Italian experts said Türkiye remains an important partner for Europe in areas ranging from diplomacy to defense, arguing that Ankara should be viewed as part of the solution rather than a source of instability for the European Union.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on the sidelines of a conference in Rome on Türkiye-Italy relations and their EU dimension, Stefano Braghiroli, an associate professor at the University of Tartu in Estonia, and Andrea Locatelli, a professor at Milan’s Catholic University, assessed Türkiye’s role in Europe and recent remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Braghiroli said Türkiye’s participation in NATO’s Steadfast Dart 26 exercise and its presence in the Baltics were viewed positively from a security perspective.

Referring to von der Leyen’s comments, Braghiroli said they were “certainly not wise words.”

He underlined that Türkiye has a different status from China and Russia because it is both an EU candidate country and a partner of the bloc.

“Russia today is literally trying to dismantle the EU,” Braghiroli said. “I do not want to use the term ‘enemy,’ but it is a rival and perhaps the most important opposing actor for the EU.”

He noted China is not an opponent but is also “certainly not a partner,” describing it as an actor that must be managed.

“As for Türkiye, despite all bilateral problems, which of course must be addressed and managed, I think Türkiye is not part of the problem but part of the solution,” he said.

Locatelli said Europe is going through a difficult period and that greater military cooperation is needed not only among European states but also with other countries in response to threats and challenges from outside the continent.

He said Italy’s cooperation with Japan and the United Kingdom on a sixth-generation fighter jet project demonstrated this approach.

Cooperation with Türkiye, particularly in the development of unmanned aerial vehicle technologies through the partnership between Baykar and Leonardo, is also a key element, Locatelli said.

“I think every effort in this direction is a step in the right direction,” he said. “Undermining these initiatives would certainly not be useful.”

Türkiye and Italy have enjoyed a positive momentum in bilateral ties in recent years, which was particularly demonstrated in closer defense cooperation as the Turkish drone giant Baykar launched a joint venture with Leonardo last year.

Italy, with a 4.5% share in Türkiye’s total exports, stood as the fourth largest export destination for Ankara in 2025.

Speaking last month at an event marking the 80th anniversary of German newspaper Die Zeit in Hamburg, von der Leyen said the EU should complete the European continent so that it does not fall under “Russian, Turkish or Chinese influence.”

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The Greek-Turkish rivalry in the Mediterranean Sea stretched toward Libya in 2019 when Türkiye signed a maritime accord with the North African country.

Speaking on Sunday, a week after Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis visited Libya, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece and Libya agreed to advance discussions through technical committees for delimitation of the continental shelf and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

One year after the Tripoli-based government’s deal with Ankara, Libya and Greece agreed to form a joint technical committee for maritime delimitation. Last year, tensions between Athens and Tripoli escalated when Greece launched an international tender for oil and gas exploration south of the island of Crete, in an area disputed with Libya.

Türkiye’s 2019 maritime boundary agreement with Libya includes provisions for Turkish hydrocarbon exploration within Libya’s territorial waters, but it is still not fully implemented. In 2022, the two countries signed a hydrocarbon memorandum of understanding, paving the way for Turkish companies to conduct seismic surveys and drilling operations.

The agreement took a new turn on June 25, 2025, when the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) signed a memorandum of understanding with Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) for a 2D seismic survey in the Libyan waters. Under the memorandum, the TPAO will conduct surveys in four offshore blocks off the Libyan coast, over an area covering 10,000 kilometers (6,214 miles). The data collected during the surveys will be processed within nine months.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Ekrem Imamoğlu, the disgraced former mayor of Istanbul for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), attempted to disrupt the court on the 31st day of his trial in Istanbul on charges of corruption.

The new week of the trial against what prosecutors call “the Imamoğlu criminal organization” began in the city’s Silivri district in the early hours of Monday with testimony of Ahmet Güldü, one of the defendants. Barın Kaya, a lawyer for one of the co-defendants, intervened in and accused the judges of not heeding their demands. The chief judge of the trial told the lawyer to wait for the turn of his defendant. However, a heated argument broke out in the hearing anyway. When the judges accused lawyers of disrespect, tensions escalated. In the face of the developments, the chief judge ordered the suspension of the hearing.

As the defendants and plaintiffs were leaving, Imamoğlu and his lawyer, Mehmet Pehlivan, defied the judge. The former mayor insisted on not leaving the court and requested the gendarmerie troops providing security to “force” him out. Imamoğlu was among the last ones to leave while gendarmerie troops waited. On his way out, he claimed that it was the judges who tried to drag down the trial.

The corruption investigation into Imamoğlu, who was suspended from his post as Istanbul metropolitan mayor and jailed, was completed with the preparation of a 3,809-page indictment on Nov. 11, 2025.

In the indictment, he is identified as the alleged “leader of a criminal organization” and is accused of several offenses, including establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes, bribery, laundering criminal proceeds, fraud against public institutions and organizations, recording personal data, illegally obtaining and disseminating personal data, concealing criminal evidence, obstructing communications, damaging public property, receiving bribes, publicly spreading misleading information, extortion, laundering assets derived from crime, rigging tenders, deliberately polluting the environment, violating the Tax Procedure Law, violating the Forestry Law and violating the Mining Law.

Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence ranging from 828 years and two months to 2,352 years for Imamoğlu over 142 alleged acts. The first hearing was held on Monday, March 9.

In the last hearing, contractor Adem Soytekin, a key witness in the case, testified. He alleged in court that bribes were paid in connection with municipal tenders and project payments, saying the system operated through informal arrangements involving cash, apartments and commercial units.

Soytekin, who benefited from effective remorse provisions, told the court he decided to cooperate after he was “left alone” by the municipality. He alleged that contractors were pressured to make payments in order to receive money owed to them for work carried out on municipal projects. “I paid bribes in exchange for tenders. This is how the system works,” Soytekin was quoted as saying in court.

According to Soytekin’s testimony, the general manager of IBB’s real estate subsidy KIPTAŞ, Ali Kurt, allegedly demanded $500,000 from him in connection with project payments. Soytekin said he did not have the full amount in cash at the time and asked an associate to collect $400,000, later completing the sum himself. He alleged that the money was delivered to Kurt through the suspect Murat Eren.

Soytekin said contractors believed they would not receive the payments they were owed unless they complied with the demand.

“If we had not given the money they wanted, we would not have received the money we were entitled to on time,” Soytekin told the court. “It was made clear to us that if the requested money was not paid, the funds that should have been transferred to contractors from KIPTAŞ accounts would not be sent to us for a long time.”

Soytekin also described what he called an informal payment and offsetting system inside the municipality. He said contractors were directed to build nurseries, cultural centers and dormitories, then collect their receivables through checks, apartments, shops or cash from third parties.

In another part of his testimony, Soytekin said three apartments in the Deniz Istanbul Project’s Mercan residences were transferred to his company in February 2020 without direct payment. He claimed the apartments were given in return for renovation work at the CHP’s Istanbul provincial headquarters in the Ayazağa district, a building previously linked in public debate to footage showing cash counting.

Soytekin further said municipalities often do not construct public buildings solely through their own resources, adding that projects are sometimes carried out under what he described as “voluntary donations.”

During questioning, the presiding judge asked Soytekin about his earlier statement that $1.5 million had been sent to Kurt. Soytekin initially did not provide details, prompting the judge to say the court was having difficulty communicating with him. “Bribe, Mr. President, bribe,” Soytekin replied.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz was in Yerevan on Monday to attend a European Political Community summit in the Armenian capital. His visit comes at a time of gradual normalization of ties between the two countries, which is also linked to a peace process between Armenia and Türkiye’s main ally, Azerbaijan. During the visit, Turkish and Armenian officials signed an agreement for the joint restoration of the Ani Bridge. The bridge, dated to the 10th century, is also known as the Silk Road Bridge and is located on the Arpaçay River in the eastern Turkish province of Kars, near the Turkish-Armenian border and near the eponymous archaeological site. It is regarded as the ancient Silk Road’s “gateway” to Anatolia.

The two countries reached an understanding in September 2025 for the restoration of the bridge and Monday’s signing sealed the deal. Ambassador Serdar Kılıç, special envoy of Türkiye for normalization with Armenia, and Armenia’s Ruben Rubinyan, signed the deal.

Yılmaz is the highest-ranking official since former President Abdullah Gül to visit Armenia. His visit is more significant though, as Yerevan and Ankara explore more ways to further cooperation and eventually, fully normalize their relations.

The vice president was welcomed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and joined heads of state and government for a family photo at the summit. More than 40 leaders are attending the summit, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. On the sidelines of the meeting, Yılmaz met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store to discuss bilateral ties and areas of cooperation.

Yılmaz’s participation was singled out by Pashinyan as he hailed the visit during a speech at the summit while EU Council President Antonio Costa emphasized that the South Caucasus has entered a “transformative phase” following the normalization of relations between Armenia and Türkiye, alongside a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan Speaking at the summit, Costa highlighted growing momentum toward regional stability and cooperation. He said improved ties between Ankara and Yerevan, coupled with the Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement, are laying the foundation for a more integrated and connected region. “That agreement is a story of peace in Europe that must be celebrated, in a world where escalation and war seem to dominate. Thanks to this agreement and improved relations between Turkey and Armenia, the region has embarked on a transformative path,” he said, pointing to efforts to develop strategic industries, markets, transport corridors, digital networks and energy interconnections. According to Costa, these initiatives go beyond facilitating trade and movement, instead helping build trust among neighbors, create jobs and foster shared economic growth.

Since 2020, Türkiye and Armenia have held a string of talks at various levels to explore the way forward in relations. Most recently, delegations from the two sides met in Kars of eastern Türkiye to discuss the revival of a railway between the two neighbors. Earlier, direct passenger and cargo flights were launched mutually. Ankara and Yerevan also approved the opening of the Alican border crossing to citizens of third countries and diplomatic passport holders. Before Yılmaz’s visit, Pashinyan met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last June in Istanbul.

Azerbaijan-Armenia peace

The peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia is also crucial for progress in Turkish-Armenian normalization. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev was also present at the summit, although via videolink. He used the opportunity to criticize the European Parliament for “sabotaging” the peace process. Aliyev said the European Parliament had adopted 14 resolutions over the past five years containing offensive language directed at Baku. “This body, instead of supporting the peace process, is effectively engaged in sabotaging it. From May 2021 to April 30, 2026, the European Parliament has adopted 14 resolutions full of offensive wording against Azerbaijan. Just imagine – 14 resolutions in five years, a kind of obsession. And the latest one was adopted just four days ago,” Aliyev stated.

Aliyev said the Azerbaijani Parliament decided on May 1 to suspend cooperation with the European Parliament in all spheres and initiate procedures to terminate its membership in the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. On May 1, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry summoned EU Ambassador to Baku Mariana Kuyuncic who was handed a protest note regarding the European Parliament resolution Supporting Democratic Resilience in Armenia. The ministry emphasized that the provisions of the resolution distort reality, contradict the principles of objectivity, as well as, the obligations to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. According to Aliyev, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said the resolution distorted reality, contradicted the principles of objectivity and violated obligations to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, for his part, expressed hope that he would visit Azerbaijan in 2028 to participate in the next EPC summit.

“I hope that I will have the opportunity to visit Azerbaijan in 2028 for the EPC summit,” Pashinyan said during the gathering in Yerevan.

Pashinyan noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan had mutually supported each other’s candidacies to host future EPC summits.

Commenting on Aliyev’s remarks, he emphasized that it was the first time an Azerbaijani president had participated in an event held in Armenia, even if through videoconference.

He added that EPC summits have played an important role in facilitating contacts between the leaderships of Armenia and Türkiye.

“My first bilateral meeting with the Turkish president took place precisely on the sidelines of the first EPC summit in Prague. And now the Vice President of Türkiye is here to participate in the EPC summit and has become the first Turkish vice president to visit Armenia,” Pashinyan said.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz will be in Yerevan, Armenia, on Monday to attend a summit of the European Political Community (EPC). Just another routine event for Yılmaz is another turning point in relations between Türkiye and Armenia. Yılmaz will be the first sitting vice president of Türkiye to visit Armenia, which has had virtually no diplomatic relations with neighboring Türkiye since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Armenia originally invited President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the summit, according to the media reports. It would be the first visit to Yerevan by Erdoğan if the invitation was confirmed. Yet, it appears that normalizing the ties is also based on hierarchy. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made his first visit to Türkiye last year and met Erdoğan. In 2008, Erdoğan’s predecessor, Abdullah Gül, became the first Turkish president to visit Armenia, in a bid to normalize ties, but this process eventually faded. After Azerbaijan’s victory over Armenia in Karabakh and with a peace deal in the works between the two foes, Türkiye joined its Caucasus ally and sought to speed up normalization, in parallel with Yerevan’s overture to Ankara to restore relations.

Fittingly, the theme of the European Political Community summit is “Building the Future: Unity and Stability in Europe.” On the fringes of Europe, both countries seek more integration with the continent through economic cooperation.

The EPC was set up in 2022 after the Russia-Ukraine conflict, in a move to reinforce unity and at the initiative of Emmanuel Macron, president of France, which hosts a sizeable Armenian diaspora. Almost all European countries will attend the summit, though German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is not expected to join.

The summits do not make decisions, but serve rather as an informal exchange between political leaders. The Armenian hosts aim to place energy security, economic development, security policy and strengthening democracy on the agenda at the one-day summit.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Özkan Yalım, disgraced mayor of the western province of Uşak for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was fired, the CHP announced on Sunday. Party spokesman Zeynel Emre told a news conference that the Central Disciplinary Board held a meeting on Saturday and decided to expel Yalım.

Yalım’s image is etched in public memory as the semi-naked mayor with a towel wrapped around his waist during a police raid in March in Ankara. Police officers were executing a detention warrant for Yalım on charges of corruption when he was caught in a hotel room in Ankara with one of his mistresses. Journalists later found out that Yalım had at least three extramarital affairs, while social media was flooded with claims that the mayor secretly recorded affairs of several prominent figures of CHP during their stay in a hotel Yalım owned in Uşak.

At the news conference in Istanbul on Sunday, Emre echoed CHP Chair Özgür Özel’s earlier remarks regarding the detention of Yalım. He said that CHP was disturbed by what he called “judicial plots,” but one among them “ethically” disturbed them. He noted that the party had also convened another disciplinary board meeting earlier about the mayor, which led to the suspension of the mayor’s membership.

The decision sparked fury among some CHP supporters on social media. Replying to a post by the official CHP account on the expulsion of Yalım, some users questioned the timing of the decision, which came almost two months after the detention. Others parroted unconfirmed allegations that Yalım blackmailed the CHP administration not to fire him (through alleged sex tapes he recorded in his hotel) but ultimately failed.

In March, Özel has defended the mayor for what he called the latter’s invasion of privacy but said he felt shame for “such a disgrace.” Speaking at an event in the western city of Çanakkale, Özel said back then that he was “troubled” because they allowed such a disgrace. “Yalım has to account to his family for what happened, but we have a responsibility towards the people of Uşak. We will do whatever is necessary,” Özel said.

At least a dozen CHP mayors have been detained or arrested since last year, with several more facing ongoing corruption and bribery investigations or trials. High-profile cases include Istanbul’s suspended mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, and Antalya’s ousted mayor, Muhittin Böcek, whose cases have drawn national attention following their arrests late last year and trials that began earlier this month.

According to the investigation on Yalım, Uşak Municipality is accused of using duplicate invoicing in public tenders, with the difference allegedly collected as illicit payments. Authorities also claim that companies were pressured to provide business partnerships to individuals linked to the mayor’s family in exchange for securing contracts.

Prosecutors further allege that deputy mayors collected large sums of money under the guise of donations to Uşakspor, a local football club, but transferred the funds into personal accounts. Some payments were allegedly delivered in cash to the mayor’s office and handled without receipts.

The investigation also points to alleged misuse of municipal funds, including expenses at entertainment venues that were reportedly billed to the municipality as “representation and hospitality” costs.

Authorities claim that Yalım transferred all his registered assets to his driver, Cihan Aras, in 2025 to avoid possible seizure. Prosecutors also allege that a municipal position was given to an individual with personal ties to the mayor despite no evidence of actual employment.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.