Politics
‘Türkiye-Armenia normalization offers model for regional peace’
The normalization and peace process between Türkiye and Armenia is “extremely valuable” and can serve as an example for other regions, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said Monday during a visit to Yerevan.
“Unfortunately, many regions of the world are not in such a situation. There are numerous conflicts and increasingly deepening wars,” Yılmaz told journalists on the sidelines of the 8th European Political Community summit.
The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly restore the ancient Ani Bridge.
The agreement was announced following a meeting between Yılmaz and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the summit in the Armenian capital.
“Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has made an important contribution to bringing this process to this point,” Yılmaz noted, adding that Pashinyan “has made a major contribution as well, demonstrating courageous leadership by presenting a realistic vision that serves the interests of his people-not just in words, but through concrete actions.”
Türkiye was represented at the highest level since 2008 by the vice president at the summit.
Calling Monday’s meeting in Yerevan “historic,” Yılmaz said: “Both in terms of Türkiye-Armenia relations and Azerbaijan-Armenia relations, the participation and the atmosphere here were highly positive. I hope it brings beneficial outcomes for the shared future, unity of geography, and common destiny of all the nations and states in this region.”
Yılmaz also emphasized Türkiye’s broader diplomatic role, saying: “At the same time, our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to support normalization and peace with all of Türkiye’s strength and resources, maintaining dialogue with all sides in the region.”
He added that Erdogan’s “diplomacy for peace applies across many areas-not only in this issue, but also conflicts involving Iran, Israel, and the US, Gaza, Africa, Syria, and the Balkans.”
He also said: “Each individual step may not seem sufficient on its own, but over time, these steps accumulate, building trust between countries.”
Yılmaz also pointed to practical developments, including transport and investment links: “Turkish Airlines has resumed flights to Istanbul, and there are plans to increase them. Pegasus had already started earlier. There are also important developments in telecommunications.”
On the wider impact of the Mideast conflict, he said: “We believe that peace serves humanity. A just peace benefits everyone. Wars ultimately bring destruction and create high human costs.”
He added: “As seen in the recent Iran-U.S,-Israel conflict, wars also generate major economic costs.”
On infrastructure, he said: “Regarding the Ani Bridge, technical preparations have already been completed. Our institutions are now on the ground. There are no remaining obstacles, so work is expected to begin very soon.”
According to Yılmaz, “progress is being made day by day in Azerbaijan-Armenia relations, with mutual positive steps being taken,” adding that parallel efforts between Türkiye and Armenia are “creating a new atmosphere in the South Caucasus.”
“This is one of the most strategic regions in the world. It has historically been a transit region. We believe that as peace and normalization are achieved in the South Caucasus, first and foremost, everyone living in this region will benefit. Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Türkiye-all countries will benefit,” he underlined.
He also linked regional stability to global trade dynamics, noting: “As is well known, there is a war involving Russia, conflicts extending southward, and southern routes are operating at near full capacity. Therefore, the ‘Middle Corridor’ is extremely important, and today everyone recognizes its strategic significance more clearly.”
He concluded by thanking Armenian officials for their warm welcome in Yerevan. “Finally, I would like to say that from the moment we arrived, Armenian authorities showed us great interest and hospitality. I would like to thank all Armenian officials, especially Prime Minister Pashinyan, for their warm welcome and for creating such a positive atmosphere.”
The Board of Cyber Security will hold its first meeting on Tuesday, the Sabah newspaper reported.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to chair the meeting where the country’s road map on cybersecurity will be discussed. Key issues up for discussion will be the protection of critical infrastructure against cyberattacks and the development of human resources for cybersecurity. The board is comprised of the president, vice president, ministers of justice, foreign affairs, interior, national defense, industry and technology, transportation and infrastructure, the secretary-general of the National Security Council, director of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), head of the Presidency of Defense Industries, and head of the Cybersecurity Directorate.
The board meetings will also be open to other ministers and experts, from whom the board seeks input from. The board is also authorized to set up committees and working groups for technical work.
Among its duties are setting policies and strategies for cybersecurity, making decisions for the technological road map of the country, establishing incentives and developing human resources.
The Cybersecurity Directorate was founded in January 2025, shortly before Parliament passed a comprehensive cybersecurity law for better control of cyberspace. The bill included mandates for creating strategies and policies for cybersecurity, as well as the establishment of the Cybersecurity Board.
Perpetrators of cyberattacks, those benefiting from the use of data stolen in cyberattacks, may be punished with prison terms of up to 12 years under the new law. Those publishing, broadcasting and selling data stolen in cyberattacks will face prison terms of up to 15 years. Those failing to report cyberattacks or exploits in their line of work, namely Internet service providers or those offering online services that require storage of personal information, will face fines under the new law.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone call Monday with Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, to discuss regional developments and ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran, Foreign Ministry sources said.
Negotiations between Iran and the U.S. have been deadlocked since a cease-fire came into effect on April 8, with one round of peace talks to end the more than two-month war having failed in Pakistan.
On Friday, Fidan said Türkiye could consider taking part in multinational demining operations in the Strait of Hormuz after a possible peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran.
Speaking to reporters in London, Fidan said Türkiye “would be open to” participating in a coalition tasked with clearing naval mines in the strait once a deal is reached, describing such work as a “humanitarian” effort. However, Fidan underscored that Ankara would not take part in operations that risk positioning Türkiye as a party to renewed conflict. Ankara would avoid any role implying alignment if conflict resumes, Fidan said.
A court in Ankara will reshape the political career of Özgür Özel. The pharmacist-turned-politician climbed up the career ladder fast in the Turkish main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). On Wednesday, he may lose his seat at the country’s oldest party. Özel and his associates in the CHP face accusations of buying votes from delegates in a November 2023 election in the party that brought Özel to power.
Ahead of the hearing at the Court of Appeals, the CHP announced that it would take “to the field” this week, organizing events in 81 provinces. The announcement is actually a continuation of CHP’s campaign for an early election, but a court verdict may shift the discussion in those “field trips.”
Recently, the court of appeals asked judiciary authorities in Istanbul to send files regarding two corruption cases linked to the party, media reports said. One case involves a businessman accused of bribing CHP-run municipalities to get a share in lucrative tenders. Another case involves Ekrem Imamoğlu, former mayor of Istanbul, who was declared the future presidential candidate of CHP after he was arrested last March on charges of widespread corruption at the municipality. This request may seem routine to an untrained eye, but legal experts say it also means that the appeals court is now at a stage of issuing a final verdict in the vote-buying case.
Barring another delay in the case, the court on Wednesday will issue one of three verdicts: absolute nullification, a request for retrial in the case in a lower court or dismissing the case in its entirety. Absolute nullification means the 2023 election is not valid. This will pave the way for a new election, and until then, a trustee will be appointed to helm the party. This was the case in another trial related to vote-buying in the race for the chairmanship of the party’s Istanbul branch. A retrial will further prolong the process and means the CHP may buy more time ahead of the 2028 elections. If the court dismisses the case, it will cement Özel’s reign in the party, where he held another intraparty election last year to frustrate the ongoing court case and won.
The possibility of a verdict of absolute nullification led to mobilization in the party, with Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş openly calling the administration to “do something” a few weeks ago. Özel, meanwhile, continued his rallies across the country, seeking support for early or by-election, and rallied the CHP supporters around mayors detained or arrested on charges of corruption. The party may continue its rallies in case of absolute nullification, while media reports say Özel and several lawmakers may leave CHP and establish a new party.
As for the possible appointment of a trustee, the name of Özel’s predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, came up. Kılıçdaroğlu hinted once that he may take the reins in the party again, though the party would be a pale shade of its former self if the new generation of CHP members leave. Özel kept most of the lawmakers and prominent figures who rose in the ranks during Kılıçdaroğlu’s tenure and this may facilitate Kılıçdaroğlu’s task as trustee. A report published by the Sabah newspaper last month says some 100 CHP lawmakers were already ready to support Kılıçdaroğlu if he were to be appointed as a trustee.
Suspects testifying at the last hearing in the vote-buying case last month rejected allegations that they either were paid by the close circle of Özel to vote for him or were scheming to offer gifts and cash to other delegates to sway their opinion of Özel. But witnesses have contradicted this.
Testifying at the hearing, Veysi Uyanık, a delegate at the 2023 congress, said that Imamoğlu met him and other delegates before the congress, seeking their support for Özel. Uyanık said Özel had an election office in Ankara and his supporters were “handing out cash” to delegates. “I asked how much they pay, Özgür Karabat (one of the defendants in the case) told me that they would pay TL 100,000 ($2,250). Karabat’s chauffeur then gave me a ride to my hotel. They pulled a cache of free food coupons from the trunk and gave them to me. I later found out they were worth TL 1.5 million,” he said. Uyanık said he handed TL 20,000 to other delegates staying with him at the hotel after taking TL 100,000 from Karabat.
Mehmet Sevigen, a former lawmaker who testified at the hearing, said he heard reports of vote-buying at the congress and repeatedly warned the CHP administration to respond to the allegations. “But they did not answer,” he told the court.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu on Sunday accused the Greek Cypriot administration of deepening its cooperation with Israel, warning that the partnership could bring consequences for the Greek Cypriot public.
Speaking to the Sabah newspaper, he referred to the Greek Cypriot administration’s growing ties with Israel, warning that the relationship was driven by shared ideological ambitions and could eventually harm Greek Cypriots.
“The Greek Cypriot administration’s most favored ally is Israel,” he said. “Just as there is an obsession with promised lands in Zionist thinking, those who follow the Megali Idea are chasing a dream of restoring Alexander the Great’s empire.”
He added that the two sides had “discovered each other like brothers,” but said he believed the Greek Cypriot side would regret the partnership.
The minister also stressed that Türkiye’s military presence on Northern Cyprus remains the main deterrent against renewed tensions on the island, as regional crises have pushed the Eastern Mediterranean back onto the international agenda.
He noted recent steps by the Greek Cypriot administration could have turned the island into a flashpoint, but were countered by what he described as “rational moves” by Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Ertuğruloğlu underlined that the deployment of six Turkish F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems to the island last month had strengthened security and reassured Turkish Cypriots.
“We saw the excitement of the Cypriot Turkish people. We celebrated it like a holiday,” he said. “The motherland once again showed the world that it has never left us alone and never will.”
He said the Turkish Cypriot side does not see itself as a military target of any country involved in regional conflicts, citing the presence of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) as the reason.
“The deterrent power provided by Türkiye on the island prevents the Greek Cypriots from embarking on a new adventure or bringing brutality against Turks back onto the agenda,” Ertuğruloğlu said.
He rejected claims that the Turkish military presence on the island represents an aggressive threat, saying Turkish Cypriots have historically acted in self-defense.
“The Turkish side has never taken an aggressive position on the island,” he said. “For years, we have been struggling to protect ourselves against attacks directed at us. This is why the Turkish Armed Forces are present on the island.”
Ertuğruloğlu also criticized Greek Cypriot objections to Türkiye’s latest military deployments, saying the Greek Cypriot side had complained that its approval was not sought.
“They are detached from reality to the point of saying this,” he said. “They live in another world.”
A recent drone strike on a British base underscored the island’s exposure to conflict. In response, several European countries pledged military support to the Greek Cypriot side, while France deployed naval and air defense assets to the region.
Türkiye, in turn, deployed six F-16 jets and air defense systems to the TRNC on March 9, describing the move as a deterrent against missile and drone threats.
Ertuğruloğlu warned that the increased use of British sovereign base areas on the island by the United Kingdom and the United States during regional conflicts had made Cyprus a potential target.
He also criticized what he described as renewed efforts by Greek Cypriots to glorify EOKA, reminding the events in which students repeat EOKA oaths in military uniforms and remarks by European officials praising EOKA figures had further deepened Turkish Cypriot concerns.
A terrorist faction known for massacres of Turkish Cypriots during the second half of the 20th century.
Most recently, a group of Greek Cypriot extremists tried to attack Turkish Cypriots in the buffer zone, during a rally to celebrate the anniversary of EOKA.
“Cyprus sits in a strategic geography,” Ertuğruloğlu said. “It is a region where all major powers in the world have interests.”
He said international actors’ interest in the Cyprus issue is driven by national interests rather than concern for Turkish Cypriots, who he said continue to face “inhumane embargoes” and international isolation.
“The founding equal partner that broke the partnership was rewarded, while the Turkish Cypriot people have continued to be punished,” he said.
Ertuğruloğlu said the Cyprus issue is fundamentally a question of status and cannot be resolved through talks between unequal sides.
“The problem can only be solved through negotiations between equals,” he said. “In negotiations between unequal parties, it is not possible for the unequal sides to rise from the table as equals.”
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 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.
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