Escalating tensions around the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran are raising concerns about disruptions to global energy and food supply chains, with experts saying Türkiye could emerge as a key stabilizing actor by helping establish alternative trade corridors.

The narrow waterway, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, handles a significant share of global oil, liquefied natural gas and fertilizer shipments. Any prolonged disruption to traffic there could ripple across global markets, increasing energy costs, agricultural production expenses and ultimately food prices.

Analysts say the evolving crisis may also open a diplomatic and logistical space for Türkiye to leverage its geographic position and mediation experience to help ensure the continued flow of essential commodities.

Bülent Gülçubuk, a professor at Ankara University’s Faculty of Agriculture, said the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz extends far beyond energy markets and directly affects the global food system.

Roughly one-fifth of global oil trade passes through the strait, along with a substantial portion of liquefied natural gas shipments, he said, adding that the resulting impact on energy prices inevitably feeds into agricultural costs.

“Agriculture in Türkiye and around the world is highly dependent on energy,” Gülçubuk said in comments to Anadolu Agency (AA). “Fuel, electricity, irrigation, fertilizer production, cold-chain logistics, storage and transportation are all directly linked to energy costs.”

Because of this structural dependence, any crisis affecting energy routes such as the Strait of Hormuz could trigger sudden increases in agricultural production costs and global food prices, he said.

According to Gülçubuk, countries with fragile food security systems, particularly developing economies that rely heavily on agriculture, would likely be the most affected by such price shocks.

At the same time, he said, geopolitical crises can also create opportunities for countries with strong logistical networks and diplomatic capacity to assume a more active role in maintaining global trade flows.

“In this geopolitical environment, Türkiye has the potential to take on an important role both regionally and globally,” he said.

Gülçubuk pointed to Türkiye’s role in facilitating the Black Sea Grain Initiative during the Russia-Ukraine war as an example of its ability to act as a mediator and logistics hub during global supply disruptions.

He said a similar approach could be considered in response to potential disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz.

“Türkiye could once again assume a mission to establish an energy and food corridor, helping safeguard global food security and contributing to stability,” he said.

Situated at the crossroads of the Black Sea, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, Türkiye’s geographic location and transportation infrastructure position it as a natural bridge for energy flows and agricultural trade, Gülçubuk added.

With its port infrastructure, storage capacity and established commercial networks, Türkiye could serve as a regional distribution hub for strategic commodities, he said.

Such a role would not only strengthen the country’s own food security but also contribute to stabilizing global markets during periods of uncertainty, he added.

Zeki Bayramoğlu, head of the Agricultural Economics Department at Selçuk University’s Faculty of Agriculture, said the latest tensions in the Gulf have once again exposed structural vulnerabilities in the global food supply chain.

While international markets have largely focused on rising oil prices, Bayramoğlu said agricultural economists are particularly concerned about fertilizer supply security.

“The strategic importance of Hormuz goes far beyond energy,” he said.

According to data from June 2025, about 33% of globally traded fertilizer, including sulfur and ammonia, passes through the Strait of Hormuz, Bayramoğlu said. On a monthly basis, shipments from the region range between 3 million and 3.9 million metric tons.

Of that amount, roughly 1.5 million to 1.8 million tons consist of sulfur and between 1.2 million and 1.5 million tons are urea, he said.

Major regional exporters including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iran ranked among the world’s leading nitrogen fertilizer exporters in 2024, together accounting for about 25% of global nitrogen exports.

Bayramoğlu said modern agriculture’s reliance on fertilizers makes the sector particularly vulnerable to disruptions in these supply chains.

If the Strait of Hormuz were to close completely, global sulfur supply could shrink by about 44% and urea supply by around 30%, he warned.

He also noted that for large cargo vessels, there is effectively no practical alternative route that could replace the Strait of Hormuz.

“Global agricultural policies must therefore prioritize not only increasing production but also diversifying fertilizer supply security, reducing dependence on energy inputs and developing alternative trade corridors,” Bayramoğlu said.

He added that the structural similarities between the 2022 Black Sea crisis and the current tensions in the Gulf are noteworthy.

In both cases, a critical maritime corridor for agricultural inputs and food shipments has been threatened during an active conflict environment, disrupting global trade flows, he said.

Bayramoğlu suggested that a mechanism inspired by the Black Sea Grain Initiative, potentially called a “Food and Fertilizer Safe Passage Initiative,” could be established.

Rather than creating a militarized maritime corridor, such a mechanism could coordinate commercial transit arrangements for ships carrying food and fertilizer, bringing together importing countries, exporting companies, logistics firms and international organizations, he said.

He added that such a platform could potentially operate from Istanbul, drawing on Türkiye’s diplomatic credibility and mediation experience.

However, Bayramoğlu cautioned that the success of such an initiative would depend both on Ankara’s strategic determination and on the willingness of multiple international actors to support a diplomatic solution.

“Diplomatic windows are temporary by nature,” he said. “They require technical preparation and political will to emerge at the same time.”

Almost one year after his arrest, Istanbul’s former mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, clashed with the presiding judge on Monday in a chaotic start to a sweeping corruption trial involving more than 400 defendants tied to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

Imamoğlu, 55, demanded permission to speak at the start of the proceedings, but the judge refused as the court began hearing procedural motions from defense lawyers representing the hundreds of suspects.

Imamoğlu is accused of leading a criminal organization for profit, involving tender-rigging and bribery. He and his main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deny the corruption charges, which carry prison sentences amounting to over 2,000 years.

After Imamoğlu was escorted into the courtroom, the court began taking procedural requests from lawyers. His attorney said the former mayor wanted to deliver a brief three- or four-paragraph greeting to supporters and colleagues present in the courtroom.

The presiding judge rejected the request, saying there was no such procedure during criminal trials.

“Does such a greeting happen in other trials? You cannot take the floor right now. You cannot simply get up and come to the podium to request to speak,” the judge said.

When Imamoğlu insisted, saying “I want to speak,” the judge responded: “You cannot. Turn off the microphone.”

Imamoğlu then walked to the podium and shouted, without a microphone, that he wanted the floor. The judge warned him that he could not continue in that manner.

The exchange prompted protests from some lawyers and spectators attending the hearing.

The court later stated that the defendant had come to the podium despite not being granted permission to speak and had continued talking despite repeated warnings. The judge cautioned that if Imamoğlu continued to disrupt court order, he could be removed from the courtroom.

The tense atmosphere escalated when one defense lawyer complained that the list of defendants scheduled to present their defense had not been formally shared with the legal teams but had instead appeared in a newspaper report.

As murmurs and protests grew among spectators, the presiding judge warned the audience.

“This trial cannot proceed with applause and slogans in the courtroom,” the judge said, adding that the gallery would be emptied if the disruptions continued.

When reactions persisted, the judge ordered gendarmerie officers to clear the courtroom. The judicial panel then left the chamber, and the hearing was adjourned until 1:30 p.m.

Charges

Prosecutors say Imamoğlu headed a criminal organization that coordinated bribery, bid-rigging and fraud schemes connected to municipal contracts, along with money laundering and other offenses.

The indictment names 407 suspects in total, including more than 100 who remain in detention and several fugitives. Prosecutors say the alleged network included senior municipal officials and business figures who worked within a structured hierarchy.

According to the indictment, the organization operated through different branches responsible for various activities linked to municipal tenders and financial transactions.

Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences ranging from 849 years to more than 2,400 years for Imamoğlu if he is convicted on all charges.

The case also includes accusations against several other municipal officials and administrators alleged to have played leadership roles within the network.

Some suspects who prosecutors describe as senior members of the organization have provided information about the group’s structure after their arrest and may be eligible for reduced sentences under provisions for cooperating defendants.

The trial, which involves hundreds of defendants and dozens of alleged offenses, is expected to continue for months as the court hears testimony and examines evidence related to one of the largest corruption investigations involving a Turkish municipality in recent years.

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France on Monday denounced the launch of a ballistic missile from Iran toward Türkiye, calling on Tehran to immediately stop what it described as unjustified attacks in the region.

“France condemns in the strongest possible terms the Iranian missile launch that was intercepted in Turkish airspace by the missile defense system of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),” France’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement added that Paris stands alongside its allies and partners “who have been drawn into the conflict against their will.” Both France and Türkiye are longstanding members of the NATO alliance.

“Iran must cease unjustified strikes targeting states in the region,” it added.

The Defense Ministry said Monday that a ballistic missile that was fired from Iran into Turkish airspace was neutralized by NATO air and missile defense assets deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The ministry said some debris from the missile fell onto vacant land in the country’s southeastern Gaziantep province, adding that there were no casualties or injuries.

The development came amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, launched on Feb. 28, which have so far killed more than 1,200 people, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries that are home to U.S. military assets.

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Almost one year after his arrest, Istanbul’s former mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, will make his first appearance at the hearing of a sprawling corruption case. The popular figure of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) will join more than 400 defendants in the trial in Istanbul on Monday.

Dubbed “corruption of the century” by some Turkish media outlets, Imamoğlu and his associates at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) are accused of involvement in 143 acts of bribery and corruption. Their actions cost the public TL 161 billion ($3.65 billion), according to the prosecutors.

The businessman-turned-mayor faces prison terms up to 2,352 years for multiple instances of the corruption that mainly revolves around bribery accusations from businesspeople in exchange of operating, construction permits and accusations of widespread rigging in lucrative tenders of the municipality.

The trial, which is expected to take about two months before the court reaches a verdict or decides on postponing it to another date, will take place inside a courtroom in the Marmara courthouse-prison complex where Imamoğlu and others are being held since March 2025.

In their indictment of 3,806 pages, prosecutors named Imamoğlu as the leader of a criminal ring thriving on corruption. The court will question the mayor, the municipal bureaucrats and people doing business with the municipality on accusations of taking luxury residences as bribes and stacks of cash stored in a currency exchange office, which were reportedly illicit gains of the “Imamoğlu gang” and alleged secret transfer of bribe money from lucrative excavation businesses to abroad. Imamoğlu is among the 105 defendants who are in pre-trial custody while seven defendants remain at large. Other defendants were earlier released pending trial.

Along with corruption accusations, Imamoğlu faces charges of illegally obtaining personal data, money laundering and deliberate pollution of environment, related to other crimes he is accused of, such as alleged sale of personal information of Istanbul’s residents through a municipality app.

The indictment says Imamoğlu’s criminal organization was similar to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which is notorious for its infiltration into public institutions. Prosecutors say a network similar to FETÖ’s cells was established by Imamoğlu and others at the Istanbul municipality and district municipalities (also run by the CHP) of Türkiye’s most populated city. The suspects used counter-intelligence tactics to avoid detection, the prosecutors say.

The mayor both sought personal enrichment and buying his way toward the full control of the CHP, the indictment says. Imamoğlu was picked as a future presidential candidate of the CHP after his arrest. Prior to an intra-party election in the CHP in 2023, Imamoğlu was caught red-handed as he lobbied for the ouster of the party’s chair, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. He is named in another trial on alleged vote-buying in the intra-party election where he and others are accused of offering cash to delegates in exchange for votes for the Kılıçdaroğlu rival Özgür Özel. The “personal enrichment” cited by prosecutors includes three villas in Istanbul’s upscale Emirgan neighborhood worth TL 1.5 billion, which were not included in declaration of assets by mayoral candidates at the elections. The indictment also includes witness statements on a private jet, which made multiple flights abroad to carry cash accumulated by Imamoğlu’s criminal ring to London. The flights between 2022 and 2025 were arranged by Murat Gülibrahimoğlu, a fugitive defendant in the case.

The indictment reveals that Taç Döviz, a firm named in a separate money laundering investigation, acted as a “custodian” for the criminal proceeds of the ring led by Imamoğlu.

Although the mayor is facing a slew of legal cases, Monday’s trial is by far the biggest. In a separate case, Imamoğlu is facing an even more significant legal obstacle: a lawsuit challenging the validity of his university degree, a constitutional requirement for presidential candidates.

Imamoğlu maintained his innocence in remarks made to public before the trial began, though he did not offer an elaborate defense, apparently saving it for the trial. His party also claims that the trial is politically motivated, pointing to the arrests of other CHP mayors before and after Imamoğlu’s arrest. In all cases, mayors were arrested on charges of corruption and some cases were directly linked to Imamoğlu himself. The main opposition staged rallies every evening in a different city after Imamoğlu’s arrest, to protest it and other cases.

Some suspects who collaborated with authorities as part of a plea deal claimed Imamoğlu sought to fund his campaign for the presidency through bribes.

System of corruption

Ertan Yıldız, the former head of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s department overseeing the subsidiaries, was among those collaborating with authorities. Speaking to the Yeni Şafak newspaper in an interview published on Sunday, Yıldız detailed the “system” of corruption. “Imamoğlu always wanted to be president. It is not an evil goal but it matters how you try to achieve it. If Imamoğlu did not get himself into (this corruption), he would be a strong presidential contender. He did not have to do this, he did not have to be greedy,” he said.

Yıldız said Imamoğlu and his associates earned “resources” through lucrative tenders, especially on road maintenance and excavation. He said Gülibrahimoğlu was behind the usage of the vast Cebeci mining field for dumping construction leftovers. “This place was supposed to be run by a municipal subsidiary but was leased to another company and was unregulated. They launched tenders but the dumping was uncontrolled. They had a partnership of corruption, between Gülibrahimoğlu, Fatih Keleş and Ibrahim Bülbüllü,” he said, referring to other municipal figures.

“Overall, they had a lucrative system bringing in $150 million to 200 million yearly. They used to earn cash from minor tenders in the past but over time, they reaped more elsewhere,” he said, pointing out to reconstruction or construction permits at scenic Bosporus route of Istanbul. “They took bribes of $1 million for permits. All were delivered in bags,” he said.

He said Gülibrahimoğlu earned $10 million-20 million from the Cebeci mining field and when he objected to his schemes to funnel cash to his company, he complained. “But Imamoğlu supported him,” he claimed.

Digging deeper into an alleged criminal network run by Imamoğlu and expanding another investigation linked to a businessperson whom the district municipalities had awarded lucrative contracts, investigators launched further operations, rounding up municipal bureaucrats and other mayors throughout 2025.

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Vera Çelik, a 20-year-old Turkish Swiss candidate, has become the first headscarf-wearing member elected to Zurich’s municipal council, marking a milestone for political representation and religious freedom in Switzerland.

Çelik was elected from Zurich’s 10th District as a representative of the Social Democratic Party (SP), according to official election results on Sunday. She secured 4,772 votes in the municipal council race.

Currently training as a dental assistant, Çelik is the first politician in Zurich to serve on the city council while wearing a headscarf.

Her election has drawn attention both within Switzerland and among the Turkish community, where it has been widely welcomed as a significant moment for political participation and diversity.

Çelik has been active in campaigns addressing social justice issues and discrimination, including advocacy against headscarf restrictions and anti-Muslim sentiment in Switzerland.

She has also been involved in debates within the Social Democratic Party over workplace equality. Her efforts contributed to discussions that resulted in a party congress decision supporting the right of teachers to wear headscarves in schools.

The young politician has frequently appeared in Swiss media in recent years while speaking out against policies and rhetoric targeting Muslim women, particularly those who wear headscarves.

Her election from Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city, was greeted with celebration among many members of the Turkish community in the country, who see it as a step toward greater representation of minorities in local politics.

Turkish Ambassador to Bern Şebnem İncesu called Çelik to congratulate her after the election results were announced and also sent a message to her father, Ömür Çelik, a journalist and the publisher of the Turkish-language Post newspaper in Switzerland.

“There could not have been a better gift on International Women’s Day,” Incesu said, referring to March 8.

Türkiye’s consul general in Zurich, Fazlı Çorman, also congratulated Çelik by phone and wished her success in her new role.

Municipal councils in Switzerland play a key role in local governance, overseeing issues such as urban planning, education, social services and community policy.

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Türkiye’s foreign and defense ministers will brief Parliament on Tuesday about U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, escalating tensions in the Middle East and measures taken by Ankara in response, according to parliamentary sources.

According to the information obtained by Anadolu Agency (AA) reporters, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister Yasar Güler are expected to address lawmakers at Parliament under Article 59 of the parliamentary bylaws, which allows ministers to provide information to Parliament on significant national and international developments.

The briefing will take place during Tuesday’s General Assembly session, where the ministers are expected to outline the latest developments in the Middle East, including the risk of the conflict spreading and its potential impact on regional security.

Parliament will decide after the session opens whether the briefing will be held behind closed doors. The meeting is widely expected to take place in a closed session, parliamentary sources said.

If the session is closed, journalists and visitors will not be allowed inside the General Assembly hall, and rooms adjacent to the chamber will be cleared and sealed for the duration of the meeting.

Following the ministers’ briefing, the closed session will end and lawmakers will resume the parliamentary agenda in an open session.

Records and summaries of closed parliamentary sessions can only be made public after 10 years under parliamentary rules.

Israel further expanded its heavy bombardment of Iran overnight Sunday, carrying out waves of strikes on civilian infrastructure, including fuel depots near Tehran, as fighting escalated on day 10 of the U.S.-Israeli campaign.

Lebanon was also drawn into the Middle East war last week, when Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during U.S.-Israeli strikes.

Lebanese authorities said nearly 400 people have been killed over the past week as Israel struck a hotel in central Beirut on Sunday, marking the first attack on the city center since the latest war against Hezbollah began.

Previous briefing sessions

Türkiye’s parliament has previously held several closed sessions on regional security issues. On Oct. 12, 2023, Fidan briefed lawmakers in a closed session on Israel’s military operations in Gaza.

Fidan and Güler also addressed parliament on Jan. 16, 2024, regarding a terrorist attack in the area of Operation Claw-Lock, which was conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in northern Iraq and the broader security situation in the region.

In another closed session on Oct. 8, 2024, the two ministers briefed lawmakers on developments surrounding Israel’s military actions in Lebanon.

Fidan also spoke before parliament on Aug. 29, 2025, during an extraordinary session convened to discuss Israel’s war in Gaza and the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories.

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