Politics
UK envoy hails Türkiye as key pillar of NATO alliance
Britain’s NATO military representative on Wednesday described Türkiye and the United Kingdom as “bookends of the alliance,” underscoring Ankara’s strategic role and military contributions within NATO.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) in an exclusive interview during a visit to Türkiye, ahead of the NATO summit scheduled to be held in Ankara on July 7-8, Lt. Gen. Eldon Millar said Türkiye serves as “a vital bridge between so many different parts of the world” because of its strategic location.
Discussing Britain’s expectations for Europe to shoulder a greater share of NATO’s defense burden, Millar said the alliance’s starting point remains the “imminent and pressing threat” posed by Russia.
“As we continue to recognize that there’s a really imminent and pressing threat from Russia, so I think that frames really where we start,” he said.
Millar emphasized that European allies are increasingly taking responsibility for their own security and noted positive developments across several areas, including defense investments, military capabilities and command structures within NATO.
“We’ve seen some really interesting developments in weapons, in terms of different capabilities that people have got. We’ve seen some really interesting and new ways in which we’re commanding and leading the NATO forces, which is another really interesting piece,” he said.
He added that European allies have been “stepping up with greater spending and making the investments that are so important” to defense, stressing that NATO “has always been and will always be a trans-Atlantic alliance.”
“And I think the key piece, as we look forward to the NATO summit here, is demonstrating the role that Europe is taking in its own security to make our entire alliance stronger,” Millar said.
Türkiye ‘vital bridge’
Highlighting Türkiye’s role within NATO, Millar described the country as “such an important NATO partner” that has been “pivotal in the alliance, almost one of the founding members.” Türkiye has been a NATO member for more than 70 years.
“If you look at what Türkiye brings to the alliance, it’s a vital bridge between so many different parts of the world in terms of its strategic location. But more than that, it brings real capabilities to the alliance,” he said.
“We have some vitally important alliance bases here in Türkiye, many of which you will know. And it continues to play a really important part in almost every single operation, mission and activity that the alliance does. So, in many ways, Türkiye is such an important member of the alliance,” he added.
Millar said he works closely with his Turkish counterpart in Brussels on a variety of issues facing the alliance.
“We often say to each other that in one sense, the U.K. and Türkiye are the bookends of the alliance. North and South, East and West, our countries are geographically positioned in that space,” he said.
‘Strong relationship’
Millar noted that the bilateral relationship is reinforced by close cooperation and a series of formal agreements between the two countries.
Referring to the technical and logistical support agreement signed under the Türkiye-U.K. Eurofighter Typhoon project, Millar said regular joint training exercises continue.
“We train together routinely, and I think there’ll be a very exciting and interesting program of training, which will be coming together soon. And then on operations, certainly in my service, there has barely been an operation that I have been on where I have not been shoulder to shoulder with Turkish colleagues on those operations,” he said.
Millar also recalled visiting Kosovo last week, where he met personnel serving in NATO’s Kosovo Force, or KFOR.
“We’re very proud that we have a number of U.K. personnel serving under a Turkish general in that operation,” he said. “So the relationship between Türkiye and the U.K. has always been strong (and) it remains a very strong relationship. I think what we have been able to do through NATO is to give some real substance to that relationship.”
During his visit to Ankara, Millar also visited Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Türkiye.
“It was a real privilege for me to be able to go and pay my respects,” he said.
“And the thing that struck me, I think, was the number of people who had visited to honor that, but also how much at its core was a relationship with the world, and in particular with the U.K. So I think, at its heart, there’s always been a strong relationship. And I hope I can do my small part to make that relationship ever, ever stronger,” he added.
Türkiye’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that work on a new law regulating the country’s maritime jurisdiction areas is aimed at defining responsibilities in Turkish waters and addressing gaps in domestic legislation, while reaffirming Ankara’s determination to protect its maritime rights and interests.
Rear Adm. Zeki Aktürk, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said the proposed legislation would serve as a framework law concerning Türkiye’s maritime authority zones.
“The law is intended to define responsibilities within our maritime jurisdiction areas and eliminate deficiencies in our domestic legal framework,” Aktürk told reporters during a weekly press briefing at the ministry.
It was previously noted that the draft bill would define special entities to determine maritime jurisdiction, maritime borders and the scope of any activities within these borders and that those entities would be valid under verdicts by international courts and international laws.
He said the ministry had contributed to the draft on military, technical, academic and legal levels, adding that final work on the text was continuing among relevant state institutions.
“The Turkish Armed Forces will continue, as always, to resolutely protect our country’s rights and interests in maritime jurisdiction areas,” Aktürk stressed.
The remarks come amid ongoing regional disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Sea over maritime boundaries, energy exploration and sovereignty issues.
Aktürk also provided details about Türkiye’s expanding defense diplomacy and military exercises.
SAHA 2026, EFES-2026
He said Defense Minister Yaşar Güler held 20 bilateral meetings during the SAHA 2026 defense industry fair, held on May 5-9 in Istanbul, and signed military and defense cooperation agreements with two countries.
The exhibition brought together more than 1,700 companies from 120 different countries. Throughout the week, over 150,000 visitors attended SAHA Expo 2026, which lasted for six days. More than 30,000 defense industry professionals and purchasing representatives from all over the world attended the event.
Türkiye hosted one of the world’s largest defense and aerospace exhibitions, during which Turkish defense industry manufacturers showcased their new-generation, domestically developed and produced weapons systems.
Furthermore, Turkish companies have signed nearly $8 billion (TL 363.20 billion) in export contracts during the first three days of the major defense trade show,
Aktürk also remarked that more than 10,000 personnel from 50 countries were participating alongside Turkish forces in the EFES-2026 military exercise, conducted under the command of the Aegean Army.
The exercise includes air assault operations, mixed-unit breaching drills and a parachute “flag jump” activity featuring the flags of participating countries and the EFES-2026 banner.
According to the ministry, 50 weapons and defense systems are being used for the first time during the exercise, including the Panter howitzer, Karaok anti-tank weapon, special-purpose tactical armored vehicles and the Karayel-hulled boat.
A defense industry exhibition showcasing Turkish-made military technologies is scheduled to open on Friday in Seferihisar, near Izmir, ahead of the Distinguished Observer Day events planned for May 20-21.
The Turkish Stars aerobatics team is also expected to perform an air show on May 21.
Speaking after the signing of several bilateral agreements with Kazakhstan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday said the East-West Middle Corridor was becoming more crucial and that the two countries are intent on promoting it more for supplying energy sources to the West.
“We aim to ship more oil from Kazakhstan via Türkiye to the global market,” he told a joint news conference with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana.
Erdoğan arrived in Astana on Wednesday and received an official welcome by Tokayev on Thursday. After the ceremony and one-on-one talks with Tokayev, Erdoğan joined his Kazakh counterpart to chair the sixth meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council of Türkiye and Kazakhstan.
Later, he was awarded by Tokayev with the Order of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, which recognizes significant contributions from domestic and foreign scholars, state and public figures, as well as citizens to national statehood, public-political, social, cultural, and humanitarian fields. Erdoğan is the first recipient of the newly created Order, which is named after an influential Turkic poet and Sufi mystic born in Sayram of modern-day Kazakhstan.
During his trip, Erdoğan was accompanied by senior Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat and head of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate, Burhanettin Duran. After completing his meetings in Astana, Erdoğan is scheduled to travel to the southern Kazakh city of Turkistan to attend the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) on Friday.
At the news conference, Erdoğan thanked Tokayev for his hospitality and hailed the cooperation council meeting where the two countries signed “numerous documents.”
“In our talks, we had a comprehensive discussion on our cooperation in several fields, including trade, transportation, energy, health care, mining, culture, education, technology and the defense industry. We continue encouraging our business world to increase investments in Kazakhstan and establish bonds that will reinforce our bilateral relations,” Erdoğan said, noting that he would later attend the Turkish-Kazakh Business Forum alongside Tokayev.
“We will hopefully witness the establishment of more collaborations between businesspeople of the two countries. Today, we also discussed projects that will advance our military and defense industry cooperation, projects that exponentially expand our trade and investment relations,” Erdoğan stated.
The two countries signed 13 agreements on Thursday. Among them were mutual incentives for bilateral investments, a deal on the establishment of cultural centers, amendments to judiciary assistance agreements, a joint scholarship program, a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of two schools in Kazakhstan by the Turkish Maarif Foundation, an investment agreement between Kazakhstan and Türkiye’s TAV Holding for expansion of Almaty International Airport, a cooperation agreement on construction of hospitals between Kazakhstan and Türkiye’s YDA İnşaat company, a memorandum of understanding between public broadcasters of the two countries, a cooperation agreement between KazMunayGas and the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) on oil fields, a memorandum of understanding between KazMunayGas and TPAO for the development of joint oil and gas projects, a memorandum of understanding between the Astana International Financial Center and Istanbul Financial Center and an agreement to establish a joint initiative for production and maintenance of Anka unmanned aerial vehicles.
Erdoğan said Kazakhstan had a special place in their recent steps for diversification of energy sources. “Kazakhstan is a leading crude oil exporter, and we aim for the shipment of more Kazakh oil to the global market via our country. The importance of the Trans-Caspian East-West Middle Corridor, today’s equivalent of the Silk Road, has increased. We continue, along with Kazakhstan and other partners, to promote shipment of energy sources to the West, not only the transportation of goods,” he said.
The president said Türkiye was intent on building new bridges from the Eastern Mediterranean to Central Asia, with the principle of “unity in language, ideas and business.”
“We view delivering the common cultural treasures of the Turkic world, ideas of great personalities, their works and spiritual legacy to the future generations as our joint responsibility,” he said.
Erdoğan also praised heartfelt bonds between the two countries, something the entire nation witnessed after the February 2023 earthquakes in southern Türkiye. “In those difficult times, we always felt the support of our Kazakh brothers and sisters, the state of Kazakhstan,” he said. The two presidents earlier remotely attended a ceremony for the opening of a school built by Kazakhstan in Nurdağı, a district of Gaziantep affected by the earthquakes. The school is named after Khoja Ahmed Yasawi.
On Friday’s OTS summit, Erdoğan said Türkiye was grateful for Kazakhstan’s valuable contribution to the integration of the Turkic world “from the very beginning.” He said they were also pleased that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) would be represented as an observer state at the summit. The TRNC is not internationally recognized, and Ankara mobilizes all efforts for global recognition of the state located on the divided island of Cyprus.
For his part, Tokayev told the news conference that Erdoğan had “a great share” in improving bilateral relations. “Türkiye is a country with a strong political influence, economy and international reputation,” he said.
He stated that Türkiye was an important strategic partner of Kazakhstan and the two countries were “united by centuries-old bonds of brotherhood, cultural and spiritual values.”
“We have the same goals, same direction. Our most important task is strengthening solidarity between our nations and developing the level of prosperity,” he said.
Tokayev hailed “great momentum in recent years in multi-dimensional cooperation between the two countries,” noting that the relations between the parliaments also improved. He stated that the sixth meeting of the Council was “very fruitful.” “We determined fields of priority to add more momentum to our partnership. We agreed upon strengthening our political, commercial, economic and cultural relations and signed documents to serve as the basis of our future cooperation goals.”
The president said Türkiye was among the biggest investors in Kazakhstan and Turkish businesspeople made investments worth $6 billion in Kazakhstan so far, adding that Kazakhstan’s investments in Türkiye reached around $2.5 billion. He underlined that some 4,000 Turkish firms operated in Kazakhstan and that this was a solid indicator of “long-term partnership.”
“Trade volume exceeded $5 billion, and given the potential of our economies, we have all the opportunities to increase it,” he said. He noted that they were already ready to support Turkish investors and invited companies to take part in long-term, major strategic projects.
“The new Constitution safeguards all property rights; it safeguards the rights of foreign investors. Our Turkish brothers can benefit from our Golden Visa program,” he said.
Tokayev echoed Erdoğan’s remarks regarding the Middle Corridor. “In the current geopolitical environment, the strategic importance of transportation and logistics has increased. The transportation of goods between our countries has advanced in a stable manner. Last year, railway transportation increased by 35% while land transportation increased by 5%. Our countries are bridges connecting the east and the west, and we should utilize this joint advantage,” he stated.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the Turkic world has an increasingly important role in promoting peace, prosperity and stability across Eurasia, while stressing the need for a fairer international system amid ongoing global crises.
Erdoğan made the remarks in an article titled “The Key to Peace in Eurasia: The Turkic World,” published Thursday by Kazakhstan’s Kazinform news agency during his visit to Kazakhstan for the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States.
The Turkish president said regional conflicts, energy insecurity and geopolitical tensions were testing the international system, arguing that existing global governance mechanisms have failed to respond effectively to modern challenges.
“The rules-based international order has undergone further erosion,” Erdoğan wrote, renewing his long-standing call for reform of international institutions.
Referring to his slogan “The world is bigger than five,” first voiced at the United Nations in 2014, Erdoğan said meaningful progress toward a more inclusive global order had yet to materialize.
“The clearest and most tragic manifestation of this can be seen in Gaza,” Erdoğan wrote. “Through the crimes against humanity it is committing, Israel is trampling on the shared values of humanity.”
Türkiye has been among the strongest critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and has repeatedly called for a permanent cease-fire, expanded humanitarian access and renewed diplomatic efforts in the region.
Erdoğan said Ankara believes global and regional crises can only be resolved through “an order grounded in enforceable rules,” adding that Türkiye would continue pursuing mediation and peace diplomacy initiatives.
“We do not refrain from assuming responsibility, both within multilateral organizations and independently, in efforts to end crises and conflicts in our region and across the globe,” he wrote.
The Turkish leader also emphasized the importance of regional ownership in resolving disputes, highlighting the growing role of the Organization of Turkic States in political, economic and cultural cooperation.
As part of his visit, Erdoğan attended bilateral meetings with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and participated in meetings focused on transportation, defense, trade and energy cooperation.
Speaking at a press conference in Kazakhstan, Erdoğan underscored the strategic importance of the Caspian-transit East-West Middle Corridor, describing it as the “modern-day equivalent of the Silk Road.”
The route, which links Asia and Europe through Central Asia, the Caucasus and Türkiye, has gained prominence amid global trade disruptions and concerns over alternative transport corridors.
“We will continue promoting the corridor with Kazakhstan and other partners for cargo shipments and transporting energy resources to the West,” Erdoğan said, adding that Türkiye aims to increase the transport of Kazakh oil to global markets through Turkish routes.
Erdoğan also highlighted the deepening relationship between Türkiye and Kazakhstan, recalling that Türkiye was the first country to recognize Kazakhstan’s independence in 1991.
He said bilateral trade between the two countries is approaching $10 billion, while Turkish investments in Kazakhstan have reached nearly $6 billion. Turkish contractors have also completed nearly 550 projects in Kazakhstan worth more than $30 billion, according to Erdoğan.
The two countries have set a target of increasing bilateral trade to $15 billion.
“Our cooperation in energy, transportation, logistics and the defense industry is expanding on a broader and more solid foundation,” Erdoğan wrote.
The president also stressed the importance of preserving the common heritage of the Turkic world and strengthening ties in education, culture and tourism. He invited Kazakh citizens to visit Ankara after the Turkish capital was designated the 2026 Tourism Capital of the Turkic World by the Organization of Turkic States.
Erdoğan further welcomed the participation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) as an observer at the summit, calling it an important development for the Turkic world.
“As states representing the Turkic world, we will never hesitate to assume responsibility for establishing a climate of peace, prosperity and tranquility in our region and across the globe,” Erdoğan wrote.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Thursday that Israel is “trampling on humanity’s shared values” through its crimes against humanity, according to remarks published in an article for Kazakhstan’s Kazinform news agency.
In a post on social media, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said Erdoğan had written an article titled “The Key to Peace in Eurasia: The Turkic World” for Kazakhstan’s Kazinform news agency.
The article was published following Erdoğan’s visit to Astana for the sixth meeting of the Türkiye-Kazakhstan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council.
Erdoğan said regional conflicts and crises today constitute comprehensive challenges to global security, economic prosperity, and stability.
He noted that the global system is undergoing a serious stress test in the face of new asymmetric risks arising from geopolitical rivalry, disruptions in energy supply security, and related financial volatility.
Erdoğan also underlined that the major transformation driven by artificial intelligence has further deepened the fragility of the global system.
“Indeed, as we have long maintained, these challenges lay bare the inadequacies of the current international system and global governance mechanisms as well as the pressing need for reform,” he said.
Recalling his address to the U.N. General Assembly in 2014, Erdoğan highlighted the inequities embedded within the global system, saying the message that “the world is bigger than five” carries even greater relevance today.
He said the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has laid bare the shortcomings of the existing international order.
Erdoğan said Türkiye believes global and regional crises can only be resolved through an order based on “enforceable rules,” stressing that Ankara continues to take responsibility through peace diplomacy, mediation efforts, and “trust-based dialogue” to promote global peace and prosperity.
He wrote that stronger bilateral, regional, and global cooperation is essential for a “fairer, more inclusive, and stable” international order, emphasizing that disputes should be addressed through “regional ownership” and collaboration with neighboring countries and organizations, particularly the Organization of Turkic States.
Erdoğan said Türkiye’s partnership with Kazakhstan holds “an exceptional place” in its foreign policy, particularly in addressing the structural challenges facing the U.N. Security Council, advancing conflict resolution, and ensuring lasting economic prosperity.
He said strengthening cooperation in education, sports, and culture remains a priority in deepening Türkiye-Kazakhstan ties, and invited “our Kazakh brothers and sisters” to Ankara, named the 2026 Tourism Capital of the Turkic World by the Organization of Turkic States.
Highlighting his May 14 visit amid regional tensions and the fragile Gaza cease-fire, Erdoğan said talks and the informal Turkic States summit would focus on expanding political, economic, and cultural cooperation.
He added that Turkic nations would continue working for “peace, prosperity, and tranquility,” guided by Khoja Ahmad Yasawi’s wisdom: “If the have-nots remain unsated while the haves shed no tears, the world is bound to fall.”
Fifty-four boats, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, left the southwestern Turkish town of Marmaris on Thursday for Gaza.
Numerous activists from 70 countries are participating in the flotilla. Among the Turkish activists are Sümeyra Akdeniz Ordu, board member of the flotilla, and Mahmut Arslan, head of the Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions (Hak-İş), a major labor union.
The second Global Sumud Flotilla that launched from Spain on April 12 attempted to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering aid.
Israel deported last Sunday two foreign activists seized from the flotilla, in what a rights group representing them described as a “punitive attack” on a civilian mission.
Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national of Palestinian origin, and Brazilian Thiago Avila were among dozens of activists aboard the flotilla intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters off the coast of Greece on April 30. The pair were seized and brought to Israel for questioning, while the others were taken to the Greek island of Crete and released. The intervention by Israel disrupted the plans of the activists, who later regrouped in Marmaris, a popular tourist destination in the southwestern part of Türkiye close to the Greek islands.
Abu Keshek joined other activists at a news conference in Marmaris on Wednesday and vowed that they would resume their mission with “more than 500 brave people.” He said Israel was committing a “slow genocide” by starving people of Gaza.
“They are implementing a colonizing process to displace Palestinians,” he said.
“The struggle of Palestinians, however, continues because Palestinians are like olive trees and will not leave the soil. We are embarking on our voyage because we are inspired by people resisting (Israel) for 78 years,” he said.
The mission marks the second initiative by the Global Sumud Flotilla, following a previous attempt in September 2025 that ended with an Israeli interception in international waters and the detention of hundreds of international activists.
In October 2023, Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and destroyed about 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the United Nations at around $70 billion.
Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving about 1.5 million Palestinians out of roughly 2.4 million homeless after their homes were destroyed during the war.
The “Grand Convention of Turkish Youth” will be a major occasion for Turkish nationalists. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Idealists’ Club Foundation of Education and Culture, an affiliate of the party, will host the event in Ankara on May 19, an official holiday marked as the Day of Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day.
The government ally MHP is the oldest nationalist party in Türkiye, while the Idealists’ Club is an entity mostly populated with younger supporters of the MHP. In the past, the party and the club were unfairly accused of inciting violence, and they have sought to reinvent their image in recent years.
The convention will be an opportunity to showcase the values of next-generation nationalists. Its highlights will be “Göktay 1” and “Göktay 2,” two race cars developed by the Idealists’ Clubs in Izmir and Bursa, and personally named by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, and “Türkan,” an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the members of the clubs.
Ahmet Yiğit Yıldırım, chairperson of the Idealists’ Club Foundation of Education and Culture, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Wednesday that they would test drive the vehicles for the first time at the convention. “Our friends will make us prouder in the future too and will represent Turkish youth with these projects, which will be promoted abroad. They will prove what Turkish youth are capable of in the fields of science, technology and defense. Our leader (Bahçeli) yearns for a disciplined youth with passion for the homeland, with morals and national conscience,” he said.
Stating that the convention will be the scene of a historic meeting that will showcase the intellectual, technological and moral aspirations of Turkish youth, Yıldırım recalled that the “Turkish Youth Workshop” will be organized prior to the convention. He said that many topics regarding the future of youth, such as education, technology, culture, national identity, the Turkish world, digital transformation, family structure and the fight against addiction, were addressed in the workshop together with academics and experts.
“Our goal here was to establish a youth structure that doesn’t just talk, but produces ideas, develops solutions and shapes the future. We will also share the final declaration of the workshop report we prepared with the public on the day of the convention. In this sense, the technology and innovation fair held as part of our convention, one of its greatest steps, is also of great importance. Because we are directing the energy of our youth not to the streets, but to the future. We want them to be a generation that produces, develops and provides direction,” he said.
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