Politics
Iran accepts cease-fire as basis for ending war, FM tells Türkiye
Iran has accepted the cease-fire as a foundation for a complete end to the war and future talks with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan during a phone call.
Araghchi told Fidan that Iran accepted the cease-fire on the basis of its 10-point proposal, which will serve as the framework for negotiations with the United States.
Fidan held a phone call with Araghchi and expressed Türkiye’s satisfaction with the temporary cease-fire, Foreign Ministry sources said. He said Ankara would continue its efforts to establish a permanent peace.
Türkiye recently joined Pakistan and Egypt in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
After Araghchi, Fidan held a phone call with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. Sources said the two top diplomats discussed steps for elevating the temporary cease-fire to a permanent, regional truce.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a two-week cease-fire with Iran on Tuesday, saying Tehran presented a “workable” 10-point proposal for negotiations.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said the 10-point proposal delivered to the U.S. through Pakistani mediation includes a key U.S. commitment to non-aggression, continued Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz, acceptance of uranium enrichment, and the lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions.
The proposal also includes paying compensation to Iran, withdrawing U.S. combat forces from the region and ending the war on all fronts, including the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone call with Greek Foreign Minister Yorgo Gerapetritis on Thursday to discuss Israel’s attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla, Turkish diplomatic sources said.
Fidan and Gerapetritis spoke by phone earlier in the day, focusing on the reported Israeli attack targeting the Global Sumud Flotilla, a Gaza-bound aid mission, according to sources from Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry.
The two ministers exchanged views on the developments and their regional implications, particularly in light of rising tensions linked to Gaza.
No further details were immediately provided regarding the content of the discussions or any potential follow-up steps.
The call comes amid growing international reactions to the incident, which has drawn criticism and renewed attention to humanitarian access to Gaza.
Amid a debate over the future of NATO, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says there is a historic opportunity to confirm it, namely the alliance’s summit in the Turkish capital Ankara in July.
Addressing a conference at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna on Wednesday, Fidan said Türkiye’s strategic necessity was maintaining trans-Atlantic ties. “A more capable and more European NATO will be at the center of the debate at the summit,” he said.
After NATO allies refused to give him the support he was demanding in the Iran war, which he had begun without consulting or informing them, U.S. President Donald Trump openly questioned whether the U.S. should stand by NATO’s mutual defense pact and said he was considering leaving the alliance. Months earlier, he had laid claim to Greenland, an autonomous territory belonging to fellow NATO member Denmark. Trump will likely skip the summit while Europe looks to bolster its defenses with more multilateral partnerships outside and inside NATO.
Fidan said a new security architecture that will be established after the Russia-Ukraine conflict will demonstrate whether Europe will be safe as a whole, noting that the post-World War II security architecture has been under great pressure. He noted that Türkiye has been a NATO ally for more than seven decades, and it was Türkiye’s strategic necessity to sustain the ties.
He added that Europe was “bigger than the EU” and its security and defense initiatives should be coordinated carefully with NATO and non-EU partners. “On the other hand, we witness a contradicting weaponization of the EU’s joint security and foreign policy,” he complained.
A key partner of NATO, Türkiye will host the leaders’ summit of the alliance for the second time in more than two decades. Heads of state and top figures from member countries will attend the summit scheduled to be held on July 7-8. Some 6,000 participants are expected to participate in the event. Türkiye this year marks the 74th anniversary of its admission to NATO and boasts the second biggest army of the alliance. It is the only country in NATO’s “southern flank” with a sizeable military power and a gateway to the Middle East and wider Asia. Security of the Black Sea also largely depends on Türkiye, especially amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which threatens maritime security.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli in Ankara on Thursday, with talks focusing on Türkiye’s “terror-free” initiative and rising regional tensions linked to Iran.
Erdoğan hosted Bahçeli at the Presidential Complex in Beştepe for a meeting that lasted approximately 50 minutes, according to official sources.
The leaders discussed steps to advance Türkiye’s “terror-free” initiative, including potential legislative measures expected to be brought before Parliament. The talks covered efforts aimed at strengthening national security and eliminating terrorist threats.
Regional developments also featured prominently on the agenda, particularly escalating tensions in the Middle East and risks related to a possible Iran-linked conflict. Erdoğan and Bahçeli assessed the potential impact of regional instability on Türkiye’s border security and reviewed possible national measures to address emerging threats.
The meeting underscored continued coordination within the People’s Alliance on both domestic and foreign policy issues.
A parliamentary commission established after deadly school attacks in southeastern Türkiye will examine the incidents from a broad perspective, including security, education, family life, social media and the wider social environment, its chairperson said.
Yusuf Beyazıt, head of the Parliamentary Investigation Commission on the Causes of School Attacks and a ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) lawmaker from Tokat, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the panel aims to identify the underlying causes of the attacks and propose measures to prevent similar incidents.
“We will make efforts to reach a conclusion by also following studies around the world,” Beyazıt said. “Our road map includes visiting Şanlıurfa and Kahramanmaraş to assess the incidents on-site.”
The commission was formed in parliament following attacks on schools in Kahramanmaraş and Şanlıurfa. Beyazıt offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished a speedy recovery to the injured, saying the country had experienced deep sorrow.
He said all political parties supported the establishment of the parliamentary inquiry commission, which consists of 22 members. The commission held its first meeting and formed its administrative board.
Beyazıt said the incidents should not be assessed from a single angle, stressing that schools, families, social surroundings, children’s psychology, security measures and the influence of digital platforms all need to be considered together.
“When we focus only on one part and say ‘security,’ ‘education’ or ‘children,’ we may overlook the family, the environment, the school, society and the effects of social media on children,” he said. “We want to look at this issue holistically.”
He said the commission would not merely examine the consequences of the attacks, but also work to identify the factors that led to them.
The panel includes lawmakers with backgrounds in medicine, education and law, Beyazıt said, adding that the commission would gather information from relevant public institutions, civil society groups and experts.
“We will examine whatever factors may help prevent similar incidents,” he noted. “If legislative work is needed, we will make recommendations. We will also share various proposals with the relevant institutions and organizations.”
Beyazıt also underlined that the commission would also review the effects of social media, television and external influences on children, as well as teacher-student relations and communication between families and children.
He said the commission’s working schedule would be determined next week, including which experts and institutions would be invited to provide input.
“No one wants such incidents to happen again,” Beyazıt added. “The fire did not burn only where it fell. It burned all of Türkiye. It affected all of us deeply.”
Beyazıt said he plans to visit the graves of the children who lost their lives, along with members of the commission, before meeting with the families and injured students.
“These children went to school with cheerful feelings, only to receive an education,” he noted. “No one expected such pain that day. This is a very important issue, and it should not be viewed through a political lens.”
He stressed that children should be protected from harmful external influences and encouraged to take part in sports, arts and other constructive activities.
After completing its work, the commission will prepare a report and submit recommendations, including possible legislative proposals, Beyazıt said.
Recent school attacks in Kahramanmaraş and Şanlıurfa have accelerated work on a new social media regulation package, intensifying political momentum around digital child safety.
The measures have been on the agenda of lawmakers for some time now, but two school shootings earlier this month appear to be fast-tracking their passing. The second school shooting in the province of Kahramanmaraş by a 14-year-old boy sparked debate about social media. In the aftermath of the attack that killed 10 people, a barrage of online threats against schools was uncovered, and security forces found out that those behind the threats were mostly underage.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held talks with 27 foreign leaders and officials over the past month, with regional developments, particularly those related to Iran and the wider Middle East, dominating his diplomatic agenda.
The talks highlighted Türkiye’s active role in regional diplomacy, as Ankara continued efforts to position itself as a mediator in crises and a venue for dialogue.
Erdoğan held phone calls last month with U.S. President Donald Trump, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, French President Emmanuel Macron and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as part of efforts to discuss regional tensions and prospects for lasting peace in the Middle East.
He also spoke with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Hungary’s prime minister-elect, Peter Magyar.
Erdoğan’s diplomacy continued during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), held from April 17-19, where he met with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
In Antalya, Erdoğan also held talks with members of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Presidency Council, as well as the presidents of Slovenia, Moldova, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Comoros and Burundi.
He also received Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
This year, Türkiye hosted 6,400 participants from 150 different countries, including 23 heads of state, 13 vice presidents or prime ministers and 50 ministers, during the 5th ADF held on April 17-19 in Antalya. A total of 52 activities and sessions were organized during the forum, which was held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Politicians, diplomats, academics, students, journalists, lawmakers, security experts, businesspeople, activists and representatives of intergovernmental and civil society organizations discussed various regional and global issues.
Erdoğan later met in Istanbul with the presidents of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Somalia and North Macedonia.
The Turkish president also held separate talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of efforts to support peace between Moscow and Kyiv. He urged all sides to avoid steps that could escalate tensions, warning that attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea harm regional stability.
During the dialogues, the Turkish president reiterated that Ankara is ready to play a facilitating role in several regions, including Ukraine, Syria and Iran, and remains open to cooperation with its neighbors.
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), an ally of the Turkish government, has finalized its congress schedule, with local conventions set to begin May 7 ahead of its 15th Ordinary Grand Congress planned for March 7, 2027, a senior party official said Friday.
Deputy Chair Semih Yalçın said the process will start with district and provincial congresses, following a decision taken at the party’s Central Executive Board meeting on April 27.
“After the completion of the congress process, it has been deemed appropriate for the 15th Ordinary Grand Congress of the MHP to be held on Sunday, March 7, 2027,” Yalçın said in a written statement.
The congress process is expected to shape the party’s road map ahead of its 2027 gathering, where key leadership and policy decisions are anticipated. Delegates from across the country are expected to gather in Ankara to elect or reaffirm party leadership, set the party’s political vision and priorities and strengthen coordination between grassroots branches and central leadership.
Last month, the MHP announced that the party’s central branch in Istanbul and branches in the city’s 39 districts were dissolved, without citing a reason, and that a former district mayor was appointed as the new director of MHP’s Istanbul branch.
The MHP, one of the oldest nationalist parties in the country, has survived multiple splits, which led to the foundation of the Good Party (IP) and the Victory Party (ZP). It still stands strong in the polls, trailing behind the AK Party and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
This is not the first time that the party dissolved its Istanbul branches. All members of the branches were relieved of duties previously in 2014.
Highlighting the party’s long-standing role in Turkish politics, Yalçın said in his statement that the MHP has upheld its mission since its founding in 1969, drawing on national values and historical heritage.
He also underscored the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, first conceived by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli in October 2024, describing it as a turning point in the political landscape.
The initiative aims to end PKK terrorism that began in 1984 and has killed more than 40,000 people, sowing discord at home and spreading violence across borders into Iraq and Syria. The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU, halted attacks last year and said in May it had decided to dissolve itself in response to a February 2025 call by its imprisoned ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, to end its decades-long attacks. Parliament passed a parliamentary commission report in February this year that sets out a road map for legal reforms alongside the PKK’s disbandment.
According to Yalçın, the initiative has helped clarify political positions and strengthen unity, adding that the policy has gained broader backing with the support of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Yalçın said the initiative has received strong public support and reflects a wider societal rejection of violence as a political tool.
He also called on political actors to support efforts aimed at eliminating terrorism and strengthening national cohesion.
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