Politics
Israel, Greece conduct drills in the Aegean, likely to irk Türkiye
The Israeli and Greek air forces have resumed joint military exercises after a long pause over the Israeli wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, Israeli media outlets reported on Monday, a move that is expected to anger Greece’s neighbor Türkiye.
“The Air Force has returned to training with the Hellenic Air Force after a long period in which joint training did not take place due to the fighting,” Channel 12 said. It added that footage released by the Greek air force showed Israeli aircraft refueling Greek F-16 fighter jets during a flight over the Aegean Sea. “The cooperation between the Israeli and Greek air forces is not a random choice. It is part of a broader strategic plan taking shape in the region,” the channel said.
Türkiye is a major critic of Israel over its genocidal policy in Gaza and is wary of the Netanyahu administration’s expansionism across the region. As for Greece, Türkiye seeks common ground to improve ties, although the rapid pace of armament of Athens is a source of concern. The maritime borders in the Aegean are a major source of contention between Türkiye and Greece. Turkish officials have not commented yet on the joint drills. Türkiye is also following developments regarding multilateral ties between Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriots.
Last month, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that Israel and its accomplices were engaged in starting “a fire” in the Mediterranean, especially the island of Cyprus, and said they were following the developments. Türkiye is a guarantor state on the divided island and recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). It has no ties to the Greek Cypriot administration based in parts of southern Cyprus. The president said, “some small circles whose ambitions are bigger than their size” have jumped on the Israeli bandwagon and served as “contractors of Zionism.” “They are chasing dreams in the Eastern Mediterranean. Let me be clear: Do not engage in adventures, do not ride on the tails of the Zionist network of murderers. Our response to the attempts at the rights and sovereignty of Türkiye and Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean will be clear and very strong,” he said.
In the aftermath of the ouster of Özgür Özel as chair of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), the party’s divide between supporters of Özel and reinstated Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu continues to grow.
This is most evident in acts of vandalism at the party’s provincial branches, where pro-Özel chairs are replaced with pro-Kılıçdaroğlu ones.
Özel himself resisted evacuation from the party’s headquarters in May, and his loyalists followed his example in their refusal to vacate party offices in provinces.
Provincial chairpersons who made headlines for their criticism of Kılıçdaroğlu, who is often branded as a “traitor” for accepting the reinstatement, are being dismissed by the new administration gradually. Repeatedly emphasizing that it will not allow a dual power structure within the party, the Kılıçdaroğlu administration is appointing new provincial chairpersons to replace those who have been removed. With these appointments, tensions over the evacuation have shifted from the party headquarters to provincial offices.
In some provinces, party buildings are not being vacated, while in others, property inside provincial headquarters is being vandalized. Walls are being covered with profanity and insulting graffiti, and in many provinces, bank accounts, vehicles and official record books have not been handed over to the new administrations. It is alleged that Özgür Özel and his associates have promised parliamentary candidacies to former provincial chairpersons who, despite repeated calls for calm, continue to fuel unrest by refusing to comply.
During this process, the provincial headquarters in Izmir was taken over only after a confrontation involving kicking, punching and shouting obscenities. In Malatya, a building that had not been vacated was entered only with the assistance of a locksmith late at night. Supporters of Özel, who are accused of continuing unlawful actions, stormed the building and wrote the word “Traitor” over a poster of Kılıçdaroğlu. In Batman, it was revealed that the provincial headquarters had been thoroughly ransacked by the previous administration. In Çanakkale, the provincial headquarters has likewise not been vacated.
As in many other provinces, a chaotic situation is continuing at the Ankara provincial headquarters of the party. The former administration, which is accused of unlawfully occupying the building, has been paying individuals to stand guard during the night. In addition, as in many other provinces, the official record books and bank accounts have not been handed over to the new administration. Sources close to the Kılıçdaroğlu administration claimed that these transfers are being deliberately delayed because of suspicious financial transactions in the bank accounts. It is also claimed that former administrators across the country, who are vacating buildings under police supervision while staging what is described as “resistance demonstrations,” are attempting to create a new narrative of victimization through these incidents.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump could help ease differences within NATO as alliance leaders gather in Ankara this week for a summit focused on security, defense spending and transatlantic cooperation.
In an interview with The New York Times ahead of the July 7-8 NATO summit, Fidan said Türkiye hopes to use the close ties between Erdoğan and Trump to promote unity within the alliance.
“The relationship between President Erdoğan and President Trump can help reduce tensions within NATO,” Fidan noted, describing the relationship as one based on mutual trust and friendship.
He said Türkiye intends to use that relationship “for a greater good and for the benefit of the entire NATO family.”
Addressing Trump’s past criticism of NATO, Fidan said he expected technical discussions at the Ankara summit to proceed smoothly despite political disagreements.
“I don’t see any problems in that regard,” he remarked, adding that although allies often exchange strong rhetoric, little has changed in practical terms.
Fidan also stressed that Türkiye shares a common understanding with its European allies on NATO’s importance, saying the alliance remains indispensable to European security.
“No one is questioning NATO’s necessity,” he said.
While noting that the European Union is expanding defense cooperation, Fidan argued that such efforts should complement rather than replace NATO. He said Türkiye and European countries should continue to view one another as essential partners in their collective security.
“We are also part of Europe,” Fidan said. “Unless we come together in Europe and build our common security platform, we will never feel sufficiently secure.”
On regional issues, Fidan welcomed recent diplomatic progress between the United States and Iran, saying both sides appeared committed to reaching their long-term objectives, while noting that key issues including Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remain subject to further negotiations.
Fidan also reiterated Türkiye’s readiness to host new peace talks between Russia and Ukraine but said he did not expect negotiations to resume in the near term, emphasizing that meaningful progress would require continued U.S. involvement and a genuine commitment to peace from both sides.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised Türkiye’s strategic importance to the alliance on Monday, highlighting its military capabilities, defense industry and geographic position ahead of this week’s NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara.
Speaking at a news conference in the Turkish capital, Rutte said hosting the summit in Ankara reflected Türkiye’s central role within the alliance.
“Your leadership in NATO is important. Your place on the map is important. Holding the summit here in Ankara is very important,” he said.
Rutte described Türkiye as one of NATO’s key contributors to collective defense, pointing to its armed forces and expanding defense industrial base.
“Türkiye plays a very important role in defense. It has one of NATO’s best armed forces,” he said.
He also praised the country’s defense industry, saying it had made significant progress over the past decade and now plays an important role in supplying capabilities needed by the alliance.
“There are thousands of companies in Türkiye producing everything NATO needs,” Rutte said.
He said Türkiye’s strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, the Black Sea and the Middle East further strengthens its value to the alliance.
“Ankara, Istanbul and Türkiye as a whole are very important. Your location on the map, your geographical position and your leadership are all important,” he said.
Rutte added that Türkiye’s role extends beyond geography, emphasizing its growing defense production capacity and long-standing contributions to NATO operations.
He reiterated that the alliance values Türkiye as the host of this year’s summit, which brings together leaders from NATO’s 32 member states to discuss defense spending, transatlantic security, support for Ukraine and other key security challenges.
“We are very pleased that Türkiye is hosting this summit,” Rutte said, calling the country an indispensable ally for NATO’s future security.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy landed in Ankara Tuesday to attend the two-day summit of NATO, where the Russia-Ukraine war will be a high-priority item on the agenda.
The Ukrainian leader renewed calls for additional Western military assistance, particularly air defense systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, saying Ukraine urgently needs more interceptor missiles, after the conflict escalated in recent weeks.
“We very much expect that the summit now in Ankara – the summit of the strongest Euro-Atlantic states – will not become a hollow exercise. And that our protection of life, our security cooperation, and defense capabilities here in Europe and with America will become stronger through joint work and joint decisions,” Zelenskyy said in a televised address Monday. “Decisions are needed,” Zelenskyy added.
He urged the U.S. and European countries to emerge from the 2026 NATO summit with “strong decisions” in support of Ukraine’s air defenses and the protection of civilians.
Earlier Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that a resolution to the more than four-year-old war in Ukraine is “getting closer than people realize” and that he will talk about Ukraine during talks in Türkiye.
Trump made his remarks after speaking over the weekend with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskyy.
He gave no specific reason for his assertion that a solution to the conflict was in sight and overnight Russia hammered Kyiv and the surrounding region with missiles and drones, killing at least 28 people.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he believed the U.S. position on how to resolve the conflict remained unchanged.
But Zelenskyy, interviewed by the Financial Times, said he believed the U.S. president was viewing the conflict in a new light in view of recent Ukrainian successes.
“This is one that I think we’re getting much closer than people realize. And President Putin wants it to end. I will tell you that very strongly,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump said he had held a “good call” with Putin on the Fourth of July holiday, a conversation a Kremlin aide said lasted 85 minutes and was marked by the U.S. president offering to help find a way to move towards peace.
“And President Zelenskiy actually wants it to end now. And we’re going to be going to NATO, and we’re going to be talking about it, and I think we’re going to get it,” he said. “I think we’re going to get it ended. It’s been a terrible situation.”
Trump is scheduled to meet Zelenskyy on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara and a U.S. official said the idea of the talks was to make a renewed push to end the war.
The same official said Trump would likely follow up with Putin after talking to Zelenskyy.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to the Presidential Complex. Carney was among heads of state and governments who arrived in Ankara for a two-day NATO summit.
Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek greeted Carney at the airport before the Canadian leader headed to the complex where other top officials, including U.S. President Donald Trump, will visit later on Tuesday.
Canada is among the countries joining an initiative announced by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Tuesday to acquire, store, transport and manage stockpiles of critical defense materials.
The country announced earlier this year that it achieved NATO’s defense spending commitment based on gross domestic product (GDP). Canada heavily invested in infrastructure and rolled out procurement decisions as well, including new submarines.
Türkiye has always been a top contributor to NATO, but the alliance’s fate was often shaped by other members. This changed in the past few decades as Türkiye’s leverage in the bloc grew under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This week, Türkiye will likely get what it wants from the alliance as it brings together heads of state and government for what pundits call the “most important summit” of the alliance.
This week’s summit will be an opportunity for Türkiye to showcase its flourishing defense industry and seek more collaboration in this field with NATO members. It will also be an opportunity for Türkiye to enhance cooperation with EU states, most of whom are also NATO members, in bolstering the defenses of the continent.
Türkiye brought many of the challenges NATO faces today onto the Alliance’s agenda over the past five years, achieving concrete outcomes despite criticism from some member states. By insisting that Sweden and Finland take meaningful steps in combating terrorism before approving their NATO membership, Türkiye initially withheld its consent. Once the two countries implemented tangible measures in this area, Türkiye lifted its objections.
Although some allies opposed Türkiye’s stance at the time, Ankara succeeded in incorporating its priority issues into NATO summit declarations, securing what it viewed as a diplomatic victory. In hindsight, this also served as an early warning regarding the challenges that NATO members are confronting today.
Over the past five years, Ankara consistently emphasized at NATO summits that allies should not impose sanctions or defense industry restrictions on one another. While many allies, particularly in Europe, did not initially recognize the significance of this issue, developments and messages from the United States have since made defense industrial cooperation one of NATO’s foremost priorities. Türkiye also became one of the most closely watched countries at NATO summits due to its diplomatic efforts, public messaging, and mediation role aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Despite maintaining close relations with many allies, President Erdoğan consistently raised the issue of what he described as Israel’s atrocities at NATO summits, just as he has at other international forums. As a result, various actors, particularly pro-Israel lobbying groups, campaigned for Türkiye’s exclusion from NATO. However, Türkiye ultimately secured the right to host the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, presenting this as its response to those opposing its role.
2021 summit
The 2021 Brussels Summit marked the first face-to-face meeting between then-U.S. President Joe Biden and President Erdoğan, with an extensive agenda covering both regional and bilateral issues. Alongside developments in Syria, Afghanistan, and Libya, the leaders also discussed bilateral relations. This was the last NATO summit before the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine War. Despite rising tensions, dialogue remained the preferred approach. As Türkiye’s influence within NATO continued to grow, Ankara conveyed the message that “while protecting our own borders, we are also protecting NATO’s borders.” Today, NATO leaders frequently emphasize this point when discussing Türkiye.
2022 summit
Following the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Sweden and Finland formally applied for NATO membership. At the time, members of the terrorist groups PKK and Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) were active in Sweden. Türkiye declared that if Sweden and Finland wished to join NATO, they first needed to take concrete steps in combating terrorism, and therefore initially withheld its approval for their accession.
As a result, attention at the summit focused on the messages President Erdoğan would deliver on the issue. Negotiations took place during the summit, culminating in the signing of a trilateral memorandum with Sweden and Finland that outlined a roadmap for their eventual admission into NATO. Türkiye emphasized that it expected concrete actions from both countries before ratifying their membership, and approval was ultimately granted after the necessary legislative and policy measures had been implemented.
2023 summit
At the Vilnius Summit, NATO agreed, at Turkey’s request, to establish the position of Special Coordinator for counterterrorism. Owing in part to host Lithuania’s geographical proximity to the conflict, the Russia–Ukraine conflict dominated the summit agenda.
Türkiye’s role in facilitating initiatives such as the Black Sea Grain Initiative and prisoner exchanges, as well as its broader mediation efforts, made it one of the countries with the deepest involvement in the diplomatic process. Consequently, international media closely followed President Erdoğan’s remarks, with journalists lining up outside the venue of his post-summit press conference.
The summit also reaffirmed Türkiye’s long-standing position that NATO allies should refrain from imposing either overt or covert arms embargoes or sanctions against one another.
2024 summit
As Türkiye’s influence within NATO continued to expand, President Erdoğan held numerous bilateral meetings with world leaders during the summit in Washington D.C., presenting the “Turkish vision.”
It was at this summit that the decision was made for Türkiye to host the 2026 NATO Summit. While in Washington, Erdoğan once again strongly criticized what he described as Israel’s violations of international law.
The summit also updated NATO’s strategy document on counterterrorism. Additionally, the Alliance reaffirmed the Vilnius decision supporting Türkiye’s priority that allies should not impose sanctions on one another.
Following Erdoğan’s announcement that Türkiye would veto Israel’s participation in certain NATO activities open to non-member partners, pro-Israel lobbying groups intensified efforts to reduce Türkiye’s influence within the Alliance.
2025 summit
At the 2025 Hague Summit, many allies moved closer to Türkiye’s position on assuming greater responsibility in addressing emerging threats and security challenges.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte highlighted closer defense industrial cooperation by stating, “From Texas to Ankara,” signaling that the Alliance increasingly shared Ankara’s perspective on this issue.
President Erdoğan emphasized “diplomacy for peace” in Ukraine and “justice for Gaza.” Although the U.S.–Iran conflict had not yet begun at that time, President Erdoğan also stated that “a lasting solution to issues with Iran is only possible through diplomacy and negotiation,” an evidence of Türkiye’s accurate assessment of regional developments.
Defense Industry President Haluk Görgün: It will symbolize the beginning of a new era for NATO
France’s debt burden at risk of snowballing ahead of 2027 election
Turkish main opposition CHP descends into reshuffle chaos, resistance
Defense Industry President Haluk Görgün: It will symbolize the beginning of a new era for NATO
France’s debt burden at risk of snowballing ahead of 2027 election
Turkish main opposition CHP descends into reshuffle chaos, resistance
-
Refugees19 hours agoProsecutors credit gold trader in Iran sanctions case with key help before sentencing
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoBREAKING NEWS… Veli Ağbaba’s nephew Ahmet Can Ağbaba and Sadık Can Köksal were arrested!
-
Daily Agenda3 days ago“Smoke-Free Campus” message from YÖK President Özvar: “Addictions are a serious threat to society”
-
Politics4 hours agoTurkish FM says Erdoğan-Trump ties could help ease NATO divisions
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoPresident Erdoğan’s emphasis on peace: Israel should not be given an opportunity
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoNotable messages from the ambassadors of NATO countries before the Ankara Summit: We are grateful to Türkiye’s leadership!
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoReaction from Ali Erbaş to Deniz Göktaş: A sign of rudeness
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoBREAKING NEWS… NATO Summit statement from Director of Communications Burhanettin Duran: The alliance’s efforts in the field of deterrence and defense will be evaluated