Politics
YPG dissolution upends Israel’s strategy for fragmented Syria: Haaretz
The dissolution of the YPG and its integration into the Syrian army has dealt a significant blow to Israel’s strategy of maintaining leverage in a fragmented Syria, according to an analysis published by Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
Haaretz columnist Zvi Barel argued that the agreement between the YPG and the government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa removes one of the most significant obstacles to Damascus’ efforts to reunify the country under a central government.
The agreement also accelerates efforts toward a unified Syria backed by Türkiye and the United States, while narrowing Israel’s ability to use ethnic and sectarian groups as strategic leverage, Barel wrote.
According to the columnist, Israel had viewed the YPG in Syria as a potential intelligence asset and buffer that could be used to counter Damascus, Tehran and Ankara.
Following the collapse of the Assad regime, Israel saw the YPG and some Druze groups as potential tools for limiting the authority of a unified Syrian government backed by Türkiye, Barel said.
He argued that Israel’s strategy gained momentum amid tensions involving the YPG and some Druze factions in the southern province of Sweida, particularly following sectarian violence in July 2025.
But the approach conflicted directly with the policies pursued by both Washington and Ankara, which have backed Syria’s territorial integrity and the consolidation of authority under the central government, Barel wrote.
U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and special envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack subsequently played a central role in efforts to secure an agreement between Damascus and the YPG, Barel said, arguing that Washington pressured the group to reach a deal and warned it against expecting continued outside support.
Barel said the development represents more than a shift in Syria’s domestic balance of power, describing it as a warning for Israeli policymakers.
He argued that Israel’s reliance on minorities to constrain Damascus and preserve a fragmented Syria increasingly conflicts with both regional realities and U.S. policy.
Israel should abandon expectations of a divided Syria if it wants to preserve its regional influence, Barel concluded, arguing that it may eventually need to view the government in Damascus not only as an adversary but also as a potential interlocutor.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan departed for Kyrgyzstan on Monday to attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), where he is expected to hold talks with world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Erdoğan traveled to Bishkek at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov for a two-day visit. First lady Emine Erdoğan and a Turkish delegation accompanied him.
The Turkish president is scheduled to address an expanded-format session of the summit on Tuesday and hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines.
Türkiye in recent years signaled an interest in deepening its ties with the organization. Erdoğan has previously raised the prospect of Türkiye eventually seeking full membership, a move that would make the NATO member the first country in the Western military alliance to join the SCO.
The Bishkek summit is expected to focus on international and regional security, economic cooperation and efforts to strengthen the organization, according to Kyrgyz authorities.
Leaders are expected to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war, instability in the Middle East and security risks related to Afghanistan, as well as cooperation against terrorism, separatism, transnational organized crime and drug trafficking.
Economic cooperation will also feature prominently, including efforts to increase the use of national currencies in trade and plans for an SCO development bank.
One of Erdoğan’s key meetings on the sidelines will be with Putin on Sept. 1.
Russian presidential foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed the meeting. “There are many issues to discuss; of course, these include the situation in the Black Sea and the Ukraine issue in general,” Ushakov told reporters.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
Türkiye has sought to maintain diplomatic channels with both Moscow and Kyiv since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war and has repeatedly offered to facilitate negotiations aimed at ending the conflict. Istanbul has previously hosted several rounds of negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
Erdoğan and Putin are also expected to discuss regional developments, including Syria, as well as energy and economic ties. Türkiye and Russia cooperate on several major energy projects, including the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, while Ankara has also pursued plans to establish a natural gas trading hub.
According to Ushakov, Putin plans to hold nine bilateral meetings during the summit, including talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The summit, chaired by Japarov at the Yntymak Ordo state complex in Bishkek, is expected to conclude with the adoption of a declaration marking the SCO’s 25th anniversary and decisions aimed at expanding cooperation in politics, trade, transportation, logistics, digitalization and environmental issues.
An expanded “SCO ” meeting will also focus on strengthening international law, supporting sustainable development and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Türkiye joined the SCO as a Dialogue Partner in 2013 and was granted the chairmanship of the international body’s energy club for one year in 2016. Ankara has previously expressed its desire for full membership in the SCO.
The SCO traces its roots to the “Shanghai Five” mechanism – China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – before Uzbekistan joined as the sixth member. Today, the organization includes 10 member states, two observers, and 14 dialogue partners across Asia, Europe, and Africa.
It covers about 24% of the world’s land area and 42% of the global population. Member states account for roughly one quarter of global GDP, with total trade increasing nearly 100-fold in the past two decades. Their share of world trade rose from 5.4% in 2001 to 17.5% in 2020.
Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay is facing growing pressure not to rejoin Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) amid speculation over his political future ahead of CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s visit to the western province.
Tugay, who remains an independent after leaving the CHP, has reportedly received messages from local New Party (YP) politicians, urging him not to return to his former party, according to reports citing CHP officials. Some of the messages allegedly included veiled threats.
The speculation intensified ahead of Kılıçdaroğlu’s visit to Izmir on Tuesday, where he is scheduled to make a series of visits before chairing a meeting of the CHP’s Central Executive Board (MYK).
Rumors that Tugay could meet Kılıçdaroğlu during the visit and potentially return to the CHP have prompted concern within the YP, according to the reports.
CHP officials, however, said there are currently no scheduled meetings between Kılıçdaroğlu and Tugay, while leaving open the possibility of developments during the visit. They also said the party leadership had not been in direct contact with Tugay since his resignation.
The controversy follows allegations that New Party Izmir lawmaker Tuncay Özkan warned Tugay during Aug. 30 ceremonies to make a decision about his political future, allegedly telling him to “watch his step.” Özkan denied the allegations.
CHP Izmir provincial chair Utku Gümrükçü said Tugay, along with other mayors, would receive an official invitation to Kılıçdaroğlu’s program.
“We would like to see Izmir Metropolitan Municipality’s mayor among us,” Gümrükçü said.
Meanwhile, Muharrem Ince, who ran against incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2018 elections, declared that he would not leave the CHP even after it lost its status as the main opposition after a major split.
The former physics teacher was once viewed as the savior of the CHP, which was doomed to consecutive defeats by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) for the better part of the 2000s, and had garnered more than 30% of the vote in the 2018 election. Yet, after his defeat, he rapidly lost clout in the party and went on to found the Homeland Party in 2021. After the party was dissolved, he returned to the CHP last year upon invitation by then-Chairperson Özgür Özel.
Özel, ousted as CHP chair in May, founded YP, but Ince abstained from joining other figures of the CHP leaving the party en masse for YP. He has been cautious so far, but in statements over the weekend, he revealed that he would stay in the CHP, which is now reduced to a shadow of its former self.
Türkiye on Sunday marked the 104th anniversary of the Battle of Dumlupınar, which cemented the success of the Turkish War of Independence in the post-World War I country.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and dignitaries paid tribute to martyrs and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Türkiye, on the occasion observed as Victory Day.
In a message, Erdoğan noted that nefarious plots were still afoot against Türkiye and the wider region 104 years later and vowed that they would not let them succeed. “We are decisively standing up for the independence and future of our nation,” Erdoğan wrote in a memorial notebook at Atatürk’s mausoleum in Ankara, which he visited with the Cabinet and military brass.
Atatürk, a seasoned officer, was commander-in-chief at the battle in 1922 and personally commanded a war-weary army in present-day Kütahya, where the battlefield was located. Eventually, Turkish forces defeated the invading Greek forces, pushing them farther west. The battle was the penultimate episode of Büyük Taarruz, or the Great Offensive, a campaign led by Ankara-based Atatürk, who mobilized the nation amid the collapse of the Ottoman Empire to save the country by forcing out the invading forces.
Victory Day is viewed as the ultimate blow to the imperialist takeover of Türkiye by various world powers at the time, and this view is often highlighted nowadays as the country faces rising security threats in the region, primarily due to Israel’s expansionist policies.
In his tribute to Atatürk, Erdoğan wrote in the memorial notebook that Türkiye was grateful to him, the first members of the Turkish Parliament, who played a role in planning the campaign against the invaders, and the heroes of the Turkish army. “The Republic of Türkiye is a sacred legacy entrusted to us by martyrs and veterans. Guided by their efforts, we are strengthening brotherhood and solidarity in every field,” Erdoğan also wrote.
The president later hosted ministers, military commanders, ambassadors, lawmakers, political party leaders and other dignitaries at the Presidential Complex for a Victory Day event and joined a ceremony at the Land Forces School. Victory Day is also known as Armed Forces Day, as it pays tribute to soldiers who fought for independence and honors the historic battles of the Turkish armies throughout history that took place in August.
In a separate message on the occasion released by the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, Erdoğan underlined that the Aug. 30 victory “once again ensured that these lands where we have lived freely for 1,000 years are and will remain our homeland forever.”
“The Great Victory, which also paved the way for the establishment of our republic, proclaimed to the entire world that our nation would never accept captivity, while also contributing to breaking the imperialist encirclement of our region,” he said.
“Inspired and emboldened by its glorious history, Türkiye is moving confidently toward its goals with success stories in every field, from energy and the defense industry to science and technology and foreign policy. At a time when wars, conflicts, crises and political uncertainties are increasing around the world, particularly in our region, Türkiye stands out with its principled, resolute and proactive policies centered on humanitarian values. Today, there is a Türkiye that seeks to prevent oppression, regardless of who perpetrates it, and to stand by the oppressed, regardless of who they are, never shying away from paying the price when necessary for this cause. ‘As long as the blue sky above does not collapse and the black earth beneath does not split open,’ no one will be able to make Türkiye and the Turkish nation abandon their sacred struggle,” Erdoğan said, using a quote from the ancient Turkic Orkhon inscriptions.
“Despite all the provocations and incitement by those who feed on instability, as a state and a nation, we will continue to stand for what is right, the rule of law, justice, peace and stability,” Erdoğan also stated.
Victory Day was also an occasion for the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to showcase their might. Military parades were held in all 81 provinces, while the army’s locally made vessels were opened to the public for visits.
The first meeting of a committee set up specifically for the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement will be held in Istanbul on Monday.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu will host their Pakistani and Saudi counterparts for the meeting.
The Strategic Political and Defense Committee, as it was called by Turkish diplomatic sources, will discuss international security issues, sources said on Sunday.
“The participants will also discuss such issues as developing defense capabilities, promoting greater interoperability among the armed forces of the three countries, deepening cooperation in the defense industry, including joint production and research and development, and strengthening joint efforts in the fight against terrorism,” sources said.
The agreement, signed in the birthplace of Islam in Saudi Arabia on Aug. 7, expands the Saudi Arabia-Pakistan alliance to include Türkiye, and the parties to the agreement hope other countries, especially Muslim-majority ones, will join the alliance in the future. Although it comes amid the U.S.-Iran war, which has also affected regional countries, and Israel’s relentless expansionist campaign spanning Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, the agreement does not target any country specifically and merely aims to serve as a deterrent to any power threatening them, according to proponents of the pact.
Türkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest military, has said the pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan and top oil exporter Saudi Arabia is open to expansion, with Egypt a potential candidate, and does not seek to replace existing alliances.
Sources said the meeting is expected to be attended by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, and Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir; and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Chief of General Staff Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili.
The meeting is also expected to establish the framework for a Secretariat and other relevant mechanisms to guide work in areas of joint activity identified by the committee, as well as to determine a road map for steps to be taken in the coming period.
The meeting will provide an opportunity to once again emphasize that the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement offers significant opportunities to all countries seeking to reinforce security, peace and stability in the region, adopt a cooperative approach to security issues, and prioritize peace and prosperity over conflict, diplomatic sources said.
The agreement stipulates that an attack against any one of the signatory states will be considered an attack against all parties, sources highlighted.
Aiming to foster a new culture of cooperation in the region, the agreement is open to the participation of all actors that respect international law and share a vision of peaceful cooperation, sources also said.
On alert against provocations aimed at disrupting the terror-free Türkiye process, authorities on Sunday announced that four suspects who were hanging pictures of PKK terrorists on walls in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır had been detained.
The Diyarbakır Governor’s Office, in a province with a large Kurdish population, said in a statement that the incident was “isolated” and took place “only in a few small streets.”
On Sunday, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said in a social media post that authorities would not tolerate anyone trying to thwart the terror-free Türkiye process. The initiative seeks the full disarmament of the terrorist group and recently took a new turn with the introduction of a new law concerning the future status of PKK members. The law defers the prosecution and sentencing of PKK members who were not involved in acts of terrorism.
The PKK stepped up its propaganda activities after the law was introduced, as a party aligned with the group held “remembrance events” for slain PKK terrorists. The events angered critics of the initiative.
Çiftçi said that “every provocateur attempting to poison the climate of national unity and brotherhood will be subject to the treatment he/she deserves.” Proponents of the initiative, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, say the process will strengthen unity between Turks and Kurds. The latter has been exploited by the PKK for decades, as the terrorist group claims to fight for Kurdish self-rule in the southeast.
“As the Ministry of Interior, we are working in full coordination with all institutions and bodies of our state to completely rid our country of terrorism, remove violence entirely from our agenda and strengthen our social cohesion. The terror-free Türkiye process is an opportunity to open a new chapter that will free our country from the shackles holding it back and provide peace and prosperity for every one of its citizens.
“We are closely and resolutely monitoring the process to ensure that this sensitive period remains free from all forms of provocation and exploitation. We now face a new period that will further strengthen our brotherhood and enable us to channel our energy toward development, production and the prosperity of our nation. In this historic process, everyone, from political parties and civil society organizations to our citizens, has an important responsibility to fulfill,” Çiftçi said in his social media post.
Türkiye’s declaration of marine parks in the Aegean Sea earlier this month annoyed Greece, which disputes Turkish maritime borders.
Greek media outlets reported that Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis would raise the issue at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on Sept. 2. He is expected to reiterate Greece’s claim that the marine parks violate international law. Gerapetritis previously announced that Greece had issued a diplomatic note to Türkiye about the matter.
Two presidential decrees published in the Official Gazette on Aug. 16 reaffirmed Türkiye’s maritime rights in the Aegean Sea.
One decree designated an area between the Fethiye district of Muğla and the Kaş district of Antalya in the southern Aegean as a “national marine park,” while another applied the same designation to an area in the North Aegean Sea, near the coasts of Tekirdağ and Çanakkale.
For Türkiye, it is merely a move to protect marine biodiversity, but marine parks have been a source of contention with neighboring Greece for some time. Greek media outlets reported earlier this month that the Greek government was also moving forward with plans to declare a new national marine park in the southern Aegean Sea. The decree on the matter is now before a top court in the country and, according to the To Vima website, will be finalized in October.
Greece last year announced two marine parks, or areas designated for the protection of marine species, in the Ionian Sea and around the southern Cyclades islands, to the chagrin of Ankara. Türkiye argued that the declaration of marine parks, particularly near the islands, was political rather than aimed at protecting biodiversity and was an attempt to change the status quo in the disputed sea. Greek media outlets reported that new marine parks could be declared near the Dodecanese islands, or “On İki Ada” (Twelve Islands), as they are known in Türkiye. The islands were Ottoman domains until the early 20th century, before they were ceded to Italy. Italy, in turn, ceded them to Greece following World War II.
Ankara and Athens seek to improve relations after years of hostilities, but maritime jurisdiction remains a thorny issue. The countries, which came close to an all-out war in the 1990s over the Aegean Sea, remain vigilant, with Türkiye concentrating on developing its domestic defense industry. Greece relies on foreign partners to bolster its defenses. Embracing the doctrine of being effective and powerful at sea, as its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, once was, Türkiye has over the past two decades developed an independent defense industry capable of operating in open waters, thereby shifting geopolitical balances in its favor. The navy plays a critical role in ensuring the security of maritime trade routes in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, while promoting regional stability.
Ankara’s proactive stance on marine spatial planning is part of a broader strategy to assert its maritime rights and uphold international legal norms in the face of what it sees as encroaching initiatives by Greece. Turkish officials maintain that marine protection efforts must be transparent, equitable and cooperative, particularly in semi-enclosed seas like the Aegean, where maritime boundaries remain unsettled.
As Türkiye moves to institutionalize its marine planning within international frameworks, it seeks to preempt efforts that may attempt to redefine maritime jurisdiction through environmental discourse. The broader message from Ankara is clear: Marine conservation is vital, but not at the cost of geopolitical stability or sovereign rights.
Safeguarding its rights in its “Blue Homeland” (areas of Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction) is essential for Ankara, especially at a time of growing international cooperation, particularly involving Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, whose maritime claims contradict those of Türkiye and other countries. In May, Türkiye unveiled plans for a “Blue Homeland law,” which is expected to be debated in Parliament when the next legislative term starts in October. Aiming to cover all legal aspects of maritime areas over which the country has sovereignty, the law will cement and clarify Türkiye’s rights across the Black Sea, Aegean Sea, Mediterranean and Marmara Sea.
Türkiye said Friday that Greece’s newly announced spatial planning framework covering parts of the Aegean Sea would have no legal effect on Ankara, reiterating its position on longstanding disputes between the two neighbors. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said Greece’s Special Spatial Framework for Industry and Supply Chains, announced Friday, would not create any legal consequences for Türkiye regarding the interconnected disputes in the Aegean.
“The Special Spatial Framework for Industry and Supply Chains announced by Greece today (Aug. 28), which also covers the Aegean Sea, will have no legal consequences for our country in the context of the interconnected Aegean disputes between the two countries, including geographical formations whose sovereignty was not transferred to Greece by international treaties,” Keçeli said.
He reiterated Ankara’s call for Athens to pursue an approach consistent with the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighborliness, signed by the two countries on Dec. 7, 2023. Keçeli also stressed Türkiye’s readiness to cooperate with Greece as one of the two coastal states of the Aegean Sea.
“We once again emphasize that, as Türkiye, we maintain our position that an approach consistent with the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighborliness should be adopted, and that as one of the two coastal states of the Aegean Sea, we are always ready to cooperate with Greece,” he said.
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