Politics
Ankara tightens security, preparations as NATO Summit approaches
Preparations are intensifying in Türkiye’s capital ahead of the NATO Summit scheduled for July 7-8, with authorities implementing extensive security measures, infrastructure upgrades and temporary restrictions across the city.
Teams have accelerated road maintenance, landscaping and security-related works along key routes expected to be used by visiting heads of state, government officials and delegations attending the alliance’s annual gathering.
Road crews have been repaving sections of the route connecting Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport to the city center, while new pedestrian safety barriers are being installed along major thoroughfares. Several buildings located on protocol routes are undergoing facade renovations, and visual barriers have been erected in some areas to improve the appearance of key corridors ahead of the summit.
The preparations come as Türkiye gets ready to host one of NATO’s most significant diplomatic events, bringing together leaders and senior officials from member states amid ongoing discussions on regional security, defense cooperation and global challenges.
Meanwhile, Ankara authorities announced a series of security measures aimed at ensuring the smooth conduct of the summit and maintaining public order.
In a statement, the Ankara Governor’s Office said restrictions would be in place between June 28 and July 10, covering a wide range of public activities throughout the capital.
The statement noted that authorities had taken necessary precautions to safeguard summit venues, accommodation facilities designated for delegations and official transit routes.
Access by unauthorized individuals and vehicles to designated sensitive areas will be restricted during the event, according to the governor’s office.
Authorities also announced a ban on all drone flights within Ankara’s airspace during the period unless special permission is granted by the governor’s office.
In addition, public gatherings and demonstrations, including marches, press statements, sit-ins, hunger strikes, protests, rallies, the establishment of stands or tents, and the distribution of leaflets, brochures and banners, will be prohibited from midnight on June 28 until 11:59 p.m. on July 10.
Officials said the measures were introduced to ensure public safety, protect visiting delegations and maintain order as Ankara hosts the high-profile NATO gathering next month.
On the other hand, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated the newly modernized Ankara Airport last Monday, saying 2026 was shaping up to be a “year of summits” for Türkiye.
The former Etimesgut Air Base, which underwent a comprehensive modernization program, has been reopened as Ankara Airport and will serve both domestic and international operations.
The airport is expected to reduce pressure on the capital’s key hub, Esenboğa Airport, during major international events and high-level visits and ease congestion on its road network.
“2026 continues to be a year of summits for Türkiye, a country striving to reach the top in every field,” Erdoğan said at the inauguration ceremony.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed the agreement reached between Iran and the United States during a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, reaffirming Türkiye’s support for efforts aimed at securing a peaceful outcome and urging vigilance against attempts to undermine the negotiation process, the Communications Directorate said.
During the call, Erdoğan said the agreement reached between Iran and the United States was a positive development and reiterated that Türkiye was ready to provide any support necessary to help ensure the process concludes peacefully.
The president also stressed the importance of remaining alert to actors seeking to sabotage the negotiations, emphasizing the need to preserve the momentum toward a lasting resolution.
In a separate phone call, President Erdoğan spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi to discuss bilateral ties, as well as regional and global developments.
Erdoğan expressed Türkiye’s desire to further strengthen relations with Iraq in the coming period, highlighting significant opportunities for cooperation in energy, the defense industry and transportation. He also invited al-Zaidi to visit Türkiye for comprehensive consultations on advancing the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Türkiye has consistently advocated diplomacy and dialogue as the preferred means of addressing regional disputes and has expressed support for efforts aimed at reducing tensions in the Middle East.
The U.S. and Iran shared cautious optimism Monday following the first round of peace talks in Switzerland, with Vice President JD Vance calling the discussions a “good foundation” for ending the war and the Iranian president praising the degree of consensus reached.
The negotiators aim to tackle some of the most intractable issues that have dogged U.S.-Iranian relations for decades, including Tehran’s nuclear program and enriched uranium.
Under the terms of last week’s preliminary deal, released by U.S. officials, Iran will dilute its enriched uranium stocks, possibly by “down-blending on site under the supervision of the IAEA”, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog.
Two Turkish citizens were injured in a drone attack targeting a Turkish-owned, Panama-flagged vessel off the coast of Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port on Monday, according to a statement by Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry.
The ministry said the injured crew members are being closely monitored by Türkiye’s Embassy in Kyiv and its Consulate General in Odesa.
In its statement, the ministry expressed concern over attacks in the Black Sea that threaten Türkiye’s interests and regional security as a result of the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war.
“Türkiye has conveyed its discomfort regarding attacks that threaten our interests and regional security in the Black Sea to the authorities of both countries,” the ministry said.
The ministry stressed that ensuring the safety of civilian maritime navigation in the Black Sea remains one of Türkiye’s key priorities and called on all parties to take steps to reduce tensions in the region.
The incident comes amid continued security risks to commercial shipping routes in the Black Sea, where attacks linked to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine have periodically disrupted maritime traffic and raised concerns over the safety of civilian vessels.
The ruling People’s Alliance’s candidate for the next presidential election remains President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) spokesman Ömer Çelik said Monday, welcoming remarks by the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) chairman Devlet Bahçeli and dismissing speculation surrounding an early vote.
Speaking after a meeting of AK Party’s Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK), chaired by Erdoğan, Çelik said the party’s position on the next presidential election was clear.
“For the AK Party, our presidential candidate is President Erdoğan,” Çelik said, adding that all authorized party bodies had maintained a firm and consistent stance on the matter.
Çelik welcomed Bahçeli’s recent remarks that “our president is on duty and we stand behind him,” describing them as an important demonstration of the People’s Alliance’s unity and determination regarding Erdoğan’s candidacy.
The AK Party spokesman also outlined an extensive political agenda in the coming months, including preparations for the party’s consultation camp in Sapanca, the NATO summit, July 15 commemoration events, COP31 climate talks and the party’s anniversary celebrations.
Addressing regional developments, Çelik said the recent agreement between Iran and the United States offered an opportunity for tensions to ease but warned that the process remained fragile. He argued that efforts toward a lasting peace could be undermined by what he described as Israeli aggression and called for strong international support for diplomacy during the 60-day negotiation period.
Çelik also said work on the government’s “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative was continuing and had entered a new legislative phase. He stated that a legal framework aimed at ensuring the disarmament and dissolution of the PKK/KCK’s armed and illegal structures would soon be debated in Parliament.
According to Çelik, the process would be considered complete only after state institutions verify that the group has laid down its arms and the determination is approved by the National Security Council, followed by a presidential decision.
He called on all political parties and social actors to contribute to the process, arguing that Türkiye possesses the institutional capacity and political experience needed to achieve its “Terror-Free Türkiye” and “Terror-Free Region” goals.
Internal conflict lingers in the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) after last month’s court verdict for absolute nullification that reinstated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as the party chair. The ousted leader Özgür Özel and his supporters resist Kılıçdaroğlu’s reign amid rumors of an ultimate split between two camps.
Kılıçdaroğlu and Özel recently came at odds over who will make traditional parliamentary group speech and finally settled to have separate speeches, Özel at the parliament (as parliamentary group chair of the party) and Kılıçdaroğlu at the CHP headquarters. This time, the Özel camp plans to obstruct Kılıçdaroğlu’s attempt to speak at the parliament on Tuesday. The party spokesman Müslim Sarı has announced last week that the reinstated leader would take the pulpit at the parliament on Tuesday while Kılıçdaroğlu sent letters to all lawmakers urging “unity.” Kılıçdaroğlu formally applied to the presidency of the parliament to make his speech but Özel vowed not to allow it. Özel told a newspaper last week that the parliamentary group meeting can only be held if party’s administrative board unanimously approve it or one fifth of the CHP lawmakers consent. The administrative board is dominated by pro-Kılıçdaroğlu figures but majority of CHP lawmakers are sided with Özel.
Kılıçdaroğlu, meanwhile, is scheduled to hold two meetings on Tuesday as well, a convention of the party assembly and the administrative board. The administrative board is expected to issue new decisions for disciplinary action for CHP members siding with the Özel camp. It already launched proceedings with several figures close to Özel, including lawmakers and removed heads of provincial branches who openly declared support to ousted Özel. He is also expected to discuss a petition by the Özel camp for the party to hold an extraordinary convention. Özel is confident to take back his chair through a by-election in the convention and managed to collect signatures from hundreds of delegates for the petition. Kılıçdaroğlu, however, is unwilling to hold a new convention, citing that the party’s appeal to a higher court for overturning the verdict to annul Kılıçdaroğlu’s tenure is still pending. Media outlets reported Özel would also file a lawsuit to take back his chair if Kılıçdaroğlu rejects the idea of a new convention. If the Kılıçdaroğlu administration do not issue approval for a new convention by June 26, the delegates will file a criminal complaint at the court on the grounds of violation of party’s charter.
Özel insists on staying in CHP despite the split between two camps that worsened with resignations and expulsions of pro-Özel figures but he also has plans to establish a new party. Though he called it as “worst-case scenario” sources close to Özel speaking to media outlets say the plans are being developed to that extent and Özel even came up with the name of “March” for his future party. The word is frequently invoked by Özel in his speech who believe that he can lead Türkiye’s oldest party for a “march to power” in the next election, after more than two decades of election defeats to ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Rising tensions
Supporters of Özel and Kılıçdaroğlu, in the meantime, continue trading barbs either in public or social media. Tensions between two camps erupted into a brawl on Sunday night when Utku Gümrükçü, appointed by the Kılıçdaroğlu administration for party’s Izmir branch arrived at the building to take office. Pro-Özel groups confronted Gümrükçü and his supporters and held a vigil overnight amid heated arguments with the pro-Kılıçdaroğlu camp. In the early hours of Monday, Gümrükçü finally settled in and hailed taking office “without bloodshed.” “I am not here to fire anyone but certainly, there will be splits in this process. I am willing to work anyone who want to stay,” he told journalists.
Izmir, Türkiye’s third largest city, is also a CHP stronghold and the only metropolitan city AK Party failed to win municipal elections. City’s incumbent mayor Cemil Tugay tendered his resignation from the party last week, in protest of Kılıçdaroğlu’s reinstatement.
Referring to the legal process taking place within the party, Gümrükçü said: “Whether this legal process ultimately produced a correct or incorrect decision is a separate matter for debate. The party leadership that served before the 2023 convention, and that had previously held positions in this party, was reinstated through a court ruling and legal procedures. This can be criticized and discussed. However, court decisions are implemented, and the consequences of that implementation are now lawful. (The Özel camp) repeatedly stated that they did not recognize Kılıçdaroğlu. They questioned our Izmir lawmaker and disciplinary board chairman Mahir Polat’s legitimacy. When I was appointed, they claimed that ‘the Central Executive Board has no authority in this matter, the party Assembly is illegitimate, they cannot dismiss the provincial chairman, I do not recognize them.’ Then they allowed slogans such as ‘Traitor Kemal’ to be chanted against Kılıçdaroğlu.”
Emphasizing that party problems can be resolved internally if the party is strong, if members genuinely feel they belong, and if unity prevails, Gümrükçü said: “The party leadership made such a decision. The process evolved from statements (by the Özel camp) like ‘I won’t meet with Gümrükçü,’ ‘They are more AKP (AK Party) than the AKP,’ and ‘We’ll offer them tea and send them away,’ to a complete refusal to meet. While we were having coffee before, the doors were shut down to us suddenly. Then, in an effort to ease tensions, we sent flowers through party members, but the people delivering them were manhandled and thrown out of the CHP building. There were attempts to block a possible transfer of authority using firefighting equipment, water hoses, and barricades placed at the doors to prevent CHP members from entering the CHP building. Throughout this period, statements were continuously made that escalated tensions.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday expressed worries about “the state CHP is in” as the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is embattled with a deepening divide.
Erdoğan addressed a large crowd of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) supporters in Ankara at an event organized by party’s branch in the capital. After listing achievements of governments led by the party which will mark its 25th anniversary in August, Erdoğan complained that the opposition failed the test to serve the public, despite its key gains in the 2024 municipal elections. “They have nothing to offer. You see what they are occupied with,” Erdoğan said, referring to feud between supporters of ousted chair Özgür Özel and reinstated leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. “They don’t have a day spent without fight. This is more than self-harm. They also harm Turkish politics. We solved many problems in the country but we failed to solve the opposition problem which now became chronic,” Erdoğan told fellow members of AK Party.
“We couldn’t teach them to adapt a national stand on topics like foreign policy, defense and fight against terrorism. What we have now is an opposition deficit,” the president added.
The president, who indulged in severe reprimand of the opposition in the past on a wide variety of issues, said it was not right Türkiye’s second biggest party to be associated with infighting. “We wish the opposition would compete with us to serve the nation. We are still searching for a worthy opposition,” Erdoğan said.
At the same event, Erdoğan welcomed Levent Koç, mayor of Ankara’s Haymana district, who formally joined AK Party after resignation from CHP hours earlier.
Since the 2024 municipal elections, 16 mayors from CHP joined AK Party. These include two metropolitan city mayors: Özlem Çerçioğlu of Aydın and Burcu Köksal of Afyonkarahisar. Media reports say more mayors may join AK Party soon, including mayors of three other districts of Ankara. CHP claims they were blackmailed to join the party while mayors deny the reports and often reason their departure from CHP with disputes with the administration led by Özgür Özel. Koç is the first mayor to leave CHP for AK Party after Özel was ousted from office with a court verdict, in the wake of allegations of vote-buying in a 2023 intra-party election where he defeated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Kılıçdaroğlu was reinstated to office last month.
Türkiye is in a special position to help bring the facts about Sudan’s conflict to the international agenda because of its relations with both the Muslim world and NATO countries, a senior Sudanese official said.
Amgad Fareid Eltayeb, political and foreign affairs adviser to the chairman of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that Ankara’s support for Sudan reflects the historical ties between the two countries, but Khartoum expects further engagement.
“The support Sudan has received from Türkiye has been a reflection of the historical bonds between the two countries, but we expect more,” Eltayeb said.
He noted that Türkiye’s diplomatic reach gives it a unique role in helping clarify the nature of the conflict in Sudan and the threats facing the country.
Sudan has entered its fourth year of civil war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a conflict that has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Eltayeb said the RSF, should be recognized internationally as a “terrorist organization,” arguing that the conflict can no longer be described as a war between two political sides or two generals.
He said the conflict has become an attack on Sudan’s sovereignty, describing the RSF as a “barbaric militia” that has committed crimes unprecedented in Sudan’s modern history.
Eltayeb also accused some regional actors of supporting the RSF, saying the war has evolved into a proxy conflict.
“This crisis did not emerge as a result of an earthquake, fire or natural disaster. This is a crime committed by criminals. It is not possible to resolve the humanitarian crisis without pointing to those criminals,” he stressed.
Eltayeb said recognizing the RSF as a terrorist organization should be a universal approach, and that such a step would narrow the room for maneuver of actors that support the group and contribute to prolonging the war.
He underlined that the RSF’s activities pose a threat not only to Sudan, but also to the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea basin, the Great Lakes region and the Sahel.
Proxy war
Eltayeb noted the conflict began with internal political disputes but later turned into a proxy war, with some actors seeking to pursue their own agendas in Sudan through the RSF and other political groups.
He said the international community has not sufficiently listened to the Sudanese people, and recent warnings by the UN Security Council have not been enough to change the situation on the ground.
Eltayeb also criticized what he called the selective application of international law, saying some countries have not faced sufficient criticism despite violating UN Security Council resolutions.
He said the Sudanese state must be supported against what he called the greatest existential threat facing the country, adding that preserving state institutions is also critical for regional stability.
Territorial integrity
Eltayeb said Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity are important not only for the country itself, but also for the region and Europe, warning that the collapse of the state could leave millions of people at risk of statelessness.
He emphasized the Sudanese people want to live in their own country, noting that returns have begun in areas where government forces have restored control.
Eltayeb said the Sudanese people’s priority is to protect state institutions and restore security and stability, stressing that a democratic transition can begin only after those goals are achieved.
Sudan has experience with democracy, he said, adding that the people are capable of determining their own political future.
Eltayeb said Sudan would welcome support from the international community, but international initiatives should be carried out with the participation of Sudanese people and in line with their demands.
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