Politics
Turkish Cypriot PM opposes alleged new scheme by Greek Cypriots
Commenting on Sunday on plans for a new “solution plan” for divided Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was in the same place as it was in the past. “We won’t give even a piece of rock to Greek Cypriots. We won’t give land, won’t abandon our homeland, our state, and our flag.”
According to a report in the Greek Cypriot press, the solution model discussed during the recent contacts of the U.N. secretary-general’s personal envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, does not envisage a return to the “heavy federation” concept that had been discussed in previous years. It was claimed that the model under discussion is a “loose federation” approach aimed at reconciling the Greek Cypriot side’s position of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with the Turkish Cypriot side’s demands for sovereign equality and equal international status under a single framework.
The report stated that the proposed structure could be described by Greek Cypriots as a federation and by Turkish Cypriots as a confederation. It further alleged that the discussions centered on the previously debated concept of “territory in exchange for recognition and political equality.” Within this framework, it was suggested that areas such as Varosha, Morphou (Güzelyurt), and the Mesaoria region were included in various scenarios, similar to the maps discussed during the Crans-Montana process. In return, it was reportedly intended that the political equality of the Turkish Cypriot side would be recognized not merely verbally but in a functional manner within the state mechanism.
The report further claimed that the model envisages a state structure shaped by loose ties between two constituent states. Unlike previous federal proposals that included approximately 120 shared competencies, the new approach reportedly aims to significantly reduce common powers, leaving most day-to-day governance to the constituent states. The central authority would be limited to powers necessary for the effective representation of the new state internationally and within the European Union. According to the report, the system under consideration would include two constituent states, two separate legislatures, and a federal structure that would primarily serve a supervisory role for federal matters. Instead of an elected federal parliament, a body resembling the Council of Europe model and composed of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot representatives was allegedly being considered. This body would deal only with matters that the two constituent states could not decide independently. The aim, it was argued, would be to address Greek Cypriot concerns about governmental deadlock caused by veto powers while also alleviating Turkish Cypriot concerns stemming from the Greek Cypriot population majority.
Speaking to Ihlas News Agency (IHA) on Sunday, Üstel stated that the Turkish Cypriot people’s stance on the national cause is clear, saying: “The response that the Turkish Cypriots have always given to these claims is well known around the world. The position and determination put forward in the national cause have created a vision together with the Republic of Türkiye.”
Stating that the Turkish Cypriot people had been engaged in a struggle for existence from 1950 to 1974, Üstel said that during this period the Republic of Türkiye had always stood by the Turkish Cypriots. Üstel noted that from 1974 to the present day, the Turkish Cypriot people had also fought a major struggle in terms of the economy and catching up with the modern world, adding: “Here too, our motherland, the Republic of Türkiye, was always by our side.”
Emphasizing that they introduced a new policy on the national cause in 2020, Üstel said: “After 2020, the federation file has been closed for us. For us, a solution on the island can only be possible based on two states. Two peoples, two states and the sovereign equality of these states are important.” Üstel said that if this framework is not accepted, the Turkish Cypriot people would not say “yes” to any agreement, adding: “I say this on every platform. The governments before me in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, as well as our government, have always said the following: We have only one red line. The guarantor country in this case is Türkiye. We will not and cannot sign any agreement without Türkiye’s effective and de facto guarantee.”
Üstel stated that this stance had been clearly expressed not only by the TRNC but also by the Republic of Türkiye, recalling that Türkiye had called on the world three times at the United Nations General Assembly for the recognition of the TRNC.
Referring to the meeting between Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Representative on Cyprus, Üstel said Fidan’s message was clear.
Üstel said: “The message conveyed by Mr. Hakan Fidan is clear. For us, no agreement can be reached in Cyprus unless the two peoples, the two states, and the sovereign equality and equal international status of these two states are accepted.”
Stating that the claims raised by the Greek Cypriot side were aimed at disturbing the Turkish Cypriot people, Prime Minister Üstel said: “These provocations and statements made by the Greek Cypriot side are causing great unease among our people.”
Emphasizing that the Turkish Cypriot people have maintained the same stance from the past to the present, Üstel pointed to the line established by Dr. Fazıl Küçük, founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş, and honorary National Unity Party (UBP) chairman Dr. Derviş Eroğlu.
Stating that the statements appearing in the Greek Cypriot press were of no validity for the TRNC, Üstel said these claims were related to the election process on the Greek Cypriot side.
“Since the Greek Cypriot side has its own elections coming up, they are putting forward these statements as part of their election preparations. In addition, as the UN Secretary-General is entering the final phase of his term this year, there is an effort to show that the Greek Cypriot side is willing and to introduce a new plan. This is not a plan that can be accepted.”
Emphasizing that the Turkish Cypriot side has always supported negotiations but that talks must take place on the right basis, Üstel said: “The Turkish Cypriots have always said on every platform that they support negotiations taking place and that they are in favor of them. However, they have also stated on every platform that these negotiations must take place on the right basis.”
Drawing attention to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s emphasis on a two-state solution, sovereign equality, and equal international status, Üstel recalled that the two-state solution decision had been unanimously adopted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly and that a similar decision on a two-state solution and sovereign equality had passed by majority vote in the TRNC Assembly.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that Türkiye remains ready to support efforts to establish direct contacts between Russia and Ukraine, stressing the importance of diplomacy aimed at finding a solution to the war.
Erdoğan and Putin discussed bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues during a phone call, Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications said in a statement.
During the call, Erdoğan emphasized the importance of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.
He said Türkiye was always ready to contribute to initiatives aimed at establishing direct contacts between Moscow and Kyiv and underlined the importance of solution-oriented diplomatic efforts, according to the statement.
The two leaders also discussed Türkiye-Russia relations and other regional and international developments, the directorate said, without providing further details.
Erdoğan also congratulated Putin on his birthday and on his party’s performance in Russia’s Duma elections.
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has alleged that vehicles, equipment and other assets worth more than TL 250 million (approximately $5.1 million) were reported to have been removed or gone missing from its provincial and district offices during the formation of the New Party (YP).
The alleged losses followed a court ruling declaring the CHP’s leadership election legally invalid, triggering a period of internal turmoil and disputes over party property.
According to findings cited by CHP officials, the vehicles and equipment were allegedly taken from party offices across Türkiye’s 81 provinces, Sabah newspaper reported.
Individual criminal complaints have been filed with prosecutors under the coordination of CHP Deputy Chair Tahsin Tarhan, seeking investigations into the missing assets.
The allegations also involve seven district headquarters previously rented by the CHP. Rental agreements were reportedly changed following arrangements with property owners, allowing the buildings to be transferred to the New Party without the CHP leadership’s knowledge.
The affected districts reportedly include Akyurt and Altındağ in Ankara.
A court ruling in a case concerning alleged irregularities at the CHP’s November 2023 convention declared the congress null and void and reinstated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the previous party administration.
In late July, following escalating tensions within the party, Özel and 90 lawmakers resigned from the CHP and established the New Party.
Meanwhile, several missing CHP vehicles were reportedly located in industrial repair facilities and scrapyards. Party officials alleged that many returned vehicles had been deliberately damaged, potentially requiring millions of liras in repairs.
The whereabouts of office furniture, computers, sound systems and air conditioning units remain unknown.
CHP officials further alleged that equipment belonging to the party had been transferred to newly established New Party offices.
Turkish defense companies showcased advanced underwater systems, sonar technologies and unmanned maritime platforms in the western province of Izmir as part of the Türkiye-hosted Nusret-2026 Invitation Exercise.
The exhibition at the Port of Alsancak brought together 16 defense companies presenting technologies for underwater operations and mine countermeasures to Turkish and foreign military representatives participating in the exercise.
The Nusret-2026 Invitation Exercise is being held from Oct. 6-16 in the Gulf of Izmir and off the coast of Karadeniz Ereğli. Alongside Turkish forces, the exercise includes units from NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) and the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM Black Sea).
Havelsan presented a remotely operated underwater vehicle developed with the company’s own resources that can operate at depths of up to 300 meters (985 feet).
Zekiye Bilinç Serintuna, Havelsan’s underwater systems group leader, said the platform is equipped with sensors and systems enabling navigation and precise positioning. It can be used for military and civilian missions, including search and rescue, mine countermeasures, pipeline monitoring and ship hull inspections.
Meteksan Defense also showcased underwater acoustic technologies, including sonar systems developed for ships and submarines.
The company introduced two new products at Nusret-2026: the Submarine and Underwater Vehicle Detection System (SUVDES) and the National Synthetic Aperture Sonar System (MİLSAS).
SUVDES is designed for tasks including harbor security, protection of critical facilities and the detection of unmanned maritime vehicles.
State-owned defense manufacturer MKE, meanwhile, displayed several systems developed for naval warfare.
They included the Denizhan national naval gun, the Pirana kamikaze unmanned surface vehicle and the Malaman smart bottom mine, alongside infantry rifles used by naval forces.
A total of 20 ships, five aircraft and various unmanned systems are taking part in the exercise, which focuses on mine countermeasures and maritime operations.
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi will be in Athens on Thursday. Ministry sources said Wednesday that the purpose of the visit was “cooperation in fighting against transboundary crime, terrorist groups and next-generation criminal gangs.”
He is scheduled to meet Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum Thanos Plevris and Minister for Citizen Protection Michalis Chrisochoidis. Çiftçi’s talks will focus on joint steps in the above-mentioned areas.
The Turkish and Greek officials will discuss extradition of members of criminal gangs and how to enhance cooperation in this area, ministry sources also said.
Çiftçi stepped up Türkiye’s contacts with neighboring countries in the joint fight against transboundary crimes and recently paid visits to Bulgaria and Georgia to this end.
The minister last visited Athens in April for a trilateral meeting with Plevris and Bulgarian Interior Minister Emil Dechev on security-related issues affecting the three neighboring countries.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that any confrontation between Türkiye and Greece over the Aegean Sea or the island of Cyprus would benefit neither country nor the U.S., stressing Washington’s commitment to preventing tensions between the two NATO allies.
Speaking in an interview with Greek newspaper Kathimerini during a visit to Athens, Rubio dismissed the prospect of a conflict between Ankara and Athens, describing such a scenario as unthinkable.
“It wouldn’t be good for anybody. It wouldn’t be good for Greece. It wouldn’t be good for Türkiye. It wouldn’t be good for the United States,” Rubio underlined, adding that Washington would not allow such a situation to develop.
Rubio also addressed the proposed Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) electricity project linking Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration and Israel, acknowledging potential obstacles and emphasizing the importance of diplomatic engagement.
He said Washington intended to use diplomatic channels to encourage solutions, arguing that sensitive disagreements were best addressed through private negotiations.
Highlighting Türkiye’s strategic importance, Rubio noted that Ankara had previously hosted negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and maintained cooperation with Washington on several regional issues.
On Türkiye’s efforts to acquire U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets, Rubio reiterated that President Donald Trump supported a potential sale but acknowledged that existing U.S. legislation remained a significant obstacle.
He said restrictions tied to Türkiye’s acquisition of Russian S-400 air defense systems must be resolved before Washington could legally proceed with the transfer.
“The issue is the S-400 system,” Rubio said, adding that the matter remained unresolved despite possible diplomatic solutions.
Türkiye was removed from the multinational F-35 program in 2019 after acquiring Russia’s S-400 air defense system, prompting U.S. sanctions despite Ankara’s role as a production partner in the fighter jet program.
The U.S. and Greece announced $4 billion (TL 196.86 billion) in military sales under the Foreign Military Sales program to support Athens’ long-term defense plans, as the two countries pledged Wednesday to strengthen security and economic cooperation.
The announcement followed the sixth round of the U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue in Athens, co-chaired by Rubio and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, according to a joint statement released by the U.S. State Department.
Both sides said the sales would bolster Greece’s defense capabilities and improve military interoperability, while also pledging to explore further cooperation between their defense industries, particularly in emerging and innovative technologies.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) admitted Cemil Tugay, mayor of Türkiye’s third-largest city, Izmir, on Wednesday. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan presented Tugay with the party’s badge at an official ceremony in Ankara, at the party’s congress center of the party.
Tugay has recently resigned from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and met Erdoğan at the presidential complex last month. His switch marks a major turning point for the opposition, which lost a large number of mayors to the AK Party since the 2024 election. This will be the first time the AK Party will run the municipality of Izmir, a traditional stronghold of CHP, which itself lost substantial power when former chair Özgür Özel resigned and founded New Party (YP) in July.
The event Tugay attended was originally a gathering to mark the start of the new legislative year, which began last week. However, the mayor was the highlight of the event attended by a large crowd of supporters, as well as several ministers. Tugay’s switch was not fully official before the AK Party’s social media account released a video on Tuesday evening, showing flowers blossoming over a mountain of garbage, in reference to an old anthem about Izmir dedicated to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, first president of the Republic of Türkiye and founder of the CHP.
Tugay, elected mayor in 2024 as a CHP candidate, left the opposition party in June, one month after a bitter split among supporters of reinstated chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Özgür Özel, who was ousted after a court verdict annulling his chairmanship on charges of vote-buying in a 2023 intra-party election. Despite consecutive wins in most provinces and districts in the past two decades, where it dominated the political landscape, the AK Party found little support in the city, which is viewed as the heartland of CHP voters. The opposition supporters staged a rally against the switch on Tuesday in Izmir. Tugay has defeated AK Party lawmaker Hamza Dağ in the 2024 vote, winning 48% of the vote against Dağ’s 37%. CHP has also won 28 of Izmir’s 30 district municipalities in the same election.
CHP suffered losses of mayors since the 2024 elections as criminal investigations uncovered a vast network of corruption in most municipalities in what the AK Party called “tentacles of an octopus.” Tugay’s predecessor Tunç Soyer is also in custody in a similar investigation into corruption.
A total of 108 mayors joined the AK Party from other parties in the past two years and most are from CHP. Metropolitan municipalities of Ankara and Istanbul remained CHP domains until Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş resigned from the party in September, while Istanbul is governed by Nuri Aslan, an acting mayor who succeeded Ekrem Imamoğlu, the first metropolitan municipality mayor of the opposition party to be arrested on charges of corruption in 2025. Imamoğlu’s conviction may prompt a new election at the municipality. Both Yavaş and Imamoğlu were viewed as future presidential contenders of CHP. Imamoğlu was officially declared such after his arrest. Özgür Özel, who nominated Tugay in the 2024 election, claimed on Tuesday that Tugay was forced to defect to the AK Party while accusing him of treason in the same statement.
‘Here to win hearts’
Speaking at the ceremony, Tugay, accompanied by his wife Öznur on the stage, said he joined the AK Party “to be a friend of those devoted to this cause for a strong Türkiye under the leadership of our president.” “I came here with faith and trust,” he told the applause of AK Party supporters. He recalled his upbringing in Izmir as the child of a modest family and how he served his country for about 30 years as a doctor. “Then, someone I respected told me that the best way to serve the nation is through politics and I took upon this advice.” He mentioned his past as mayor of Izmir’s Karşıyaka district and how he provided services for “all residents of Izmir without discrimination.” “All residents have been a family to me,” he added. He pointed out that Izmir was a precious city of patriotic people. “It is an honor to serve this city,” he said.
Tugay also reasoned his switch to the AK Party with past remarks by Erdoğan, who repeatedly said the AK Party was “friend of the disenfranchised.” “I am engaged in politics to defend the rights of forgotten people living on the periphery of cities, forgotten poor, to defend the rights of farmers and small business owners,” Tugay said. He then quoted Sufi poet and mystic Yunus Emre: “I am not here to fight, I am here for love. Hearts are abode of my friends; I am here to win hearts.” “Under the leadership of our president and valuable support of experienced AK Party family, we embark on a journey to revive Izmir, to resolve its problems,” he said. During long reigns of CHP, Izmir was embattled with a variety of problems, particularly in garbage collection and poor infrastructure.
President Erdoğan said at the ceremony that the AK Party family was growing with new members. “Those who are fed up with the pressure of party barons doing everything in exchange for bribes, those who do not want to be subjected to obscene insults in the middle of the night, and those who seek to serve their cities in peace and harmony see the AK Party as the safest address,” Erdoğan said, in veiled remarks towards Özgür Özel, whose WhatsApp correspondence with a district mayor in Ankara, where he hurled insults over his anticipated switch to the AK Party, was made public. Özel and other top figures of the opposition were also accused of asking for bribes in return for the nomination of mayors, according to the statements of the former mayor of Antalya province, who was arrested earlier on corruption charges.
The president, who made his name in politics after his election as Istanbul mayor in 1994, noted that the AK Party was behind the revolutionary changes in municipal governance with landmark public services. “No one can compete with the AK Party’s approach to municipal governance. No one can compete with the AK Party on finding practical solutions to problems, delivering results quickly, developing projects and setting out a vision for our cities. Municipal governance may be a means of personal benefits for others, but for us, it is solely a means of serving the nation.”
Erdoğan said municipal governance could be a means for others to enrich themselves, their spouses, friends and associates, but for his party it is a position of heavy responsibility that requires serving the nation, making sacrifices and working day and night for the people, referring to the corruption scandals plaguing the opposition.
The president then turned to Tugay and said: “Welcome to the AK Party family; we are delighted to have you with us.” He said they would support Tugay in his efforts to serve Izmir, the “pearl of the Aegean,” and its residents.
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