Politics
Erdoğan hosts Pakistan’s Sharif in Istanbul for wide-ranging talks
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met in Istanbul on Saturday for wide-ranging talks aimed at strengthening what both sides describe as a long-standing strategic partnership built on political alignment, defense cooperation, and shared regional interests.
Sharif was welcomed with an official ceremony at Vahdettin Palace in Istanbul’s Üsküdar district before the two leaders moved into a closed-door bilateral session lasting about an hour. The meeting set the tone for a broader round of engagement involving senior officials from both governments.
The discussions covered trade expansion, defense industry cooperation, energy security, infrastructure investment, and digital connectivity. Both sides also reviewed regional developments, with attention on Middle East tensions, Afghanistan, counter-terrorism coordination, and broader stability concerns across neighboring regions.
The talks brought together a senior Turkish delegation, underscoring the institutional depth of the engagement.
Participants included Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Intelligence Organization chief İbrahim Kalın, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, and presidential adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç.
Their presence reflected the mix of diplomatic, security, and communications priorities shaping the agenda.
Following the bilateral meeting, Erdoğan and Sharif continued discussions at a delegation-level working lunch, where ministers and senior advisers from both countries reviewed specific areas for follow-up. These included investment frameworks, defense industrial cooperation, and mechanisms to increase trade volume.
Economic ties remain a central challenge and opportunity. Bilateral trade, currently estimated at roughly $1.2 billion to $1.35 billion, continues to fall short of long-term targets set at $5 billion. Both governments have repeatedly signaled interest in expanding Turkish investment in Pakistan, particularly in energy, agriculture, transport infrastructure, and emerging technology sectors such as digital services and telecommunications.
Defense cooperation continues to be the strongest pillar of the relationship. Türkiye has emerged as a key supplier of military systems to Pakistan, including unmanned aerial systems, naval assets, and modernization support for existing platforms. Joint training programs and intelligence-sharing arrangements have expanded in parallel, with both sides exploring deeper industrial cooperation, co-production models, and joint research initiatives.
Diplomatically, the meeting reflects continuity in high-level engagement between Ankara and Islamabad, including recent encounters at multilateral forums such as the Antalya Diplomacy Forum earlier in 2026. Both countries frequently coordinate positions on international issues in multilateral organizations, reinforcing their alignment on select geopolitical priorities.
The Istanbul talks also come amid broader efforts to institutionalize cooperation through mechanisms such as the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, which has previously produced agreements spanning defense, health, education, and trade.
Erdoğan and Sharif are expected to hold a joint news conference following the talks, where they will outline concrete outcomes and signal whether new agreements or memoranda of understanding have been reached.
Ankara has repeatedly expressed frustration over the rejection of extradition requests involving members of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), while renewed efforts by Turkish authorities aim to break this trend.
Türkiye stepped up its fight against the group after its infiltrators orchestrated the foiled coup of July 15, 2016, in the country. Although the West praised Türkiye’s stand for democracy, it failed the test of friendship by refusing requests for the extradition of FETÖ members who fled the country before and after the coup attempt.
Despite concrete evidence and accusations, many countries, including the United States, Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom, turn down requests, listing a number of excuses.
High-ranking members of FETÖ, in particular, are spared by other countries. European countries, for instance, turn to the excuse that they might be given long prison terms if extradited.
Among those Türkiye wanted was Suat Yıldırım, a top member of FETÖ who was believed to be in Germany. Germany initially rejected that Yıldırım was in the country and then German authorities stated that he would not be legally eligible for extradition due to the possibility of Yıldırım’s sentencing to aggravated life imprisonment in Türkiye.
FETÖ fugitives benefit from the lack of mutual extradition treaties. Türkiye seeks to close this legal loophole, especially with Canada, which has turned down extradition requests for a number of fugitives for this reason, including Tuncay Delibaşı, the private physician of FETÖ’s now-deceased leader, Fetullah Gülen; Abdullah Sabri Tok; and Cansun Sarıyıldız.
In other cases, FETÖ members enjoy instant citizenship or benefit from citizenship they acquired before Türkiye launched criminal investigations against them. Among them is Abdullah Aymaz, a name in the upper echelons of FETÖ who served as “imam” or leader for the branches of the terrorist group in the United States and Germany. German authorities flatly denied the extradition request for Aymaz due to his German citizenship. When Türkiye pressed German authorities, Aymaz left for the United States.
Some requests have been rejected because the alleged offenses do not meet the principle of “dual criminality,” which generally requires that the conduct in question be considered a crime in both countries. This was the case for Turgut Karabulut, who led FETÖ networks in northern Iraq and the Middle East. The United States cited dual criminality when refusing his extradition.
Spain rejected the extradition of Ayhan Erik, who assisted FETÖ members in Spain, citing that his actions did not constitute a crime in the country.
Some governments have relied on legal technicalities or have not responded to requests for extended periods. One such case involved Suat Yiğit, who led a secret network of FETÖ in Ankara involved in defense industry espionage. Although Türkiye delivered more and more evidence regarding Yiğit’s role in FETÖ, his extradition request was rejected by the United States.
According to the Justice Ministry, Turkish judicial authorities have so far prepared 2,950 extradition requests involving 2,765 suspects and submitted them to 119 countries.
The largest number of requests was sent to Germany, the United States and Belgium. Authorities submitted 777 extradition files to Germany, 428 to the United States and 142 to Belgium.
Five defendants, including former NAKSAN Holding shareholder Taner Nakıboğlu, appeared in court for the first time Thursday after being arrested in a sweeping investigation into the alleged current structure of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).
The case stems from a May 6 operation centered in Gaziantep that spanned 47 provinces. Prosecutors allege the suspects were members of FETÖ and financed the group through front companies as part of efforts to rebuild its network. Authorities detained 222 suspects following a six-month surveillance operation.
During the hearing at Gaziantep’s 2nd High Criminal Court, several defendants denied the charges, while one sought to benefit from Türkiye’s effective remorse provisions.
Defendant Uğur Önder acknowledged his previous ties to the group but said he regretted his involvement. He admitted collecting and delivering cash left at predetermined locations, including mailboxes, apartment entrances and water meters, but said he never discussed FETÖ during online lessons he gave to students.
“I was a member of this organization in the past, but I regret it,” Önder told the court, adding that he had used the code name “Yusuf” and was paid $50 per student for mathematics and geometry lessons.
Egyptian national Muhammed Ahmet Ramadan also requested to benefit from the effective remorse law, saying he believed he was simply teaching Arabic and English online to earn money and was unaware of any alleged organizational links until his detention.
Nakıboğlu denied all allegations, telling the court he had no connection to FETÖ, never attended its meetings or transferred money to the group. He said he avoided any illegal activity after previously serving 72 months in prison and requested his acquittal.
Another defendant, Orhan K., rejected accusations that he financed the organization through his companies, saying all financial transactions could be explained and that his business had no links to the group.
The prosecutor requested that all detained defendants remain in custody while deficiencies in the investigation file are addressed.
The court ordered additional evidence to be collected, witnesses to be heard and technical reports completed. It ruled that Nakıboğlu, Önder, Ramadan and Mehmet Daylak remain in custody, while ordering the release of Orhan K. Pending defendants’ trial. The hearing was adjourned to a later date.
FETÖ is the terrorist group behind the deadly coup attempt in Türkiye on July 15, 2016, when it tried to overthrow the government but failed, killing civilians and security personnel during its campaign that day and the following night.
Following the failed coup attempt, Turkish authorities launched a massive crackdown on the group, arresting thousands of its members embedded across various sectors, including state institutions and the military.
Türkiye’s fight against the group continues, as authorities say not all of its members have been fully uncovered, while some senior figures managed to flee the country and find shelter in several Western countries, including particularly the U.S.
Civil society groups in southeastern Türkiye staged a protest Friday against Israel’s attacks on Gaza, gathering outside Şakir Nuhoğlu Mosque in Mardin’s central Artuklu district.
Representatives and members of several nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) carried Palestinian flags and chanted slogans condemning Israel.
Kadir Üründü, the rotating spokesperson for the Mardin Civil Society Organizations Platform, read a statement on behalf of the group, accusing Israel of ignoring moral and legal limits in its attacks on Gaza.
Üründü said Gaza had been bombarded by air, land and sea, causing deaths, destroying buildings and damaging schools, hospitals and infrastructure. He remarked thousands of Palestinians had been killed or wounded and accused Israel of preventing the treatment of the sick and injured while blocking humanitarian aid.
“The resistance of the people of Gaza and the heavy price they have paid for their just cause will never be forgotten,” Üründü said.
The protest ended with prayers for Palestinians killed in Gaza.
Israeli forces, which have launched multiple wars in the region since, control over half of the Palestinian territory under the cease-fire that took effect on Oct. 10, but Israel’s government has expanded that and says it aims to hold 70%.
Israel’s genocidal attack has killed a total of 73,066 Palestinians, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. Despite the cease-fire, few people can get in or out of Gaza.
The ministry announced that 1,053 Palestinians have been killed since the cease-fire as of Tuesday, including over 350 women and children. In recent days, they included a teenage girl on her way to school and a mother with her 1-year-old daughter.
Türkiye is set to host the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit on July 7-8 in Ankara as officials highlight the country’s central role in the alliance’s security architecture, from the Black Sea and the Balkans to the Mediterranean, the Middle East and beyond.
Türkiye currently contributes nearly 3,000 personnel, along with various weapons, vehicles and military platforms, to ongoing NATO missions, operations and initiatives.
Founded on April 4, 1949, under the collective self-defense principle set out in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, NATO was established as a defense alliance against the Soviet threat. For Türkiye, the key factor behind accession was the need to balance Soviet pressure, particularly Moscow’s claims over the Turkish straits and eastern provinces.
Türkiye formally joined the alliance on Feb. 18, 1952, following its military contribution to the Korean War. After the outbreak of the war on June 25, 1950, Türkiye decided to send troops in response to a U.N. call and became the first country after the U.S. to announce it would deploy ground forces to Korea.
Since joining NATO, Türkiye has steadily expanded its contributions to the alliance’s missions and operations, including in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Libya and Iraq. Turkish officials say the country has preserved and developed Cold War-era military capabilities while also fighting terrorism and responding to regional instability.
Türkiye supported NATO’s Afghanistan mission between 2002 and 2014 under the International Security Assistance Force and later contributed to the Resolute Support Mission from 2015. Turkish forces also assumed framework nation responsibility for the secure operation of Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport until NATO’s mission ended in August 2021.
Türkiye also contributed to the NATO Mission Iraq, launched to help build the capacity of the Iraqi army, from 2018 until a withdrawal process began in March amid worsening security conditions. Following NATO’s decision to continue the mission with a core staff at the Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Türkiye assigned three personnel to the new structure.
NATO’s military muscle
Today, the Turkish military contributes to the Kosovo Force, Operation Sea Guardian, NATO’s activity against irregular migration in the Aegean Sea, standing naval forces, the Allied Reaction Force, the NATO Readiness Initiative, assurance measures, NATO support to the African Union, and the alliance’s integrated air and missile defense system.
Türkiye has also taken an active role in NATO exercises, which officials describe as a key measure of interoperability. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) participated in 34 NATO exercises in 2023, 39 in 2024 and 50 in 2025.
This year, Türkiye joined NATO’s Steadfast Dart exercise in Germany from Feb. 12-24, held to improve the operational readiness of the Allied Reaction Force. The country contributed naval, land and air elements, including the Anadolu Task Group, and deployed a joint force of more than 2,000 personnel to Germany.
During the exercise, a TB-3 armed unmanned aerial vehicle launched from the Turkish Navy’s TCG Anadolu successfully struck a target over the Baltic Sea, marking the first time an unmanned aerial vehicle launched from a ship supported a live-fire exercise.
Türkiye also continues to play a command role in NATO missions. It has assumed command of Kosovo Force for a second time since 2023 and deployed the KFOR Reserve Battalion to Kosovo four times after unrest in 2022, contributing to regional security and stability.
In the Mediterranean, Türkiye commands one of the focused operations conducted annually under Operation Sea Guardian, launched by NATO in 2016 to support maritime situational awareness, counterterrorism and regional security capacity-building. Turkish naval forces are among the leading contributors to the mission.
Türkiye has also commanded Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 five times, most recently in 2025, and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 seven times, including in 2023 and 2025.
The Turkish High Readiness Maritime Task Force served as the NATO Response Force Maritime Component Command in 2023 and as the Commander of Task Force Mediterranean in 2024-2025. The Turkish Navy also assumed Amphibious Task Force and Landing Force command duties under the Allied Reaction Force Maritime Component Command for 2025-2026, while continuing to command the Black Sea Task Force for the 2024-2028 period.
In the air domain, Türkiye has established a Joint Force Air Component to support NATO operations. Turkish air forces have previously carried out NATO air policing missions in Lithuania, Poland and Romania and are expected to assume a new air policing mission in Estonia between August and November this year.
Türkiye also supports NATO missions with airborne early warning and control aircraft, aerial refueling aircraft and processed satellite imagery.
Defense Ministry sources say Türkiye’s role in NATO is not based on static membership but on active “security production.” Officials describe Türkiye as a strategic actor that not only participates in the alliance but also manages crises, produces security and develops solutions.
With NATO’s second-largest army, Türkiye is seen by officials as a central ally capable of providing security across Europe, not only as a front-line country on the alliance’s southern flank.
Türkiye’s defense doctrine is based on integrating domestic and national capabilities with NATO’s deterrence and defense concept. Projects such as the Steel Dome air defense system, the Kaan fighter jet and the Altay main battle tank are presented as part of Türkiye’s contribution to both national defense and NATO’s technological edge.
Türkiye allocated 2.33% of its gross domestic product to defense in 2025, placing it among allies meeting high levels of NATO financial and military responsibility.
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Friday during a visit to attend a state ceremony honoring senior Iranian officials killed during recent U.S.-Israeli attacks.
The meeting took place at the Saadabad Palace in the Iranian capital.
In a post on X following the talks, Yılmaz said Türkiye shared the grief of the Iranian people over their recent losses and reiterated Ankara’s support for regional stability.
“We sincerely share the pain experienced by the brotherly Iranian people,” Yılmaz noted. “As Türkiye, we will continue contributing to efforts aimed at establishing lasting peace and stability in our region, strengthening channels of dialogue and supporting the normalization process in the aftermath of the war.”
Yılmaz said Türkiye would continue working with Iranian counterparts to further strengthen bilateral ties in areas including the economy, trade, energy and transportation.
He also thanked Pezeshkian for his hospitality and extended condolences to Iran over the deaths of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other Iranians killed in the attacks.
“I once again pray for God’s mercy upon Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and all our Iranian brothers who lost their lives, and extend my condolences and patience to the Iranian state and the friendly and brotherly people of Iran,” Yılmaz said.
On Feb. 28, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, aged 86, in a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, the first day of the war. Power was swiftly passed to his son Mojtaba.
Ali Khamenei’s public funeral will begin Saturday, with his body lying in state at the colossal complex in central Tehran that hosts major Friday prayers, official ceremonies and religious gatherings.
His burial will take place on July 9 at the shrine of Imam Reza in the northeastern city of Mashhad, his birthplace.
Türkiye on Thursday “strongly” condemned a deadly attack in Syria’s capital that health authorities said killed at least nine people.
“We strongly condemn the attack carried out today (July 2) in the Hijaz area of Syria’s capital, Damascus, which caused fatalities,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The explosion near the main courthouse complex left 20 others wounded, Syria’s Health Ministry said, as reported by state-run Al-Ikhbariya network.
The blast was caused by an explosive device planted inside a cafe near the Justice Palace, Al-Ikhbariya said. Four people were first announced to have been killed.
No group immediately claimed responsibility. Security forces rushed to the cafe and cordoned off the area as they investigate the attack.
Türkiye extended its condolences to the families of those killed and the Syrian people, and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded.
The Foreign Ministry said Türkiye remains confident that “the best response to such attempts, which aim to undermine the progress made toward establishing sustainable stability and security in Syria and to disrupt social peace, will once again be given by the Syrian people by preserving their unity and solidarity.”
“Türkiye will continue to stand in solidarity with Syria throughout this process,” it added.
Syria’s Interior Ministry is set to announce its initial findings soon, said Damascus Gov. Maher Idlibi.
Idlibi said the device appeared “primitive” and vowed that the perpetrators will be held to account.
A video circulating on social media showed several wounded people lying on the ground, with police officers nearby. Ambulances later rushed to the scene treating people on site and taking the more severely wounded to hospitals in the Syrian capital. The cafe was frequented by lawyers who worked in the neighborhood.
Jalal Aljanani, who owns a restaurant next door, ran toward the cafe when he heard the explosion and was horrified by the sight of the bodies on the floor.
“We carried the victims to the cars until the traffic police arrived,” he told The Associated Press (AP), his shirt covered in blood. “Many of them had suffered severe impact injuries, and almost all of them were bleeding.”
Since ousting longtime dictator Bashar Assad in December 2024, Syria’s new authorities have sought to thwart attacks by terrorist groups in and around the capital.
President Ahmad al-Sharaa has vowed to protect Syrians of all backgrounds, especially religious and ethnic minorities.
Al-Sharaa has reasserted the government’s full authority across the vast majority of the country.
Security agencies frequently announce that they have raided Daesh cells and thwarted attacks reportedly targeting minorities and busy commercial areas.
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