The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Monday strongly criticized a newly signed defense agreement between the Greek Cypriot administration and France, warning that the deal ignores the realities on the island and risks fueling tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed by French and Greek Cypriot defense officials was a unilateral move that disregards the existence of the Turkish Cypriot people and the political realities of Cyprus.

“The agreement ignores the current realities of the island, fundamental principles of international law and the delicate balance that must be preserved in the region,” Üstel said in a statement.

He argued that the deal would create a legal framework for a more permanent presence of foreign military personnel on the island and accused the Greek Cypriot administration of pursuing policies that could transform Cyprus into a hub for foreign military deployments.

Üstel also criticized Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, saying his administration had systematically expanded military and strategic partnerships since taking office, a trend he described as harmful to both Cyprus and wider Eastern Mediterranean security.

The TRNC prime minister warned that efforts to increase France’s military footprint in the region could undermine the fragile balance in the Eastern Mediterranean and deepen regional polarization.

He said the agreement comes at a sensitive time when diplomatic efforts are underway to promote dialogue on the island, including contacts led by the U.N. secretary-general’s personal envoy.

Reaffirming the Turkish Cypriot position, Üstel said a lasting settlement, sustainable stability and genuine peace on the island could only be achieved through recognition of the sovereign equality of the two peoples and the equal international status of the two states.

He also stressed that no initiative targeting the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people and Türkiye would succeed, while calling on the international community to respect the realities on the island and adhere to international law.

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The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in the western city of Izmir issued detention warrants for 78 suspects linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) on Tuesday. The warrants were part of an investigation into the group’s “education network,” authorities said.

The terrorist group orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in Türkiye, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 wounded. Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

Türkiye has targeted its active members and sleeper cells nonstop, and its influence has been much reduced since 2016. However, the group maintains a vast network, including infiltrators suspected to be still operating within Turkish institutions.

FETÖ backers in army ranks and civil institutions have disguised their loyalty, as operations and investigations have indicated since the 2016 coup attempt. FETÖ is also implicated in a string of cases related to its alleged plots to imprison its critics, money laundering, fraud and forgery.

The terrorist group faces operations almost daily as investigators still try to unravel their massive network of infiltrators everywhere.

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Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Monday announced the start of the party’s congress process and urged members to stand united ahead of a parliamentary group meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

Kılıçdaroğlu said the main opposition party would formally launch its congress process with its first Party Assembly meeting on Thursday, June 11.

In a statement shared on social media, the CHP leader emphasized unity within the party, describing its members as a large family brought together by a common purpose despite differing views.

“We are not rivals to one another. We are the sons and daughters of the Republican People’s Party walking shoulder to shoulder,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

He reiterated the party’s goals of strengthening democracy and justice in Türkiye during the second century of the republic and called on party members to demonstrate solidarity throughout the congress process.

Kılıçdaroğlu also invited CHP members to attend Tuesday’s parliamentary group meeting with a spirit of unity, urging them to remain connected through what he described as common sense and comradeship.

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The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and its ally in the People’s Alliance, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) proved they are still a force to reckon with as the country went to by-elections in several neighborhoods and “beldes” (small districts). Despite its last-minute campaigning, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which relied on its belief that people were fed up with the current government, lost to the alliance, securing only one mayoral seat out of six.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated the party’s victory as he addressed a crowd of supporters via phone link at Mustafapaşa, a newly created belde in central province of Nevşehir.

“People’s Alliance won four seats and MHP won another one. This is a great victory we achieved together. I send my greetings and love to all brothers and sisters who devoted themselves to this cause. We hope this success will continue,” he said. Mustafa Özer, AK Party candidate for Mustafapaşa mayor secured 876 of 1,695 votes according to unofficial results while CHP followed it with 378 votes and Bliss Party (SP) won 259 votes.

Out of six beldes in Nevşehir and provinces of Tokat and Gümüşhane, CHP only won the mayoral seat in Çevrecik of Tokat. Even there, it surpassed AK Party only with 74 votes.

Ali Ihsan Yavuz, deputy chair of AK Party in charge of electoral affairs, told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday that the election results were testament to the popularity of AK Party and President Erdoğan. He said that compared to the 2024 municipal elections, the by-election indicated that the nation was still supportive of their party and the People’s Alliance. AK Party has lost several of its strongholds, including Ankara for the first time in decades, in the 2024 elections. “Unofficial results show the AK Party won 94% of the vote in Tokat’s Bağtaşı belde and it is extraordinary compared to past elections held in Tokat. Similarly, the vote in Yolüstü belde is about 82%. In Tokat’s Kuşçu, we backed the MHP’s candidate and they won around 60% of the vote. Elections in Mustafapaşa were critical for us, and there, the AK Party won 52% of the vote. Similarly, in Gümüşhane’s Tekke, unofficial results show a 65% rate,” he said.

Yavuz stated that the outcome was particularly interesting in Çevrecik where CHP won. “Compared top ast elections, we increased our votes five-fold,” he said.

The by-election was a test for the opposition as well as CHP, which counts on forcing the government to reschedule the 2028 vote to an earlier date to end AK Party’s decades-old streak of wins in general elections. Özgür Özel, who was ousted from chairmanship of CHP, campaigned in the by-election constituencies days before the vote, seeking to rally party’s supporters. Özel, who was replaced by his predecessor, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, bypassed Kılıçdaroğlu for the campaign, though his only title in the party is parliamentary group chair. Still, he managed to attract crowds in the constituencies he visited. In his speeches, Özel portrayed the by-election as one step toward his party’s “march to power,” firmly believing that the CHP may end its unlucky streak under his leadership, which has been dubious after a court ruled that the intra-party election he won in 2023 was stained with vote-buying allegations.

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The 10th edition of a tripartite meeting of foreign ministers of Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia will be held in Istanbul on Monday.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will host Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Georgia’s Maka Botchorishvili.

Foreign Ministry sources said on Sunday that the meeting will focus on a review of cooperation between the three countries and future steps to improve joint work. The meeting’s agenda include regional developments, foreign policy issues, cooperation in the South Caucasus, reinforcing transportation, connectivity and regional transit networks, energy security and deepening commercial and economic relations, the sources said.

At the meeting, Fidan is expected to highlight the rising strategic importance of the South Caucasus at a time of geopolitical uncertainties, increasing economic fragility and security challenges, and trilateral cooperation mechanism between the three countries serving as a significant and solution-oriented platform promoting stability and welfare in the region.

The most immediate threat to the security in the region is the U.S.-Israel-Iran war, by which the three countries are expected to be affected directly or indirectly. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is another immediate security challenge, especially for Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

Fidan will highlight that Türkiye’s strong and multi-dimensional relations with Azerbaijan and Georgia greatly contributed to regional stability and economic integration. Sources said the minister would also point out the rising importance of the Middle Corridor, in light of transformation of global supply chains, energy supply security debate and changing geo-economical dynamics, in terms of connectivity between Europe and Asia. The Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), is a rapidly developing multimodal transport network – combining rail and maritime links – that connects China and Southeast Asia to Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye.

The corridor, stretching from China’s far east, through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan toward Türkiye and Europe is seen as a vital artery bypassing conflict areas, including Russia and Ukraine in the north and Middle East in the south.

In this context, Fidan is expected to highlight that strengthening regional transportation projects, developing logistics networks and increasing transportation options in the Middle Corridor, particularly the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, are among joint priorities.

On June 2, Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia marked the launch of full-capacity operations on the key freight and passenger link between Europe and China. A vital segment of the Middle Corridor, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway line was launched in 2017 and has since played a significant role in strengthening links between Asia and Europe.

The three countries are also linked by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas line. Trade links between Türkiye and the Caucasus region were limited before the BTK was inaugurated. The link starts in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, trains stop in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, pass through gauge-changing facilities in Akhalkalaki and end their journey in the northeastern Turkish town of Kars. The link reduces journey times between China and Europe to around 15 days, which is more than twice as fast as the sea route. Trains can depart from cities in China, cross into Kazakhstan at the Khorgos Gateway, be transported across the Caspian Sea by ferry to the New Port of Baku and then be loaded directly onto the BTK and head to Europe.

Fidan will also emphasize the major contribution of strategic projects on energy to the energy security of the three countries as well as the wider region, the importance of developing cooperation further on energy and sustainable connectivity.

Sources said he would also stress the strategic importance of permanent peace, stability and normalization in the South Caucaus for regional prosperity. Additionally, he is expected to highlight the threat of the Russia-Ukraine conflict to the South Caucaus, the Black Sea and the regions in the vicinity and the need to support diplomatic efforts to end the conflict as soon as possible through a fair and lasting peace.

Foreign ministers of the three countries first met in a trilateral format in Trabzon, a Black Sea Turkish province, in June 2012, in a bid to institutionalize the political dialogue and enhance regional cooperation. The last meeting was held in Baku in March 2024. The meetings focused on foreign policy, regional developments, transportation and connectivity, energy security, commerce and regional infrastructure projects. The three countries are located right on a strategic connection route between Europe and Asia.

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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was hopeful for normalization of relations with Türkiye as he cast his vote in his country’s parliamentary elections on Sunday

Speaking with journalists after casting his ballot in the country’s parliamentary elections, he expressed confidence that the border with Türkiye, as well as railway and road communications, will open in the near future.

“We currently, fortunately, have peace with Azerbaijan. You know that we have very deep and fraternal relations with Georgia. And, of course, I expect the normalization of relations with Türkiye and the establishment of diplomatic relations,” he said. He also highlighted Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative, saying it could transform the region by expanding east-west and north-south transport routes benefiting Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Iran.

Armenia opened polling stations on Sunday at 8 a.m. local time for voting in the parliamentary elections. Sixteen political parties and two political alliances have registered to take part in the election, including the Civil Contract, led by Pashinyan.

Pashinyan also said Yerevan will deepen EU integration and continue a “balanced foreign policy” after the elections.

He underlined that Armenia will continue the process of alignment with EU standards.

“When Armenia is fully and sincerely aligned with the standards of the European Union, two scenarios are possible. The first is that the European Union will accept Armenia as a full member. The second is that it will not, because that depends on many political circumstances; for example, the EU may decide not to expand at all,” he said, adding that in both cases, Armenia will benefit, because even without membership, it will have a state aligned with European standards.

Asked about balancing relations between the EU and Russia, Pashinyan said his administration will continue to adhere to a balanced foreign policy.

He also noted that he does not see any tension in relations with Russia and described such claims as “artificial.”

“Certain forces operating in Armenia are trying to create tensions in Armenia-Russia relations. These tensions are not created for the simple reason that I have very close relations with the president of the Russian Federation,” he noted.

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