Politics
Israeli election billboards on Greek Cyprus cause uproar
A high-profile campaign billboard promoting an Israeli prime ministerial candidate near Larnaca Airport has caused an outcry and political friction within the Greek Cypriot administration, according to local media reports.
The promotional displays for Gadi Eisenkot, a former Israel Defense Forces chief-of-staff and leader of Israel’s Yashar party, have prompted demands for an outright ban on third-country political advertising across the island’s Greek Cypriot-controlled areas.
The advertisements have been put up ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 general election, aimed directly at the soaring numbers of Israeli tourists and expatriates on the island.
One billboard greeting arrivals read, “Israelis, enjoy! You deserve it,” while a second sign placed along the return highway to the airport urges travelers to “Come back and win!”, reported the English-language daily, Cyprus Mail on Monday.
Eisenkot’s campaign headquarters confirmed to the Cyprus Mail that the billboards were an official strategy to mobilize Israeli voters vacationing abroad.
However, the unprecedented sight of foreign political propaganda has exposed growing public unease over the expanding footprint of Israeli capital, real estate buys, and businesses in southern coastal hubs like Larnaca and Limassol, the newspaper reported.
This photo was not taken in Israel, but in my country, Cyprus.
This time is political propaganda, but it is also becoming increasingly common to see billboards advertising real estate in Hebrew across the island.
This is simply not right. We must defend Cyprus’s sovereignty. pic.twitter.com/wGTBjC1Qaw
— Fidias Panayiotou (@Fidias0) July 26, 2026
Independent Member of the European Parliament Fidias Panayiotou spearheaded the political backlash, calling the development “particularly concerning” in a video broadcast on social media.
Panayiotou argued that the campaign demonstrates foreign political strategists now consider the concentration of Israeli nationals in southern Cyprus vast enough to justify overseas campaign spending.
“This is unacceptable,” Panayiotou said, proposing new legislation to ban third-country electioneering within government-controlled areas. He warned that safeguards are urgently needed to ensure foreign influence does not place Cyprus at a future “political or geostrategic disadvantage.”
Despite the political uproar, local authorities in the south admitted to a complete regulatory vacuum regarding foreign political displays.
The Greek Cypriot administration’s Interior Ministry said it has no legal framework under its competence to govern campaign advertisements, referring inquiries to the country’s Advertising Regulation Organisation (Caro).
Caro similarly acknowledged to the local media that commercial billboard content remains entirely at the discretion of private landowners and advertising firms, provided general codes are respected.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan received U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Representative for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack in Ankara on Monday. Neither side commented on the content of the meeting, but media outlets quoting diplomatic sources said they discussed negotiations between Iran and the United States. Fidan is among the top diplomats working to bring the sides to the table to end their conflict. He held phone calls with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on Sunday regarding the same matter.
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that it was not currently involved in negotiations with the United States, despite a halt in recent fighting between the two sides.
“Mediators may convey messages from the American side to us regarding current developments in the region. But at present, we are not engaged in any negotiations with the United States,” ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a weekly press briefing.
“Claims that Iran has requested negotiations are fabrications that the other side circulates from time to time,” he added.
Hostilities resumed between Iran and the United States earlier this month after diplomatic efforts collapsed amid an impasse over the Strait of Hormuz.
Fighting has nonetheless paused since early Saturday, following 13 days of exchanges of fire between the two sides.
Baqaei criticized the United States, saying its conduct in recent years has “resembled that of a mafia gang that adheres to no rules or laws.”
“So long as such behavior by the United States continues, we cannot be hopeful about the emergence of a reasonable process,” he added.
Iran insists on retaining control over the management of the Strait of Hormuz, including the collection of service fees, while keeping Oman involved as a coastal state.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have turned back multiple vessels in recent days, including six earlier on Monday, that attempted to transit the strait outside the route designated by Iran.
On Monday, Baqaei reiterated that Washington had nothing to do with recent talks with Oman over the administration of the Strait of Hormuz.
“These talks have no connection with the United States. They are a bilateral matter between Iran and Oman, and they are continuing,” Baqaei said, adding that the waterway “remains closed.”
Too much water or none, the Turkish capital Ankara is challenged by the liquid that sustains life. All can be blamed on the municipality run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Mayor Mansur Yavaş, who has been a popular name in the party and splinter New Party (YP) as well.
Despite recent downpours that left streets across the city flooded, the municipality’s water utility Ankara Water and Sewage Administration (ASKI) increased the frequency of water shortages in the city, citing “water pump problems.”
This week, ASKI warned of “unplanned cuts” due to problems with the utility’s facilities in the Altındağ district, but soon the cuts expanded to other districts, from Yenimahalle to Etimesgut and Gölbaşı. The cuts primarily stem from the P10 pumping station of the grid, which also broke down on May 31, at that time due to fluctuations in the electric grid. As a matter of fact, it has been only seven weeks since the said station was renovated.
Locals speaking to the Sabah newspaper say the cuts have been continuing infrequently since winter, and the problems linked to low pressure in water supplies also led their water heaters to malfunction.
The Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) was under the spotlight in winter amid frequent water cuts in the districts of Mamak and Çankaya. Back then, the municipality blamed the government for cuts, linking them to the government not supplying water to the capital, while authorities responded that the municipality in fact was responsible for the delivery of water throughout the capital.
New Party Chairperson Özgür Özel acknowledged that they were broke but insisted that they may exceed 40% in any election.
Özel on Monday night gave his first televised interview since he announced the formation of the party last Friday to Halk TV, a network which historically aligned with Republican People’s Party (CHP), before Özel’s predecessor Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu took over in May.
“We left all the money in butlan,” Özel said, using the Turkish word for “absolute nullification” verdict by a court that paved the way for reinstatement of former CHP chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. “We have logistics needs, we need to pay the party’s staff. But we have no fundraising campaign. I advise all supporters not to fall for any fake campaigns. Follow our official social media accounts only to learn about any campaign,” he said. Devlet Bahçeli, leader of government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), has earlier called for a regulation for access for YP to CHP funds provided by the government’s treasury to all political parties, arguing that the party, founded by former CHP lawmakers, was entitled to aid. Özel said they don’t want any cash from CHP but supported any such regulation.
Özel, who carried CHP to a rare victory in the 2024 municipal elections, months after he was elected as its chair, still believes that New Party can go further. “If New Party can explain itself to the public better, if we can meet people’s expectations and if people continue their support, we can exceed 40% of the vote in the next election,” he said, referring to the 2028 general election. Özel claimed they were now in a stronger position than where they had left the CHP.
“The New Party is the first party in Turkish political history to be founded as the main opposition. It is not a splinter party formed by people leaving another party in search of something else. It is actually a party built around an understanding, and around resistance and struggle against the coup that was carried out,” he stated. Özel also claimed that they would grow stronger, adding that more than 200 mayors of the CHP would join them. “Such a wave is coming that we can’t say, ‘Stop.’ There is an unprecedented level of desire and support in political history,” he confidently underlined. It is still unclear whether Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, who was once viewed as CHP’s future presidential candidate, would join YP, but Özel said it was “enough for them as long as any mayor does not support butlan.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke by phone with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Monday to discuss Türkiye-Senegal relations alongside regional and global issues, according to a statement by the Communications Directorate.
During the call, Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue working toward achieving the two countries’ bilateral trade volume target, stressing that strengthening cooperation across multiple sectors, particularly investment, would play a key role in reaching that goal.
The president also underscored the strategic importance of accelerating defense industry cooperation between Ankara and Dakar, reaffirming that Türkiye would continue advancing bilateral ties based on its “win-win” approach.
Türkiye expects to present a legal framework for its “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative before Parliament adjourns for its summer recess, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chair and spokesman Ömer Çelik said Monday, as the government intensifies efforts to cement the country’s anti-terror strategy through legislation.
Speaking after the AK Party Central Executive Board (MYK) meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Çelik said officials were holding lengthy meetings almost every day to finalize the legal groundwork for the process.
“Our preparations for the Terror-Free Türkiye initiative are continuing,” Çelik said. “We hold meetings almost every day. Sometimes we meet twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. God willing, we will have established this legal framework before Parliament closes.”
Çelik said the initiative has entered a new phase focused on ensuring the disarmament of terrorist organizations while advancing Türkiye’s broader goal of creating a terror-free region.
He described the process as multidimensional, involving political, legal, intelligence and strategic considerations, and said it has been carried out as a state policy under President Erdoğan’s directives, with support from Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli and parliamentary efforts led by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş.
“The goal is to free Türkiye from the burden of terrorism,” Çelik said, adding that the current stage requires “fine craftsmanship” to establish both a sound legal basis and a constructive political atmosphere.
Calling for responsible political discourse, Çelik urged all parties to avoid polarization and ideological rhetoric that could undermine the process.
“This is not the time for propaganda,” he said. “This is the time to speak with a language that can reach every citizen.”
Emphasizing national unity, Çelik said all citizens enjoy equal status under the Republic.
“In Türkiye, everyone is a first-class citizen,” he said. “Our names may be different, but our shared surname is the Republic of Türkiye.”
He also praised political parties that have taken what he described as a constructive approach in Parliament’s commission on the initiative, including opposition parties that have supported dialogue while avoiding inflammatory rhetoric.
Çelik stressed that despite numerous provocations and attempts to sabotage the process, the government has remained committed to keeping it on course.
“No matter what happened, we said we would keep this issue on the main road and prevent it from being diverted,” he said.
The AK Party spokesperson also announced preparations for the party’s 25th anniversary celebrations, saying a commemorative logo and new institutional branding will be unveiled ahead of the Aug. 14 anniversary.
U.S. President Donald Trump brushed aside reported Israeli opposition to a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye on Monday, praising Ankara as “a tremendous ally” and insisting that no country would dictate U.S. arms sales ahead of his scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Responding to a question about Israel’s reported objection to a possible F-35 deal with Türkiye, Trump rejected the notion that outside actors could influence U.S. defense sales.
“Türkiye has been a tremendous ally,” Trump said. “Nobody tells me what we should be selling or not selling.”
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route from Washington to Michigan, Trump also described President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a friend and reiterated that decisions on U.S. weapons sales would be made solely by Washington. He acknowledged the well-known differences between Türkiye and Israel but emphasized that Türkiye remains a strong country with a powerful military, describing its armed forces as among the strongest in the region and well equipped.
Trump also reiterated his praise of Erdoğan’s role in Syria, saying he believed the Turkish leader had handled the issue effectively. He described Erdoğan as a friend and reiterated that no one would dictate U.S. arms sales policy. While acknowledging longstanding tensions between Türkiye and Israel and noting Ankara’s strained relations with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Trump emphasized that Türkiye has been a valuable ally to the United States. He also highlighted the country’s military strength, describing Türkiye as a powerful nation with one of the region’s largest and best-equipped armed forces.
The issue resurfaced after Trump signaled at the recent NATO summit alongside President Erdoğan that Washington was prepared to lift sanctions on Türkiye and was open to selling F-35 fighter jets to Ankara.
The prospect prompted public criticism from Netanyahu, with Axios later reporting that Trump was angered by the remarks, quoting White House officials as saying the U.S. president believed Netanyahu “had no right” to weigh in on American arms sales decisions.
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.
President Erdoğan has previously described Türkiye’s removal from the F-35 program as unjust, arguing that restoring Ankara’s participation would strengthen NATO’s collective security.
Despite fielding NATO’s second-largest military, Türkiye has faced repeated arms restrictions from some allies over the years. In response, Ankara has significantly expanded its domestic defense industry over the past two decades to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.
Today, Türkiye manufactures a broad range of defense systems domestically, including armed drones, missiles, armored vehicles and naval platforms, while also developing its indigenous fifth-generation fighter jet, KAAN.
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