Politics
Turkish Cypriot official downplays Greek Cypriots’ NATO ambition
Ziya Öztürkler, speaker of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Parliament, dismissed Greek Cypriots’ aspirations for NATO membership as a “vain hope” during a meeting with a Turkish parliamentary delegation on Wednesday.
Öztürkler met with Hulusi Akar, chairperson of the Turkish Parliament’s National Defense Commission, and his accompanying delegation at the Parliament’s Honor Hall. The meeting included members of the TRNC Committee on Legal, Political and Foreign Affairs.
During a joint press conference following the talks, Öztürkler emphasized the “unshakable ties” between Türkiye and the TRNC, asserting that the presence of the Turkish military on the island is not open for debate.
“The Turkish soldier is the guarantor of peace in Cyprus,” Öztürkler said. “The rhetoric from the Greek Cypriot administration regarding NATO membership is a vain hope. Furthermore, the Turkish army is NATO’s largest (standing) army. We do not accept Greek Cypriot statements targeting Türkiye’s guarantorship or the presence of Turkish troops.”
Öztürkler also accused the Greek Cypriot side of violating international agreements by militarizing their side of the island, claiming they have “turned the island into an arsenal.”
Akar echoed these sentiments, describing the Cyprus issue as a “national cause” for Türkiye. He assured that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure the safety and security of the Turkish Cypriot people. “Whether it be aircraft or defense elements, everything is in its necessary place,” Akar said.
Akar also condemned the European Parliament for hosting an event marking the anniversary of the founding of EOKA, an organization Türkiye and the TRNC classify as a terrorist group. He criticized those who support EOKA while ignoring the rights of Turkish Cypriots.
“No one should make a miscalculation,” Akar added. “Türkiye and the TRNC are always together.”
The war led by Israel against regional countries is imposing a growing cost on the entire world, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday, warning that escalating tensions, including disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, are pushing the global economy into turmoil, as its consequences are being felt far beyond the Middle East.
“As the war drags on, new complications continue to emerge,” Erdoğan told a news conference after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, pointing to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a development that has already caused serious turbulence in the global economy.
Highlighting the strategic importance of the waterway, through which roughly 20% of global energy trade passes, Erdoğan warned that disruptions have forced some countries to take measures to reduce fuel consumption.
He emphasized that the economic burden of the conflict is growing by the day, underlining the urgent need to bring the war to an end.
Erdoğan also called for immediate action against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his circle, describing them as responsible for ongoing violence and urging all countries to adopt a bold and proactive stance for the sake of regional peace and humanity.
Türkiye, he said, has been among the countries accurately assessing the developments and acting with “state wisdom,” while maintaining a balanced and principled position.
“We are determined to keep our country outside the ring of fire,” Erdoğan added, warning against the risk of the conflict turning into a prolonged war of attrition among regional states.
He stressed that Türkiye does not want to see the conflict expand further, reiterating Ankara’s call for de-escalation and a swift resolution.
Erdoğan’s remarks come amid growing concerns over the broader economic and geopolitical consequences of the war, as energy markets and global trade routes face increasing pressure.
Türkiye, a neighbor of Iran and a NATO ally of the United States, has been keen on defusing the conflict. Türkiye, Pakistan and Egypt passed messages between Washington and Tehran over the weekend, U.S.-based Axios reported Monday.
Türkiye, Egypt and Pakistan are seeking a mediator role for bringing together U.S. and Iranian officials, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Turkish officials did not comment on the report, although Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has recently acknowledged diplomatic efforts to end the U.S.-Israel-Iran war.
The report says three countries aimed to have a meeting arranged between the U.S. and Iran within the next 48 hours, before U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline to Iran for strikes on energy infrastructure expires on Saturday. Daily Sabah reached out to the Foreign Ministry for a comment. The ministry did not comment on the matter but pointed out to a week of phone diplomacy by Minister Hakan Fidan. Fidan, who recently toured the Gulf countries affected by the war for talks on the conflict, has been busy with a diplomatic blitz to secure peace between the sides. He has engaged in talks with many counterparts, from Iran’s Abbas Araghchi to Egypt’s Badr Abdelatty, as well as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and U.S. officials.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed his country’s readiness to host “conclusive” U.S.-Iran talks. On Monday, Sharif also spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, where he expressed solidarity with the Iranian people and called for “collective” efforts to reduce tensions in the Middle East.
Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, has emerged as a key intermediary between Washington and Tehran, with Islamabad signaling readiness to host talks if both sides agree. A 15-point U.S. peace plan, delivered via Pakistan, outlines steps addressing Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs as well as maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a New York Times report.
Hostilities in the region have escalated since a joint U.S.-Israeli offensive on Iran, which has killed over 1,340 people since Feb. 28. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are hosting “U.S. military assets.”
Türkiye, a neighbor of Iran and a NATO ally of the United States, has been keen on defusing the conflict. Türkiye, Pakistan and Egypt passed messages between Washington and Tehran over the weekend, U.S.-based Axios reported Monday.
The war led by Israel against regional countries is imposing a growing cost on the entire world, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday, warning that escalating tensions, including disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, are pushing the global economy into turmoil, as its consequences are being felt far beyond the Middle East.
“As the war drags on, new complications continue to emerge,” Erdoğan told a news conference after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, pointing to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a development that has already caused serious turbulence in the global economy.
Highlighting the strategic importance of the waterway, through which roughly 20% of global energy trade passes, Erdoğan warned that disruptions have forced some countries to take measures to reduce fuel consumption.
He emphasized that the economic burden of the conflict is growing by the day, underlining the urgent need to bring the war to an end.
Erdoğan also called for immediate action against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his circle, describing them as responsible for ongoing violence and urging all countries to adopt a bold and proactive stance for the sake of regional peace and humanity.
Türkiye, he said, has been among the countries accurately assessing the developments and acting with “state wisdom,” while maintaining a balanced and principled position.
“We are determined to keep our country outside the ring of fire,” Erdoğan added, warning against the risk of the conflict turning into a prolonged war of attrition among regional states.
He stressed that Türkiye does not want to see the conflict expand further, reiterating Ankara’s call for de-escalation and a swift resolution.
Erdoğan’s remarks come amid growing concerns over the broader economic and geopolitical consequences of the war, as energy markets and global trade routes face increasing pressure.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry delegation met Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti in Monrovia on Tuesday for a meeting focused on the establishment of a Turkish Embassy in the Liberian capital and a mutual step by Liberia in Türkiye.
Türkiye and Liberia had little diplomatic contact before the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) came to power more than a decade ago. Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye undertook an ambitious “Africa opening” to develop relations with the continent. Liberia is among the few countries for which Türkiye does not have a diplomatic mission. The Turkish Embassy in Accra, Ghana, was accredited to Liberia in 2013, while the Liberian Embassy in Brussels is accredited to Türkiye.
As part of its foreign policy toward the continent, Türkiye increased the number of its embassies in Africa from 12 in 2002 to 44 by 2024. African countries also increased their embassies in Türkiye, and the number of African embassies in Ankara rose from 10 in 2008 to 38 in 2024.
The Liberian media outlets reported that Nyanti met the delegation led by senior diplomat Mustafa Kemal Basa and expressed the importance of strengthening bilateral ties and expanding economic cooperation between Türkiye and Liberia. Basa, quoted by the Liberian media outlets, said President Erdoğan fast-tracked processes for the opening of the embassy and requested allocation of land for an embassy building while inviting Liberia to set up an embassy in Ankara and a consulate in Istanbul.
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), addressed his party’s parliamentary group meeting in Ankara on Tuesday. The terror-free Türkiye initiative and the U.S.-Israel-Iran war dominated Bahçeli’s speech as he linked the two issues to each other.
The veteran politician stated that the ongoing war indicated that “no adversary power has a chance of success without first dissolving a people and a nation from within. It confirmed that our goal of a terror-free Türkiye is both a blessing from Allah and the wise reason of the Turkish nation’s noble and effective will across the tripod of history, culture and sovereignty.”
The initiative launched in 2024 with a historic speech by Bahçeli and found support from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which forms the People’s Alliance along with the MHP. Bahçeli’s call to PKK jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan to order his group to lay down arms was followed by a landmark statement by Öcalan in February 2025, urging the PKK to dissolve itself. The PKK complied and is currently in the process of abandoning arms. Proponents of the initiative reason that disarming the PKK will cement unity between Turks and Kurds, the latter of whom were exploited by the PKK, claiming to fight for a so-called Kurdish self-rule in southeastern Türkiye.
“We have once again seen and demonstrated that our internal peace and atmosphere of tranquility, strengthened by national unity and brotherhood, are our greatest resistance and assurance. We are more eager than ever to rot, one by one, the seeds of discord that some seek to sow among us,” Bahçeli said on Tuesday.
Emphasizing that their goal is a “stronger Türkiye,” Bahçeli added that “a new opportunity has arisen for our state to become a global power.”
“The attainment of a lasting, inclusive peace and a festive atmosphere for Türkiye and the countries of the region will be achieved primarily through solidarity and cooperation. We want wars to end in Turkic-Islamic countries. We can no longer tolerate the massacre of innocents, children, defenseless people, and civilians; we wish for this oppression to end. We are in an understanding and longing for the glory and honor of the crescent, the call of honor for unity and vitality to prevail in the skies, rather than the trails of missiles,” he said.
U.N. lost
Bahçeli also lamented what he called the loss of legal function of the United Nations. “It is helpless and miserable,” he said, referring to inaction in the face of a U.S.-Israel-Iran war. He termed U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran as “unjust,” adding that reciprocal statements by the U.S., Israel and Iran undermined hopes for peace.
Reporting that the strike on Iran’s strategically important South Pars Gas Field and the Natanz Nuclear Facility, followed by Iran’s retaliation against oil refineries in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as Israel’s nuclear sites at Arad and Dimona, has pushed tensions to a peak, Bahçeli said the world was going through a World War III scenario.
“Targeting Iran’s religious leaders and top figures with precision strikes not only expands hostility but also deepens conflicts and polarizations that will last for many years. Since Feb. 28, it has been understood that the Islamic Republic of Iran is not an easy target. The people of Iran, standing by the regime and state leadership and uniting as one heart, have formed a virtual wall against the attacks.
Israeli regime must fall
Noting that Türkiye is sincerely pursuing peaceful solutions against the attacks by the U.S. and Israel targeting Iran, Bahçeli praised the government for its efforts to that extent.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan intensified diplomatic efforts Monday, holding separate calls with his Egyptian, Norwegian and Pakistani counterparts to coordinate international pressure to halt the war involving Iran, Turkish diplomatic sources said. Fidan’s conversations with Egypt’s Badr Abdelatty and Norway’s Espen Barth Eide focused on efforts aimed at stopping the Iranian war, the sources said. In another phone call with Pakistan’s Ishaq Dar, the two ministers exchanged views on the latest situation in the war, the sources added.
Türkiye, Pakistan and Egypt passed messages between Washington and Tehran over the past two days to mediate talks, U.S.-based Axios reported Monday, citing an American source. Türkiye’s top diplomat was also engaged in phone diplomacy Sunday with his counterparts across the world, days after he joined a meeting of top diplomats of the Gulf countries on the conflict, which spilled over to the entire region. Türkiye, a neighbor of Iran and a NATO ally of the United States, has been keen on defusing the conflict.
Emphasizing that the international community must “stop watching the war from the sidelines,” Bahçeli stated that every country, including some Islamic nations, should take inspiration from the “honorable, principled, and brave” stance of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
Stating that the war must stop, guns must fall silent, and diplomacy must come to the fore, Bahçeli said Israel has turned into a death machine.
“The real regime change, the real management change, must take place in Israel. This should be the first agenda item of the U.S. president. Israel’s penetration into the U.S. administration and its shaping of decision-making bodies, in one way or another, is a great danger and a direct insult to the American people,” he said.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance, values or position of Daily Sabah. The newspaper provides space for diverse perspectives as part of its commitment to open and informed public discussion.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan chaired a meeting of his Cabinet on Tuesday. The first meeting of ministers after two weeks focuses on the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran war and the economic situation.
Media outlets reported that the main agenda of the meeting was the conflict that raged across the region and how Iran responded to the attacks of the U.S. and Israel. Türkiye itself saw several missiles landing on its territories, though Iran denied firing them. The incoming missiles intercepted by NATO batteries will also be on the agenda of the meeting, and the government will review air defense measures.
The global and regional economic impacts of the war will be discussed in detail during the meeting. The rise in oil prices and its repercussions on the Turkish economy will be evaluated. Additional measures that can be taken to counter the pressure of rising costs on inflation and to maintain price stability are also among the important topics of the meeting.
Media outlets reported that the country was monitoring Greece’s military moves in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, and reports of arms shipments to “demilitarized” Greek islands in the Aegean will also be discussed.
Additionally, the meeting will evaluate the work carried out in the terror-free Türkiye initiative for the disarmament of the terrorist group PKK. Legal steps to carry the initiative forward, which will be on the agenda of the Turkish Parliament in the coming days, will also be discussed.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance, values or position of Daily Sabah. The newspaper provides space for diverse perspectives as part of its commitment to open and informed public discussion.
Turkish investigators probing corruption at the northwestern Bolu Municipality say millions of liras intended for student scholarships were instead spent on cat and dog food, possibly to funnel or conceal funds through a local charity associated with jailed Mayor Tanju Özcan, according to a financial report.
The Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) said Tuesday that the Bolu Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation (BOLSEV) transferred TL 6.8 million ($155,000) to Manisa-based Hermos Gıda in 2025 and purchased over TL 10 million ($227,000) in pet food, despite the foundation’s stated mission to support students.
Auditors noted that roughly half of the food was returned, generating TL 5 million ($114,000) in return invoices, a pattern MASAK called “notable” and inconsistent with charitable purposes.
MASAK found that of TL 116.8 million ($2.6 million) in revenue for 2024–2025, only TL 11.9 million ($271,000) went to student scholarships.
The foundation also purchased four new vehicles valued at more than TL 11.3 million ($257,000).
The irregular spending could trigger criminal charges, including embezzlement and misuse of public or charitable funds, and investigators are examining links to companies previously flagged for tax irregularities.
The report also examined transactions by Özcan’s son, Can Özcan, whose high-volume financial activity was deemed “inconsistent” with his age and professional experience.
MASAK concluded the unusual spending patterns highlight the potential diversion of charitable funds for purposes unrelated to the foundation’s mission, raising serious concerns in the ongoing corruption probe.
Özcan and his deputy were arrested earlier in March in an investigation into alleged extortion by coercion at his municipality. The mayor has since been suspended from office.
CHP-run municipalities across Türkiye are mired in corruption allegations. Most cases have been in Istanbul. The city’s mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, was arrested in March 2025 in a wide-ranging probe where he is accused of running a criminal network thriving on bribes and tender-rigging.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance, values or position of Daily Sabah. The newspaper provides space for diverse perspectives as part of its commitment to open and informed public discussion.
‘World paying price for Israel’s war, action needed against Netanyahu’
President Erdoğan wrote the introduction of the book “Nevruz, the Common Heritage of the Turkish World”
Türkiye joins Egypt, Pakistan to get US-Iran talks going: Report
‘World paying price for Israel’s war, action needed against Netanyahu’
President Erdoğan wrote the introduction of the book “Nevruz, the Common Heritage of the Turkish World”
Türkiye joins Egypt, Pakistan to get US-Iran talks going: Report
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