Politics
NATO parliamentary leaders call for stronger alliance, defense coop
Parliamentary leaders from NATO member states called for stronger defense capabilities, greater allied unity and closer cooperation at the NATO Parliamentary Summit in Istanbul on Monday, underscoring the need for collective security, continued support for Ukraine and adherence to international law.
Speaking at the summit hosted by Türkiye, Bulgarian National Assembly Speaker Mihaela Dotsova said the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara presents “an opportunity to reaffirm our strong commitment to the alliance’s values, collective security and strengthening stability in the Euro-Atlantic region.”
She stressed that Bulgaria sees NATO as a cornerstone of security and pointed to growing instability and multiple conflicts in the current global environment.
Dotsova said Bulgaria continues to fulfill its commitments to collective defense and modernize its armed forces.
“Investing in defense means investing in security, resilience and the state’s ability to protect its citizens and national sovereignty,” she added.
Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic said Russia’s attacks on Ukraine, along with hybrid threats, disruptive technologies and intensifying strategic competition, are reshaping Europe’s security landscape and the functioning of societies.
“In this context, military power, of course, remains indispensable, but it is no longer sufficient on its own,” he said.
“Critical infrastructure, economic and technological progress, and political cohesion are equally important parts of the equation,” he added.
Jandrokovic stressed the need for stronger European defense capabilities in solidarity with a credible transatlantic bond.
He said Croatia is on track to allocate 3% of its gross domestic product (GDP) to defense spending by 2030 and is determined to raise that figure to 5% by 2035.
Emphasizing that NATO allies form a shared security space, Jandrokovic said any weakness within that space affects the security of all allies and underlined that the alliance must be prepared for future threats.
Dutch House of Representatives Speaker Thom van Campen said parliamentary diplomacy plays a “vital role” in building trust between countries, fostering mutual understanding and strengthening transatlantic solidarity.
“We are meeting in Türkiye, which serves as a bridge between continents and cultures, and this is no coincidence,” he said, calling on allies to continue supporting one another and demonstrate that NATO is “united, determined and ready to act.”
North Macedonian Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi said “NATO 3.0” should be viewed from the perspective of a strategic restart of the alliance and stressed the need for balanced burden-sharing and increased national investments in defense capabilities.
He also said developments in the Middle East have serious implications for peace, energy markets and humanitarian conditions and called for continued diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.
Norwegian Parliament Speaker Masud Gharahkhani said his country is increasing defense production and investing in new systems, including unmanned aerial vehicles and digital solutions.
“We need more coordination. We need to accelerate our industrial capacities and production to strengthen our collective security,” he said, adding that Norway’s long-term defense plan reflects a more serious security environment and lessons learned from the war in Ukraine.
Estonian Parliament Speaker Lauri Hussar said NATO members’ decision to allocate 5% of GDP to defense by 2035 was historic and stressed the need to deepen cooperation in regional defense planning and air defense.
“Peace is never free and weakness always comes at a cost. Unity is NATO’s center of gravity,” he said, while calling for increased pressure on Russia and continued support for Ukraine.
Finnish Parliament Speaker Jussi Halla-Aho said Finland wants to actively contribute to collective deterrence, emphasizing that NATO’s strength stems from the strength of its members and that Russia can only be persuaded to end its aggression if the economic and political costs become unsustainable.
Italian Chamber of Deputies (lower house) Speaker Lorenzo Fontana said security in the Euro-Atlantic region is shaped by interconnected crises stretching from the Mediterranean and the Middle East to the Red Sea and the Gulf.
“NATO is strong when it is united. It is credible not only when it reacts to crises but also when it can prevent them,” he said.
Polish Senate Speaker Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska called for increasing resilience against Russia and said NATO’s defense preparedness and new formats of cooperation should be strengthened.
“We must support Ukraine with all our strength,” she said, adding that Poland and Türkiye play key roles as allies on NATO’s eastern flank.
Portuguese Parliament Speaker Jose Pedro Aguiar Branco said maintaining the alliance’s internal cohesion remains essential and stressed that support for Ukraine should continue to be a priority within the Euro-Atlantic security framework.
Slovak National Council Speaker Richard Rasi said Slovakia’s foreign and security policy is based on its European Union and NATO memberships and noted that the country plans to gradually increase defense spending to 5% of GDP while seeking conditions for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
British House of Lords Speaker Michael Forsyth described Türkiye as “a valuable partner in many fields at the intersection of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia,” saying Ankara plays “a vital diplomatic role in connecting regions and mediating conflicts.”
Forsyth said deterrence is less costly than conflict and collective defense is more effective than acting alone, adding that NATO allies must adapt to changes brought by artificial intelligence and cyber technologies.
He also said Ukraine is bearing the burden of resisting Russian aggression on behalf of the broader alliance and said NATO members owe Ukrainians “a great debt of gratitude.”
U.K. House of Commons Deputy Speaker Judith Cummins also stressed the need for closer cooperation among allies, saying: “At this most dangerous point in our history, we NATO members need each other.”
She warned that current challenges are becoming increasingly unpredictable and pointed to growing competition and emerging technological threats.
French NATO Parliamentary Assembly delegation head Natalia Pouzyreff recalled that the situation in the Middle East and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz had been discussed at the recent G7 Leaders’ Summit in France, which also issued a joint statement recognizing Ukraine’s territorial integrity and calling for strengthened military assistance to Kyiv.
Pouzyreff said Ukraine’s future lies in NATO and stressed that the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration would directly contribute to regional security and stability.
Czech Senate Speaker Milos Vystrcil said every NATO member has a responsibility to allocate at least 2% of its GDP to defense spending.
“Europe should assume greater responsibility for NATO’s defense because a stronger Europe means a stronger NATO,” he said.
Vystrcil said NATO’s future rests on unity among allies, fulfilling commitments, and greater European support for collective defense.
“If we are to send one message from Istanbul, it is this: When it comes to defending our freedom and democracy, we all stand shoulder to shoulder,” he added.
Czech Chamber of Deputies Speaker Tomio Okamura said countries need to strengthen their defenses before crises emerge, stressing that every nation has both the right and the duty to defend its territory, citizens, borders, and way of life.
He also called for the war in Ukraine to end as soon as possible.
Danish Parliament Speaker Soren Gade said Euro-Atlantic security has become increasingly complex and underlined the importance of maintaining NATO’s strength and intervention capability.
“As a former defense minister, I have seen firsthand the immense pressure NATO is under, but NATO remains the strongest and most successful alliance in history,” he said.
“Although the international security situation is under great pressure, I believe NATO has the necessary tools to address the challenges ahead,” Gade added.
Spanish Senate First Deputy Speaker Javier Maroto said all NATO countries should defend respect for international law in every conflict, “whether in Ukraine or the Middle East.”
He also argued that NATO reform should not mean “less U.S.” but rather greater European responsibility, regional leadership, and a larger share of the traditional defense burden.
Swedish Parliament Third Deputy Speaker Kerstin Lundgren said the agenda of the upcoming NATO Leaders Summit in Ankara would include alliance capabilities, sustainable support for Ukraine, and increasing industrial production in the defense sector.
“NATO is an alliance founded on the view that democracy, human rights, the rules-based world order, and free trade are not only great ideals but also principles that make us strong today,” she said.
Albanian Parliament Foreign Affairs and European Affairs Committee Chairman Igli Hasani said security depends on the ability to act together and reiterated Albania’s support for Ukraine.
“Security is defended not only on the battlefield but also through sustained solidarity and determination,” he said, adding that investments in defense are a strategic step toward preparedness, resilience and deterrence.
NATO Parliamentary Assembly Greek delegation Deputy Head Dimitris Keridis described Istanbul as “magnificent” and said more than 2 million Turkish citizens are expected to visit Greece this year.
Keridis believes that Türkiye should be included in the Schengen Area, adding that Greece is sincere in extending a hand of friendship.
Dagur Eggertsson, member of parliament from the Social Democratic Alliance and the chair of Iceland’s NATO parliamentary delegation, said being in Istanbul, which has connected cultures, continents, and civilizations for centuries, is a privilege.
“This city reminds us that security is never built in isolation but through dialogue, cooperation, and shared responsibility,” he said.
Eggertsson said NATO exists not only to defend territories but also to protect the principles that make peace possible, stressing that trust in democratic institutions and shared values is the real foundation of the alliance.
NATO PA Montenegro delegation head Dusko Stjepovic said wars in Europe and the Middle East, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and attempts to weaken democratic institutions show that security can no longer be viewed only from a state-centered perspective.
He said NATO is more important than ever and voiced support for strengthening the alliance’s defense capacity and increasing defense investments.
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly Ukraine delegation head, Yehor Cherniev, thanked Türkiye for organizing the 2022 negotiations in Istanbul, while saying the talks did not succeed because the conditions were not fair or acceptable for Ukraine.
Cherniev said Ukraine is beginning to regain the initiative in the war and argued that Russia should not be given an opportunity to recover and rebuild its forces.
He also said Europe’s security would remain incomplete without Ukraine’s full NATO membership.
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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