopt confidence-building measures and find common ground to advance the stalled talks. Ahead of the visit, Guterres’ special envoy, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, held talks with Erhürman and was scheduled to meet Christodoulides later on Monday. Cuellar told reporters that her meeting with Erhürman was “fruitful.” She said the main purpose of Guterres’ visit was to continue the U.N.’s good offices mission in Cyprus and help pave the way for the resumption of comprehensive talks between the two sides.
Turkish and Greek Cypriots have failed to achieve any significant progress in resolving the decades-old Cyprus question, as their positions differ sharply. The TRNC advocates a two-state solution based on sovereign equality, while the Greek Cypriot side favors a federal model. Türkiye, one of the island’s guarantor states, supports the TRNC’s position. Ahead of the visit, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone call with Guterres on Sunday.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the U.N. chief’s visit will precede a planned conference involving the Turkish and Greek Cypriot sides and the guarantor states – Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom – this autumn. The last such meeting was held in New York last year.
The United Nations has led two major initiatives to resolve the Cyprus question over the past two decades. The first was the so-called Annan Plan, named after former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which was introduced in 2004. Greek Cypriots rejected the plan in a referendum, while Turkish Cypriots approved it. In 2017, the United Nations launched the Crans-Montana process, which sought a federal solution to the dispute. That effort also failed and significantly changed the positions of Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriot side. Ankara and Lefkoşa blamed the Greek Cypriot side for the collapse of the talks and shifted from their previously cautious support for a federal model to a firm stance in favor of the TRNC’s sovereignty. Since taking office in 2024, Cuellar has sought to bridge the gap between the parties through her diplomatic contacts.
Erhürman, who succeeded Ersin Tatar last year, has been viewed as less hardline than his predecessor, but he has repeatedly made it clear that he would oppose any federation proposal that ignores the rights of Turkish Cypriots. He was quoted on Sunday as saying that they were ready for “a new process” following Guterres’ visit. Erhürman also stressed that, as in the past, they would consult with Türkiye before moving forward with any new initiative aimed at resolving the dispute.
Greek Cypriot media outlets have previously reported that the United Nations was working on a settlement plan based on a federal framework, with governance shared by the two sides while granting greater international recognition to the TRNC. Responding to those reports, Ankara, through a statement issued by the Defense Ministry, reiterated that any solution to the Cyprus dispute must be based on recognition of the Turkish Cypriots’ sovereign equality and equal international status.
Özgür Özel launched his New Party (YP) with a heavy dose of symbolism on Friday, but the political future of the former chairperson of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) will possibly be tested two years from now in general elections. Although he has already secured the title of chairperson of the Turkish Parliament’s second-largest party by luring 91 lawmakers to his side, Özel will have to take on the formidable Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which has never lost an election in more than two decades, except for the 2024 municipal vote.
His adventure in Turkish politics may be worthy of a series by a certain streaming service whose logo was partially “borrowed” for the logo of the new party, but people will understandably look forward to seeing how it ends, or fares, in the next election, scheduled for 2028. Özel was a virtual nobody in Turkish politics until 2011, when he was elected as a CHP lawmaker. For a long time, he remained a low-profile politician. The 51-year-old lawmaker steadily climbed the career ladder within the party through his work on parliamentary committees as an outspoken deputy. In 2018, he was elected head of the party’s parliamentary group, a post from which he was demoted again when Kılıçdaroğlu made his comeback last May.
A string of factors with multiple effects will impact the YP’s chances, and the most important among them is the choice of a presidential candidate. Özel rallied supporters around former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu while he was still leading the CHP and even set up a “presidential candidate office” for the mayor, who was arrested in 2025 on corruption charges. Based on the course of his multiple trials, ranging from municipal corruption to espionage, Imamoğlu is unlikely to leave prison anytime soon. Even if he is acquitted of all charges within two years, he will still be ineligible to run for the top office, as a court previously canceled his university diploma after finding it to be fake.
Another rumored candidate is Mansur Yavaş, the CHP mayor of the capital, Ankara. Yet Yavaş has not left the party, although he has appeared supportive of the new party. Özel specifically mentioned his name in speeches leading up to the establishment of the YP, describing him as a key supporter, while Yavaş merely made a phone call to Özel on Saturday to congratulate him. Yavaş and Imamoğlu are viewed as Özel’s options for persuading disillusioned supporters of other parties, especially conservative and nationalist voters, due to their backgrounds, which are more aligned with those groups than the “social democrats” of the CHP.
This raises more questions: What are the political views of the YP, and how can it convince voters beyond Özel’s die-hard fans to vote for it? Özel himself may be declared the presidential candidate for the next election, as he appears to be adopting a new rhetoric brimming with self-confidence about defeating the AK Party. For Özel, it is just a matter of time, and he is counting on widespread support reflected in opinion polls, which still place his party behind the AK Party. The YP has not yet shed its “CHP” image, as Özel summed up the party’s political views as embracing voters from a wide political spectrum without mentioning any specific features that would distinguish those views from “old-school” CHP ideology. On the contrary, he pledged his commitment to the principles of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the CHP, in his last speech before the party’s inauguration, something the main opposition party has tapped into for years to garner votes from so-called “secular” voters.
Özel knows that he has to adhere to CHP ideology, at least for a while, to keep his current voter base intact. This was evident in his choice of the path taken by Atatürk, the founder of the CHP, more than a century ago as he led the establishment of the Turkish Parliament. Özel visited the tomb of the famed Ankara-based mystic Hacı Bayram-ı Veli, as Atatürk did, and walked to Parliament’s first building. On Saturday, he also visited Atatürk’s mausoleum. Moreover, he made it clear that he chose Friday to formally inaugurate the YP because it was the anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, which defined the borders of the new Türkiye after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Özel also seeks to cultivate credibility by claiming that his comrades have been subjected to political pressure through a string of trials, including the Imamoğlu trial and the case that cost him his seat in the CHP over allegations of vote-buying in the 2023 intra-party election in Türkiye’s oldest party.
How much these factors will translate into more votes for the YP remains to be seen, especially given Turkish voters’ tendency not to easily change their preference for one party overnight. Political pundits say that the YP may not be very tempting for older CHP voters. A lingering rivalry between the CHP and the YP may eventually play into the hands of the AK Party, as the two parties hope to secure votes from the same voter base, although neither may have enough support on its own to surpass the AK Party. This is especially true as Özel seems intent on not forming an opposition bloc like former CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu did in the 2023 elections, which he lost. Apart from the AK Party, the YP’s closest rivals will be the government’s ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and the Good Party (IP). Other smaller parties, such as the New Welfare Party (YRP) and the Key Party (A Party), which have the potential to be dark horses in the next election, are not expected to join an alliance anyway. An alliance with the DEM Party may boost the YP, but the DEM Party also appears unwilling, especially as it now focuses on the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative launched by the People’s Alliance of the AK Party and the MHP.
The YP also lacks the resources that well-established parties have, including Treasury aid, and forming a nationwide organization (opening new offices, finding new delegates and so on) will be a challenge for Özel.
In conclusion, Özel will have to walk a cautious line to achieve success and burnish his credentials to prove that his party has a chance of defeating the AK Party. So far, he has not offered anything new to voters disillusioned with the government and others, other than “inviting” them to vote for the YP. Not kicking them can be a good start, as YP lawmaker Mustafa Sarıgül demonstrated during a quarrel between supporters and those booing Özgür Özel as he was leaving a mosque after Friday prayers in Ankara.
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday held separate phone talks with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to discuss the ongoing negotiation process between Iran and the United States.
Fidan held separate calls with Al Thani and Munir, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.
A second consecutive night passed without reported U.S. or Iranian strikes after two weeks of sustained bombardment, as Pakistan and Qatar intensified mediation efforts to secure a broader de-escalation between Washington and Tehran.
Donald Trump’s U.N. ambassador said the U.S. president was giving negotiations with Iran “some space,” after two nights passed without strikes on the country.
U.N. ambassador Mike Waltz told “Fox News Sunday” that the United States remained “locked and loaded” for more attacks and that “more assets have gone into the region,” but that Trump is “giving talks some space – he’s giving it a little bit of room.”
Prior to Friday, the U.S. military had announced strikes on Iran for 13 consecutive nights, in the largest rekindling of the war since an April cease-fire.
In June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding that included a cease-fire following Qatari and Pakistani mediation, paving the way for negotiations on a final agreement to end the conflict.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed regional developments with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a phone call Sunday, focusing on the U.N. chief’s visits to Syria and the island of Cyprus, Turkish diplomatic sources said.
Earlier on Sunday, Fidan discussed Iran-U.S. talks with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to discuss the ongoing negotiation process between Iran and the United States.
The U.N. will submit a detailed report to the Security Council later this month on Israeli violations in Syria, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Sunday.
Speaking at a news conference in Damascus, Guterres stressed that violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are “unacceptable,” urging Israel to comply with the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
“The atrocities Syria has witnessed have not broken the Syrian people’s resolve to pursue their legitimate aspirations,” he added.
He also warned that U.N. humanitarian assistance currently meets only around 20% of the Syrian people’s needs.
Guterres arrived in Damascus on Saturday for a three-day visit and held talks with President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, during which he reaffirmed the U.N.’s commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and called on the international community to support the country’s recovery.
Syria’s new authorities, who took power in December 2024, are trying to turn the page after more than 13 years of war, and to reboot the economy and rebuild infrastructure and institutions.
Western countries, including the U.S., have begun lifting economic sanctions on Syria. But investors have remained cautious, as the World Bank has estimated the country’s post-war reconstruction could cost $216 billion.
The U.N. announced Thursday that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will travel to Cyprus to advance the peace process.
“The secretary-general will travel to Cyprus from the 27 to the 29 of July as part of his good officer’s mission and his strong demonstrated commitment to the Cyprus issue,” spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference.
Noting that Guterres will meet Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhurman and Nikos Christodoulides, the Greek Cypriot administration leader, Dujarric said the U.N. chief will also meet “other stakeholders and discuss efforts to advance the peace process and support stability on the island, including through the work of the U.N. peacekeeping mission on the ground there, UNFICYP.”
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Sunday praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Saudi Arabia for their role in securing the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria, highlighting their support for Damascus’ reintegration into the international community.
“His Excellency President Erdogan and Saudi Arabia mediated last year with U.S. President Donald Trump to lift the sanctions on Syria,” al-Sharaa said in an interview with Al Jazeera television.
Last year, Washington issued Syria General License 25 and granted exemptions under the Caesar Act to facilitate investment supporting Syria’s recovery. Trump later signed an executive order lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria.
Ankara continued diplomatic efforts to lift international sanctions on Syria.
Erdoğan has long stressed Türkiye’s commitment to a political solution in Syria that safeguards the country’s territorial integrity and ensures the return of millions of displaced Syrians.
Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) plans to mark the 25th anniversary of its founding by launching a nationwide campaign to plant 25 million trees over the next year, party officials said.
The party, founded on Aug. 14, 2001, will officially begin anniversary celebrations on Aug. 14 with a main event at the Capital Nation’s Garden in Ankara, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to attend.
Officials said the celebrations will emphasize themes including “Safe Haven Türkiye,” “Quarter Century,” “Peace” and “Stability.”
The tree-planting campaign will be coordinated by the party’s Environment and Urban Planning Policies Directorate.
The anniversary program will conclude with a drone show, while guests will receive a commemorative publication featuring poems previously recited by Erdoğan.
History of AK Party
The AK Party, born from the “Movement of the Virtuous” led by then-Istanbul Mayor Erdoğan, entered politics as Türkiye’s 39th party with his pledge that “from today onwards, nothing will be the same in Türkiye.”
Following its establishment, Erdoğan was unanimously elected party chair at the Aug. 16 Founders’ Council meeting, launching a political journey that would produce four prime ministers, two presidents and a series of election victories.
Just 15 months after its founding, the AK Party contested its first general election on Nov. 3, 2002, without Erdoğan, who was barred from political office. Campaigning under the slogan “On our own, into power” (“Tek başına, iş başına”), the party won 34.28% of the vote, becoming the leading party and forming the 58th government under Abdullah Gül.
A turning point came when amendments to Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code lifted Erdoğan’s political ban. He entered Parliament on March 8, 2003, through the Siirt by-election. Shortly after, Gül resigned as prime minister, and on March 15, 2003, Erdoğan was tasked by then-President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to form the 59th government, officially taking over as prime minister.
In the 2004 local elections – its first municipal contest – the AK Party secured 41.7% of the vote, winning 1,950 municipalities, including 11 metropolitan cities. The 2007 general election further strengthened its position, with the party receiving 46.58% of the vote. In the 2009 local polls, it once again came out ahead of all competitors.
The party faced one of its most serious challenges in 2008, when the chief prosecutor filed a closure case on March 14, seeking to ban 71 party members, including President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Erdoğan, and dissolve the party. The Constitutional Court accepted the indictment on March 31, but on July 30, it voted against closure, as the required qualified majority was not achieved.
The 2010 constitutional referendum, held on the 30th anniversary of the 1980 coup, brought a “yes” vote of 57.88% to amend the 1982 Constitution. This reform period preceded the 2011 general elections, during which the AK Party achieved a record 49.53% of the vote. In the 2014 local elections, the party maintained its lead with 45.60%, winning 818 municipalities, including 18 metropolitan cities.
On Aug. 10, 2014, Erdoğan was elected Türkiye’s 12th president with 52% of the vote, becoming the first president to be chosen directly by the people. Konya Deputy Ahmet Davutoğlu succeeded him as chair, leading the party through the June 7, 2015, general elections and the Nov. 1 snap elections, in which the AK Party regained its parliamentary majority.
Leadership changed again on May 22, 2016, when Binali Yıldırım was elected chair at the 2nd Extraordinary Congress and formed the 65th government. That year, on July 15, Türkiye faced the deadliest coup attempt in its history, staged by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ). President Erdoğan’s call for citizens to take to the streets and airports was decisive in stopping the attempt. The solidarity displayed between the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in its aftermath laid the groundwork for the formation of the People’s Alliance.
On April 16, 2017, Türkiye held a constitutional referendum, initiated by an AK Party proposal signed by 316 deputies and submitted to Parliament on Dec. 10, 2016. Following parliamentary approval, President Erdoğan signed the law on Feb. 10, 2017, and voters went to the polls, approving the changes with 51.41% “yes.” The reform removed the rule that presidents must sever ties with their party, opening the way for Erdoğan’s return. On May 2, 2017, after a 979-day absence, Erdoğan rejoined the AK Party and was reelected chair on May 21 with all valid votes.
The first elections under the new presidential system were held on June 24, 2018, following a call for early elections from MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli. On the same day, voters cast ballots for both the presidency and Parliament. Erdoğan was reelected with 52.38% of the vote, and the AK Party secured 42.28% of the vote in parliamentary elections, marking its 13th consecutive national victory.
At the Aug. 18, 2018, 6th Ordinary Congress, Erdoğan was reelected chairperson with all valid votes. The party amended its bylaws to include electoral alliances and to prevent members from simultaneously holding positions on the Central Executive Board (MYK) and in the Cabinet. Continuing its alliance with the MHP in the subsequent local elections, the AK Party won 44.33% of the vote, remaining the leading party.
The 7th Ordinary Congress process, launched with the theme “Walk the road you believe in,” began in the autumn but was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once restrictions eased, the process resumed, and on March 24, 2021, Erdoğan was reelected chair with all 1,428 valid votes.
For the 2023 elections, Erdoğan announced on March 10 that the vote would be moved from June 18 to May 14. In the first round of the presidential election, he received 49.52% of the vote, leading to a May 28 runoff, in which he prevailed with 52.18% of the vote. The AK Party won 35.62% of the parliamentary vote, taking 268 seats and retaining its status as Türkiye’s longest-serving ruling party since 1946.
On Oct. 7, 2023, at the 4th Extraordinary Congress, Erdoğan was reelected chair with all 1,399 valid votes. The Central Decision and Executive Board welcomed 49 new members, while 14 of the 18 Central Executive Board members retained their seats.
In the March 31, 2024, local elections, the AK Party won 35.49% of the vote, gaining 24 provincial and 357 district municipalities. After the results, Erdoğan stated that the party would “carefully weigh the messages from the ballot box with reason and conscience” and initiated a process of cadre renewal, replacing several provincial and district heads.
At the 8th Ordinary Congress on Feb. 23, 2025, 39 new members joined the 75-seat Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK), renewing more than half of the party’s top body. The congress also established three new presidencies for relations with Turkic states, health policies and culture and arts.
From its foundation to its 24th anniversary, the AK Party’s history has been marked by consecutive election victories, constitutional changes, resilience in the face of challenges and the enduring leadership of Erdoğan.
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