Politics
Putin praises Russia-Türkiye ties as he hosts FM Fidan in Kazan
Russian President Vladimir Putin underscored the strength of Türkiye-Russia relations and the importance of continued dialogue on regional and international developments as he received Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in the Russian city of Kazan on Wednesday.
According to diplomatic sources, Fidan was received by Putin during his visit to Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov also attended the meeting, the Kremlin said.
Speaking at the start of the talks, Putin said relations between Türkiye and Russia continue to develop steadily and have evolved beyond formal diplomatic engagement.
“We are very pleased with how relations between our countries are developing steadily,” Putin said. “Our contacts have gone beyond the official framework and acquired a friendly character. This has largely been possible thanks to the approach demonstrated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.”
Putin also asked Fidan to convey his best wishes to Erdoğan, adding that Russia is always pleased to welcome the Turkish president.
Fidan delivered Erdoğan’s greetings to Putin and emphasized the need for close consultations amid growing international challenges.
“There is a very intensive agenda in our region and around the world,” Fidan said. “Your experience on these matters is extremely important. There are many issues that we need to discuss.”
The meeting comes as Türkiye and Russia remain engaged on a range of issues, including regional security, trade, energy cooperation and diplomatic efforts related to ongoing conflicts.
The heads of foreign affairs committees of the Turkish Parliament and the Spanish Senate met in Ankara on Thursday.
Turkish committee chair Fuat Oktay welcomed Spain’s Pilar Milagros Rojo Noguera, as the two countries have a newfound momentum in bilateral relations.
In his remarks during the meeting at Parliament, Oktay emphasized the importance of relations between Türkiye and Spain, stating that the two countries’ similar positions on humanitarian issues and regional challenges, especially regarding Gaza, have strengthened the bond between their peoples.
Oktay said that cooperation between the two countries should be further enhanced in the fields of communications, technology, innovation and the defense industry. “I believe that mutual investments on a bilateral basis should increase, and that we can also jointly evaluate opportunities in third countries, including Ibero-America, Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, Ukraine and Syria,” he said.
Stating that security and defense industry cooperation between Türkiye and Spain is exemplary, Oktay said: “Spain’s deployment of a Patriot missile battery in our country for the past 11 years, as well as the agreement regarding the procurement of (Türkiye’s) Hürjet aircraft, are important indicators of our alliance spirit and solidarity. These areas of cooperation will continue to expand.”
Noting that Türkiye values Spain’s principled stance on the Palestinian issue, Oktay said: “We are pleased with the developments concerning the peace agreement in Iran and hope that this will contribute to lasting peace and security in our region. We welcome Spain’s support for Türkiye’s European Union membership process. During today’s meeting, in addition to bilateral relations, we will have the opportunity to discuss Türkiye-EU relations, Euro-Atlantic security, Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean, Latin America and the Caribbean, the war in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, U.S.-Iran peace negotiations, the situation in Syria, and other regional developments.”
Pilar Milagros Rojo Noguera, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Senate, also emphasized the importance of their visit to the Turkish Grand National Assembly.
Referring to relations between Türkiye and Spain, Noguera stated that both countries are assuming responsibilities in the face of the challenges currently affecting the region.
What brings peace to the region pushed Israel to despair, as the remarks of a minister of the “Zionist regime” indicate. The “Türkiye-Qatar-Pakistan axis is worrying” for Tel Aviv, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said on Wednesday.
“What we are witnessing is the rise of a new axis,” Chikli said in remarks to Israel’s 103 FM radio, adding that the three countries helped shape the recently announced deal between the U.S. and Iran. “The emerging agreement is concerning, and the least of my concerns is the rehabilitation of the Iranian economy,” he added.
His comments came amid sharp criticism in Israel of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposition figures accuse of failure, saying that US President Donald Trump excluded him from negotiations with Iran on ending the war. Washington and Tehran reached a temporary truce on April 8 through Pakistani mediation before announcing a framework agreement on Monday to end the conflict. The accord is expected to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday.
Israeli government ministers have publicly expressed their opposition to the agreement. There was no immediate response from Türkiye, Qatar or Pakistan to Chikli’s remarks. The three countries have supported diplomatic solutions to settle the U.S.-Iran conflict and efforts to promote regional stability.
Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ankara’s relations with Islamabad and Doha reached new heights.
Last month, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif was quoted as saying that his country may expand its strategic mutual defense agreement with Saudi Arabia to include Türkiye and Qatar. Islamabad and Riyadh signed the deal in September 2025 in an outreach to the Gulf and cemented their strategic positioning in the international community. Asif, quoted by Pakistan’s Hum News, said their agreement with Saudi Arabia was a regulation for the future. “If Qatar and Türkiye become a part of this agreement, it will be a good development,” he said.
Türkiye is the most vocal opponent of Israel in terms of opposition to the Netanyahu administration’s genocidal campaign in the Palestinian territories and aggressive expansionism that threatens Lebanon nowadays. Türkiye has also warned on Tuesday that Israel may seek to undermine the U.S.-Iran deal to end the conflict.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) expelled more people associated with former chairman Özgür Özel while the ousted leader renewed pledge to fight in the party against reinstated chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. A new war of the words between two men was the latest chapter in the CHP’s “absolute nullification” drama amplified by a court verdict last month.
The latest disciplinary measures came after a meeting of the party’s executive board, with CHP spokesperson Müslim Sarı announcing that six current and former provincial chairpersons would face disciplinary proceedings with a request for expulsion from the party.
According to party officials, the disciplinary referrals are linked to allegations surrounding a legal dispute over the legitimacy of the party’s previous congress, known in Turkish political circles as the “mutlak butlan” case.
Those referred to the disciplinary board include Erzurum Provincial Chairman, Bursa Provincial Chairman, Bitlis Provincial Chairman, former Mardin Provincial Chairman, former Istanbul Provincial Chairman Özgür Çelik and former Batman Provincial Chairman.
The party also removed several provincial officials from their positions, further widening divisions between the CHP leadership and factions critical of the party headquarters.
The developments follow disciplinary action taken last week against nine CHP lawmakers, who were referred to the party’s disciplinary board with a request for expulsion.
The CHP has been grappling with an internal leadership crisis since a court ruling invalidated the results of a previous party congress, fueling competing claims over who holds legitimate authority within the party.
The dispute has also triggered calls for an extraordinary party congress. Organizers seeking such a gathering said they collected notarized signatures from hundreds of party delegates and submitted them to party headquarters this week.
Following the submission, provincial leaders held a joint news conference urging the party leadership to convene an extraordinary congress within 10 days.
Eskişehir Provincial Chairman Talat Yalaz said opponents of the current leadership would pursue legal remedies if the request is rejected.
Party officials said the signatures were being reviewed internally before a final decision is announced.
Meanwhile, the CHP’s High Disciplinary Board is expected to meet Thursday to review appeals filed by the nine lawmakers who were suspended from party activities pending disciplinary proceedings.
Party insiders expect the appeals to be rejected, although no official decision has yet been announced.
Speaking after meetings with provincial officials, Özgür Özel called on CHP supporters to stand behind provincial organizations whose leaders were removed from office.
“We invite all CHP members to support their provincial organizations,” Özel said, pledging solidarity with local party branches affected by the recent decisions.
Kılıçdaroğlu, meanwhile, issued a strongly worded statement criticizing the party’s direction and accusing unnamed figures of undermining the CHP’s institutional identity.
In remarks released Wednesday, he said foreign policy should not be used as a domestic political tool and described the CHP as a foundational institution of the Turkish Republic.
“The Republican People’s Party is not the playground of any individual or of those seeking to influence delegates through backroom deals; it embodies the independent will of the Turkish nation and state,” Kılıçdaroğlu stressed.
The dispute has fueled speculation about the future of the opposition movement.
In a television interview, Özel addressed reports that a new political party could be established if disputes surrounding the CHP’s congress are not resolved before the judicial process concludes.
Özel said opposition figures must prepare for all political scenarios, including the possibility of an early election.
“If an early election is called and the party remains in its current condition, we must be ready with alternatives,” he said.
Reiterating his call for an extraordinary party congress, Özel criticized the party leadership for what he described as efforts to block the process.
“The delegates have submitted their request and we want to hold this congress. If the congress cannot be held, then let the election board make that decision. At least I would know where to file my objection and take the matter to the Supreme Election Council,” he said.
Özel accused the leadership of deliberately obstructing the process, calling it “an act of political usurpation.”
Moreover, CHP Gaziantep lawmaker Hasan Öztürkmen claimed that the expenditures were directed toward certain television channels, newspapers and social media accounts that he said had supported the current party leadership.
Speaking to reporters, Öztürkmen said the figures were based on information allegedly provided by a CHP deputy chairman serving as the party’s treasurer.
“According to the latest information we have received, TL 755 million (about $16M) were paid to certain television channels, newspapers and social media accounts during 2024, 2025 and the first four months of 2026,” Öztürkmen said.
Pakistan’s ambassador to Türkiye said Wednesday that Islamabad remained in close contact with Ankara throughout diplomatic efforts that led to a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, underscoring the two countries’ longstanding strategic partnership and shared approach to regional peace.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Ambassador Yusuf Junaid said negotiations held in Islamabad helped pave the way for the agreement and that a final signing ceremony is expected to take place on Friday, as previously announced by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“We remained in continuous contact with the brotherly leadership of Türkiye throughout this process and maintained a common position on all these issues,” Junaid said.
The ambassador described peace and stability as key priorities of Pakistan’s foreign policy, which he said is guided by the vision of the country’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, emphasizing friendship with all nations, particularly neighboring states.
Junaid said wars and conflicts benefit no one and often result in severe humanitarian and economic consequences. He stressed that Pakistan seeks to play a constructive role in resolving regional and international crises through diplomacy and dialogue.
The ambassador also praised President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s role in international mediation efforts, describing him as one of the most influential leaders of the modern era.
“President Erdoğan is one of the most effective and influential leaders in modern history,” Junaid said. Referring to Türkiye’s mediation initiatives in conflicts including the war between Russia and Ukraine, he added that Ankara had achieved significant success in promoting security and stability in regions where peace remains fragile.
Türkiye has sought to position itself as a diplomatic mediator in several regional conflicts in recent years, hosting talks between Russia and Ukraine and supporting broader efforts aimed at reducing tensions across the Middle East.
Junaid expressed gratitude for what he described as Türkiye’s consistent support for Pakistan on critical international issues. He noted that the relationship between the two countries extends beyond traditional diplomatic ties and is rooted in a deep sense of solidarity.
Highlighting examples of mutual support during times of crisis, Junaid recalled that then-Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was among the first foreign leaders to visit Türkiye following the 1999 Marmara earthquake. He also noted that Erdoğan and first lady Emine Erdoğan were among the first international figures to visit Pakistan after devastating floods in 2010.
The ambassador said the two nations share strong historical, cultural and linguistic connections dating back centuries. He pointed to similarities between Turkish and Urdu and said the relationship between the peoples of the two countries has been shaped by generations of cultural interaction and common heritage.
“The bond between Türkiye and Pakistan is not merely a friendship,” Junaid said. “It is a relationship built on shared history, mutual support and a sense of brotherhood.”
Last year February, Erdoğan arrived in Pakistan and received a formal welcome from Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Islamabad. The leaders attended the seventh meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council of Türkiye and Pakistan. The meeting ended with a joint declaration to deepen and diversify strategic partnerships and to sign 24 cooperation agreements in several fields.
Deals include the exchange of military and civilian personnel for social and cultural purposes, cooperation on electronic warfare between the air forces of two countries and cooperation on training for military health care. In the energy field, the two countries signed a deal amending cooperation on hydrocarbons and a deal on energy transformation and mining.
Other deals and memoranda of understanding include cooperation on industrial property, religious education, halal commerce, cooperation between the central banks of the two countries, cooperation on public affairs, communications and media, health care and pharmaceuticals.
Erdoğan named Pakistan as his “second home” and lauded Pakistan’s founders, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Muhammad Iqbal, for establishing modern-day Pakistan with inspiration from the Republic of Türkiye.
Ruben Rubinyan, the Armenian Parliament’s vice speaker and the country’s special representative for normalization of ties with Türkiye, recently said the two countries are no longer in “railway deadlock,” referring to the revival of the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway.
Rubinyan was quoted by the Armenian media as saying that the normalization process has seen multiple developments recently, including direct trade between the countries and the opportunity to use the said railway. He stated that the end of the deadlock meant that they can extend beyond Georgia for exports.
Referring to the working group established for the reopening of the Gyumri-Kars railway, Rubinyan said, “We hope this railway will become operational as soon as possible, and we also expect the commitments that have been made to be fulfilled.”
During the tenure of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the two countries took significant steps for normalization.
In 2021, Türkiye’s former ambassador to Washington, Serdar Kılıç, was appointed as Türkiye’s special representative, while Rubinyan was appointed as Armenia’s counterpart.
Kılıç and Rubinyan met in Moscow in January 2022. Türkiye and Armenia agreed to continue negotiations aimed at the full normalization of relations without preconditions. This process was welcomed positively by the international community.
Flights between Armenia and Türkiye, which had ended in 2020, resumed on Feb. 2, 2022. An aircraft departing from Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul landed at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan.
As of Jan. 1, 2023, direct air cargo trade between Türkiye and Armenia became possible.
Restrictions preventing users in Türkiye from accessing websites in Armenia were also removed, with the exception of websites belonging to Armenia’s official institutions.
While negotiations continued, both sides continued to send positive messages regarding the process. In 2024, Armenia announced that the Armenian side of the Alican Border Gate (the Margara Border Crossing) on the Turkish border had been completely renovated and made ready for service.
Under a decision taken by the two sides at the end of 2025, holders of diplomatic, service and special passports from Türkiye and Armenia became eligible to obtain free e-visas as of Jan. 1, 2026, providing greater visa facilitation.
Following talks on May 4 between Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Pashinyan, a memorandum of understanding was signed regarding the joint restoration of the Ani Bridge, with one end in Türkiye and the other in Armenia.
It was stated that, as of May 11, the bureaucratic preparations necessary to launch direct trade between Türkiye and Armenia had been completed, while the required technical and administrative work for opening the shared border between the two countries was continuing.
Thanks to a new regulation, goods traveling from Türkiye to Armenia via a third country or arriving from Armenia via the same route could now list “Armenia/Türkiye” as their final destination or point of origin.
In a statement made in May, Pashinyan announced that “just as the Azerbaijani railway has been opened, the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway has also been opened to Armenia’s exports and imports.”
A leading organizer of the Global Sumud Flotilla praised Türkiye’s role in international solidarity efforts for Palestinians, saying Turkish participants and supporters have been central to sustaining the movement aimed at challenging Israel’s blockade of Gaza and raising awareness about the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories.
J. Zacharias Crist, a boat organizer and activist with the Global Sumud Flotilla, said he witnessed firsthand the significant contribution of Turkish citizens and Muslim communities to the initiative.
“I saw personally that Muslims, and especially Turks because we departed from Türkiye, were the backbone of this movement,” Crist told Anadolu Agency (AA) on the sidelines of an international youth summit in Istanbul. “Without them, it would have been much more difficult for the movement to begin and to continue after the intervention.”
Crist spoke during the “Cut to the Chase: Truth Beyond Borders” international youth summit, organized by Marmara Anatolian Imam Hatip High School under the hosting of Boğazici University.
The activist, who converted to Islam nearly two decades ago and later settled in Türkiye, said his participation in the flotilla deepened his understanding of the challenges faced by Palestinians living under Israeli occupation and blockade.
Crist said he was detained after taking part in a recent flotilla mission and described what he characterized as harsh treatment by Israeli forces during his custody.
“I experienced being kept in stress positions for hours, being restrained and subjected to violence,” he said.
Crist said one of the most striking aspects of the experience was that activists from different nationalities were treated similarly during the interception.
“What I noticed when we traveled to occupied Palestine with the Global Sumud Flotilla was that the occupation forces did not distinguish between an American passport, a European passport, a Turkish passport or an Indonesian passport,” he said. “In their eyes, we were all Palestinians.”
Crist, who holds both Turkish and American citizenship, argued that international activists benefit from diplomatic protections that many Palestinians lack.
Reflecting on the broader impact of activism, Crist argued that grassroots campaigns can influence realities on the ground but acknowledged that civil society efforts alone are insufficient.
“Activism changes realities on the ground,” he said. “But governments also need to take greater responsibility.”
He described the Sumud movement as a nonviolent civilian initiative that seeks to draw attention to the humanitarian situation in Gaza while encouraging broader political action from states and international organizations.
Crist also stressed the importance of preserving Palestinian cultural identity and historical narratives, arguing that storytelling remains a crucial aspect of advocacy.
One dimension of the conflict, he said, involves what he described as attempts to erase Palestinian cultural heritage and identity. Protecting and amplifying Palestinian voices, he added, should be treated as a central component of international solidarity efforts.
As both a Turkish and American citizen, Crist said he has observed differences in public mobilization between Türkiye and many Western countries.
“I have seen firsthand how Türkiye is able to mobilize people in ways that many Western countries cannot,” he said.
While acknowledging growing support for Palestinians across Europe and North America, Crist argued that the role of Türkiye and Muslim communities is often underestimated internationally.
He recalled a conversation with an Italian journalist during the flotilla mission who told him that the movement would not have advanced without Turkish participation.
“We will continue doing whatever is necessary for a free Palestine,” he underlined. “I would be happy to take part in the next flotilla or any future mission.”
Crist also encouraged young people to become involved in humanitarian and advocacy initiatives, saying youth participation remains essential to sustaining global solidarity movements.
“Young people have both the energy and the sense of purpose needed,” he said. “I invite them to be part of this movement.”
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