President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that in an increasingly interconnected world, no country can remain isolated from crises unfolding elsewhere, saying the economic and political aftershocks of the Iran war are being felt across continents through inflation, supply chain disruptions and energy market instability.

Speaking at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, Erdoğan said globalization and deep economic interdependence mean regional conflicts now carry worldwide consequences.

“When a country in the Middle East sneezes today, a country in Latin America or Asia can easily catch a cold,” Erdoğan said, describing the ongoing uncertainty following attacks against Iran on Feb. 28 as a multilayered crisis affecting global stability.

He pointed to continued volatility in fuel prices, rising inflation, unresolved supply chain disruptions and persistent bottlenecks in the Strait of Hormuz as signs of widening global fragility.

Erdoğan warned that the full scale of destruction caused by the economic shock wave remains impossible to predict, while criticizing what he described as a profiteering system driven by speculation and market manipulation.

“A handful of wild capitalists controlling hot money are enriching themselves by effectively taking away the livelihoods of billions of people from Africa to Asia and from America to Latin America,” Erdoğan said.

He added that while middle-and lower-income families face shrinking purchasing power and rising living costs, global financial actors continue expanding their wealth through instability and conflict.

“Every war creates its own economy. Every war has its winners and losers. But with the Iran war, this has exceeded the limits of tolerance and reached destructive levels for global economic prosperity,” Erdoğan said.

The Turkish president also criticized excessive price increases in domestic markets, saying some pricing behavior in Türkiye could not be explained solely by production or transportation costs despite the country having some of Europe’s lowest input costs, particularly in energy.

Erdoğan said authorities would continue inspections and measures against opportunistic pricing practices and called on businesses to support efforts aimed at protecting market stability and consumers.

Erdoğan also said Israel’s attacks would never prevent the international community’s pursuit of justice and solidarity with the Palestinian people, as he strongly condemned Israel’s attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla as “piracy” and “banditry” against the “voyagers of hope” aboard the aid flotilla, which included citizens from 40 different countries.

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Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki on Monday described Türkiye as a “key and strategic partner” for Poland, underscoring the importance of closer cooperation between the two NATO allies on regional security and shared interests.

“Türkiye is a key and strategic partner for us,” Bosacki said in a news conference at the Polish Foreign Ministry in Warsaw.

He said Ankara was helping Poland in areas including growth, development and defense.

Bosacki recalled the target set during Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s visit to Türkiye in March 2025 to raise bilateral trade volume to $15 billion.

Noting that both countries are NATO allies, he underlined Türkiye’s importance for NATO’s eastern flank and the Black Sea region.

Bosacki also said Istanbul could again host talks between Russia and Ukraine.

In response to Anadolu’s question on Türkiye’s role in European security, Bosacki said Poland continues to rely on NATO, which it sees as a fundamental defense system.

He noted changes in the U.S. approach to NATO and stressed the importance of strengthening national armed forces.

Bosacki described Türkiye as an “important partner” in military terms, referring to a 2025 security cooperation agreement between Warsaw and Ankara.

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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday said the European Union would remain incomplete without Türkiye, while condemning Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud aid flotilla as “piracy” and stressing Ankara’s growing diplomatic role in regional crises from Gaza to Iran and Ukraine.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Berlin with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Fidan said Türkiye expects its European Union accession process and relations with the bloc to be handled independently of political motives.

“Excluding Türkiye from the European Union’s defense and security initiatives contradicts Europe’s stated security objectives,” Fidan said, adding that deeper cooperation between Ankara and the bloc was essential.

Wadephul echoed the importance of stronger strategic ties with Türkiye, saying Ankara should be included in the development of the European Union’s defense and industrial policies due to shared interests and common goals.

“If Türkiye wishes to join the European Union, it will find a friendly and reliable partner in Germany,” Wadephul said, adding that Ankara has the potential to exert significant influence over the wars in Ukraine and Iran because of its geopolitical position and political and economic weight.

Fidan also strongly condemned Israel’s intervention against the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters, describing the operation as “piracy.”

“It is estimated that 25 ships have been intercepted. The term for this in international literature is piracy,” Fidan said, stressing that the safety of activists aboard the vessels remained Ankara’s top concern.

He said Türkiye was coordinating with all countries whose citizens were on the flotilla and continuing efforts with relevant institutions to ensure the safe return of Turkish nationals.

Fidan added that improving conditions for more than 2 million people in Gaza remained Türkiye’s top priority and described the interception of the aid flotilla as a clear violation of international law and maritime security.

Addressing tensions between the United States and Iran, Fidan said there was currently no immediate threat in practice but stressed that the sustainability of calm depended on continued nuclear negotiations between the two sides.

“I do not think the Iranian side has a principled problem with accepting the necessary conditions in nuclear negotiations,” Fidan said, adding that Türkiye would continue supporting ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Fidan said maintaining the cease-fire in the Iran war remains the top priority, warning that renewed conflict would bring serious economic and political consequences for the region and beyond, while expressing hope that both the United States and Iran recognize the risks of restarting the war.

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A new draft bill for Türkiye’s maritime rights is expected to be presented to Parliament in weeks. Aiming to cover all legal aspects of what Türkiye calls the “Blue Homeland,” or maritime areas where the country has sovereignty, it will cement and clarify the rights across Black Sea, Aegean Sea, Mediterranean, as well as the Marmara Sea.

Safeguarding the Blue Homeland rights is essential for Ankara, especially at a time of growing international cooperation, particularly with Israel, for Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, whose maritime claims contradict those of Türkiye and other countries.

Hüseyin Fazla, founder and director of Strategic Research Centre (STRASAM) and a retired air force brigadier general, says the bill will be a valuable work to merge all relevant regulations under one framework and further institutionalize Türkiye’s maritime rights.

The bill was introduced to the public on May 12 at a press conference organized by Ankara University’s National Center for the Sea and Maritime Law (DEHUKAM), the main body that prepares maritime maps to support Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction policies. Professor Çağrı Erhan, acting chair of the Turkish Presidency’s Board of Security and Foreign Policies, told the press conference that maritime laws have been dynamic and Türkiye needed to follow developments in the laws. He said the draft bill was not specifically aimed at any country.

“We are talking about a text based on the rights and interests of the Turkish nation. Other countries may believe that the world belongs to them only. We do not heed what they are worried about,” he said, in thinly veiled remarks against Greece.

Fazla says the press conference was an indicator of a turning point in Türkiye’s maritime vision, and the bill would grant authority to Parliament, but mostly to the presidency, for executing the maritime rights.

As expected, the talk of a draft bill angered Greece, which has disputed Türkiye’s rights, particularly in the Aegean, for decades. Indeed, both Ankara and Athens agree that this might be the sole dispute that may take more time to resolve than others between two neighbors with a history of hostilities. They reached out to each other in the past decade, with more visits by leaders and warming diplomatic ties, but no tangible progress has been made on maritime disputes. Instead, Türkiye has witnessed Greece and Greek Cypriots on the divided island of Cyprus; how they cohabited with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), engaging in more cooperation with countries like Israel, a major foe of Türkiye, on defense and other critical fields. In light of these developments, Blue Homeland rights became a more crucial issue.

“I think the work on the bill is very beneficial for raising awareness of the issue among politicians, the army, the bureaucracy and the public. It ultimately aims to protect Türkiye’s rights and interests. Nevertheless, this has an international dimension too, and it would be important to see the international reaction,” Fazla told Daily Sabah.

Over the past century, the Republic of Türkiye has been at odds with its neighbors over maritime rights. Similarly, Greece invoked international laws that are also supposed to protect the rights of Türkiye. Fazla says the draft bill brings a fresh point of view to “a mechanism where Türkiye strived to maintain control over its maritime jurisdiction through various laws and regulations,” noting that it was significant to amalgamate steps on the issues regarding continental shelf, exclusive economic zones, etc. He added that the draft also included the definition of internal bodies of water, such as the Çanakkale Strait, Marmara Sea and Bosporus, and this was another significant aspect of the bill. “This, on the other hand, does not contradict the Treaty of Montreaux and rather, it is a viewpoint reinforcing Türkiye’s sovereign rights,” he said.

Signed on July 20, 1936, at the Montreaux Palace in Switzerland, the treaty gives Türkiye permission to remilitarize the Bosporus and Çanakkale Strait. It came into effect on Nov. 9, 1936, and was registered in the League of Nations Treaty Series on Dec. 11, 1936. It gives Türkiye control over the Bosporus and Çanakkale Strait and regulates the transit of naval warships. The convention guarantees free passage to civilian vessels in times of peace and restricts the passage of naval ships that do not belong to littoral Black Sea states. Fazla said it was not right to describe it as a violation of the treaty while it was simply a redefinition of the legal framework.

Last Thursday, Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said that Türkiye’s bill was “an unilateral attempt outside the framework of international law” and would “fail.” He stated that it would not have “any international enforcement” and added that the international law, including the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) should prevail over “domestic visions.” Türkiye is not a party to the 1982 convention and defends that the convention’s certain provisions are not based on the principle of equity.

Filling the gaps

Fazla said he believed that the new law would fill the gaps in Türkiye’s attempts to assert its maritime rights and zone of influence. This is essential, according to Fazla, on several levels. One of them is hydrocarbon exploration. As a matter of fact, sovereign rights are intricately linked to the right to access to underwater resources. He pointed out Greece’s declaration of intent to extend its territorial waters from 6 nautical miles to 12 nautical miles and how it brought about several disputes. “But the real issue is beyond that and is now more focused on exclusive economic zones, especially access to hydrocarbon resources,” Fazla said. He recalled the emergence of several oil exploration areas in 2007, south of Cyprus, and how the Greek Cypriot administration declared issuing licenses for 13 areas of oil exploration, including five within the Turkish continental shelf.

“They de facto seized these areas and brought in multiple actors such as Noble Energy. They made deals with Egypt. In 2003, Turkish Foreign Ministry warned Egypt but their relations thrived and in February 2003, Egypt and the Greek Cypriot administration reached a deal. They sought to safeguard their own interests in the Eastern Mediterranean,” he said.

On the legal history of maritime disputes, Fazla noted that Türkiye has also not been a party to the 1958 Convention on the Continental Shelf adopted in Geneva but all developments regarding the maritime issues affected Türkiye to an extent. “Conventionally, Türkiye’s territorial waters are designated as extending 6 nautical miles, specifically in the Aegean, but it is practiced as 12 miles in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. This is, however, a ‘practice,’ a customary designation. In 1964, Türkiye enacted Law No. 476 and established the breadth of its territorial waters as 6 nautical miles. It does not specify any seas. Therefore, Türkiye, for instance, has no strict delimitation in the Black Sea. Having the breadth of 12 miles in the Black Sea has been viewed as acceptable in terms of Türkiye’s rights and interests,” he said. Fazla noted that Türkiye then enacted the Territorial Waters Law or Law No. 2674 in 1982, and this also established the breadth of territorial waters as 6 miles in the Aegean.

He noted that the new bill will likely combine what is practiced and what was defined in the law and bring about more clarity to the issue. “It will help define our policies,” he underlined.

Türkiye has been adamant in safeguarding its rights in territorial waters, something that has been most vivid in a 1995 resolution passed by the Turkish Parliament, mentioned by Fazla. On June 8 that year, Parliament declared that any unilateral extension of the Greek territorial waters beyond 6 nautical miles in the Aegean Sea would be a casus belli or a cause of war. “This is our red line. However, we don’t implement 6 miles in the Black Sea or Mediterranean and 12-mile practice there did not stir up problems with any country,” he underlined.

That “war” Parliament predicted in the future never happened, but Turkish and Greek jets often engaged in confrontations over the Aegean Sea in the 1990s, coming dangerously close to an all-out conflict. Fazla says tensions may linger in the future, especially in terms of the breadth of Greek territorial waters off the island of Meis or Kastellorizo. The said island is just a few kilometers away from the Turkish coast and more than 300 kilometers from the Greek mainland.

Fazla said that Türkiye, however, should keep the parliamentary resolution on casus belli even after implementing the law. “Anything to imply the removal of casus belli may play into the hands of Greece, and in the Aegean, we may have a diplomatic challenge,” he noted.

A response by Greece to Türkiye’s bill, such as enforcing a 12 nautical miles claim, will be unacceptable for Türkiye, Fazla noted. “Türkiye cannot accept, neither in terms of territorial waters nor airspace, a limit going above 6 miles. If the de facto situation is upgraded to de jure and we are severely limited in movement across the Aegean, this will be an unsustainable situation,” he said. Fazla believed Türkiye’s 6-mile claim in the Aegean will likely be emphasized in the draft bill. “We need to embed our discourse on this matter into law. We are seeing a dynamic course in the international developments. The decision-makers need to act swiftly nowadays. Therefore, I think it is correct to authorize the presidency to make swift decisions,” he said. Fazla said the bill may have amendments in the future, but ultimately, it is expected to “pave the way for a structure compliant both with internal laws and international laws.”

“Ultimately, we will switch to a stable law, an institutional mechanism. For instance, the army and the foreign ministry may have different views on this matter but clarifying the matter and authorizing the presidency will be a more correct way forward,” he added.

Regional influence

Fazla stated that Türkiye needed a more proactive approach instead of “waiting and seeing” as geopolitical conditions changed, giving examples of discoveries of new energy resources and creation of new regional alliances. “Türkiye is already becoming a regional power. We have to transform into the role of the main actor setting the rules itself, we have to project our power,” he underlined. He noted that exclusive economic zones were particularly important and that Türkiye should have a law that will not allow others to utilize those zones. “What we have to do is to support our Blue Homeland discourse with a law,” he said.

He pointed out Türkiye’s maritime activities in several seas, from seismic survey in the Eastern Mediterranean to the Turkish navy’s presence off the coast of Somalia, as well as the work on the extraction of natural gas off Sakarya in northwestern Türkiye.

“These activities will likely grow. So, it will be better to define those activities under one law, which will be more beneficial. We have to employ our own ships in our own exclusive zone without any obstruction. The world is investing more in energy security. So, we need to support our new discoveries and developments regarding access to hydrocarbon sources with laws. The law should also cover future developments. We have to have a legal infrastructure, instead of being forced to confront other countries in the maritime activities,” he emphasized.

Among other benefits of the law, Fazla lists attracting international financing for energy investments and guarantees over Türkiye’s exclusive economic zones. “In the end, it will help make Türkiye the land of stability in the energy supply security. It will eliminate the risk of uncertainty. For instance, we will have a framework through the law, for our agreement with Libya.”

Germany on Monday will host Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Fidan will join the third meeting of the Türkiye-Germany Strategic Dialogue Mechanism. The platform is meant to enhance bilateral relations as well as Türkiye’s ties with the European Union.

He will co-chair the meeting with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul. The meeting will bring together working groups from Türkiye and Germany, which will present reports on the course of bilateral relations, Türkiye-EU relations, security and defense and regional issues.

Turkish diplomatic sources said Fidan would highlight Türkiye’s appreciation of the constructive atmosphere and strengthening dialogue between the two countries, thanks to increasing high-level contacts. He will also underline his conviction that the Strategic Dialogue Mechanism provided a beneficial ground to assess the strategic dimension of bilateral relations and for reinforcing cooperation and synchronization between foreign ministries and talks as part of the meeting would enhance bilateral ties and deepen existing fields of cooperation.

Turkish-German relations have a historic depth and are built upon a strong partnership between the two NATO allies. They also have a multi-layered structure on political, economic, social and security levels. High-level contacts in recent years have contributed to the ties. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last visited Germany in November 2023, while German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid a visit to Türkiye in February 2025. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was in Türkiye for a two-day visit in 2025, coinciding with Türkiye’s Republic Day. Fidan was in Germany for an official visit in November 2025, while Wadephul made two visits to Türkiye in October 2025 and this March.

Türkiye is the second biggest trade partner of Germany and eyes increasing current level from $52.2 billion (TL 2.38 trillion) to $60 billion. Between 2005 and 2025, German investments in Türkiye reached to $13.5 billion, while Türkiye’s direct investments in Germany exceeded $4.7 billion in the same period. The two countries are also scheduled to hold a new meeting of the Joint and Trade Commission (JETCO) and the 7th Energy Forum in June in Ankara. Türkiye is a major destination for German tourists. A total of 6.7 million tourists from Germany visited Türkiye last year.

The Strategic Dialogue Mechanism between the two countries was established in May 2013 with a joint declaration signed in Berlin, with the intent of bringing an institutional perspective and strategic dimension to the relations and supporting Türkiye’s EU membership bid. The mechanism had its first meeting in Berlin in May 2013 and the last one in 2014 in Istanbul. After the long hiatus, Erdoğan and Merz announced at their joint news conference in Ankara in October 2025 that they had decided to resume the Mechanism’s meetings.

Diplomatic sources said Fidan would also discuss the Turkish diaspora in Germany and underline that they were the main element empowering the social aspect of Turkish-German relations, and it was crucial to ensure their safety and prosperity. He will also stress the opportunities for advancing trade and economic partnership and mutual investments.

Separately, Fidan will highlight the will to advance existing cooperation in connectivity, high technology, digitalization and green energy and bring attention to the fact that the Energy Forum and JETCO meeting will carry cooperation to new horizons and contribute to developing economic ties with the goal of reaching $60 billion joint trade volume.

The top diplomat will also point out the significant potential of connectivity projects linking Europe to the Middle East, the South Caucasus and Central Asia via Türkiye for cooperation and exchange views with German officials for joint projects to build upon military relations and for cooperation in the defense industry.

On Türkiye-EU relations, Fidan will highlight the need to advance relations on a comprehensive, institutionalized and multilayered cooperation basis, according to the diplomatic sources. He will also underline the importance of the launch of negotiations for updating the customs union and the revival of the visa liberalization dialogue. He will bring attention to Germany’s support for the customs union as a critical element for unlocking the full potential of Turkish-German economic partnership and will stress that a European security strategy will be lacking if it ignores Türkiye’s strategic role, capabilities and geopolitical position. He will underline that Türkiye should be included in EU-led security and defense initiatives, as well as projects and strategies.

Developments in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine conflict will also be on the agenda during the visit. Fidan will tell German officials that multilateral efforts for ensuring maritime passage freedom through the Strait of Hormuz and regional stability were crucial and reiterate Türkiye’s support for efforts for a permanent end to the U.S.-Iran war. Fidan will highlight that a fair and lasting solution through direct talks between Russia and Ukraine is essential, and Türkiye will continue to act in synchronization to that extent with all relevant actors, to re-establish dialogue between Russia and Ukraine.

On Israel, Fidan will underline that Israel’s expansionist policies were the main factor for regional instability and insecurity and urge attention to escalating violations of the cease-fire in Gaza by the Netanyahu administration, as well as Israel’s policies aimed at undermining the two-state solution vision. He will call for more efficient action by the international community to ensure lasting regional peace and stability.

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Turkish authorities detained 57 suspects in a corruption investigation looking into the procurement processes at an Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) subsidiary, police said Monday.

The operation targeted Boğaziçi Facility Management Services (Boğaziçi Tesis Yönetim Hizmetleri A.Ş.), where investigators said several tenders were organized by suspects who manipulated the bidding process and made transactions that violate public procurement regulations.

The authorities said the activities amounted to bid rigging conducted within an organized network.

Officers from the Istanbul Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit launched simultaneous raids across six provinces, including Istanbul, Adana, Bursa, Diyarbakir, Konya and Yalova. The suspects were detained during operations at multiple addresses, officials said.

The detainees were handed over to Istanbul police for questioning as the investigation continues.

Former mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoğlu, was arrested on March 19 last year on a string of corruption charges, including bribery, tender rigging and money laundering.

Held in pretrial detention ever since, prosecutors want him jailed for up to 2,430 years. The 107 defendants, including Imamoğlu, began testifying in custody on March 9.

Prosecutors accuse suspects of inflicting a “public expense loss” amounting to TL 161 billion ($3.8 billion) through bribes. A total of 402 suspects have been indicted in the case, including 105 who were remanded in custody. Imamoğlu is among them.

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