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.
Cemil Tugay, mayor of Türkiye’s third-largest city, Izmir, joined the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Wednesday in a landmark move for the party, which has failed to win the city for years.
The AK Party portrayed the move as ushering in a new era for the Aegean city, which has been beset by chronic problems for years, with a video showing flowers blossoming over mountains of garbage as it announced Tugay’s switch.
Expectations are high following the switch, given the successful track record of AK Party-run municipalities in public services. Locals hope the new era will turn around the fortunes of a city grappling with pollution in the Gulf of Izmir, uncollected garbage, infrastructure shortcomings and transportation problems.
Tugay pledged that “good things are in store” for Izmir after joining the party. The mayor had been serving as an independent after resigning from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which has dominated municipal elections in Izmir for the past two decades.
Izmir has been under the spotlight since the 2024 local elections, particularly over strikes by workers and civil servants at district municipalities, from Karabağlar, Konak and Karşıyaka to Buca and Bayraklı. Delays in salary payments since the 2024 vote led to strikes whose impact was most visible in uncollected garbage piling up on the streets and threatening public health.
The garbage problem is the first emergency, and the municipality is expected to shut down a landfill in the Çiğli district and build new solid waste disposal facilities.
Second, severe sanctions are expected against businesses and individuals polluting the Gulf of Izmir, which has suffered mass fish deaths. A wastewater treatment plant that has been left to deteriorate will undergo a major renovation. This is expected to help the city tackle the nightmarish stench that engulfs Izmir, particularly in the summer.
Another issue requiring attention is urban transformation, including the demolition and renewal of decaying housing projects. Amid a corruption scandal involving the construction of new housing projects, Tugay’s predecessor, Tunç Soyer, was arrested last year, while some housing projects have remained incomplete for the past five years. Under the new administration, urban transformation projects are expected to be accelerated, particularly for low-income families.
The municipality is also expected to launch a drive to renew roads across Izmir, many of which have become riddled with potholes due to inadequate maintenance.
In terms of transportation, new projects are underway, including the construction of a new bypass and increased investment in railway systems.
Bilal Saygılı, chairperson of the AK Party’s Izmir branch, said they would work in coordination with Tugay to resolve the city’s problems. Yaşar Kırkpınar, an AK Party lawmaker from Izmir, described Tugay’s switch as a turning point for Izmir’s future and public services.
Ceyda Bölünmez Çankırı, another AK Party lawmaker from Izmir, said the city had longed for “real municipal services for years” and that they would work hard to deliver them to residents under Tugay’s leadership.
Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides are set to meet on Oct. 13 in the United Nations-controlled buffer zone on the divided island of Cyprus, according to reports Wednesday.
The meeting between the leaders of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek Cypriot administration is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. local time and is expected to focus on efforts surrounding the Cyprus issue and confidence-building measures.
The two leaders last met on Sept. 17 at the office of the U.N. Good Offices Mission in the buffer zone. Their closed-door talks, which began at 11 a.m., lasted approximately two hours.
Following the meeting, the U.N. said Erhürman and Christodoulides had exchanged views on confidence-building measures, methodology and substantive aspects of the Cyprus issue.
Erhürman said after the talks that the two sides had yet to reach an agreement on confidence-building measures.
“On the remaining substantive issues, the two sides are only at the stage of listening to each other’s thoughts and views. That is the clear picture,” he said, noting that the meeting was “better” than their previous talks but that the sides remained at the stage of listening to each other’s positions on substantive issues.
He also stressed that concrete progress on the island would be necessary before another meeting could be held in an expanded format.
Erhürman and Christodoulides later traveled to New York for the U.N. General Assembly following their Sept. 17 meeting. The two leaders did not hold a bilateral meeting during their time in New York, although talks were held between their respective delegations.
Cyprus has remained divided for more than five decades between the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement. The TRNC was established in 1983 and is recognized only by Türkiye, while the Greek Cypriot administration represents the island internationally and joined the European Union in 2004.
Turkish officials and leaders in Turkish Cyprus have increasingly advocated a two-state solution to the dispute, arguing that decades of United Nations-led negotiations for a federal settlement have failed to produce results.
The upcoming Oct. 13 meeting comes as efforts continue to find common ground between the two sides and determine the next steps in the long-running Cyprus issue.
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.
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