Politics
Türkiye hails ‘game-changing’ Mecca alliance, offers support to Saudis
The landmark three-nation Mecca Defense Alliance is still in its growth stage, but Türkiye’s top diplomat is confident of its expansion and further joint work. Speaking to broadcaster NTV late Saturday, Fidan said the alliance of Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had reached an advanced stage, with efforts underway to establish its headquarters and assign personnel, describing the initiative as a “very game-changing platform.” Fidan also implied that Türkiye stood ready to provide technical assistance to Saudi Arabia amid an escalating conflict with the Houthis in Yemen.
Fidan stated that there is “a very strong will” behind the alliance and that Ankara is working to turn that political will into action. “The Mecca alliance is really at a good stage. There’s a very strong will that has been put forward. We’re working with all our strength to put this will into action,” Fidan said.
He said steps toward institutionalizing the alliance are underway, particularly work to establish a secretariat envisaged under the agreement and a military headquarters affiliated with it. He added that detailed preparations for both structures have “almost been completed” and that the three countries have reached a common understanding of how they will operate.
“There are steps currently being taken toward institutionalization. In particular, the work on establishing the secretariat mentioned in the agreement and bringing an affiliated military headquarters into operation is almost complete. We have reached a common understanding. From now on, the remaining stage is to send personnel and make the headquarters operational. I am pleased with the process on this issue,” Fidan said.
He said that once institutionalization steps are completed, talks could be held with the other two founding countries on admitting new members.
“There is such a principle decision because our president said this from the beginning. If this does not grow, then it would not be an alliance area. We would have created a bloc. Our regional vision is for as many countries in the region as possible to come together and establish a common defense area.
“This defense area is not against outsiders; it is about solving problems within the region better through regional ownership and creating an environment of trust that has not existed before, in order to prevent new crises from emerging. The basic point of departure for all of this is the search for regional solutions to regional problems,” Fidan said.
He stressed that the alliance was not intended to create a new regional bloc against other countries but to establish a common defense framework based on regional ownership.
“It is an alliance open to the countries of the region,” he said.
Addressing recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on Saudi Arabia, Fidan said the issue has existed for roughly a decade, adding that a cease-fire was reached in 2022 before tensions resurfaced following the start of the Gaza conflict. He said Saudi Arabia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and infrastructure had faced serious attacks.
“When we look at our agreement, countries have an allied responsibility toward one another. Our president is a leader who keeps his word. We have signed an agreement as states. We are in solidarity on this issue. In particular, we are assessing the situation together,” Fidan said.
He said Türkiye has condemned attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, particularly those directed at Mecca and the country’s oil infrastructure. Fidan also said Saudi Arabia should remain outside the ongoing dispute between Iran and the U.S., saying Riyadh is not seeking involvement in that confrontation.
“Saudi Arabia should be kept outside this equation because they themselves are not seeking to become involved. As members of the Mecca alliance, we are closely monitoring the situation. We have some consultations that are not reflected publicly. If there are military requirements, particularly in certain technical areas, we would have no difficulty meeting them,” he said.
On Saturday, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense issued two alerts in al-Kharj and Farasan amid reports of Houthi attacks. The alerts followed a broader wave Friday covering seven cities and governorates. Authorities said Thursday that one person was killed and two were injured by debris from a Houthi drone intercepted above Taif.
The Houthis later claimed to have “foiled” what they called “criminal attempts” allegedly carried out by Saudi Arabia in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, without providing details. Saudi authorities did not link the claims to the alerts.
The latest developments follow repeated Houthi warnings and attacks involving missiles and drones. On July 20, the group announced a “maritime blockade” of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has led a coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the Houthis since March 2015. The group has controlled Sanaa and several Yemeni provinces since September 2014.
On Thursday, Pakistan’s military spokesperson said his country would “go to any extent” to defend its ally, Saudi Arabia. Houthi forces this week reported fresh Saudi airstrikes, as Riyadh accused the group of launching a “cowardly” attack targeting Islam’s holy city of Mecca, prompting a wave of outrage from around the Muslim world.
In an interview Thursday with Arab News, Pakistan’s military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said his country would back Saudi Arabia “both diplomatically and physically.”
“We will go to any extent for the security of (the two holy sanctuaries) and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Criticism of the alliance
Asked about criticism from Israel, Iran, India and Greece that the alliance had remained only “on paper,” Fidan dismissed the claims. He said the criticism itself demonstrated the attention some countries were paying to the initiative and described some of the comments as attempts to discredit the alliance through media campaigns and disinformation.
“When we look at the countries you mentioned, Israel, India and Greece, we actually understand how much of an impact and how important a move the Mecca alliance is. These are reflections of discrediting operations through the press and disinformation methods. We laugh these off; they have no basis,” Fidan said.
Citing Türkiye’s decades of experience in NATO, he said an alliance should not be judged simply by how frequently its collective defense mechanisms are activated. He noted that Türkiye has been a NATO member since 1952 and said NATO’s collective defense mechanism under Article 5 had been activated only twice in its history.
Fidan said it was premature to describe the Mecca Alliance as ineffective when the agreement had been signed only recently, and institutional steps were already moving forward.
“No one called NATO a paper tiger or something made of paper because of that. An agreement signed only three months ago is already taking steps this quickly, yet it is being described in this way.
“This actually indirectly reflects the threat perception of those making these comments. We see them, we assess them, but they are not things to be taken seriously. You will see, the Mecca alliance will be a very game-changing platform,” he said.
Netanyahu and Israel
Fidan also addressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statements targeting Türkiye, saying Netanyahu is seeking to strengthen his political position at home, portray himself as indispensable and remain in power.
He said hostility toward Türkiye and efforts to portray Türkiye as a threat were also part of that approach.
“We do not underestimate this. We are closely following the statements and attitudes being put forward, particularly the military cooperation with countries in the region. Hopefully, Israel will adopt a foreign policy based on peace, respect and cooperation that serves both its own interests and those of the region. Otherwise, it will not only grow increasingly isolated, but will also pay the price itself together with the region,” Fidan said.
He said Türkiye was closely monitoring Israel’s policies and military cooperation with countries in the region.
Fidan also accused Netanyahu of seeking to create prolonged areas of instability in Syria, following Lebanon and Palestine, in order to strengthen his domestic political position and portray himself as indispensable.
“We clearly see that he is trying to make Syria, after Lebanon and Palestine, an area where he can establish his indispensability. We also clearly see the intention to create a problem there, turn that problem into an acute and permanent one, and then send his society a message along the lines of, ‘There is a serious problem here; if I am not here, this problem cannot be solved.’”
Fidan stressed that Türkiye would not be drawn into what he described as provocations.
“Türkiye is not a state that will fall for such provocations or cheap provocations. We know our position well, and we make our calculations carefully,” he said.
He added that Türkiye does not act alone in the region and maintains partnerships with regional countries.
“Israel is a threat not only to the region but to the world,” Fidan said.
He said international concern over Netanyahu’s policies was increasingly visible, including among countries traditionally considered close to Israel.
“The whole world is looking for solutions to deal with Netanyahu’s policies. As long as this continues, I think the necessary response will somehow be given. We are increasingly seeing these ideas and this position finding ground even among Israel’s traditional friends and among countries that feel indebted to Israel. This is also a very important development. We believe that, in the longer term, the process will ultimately favor the oppressed Palestinians,” he said.
Fidan also said the Muslim world was going through a difficult period and that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s leadership and the solidarity demonstrated toward the region could contribute to overcoming many problems.
The head of Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), Ibrahim Kalın, met with Abdussalam Zubi in Istanbul, the acting defense minister of Libya’s Government of National Unity, security sources said on Sunday.
Saturday’s meeting took place at a time when negotiations aimed at unifying Libya’s military and political institutions have gained momentum.
The two senior officials discussed developments in Libya and the wider region, steps to maintain Libya-Türkiye cooperation, as well as ongoing efforts to achieve political and military unity in Libya and preserve stability.
Zubi praised Türkiye for its efforts aimed at achieving unity in Libya.
Kalın, for his part, underlined Türkiye’s determination to continue its contributions and support for Libya’s security and stability.
Within the framework of its “One Libya” policy, Türkiye gives priority to preserving Libya’s unity, territorial integrity and cohesion, and continues its active efforts to establish lasting stability and preserve calm in Libya.
Based on this approach, Ankara maintains dialogue with all sides in Libya without distinction between the West, East and South and works together with Libyans to advance relations in all fields.
On Sept. 10, Kalın also met in the Turkish capital, Ankara with Aguila Saleh, the speaker of Libya’s House of Representatives, and Mohammed Takala, head of the High Council of State.
Moreover, the steadily developing relations between Türkiye and Libya are also creating new opportunities in the energy sector. In February 2026, TPAO was awarded the right to jointly operate two oil fields in Libya in the country’s first licensing round in 17 years. The agreement concerning these fields was signed in Tripoli on June 15, 2026.
More than 40 projects undertaken by Turkish companies are currently ongoing in Libya, with a total value exceeding $2.3 billion.
Bilateral trade volume between Türkiye and Libya reached approximately $3.5 billion in 2025.
Accompanied by first lady Emine Erdoğan, a delegation of ministers and top officials, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan flew to New York on Sunday to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The event will be a showcase of Türkiye’s diplomatic prowess, which has helped Ankara raise its profile in the international community over the past two decades, from a mere observer of international affairs to a major power broker. As was the case at past assemblies, Erdoğan is expected to use the platform to draw attention to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and the international community’s inaction over Israel’s atrocities.
The Turkish leader, who has addressed the assembly 16 times, is scheduled to be the fourth speaker on the assembly’s inaugural day on Sept. 22. Turkish media outlets reported that Erdoğan will focus his speech on Israel’s genocide in Gaza, recognition of a Palestinian state and steps that need to be taken to stop Israel.
On the margins of the assembly, Erdoğan will hold one-on-one talks with heads of state and government, including U.S. President Donald Trump. The talks between Erdoğan and Trump are expected to cover a broad range of issues, from CAATSA sanctions and the war in Ukraine to the $100 billion trade target and the war with Iran, as well as the procurement of F-35s and energy cooperation, according to a report by the Sabah newspaper.
From Ankara’s perspective, particular importance is attached to restarting the F-35 delivery process, which was suspended in 2019, securing engines for the national fighter jet KAAN, and fully lifting the CAATSA sanctions. Last year, Erdoğan also met with Trump in Washington following the U.N. General Assembly, while Trump visited Ankara in July. These meetings not only became milestones for the future of relations between the two countries but also stood out as examples of leader-level diplomacy.
On Sept. 23, Erdoğan will address a high-level event on climate action hosted by outgoing U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Türkiye is the joint host with Australia of the upcoming COP31 summit on the issue.
Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate, said in a social media post over the weekend that Erdoğan would also attend events organized by think tanks and meet with representatives of the Turkish diaspora and Turkish-American business circles during his visit to New York.
The new session of the UNGA, which brings together world leaders every year in New York, will begin under the theme “Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solutions: Advancing the 2030 Agenda and Its Sustainable Development Goals.”
Erdoğan first attended the U.N. General Assembly meetings in 2005, when he was prime minister. In a speech there in 2009, Erdoğan highlighted the need to reform the structure of the U.N., something that became a recurring theme in his speeches in the following years and in foreign policy-related speeches the president delivered elsewhere. In his first speech at the General Assembly as president in 2014, Erdoğan turned this call into a slogan: “The world is bigger than five,” in reference to reforming the structure of the U.N. Security Council, which has five permanent members. He may repeat it in his next speech, as the U.N. has still not carried out the anticipated reforms to give more say in global affairs to countries other than the major powers.
“The United Nations must act decisively on problems before further delays occur, before more oppressed and innocent people lose their lives, and before the global conscience is further wounded. I would like to underline once again that the world is bigger than five. It is unacceptable to the global conscience that the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council render the United Nations ineffective in a manner that is incompatible with the realities of the world.
“Every decision taken depends, as you can see, on the will of a single country. If it says ‘no,’ it is no; if it says ‘yes,’ then action can be taken. While more than 2,000 innocent people were killed in Palestine in just a few months, the United Nations failed to produce the expected solution. While more than 200,000 people have been killed in Syria over four years and nearly 9 million people have been displaced, the United Nations has again failed to offer effective solutions,” Erdoğan said in his 2014 speech.
Türkiye on Friday condemned a terrorist attack near a mosque in Kohat, in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, that killed several people during Friday prayers, offering condolences to the Pakistani people.
“We condemn the terrorist attack carried out during Friday prayers near a mosque in the city of Kohat, in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We pray for Allah’s mercy upon those who lost their lives in this heinous terrorist attack and extend our condolences to the people of Pakistan,” it added.
At least 21 people, including five civilians and 16 police officers, were killed and over 70 others were wounded in a suicide bombing targeting a police compound in northwestern Pakistan during Friday prayers, according to local media.
The casualties occurred when an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into the Old Police Lines gate in the Kohat district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a senior police official said, according to local broadcaster Geo News.
Police said six “terrorists,” including a suicide bomber, were also killed in the explosion. In a statement, police said a clearance operation was underway.
The explosion left a crater outside the mosque in the police compound.
Turkish authorities on Friday launched coordinated raids against an Israel-linked international fraud network accused of defrauding foreign nationals through bogus forex and cryptocurrency investment schemes.
Authorities detained 175 of 239 suspects in raids at 286 addresses in Istanbul and the western province of Muğla, Türkiye’s Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said.
Four separate investigations conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in 2026 uncovered evidence that some companies operating as call centers had used social media and the internet to advertise forex and cryptocurrency investments, promising high returns to foreign nationals, Gürlek said on X.
The investigation was coordinated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s Bureau for Investigating Terror Financing and Money Laundering Crimes, in cooperation with the Istanbul Regional Directorate of the National Intelligence Organization, the Department of Combating Organized Crime and the Istanbul Police Department’s Cybercrime Branch, he noted.
Analyses by Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board, findings by intelligence and police units, and hundreds of victim complaints obtained through Interpol revealed that people linked to Israel were predominant in the ownership and ultimate beneficiary structures of the companies, Gürlek added.
The findings led authorities to uncover an organized fraud network targeting victims in multiple countries, he said.
The network allegedly used multilingual customer representatives to recruit victims and directed them to investment platforms controlled by suspects, where fabricated profit figures were displayed to encourage them to deposit more money.
When victims attempted to withdraw their funds, they were allegedly asked to make additional payments under pretexts such as “account blockage” and “taxes.” The money deposited by victims was then transferred to bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets abroad.
The network targeted many countries, particularly in Europe, the Far East, and Africa, and reached a transaction volume of approximately 13 billion Turkish liras ($266.4 million) over two years in transactions believed to have been related to office expenses and salary payments, he said.
Based on the findings, authorities launched simultaneous operations at 5 am local time against 28 companies, 42 call centers, and 239 suspects at 286 addresses in Istanbul and Mugla, with Interpol units also participating.
By 10 am, raids had been carried out at the call centers and 175 suspects had been detained, while operations to apprehend the remaining suspects were ongoing, Gürlek said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is set to address the United Nations General Assembly for the 16th time on Tuesday, bringing Türkiye’s positions on global conflicts, U.N. reform and regional crises to world leaders gathering in New York.
The 81st session’s General Debate will begin Sept. 22 and run through Sept. 28 under the theme “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”
Erdoğan’s latest appearance will add another chapter to more than two decades of speeches at the U.N., where he has repeatedly called for reform of the international system while addressing issues ranging from Palestine and Syria to terrorism, migration, the Russia-Ukraine war and Cyprus.
His first General Assembly appearance came as prime minister in 2005, when he called for a more democratic and transparent U.N. capable of better representing the will of its members.
“First and foremost, a renewed, more democratic and transparent United Nations that is capable of representing the common will of all its members … is in the common interest of humanity,” Erdoğan said at the time.
He also used the speech to call for stronger international cooperation against terrorism, describing terrorism anywhere in the world as a crime against humanity.
By 2009, reform of the U.N. and particularly its Security Council had emerged as a central theme of Erdoğan’s addresses.
He argued that strengthening the organization’s representative capacity was essential for global peace and stability and said broader U.N. reform could not be considered complete without changes to the Security Council.
‘World is bigger than five’
That argument later developed into one of Erdoğan’s best-known foreign policy slogans: “The world is bigger than five,” a reference to the five permanent members of the Security Council, including China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States and their veto powers.
At the 2014 General Assembly, Erdoğan criticized the international system’s response to conflicts in Syria and Palestine and argued that decisions affecting the international community should not depend on the positions of five countries.
“The world is bigger than five,” Erdoğan said, arguing that the ability of the permanent Security Council members to block action was incompatible with what he described as the demands of the global conscience.
The slogan has since become a recurring element of Türkiye’s calls for U.N. reform and a more representative international decision-making system.
Erdoğan has also repeatedly used the General Assembly podium to highlight regional conflicts.
In 2011, he addressed developments in Syria, Libya, Somalia and Palestine and called for a settlement of the Karabakh dispute, saying unresolved international conflicts should be addressed before becoming entrenched.
Migration emerged as another major theme in later appearances. In 2019, Erdoğan held up a photograph of Alan Kurdi, the Syrian toddler whose body was found on a Turkish beach in 2015 after his family attempted to reach Europe.
He accused the international community of quickly forgetting refugees who had died attempting dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean or had been stranded at borders.
Palestine remains key focus
Palestine has remained one of the most prominent issues in Erdoğan’s U.N. appearances.
In 2019, he displayed maps showing changes in Israeli and Palestinian-controlled territory over decades as he questioned the effectiveness of U.N. resolutions concerning the conflict.
The issue became still more prominent following the outbreak of the Gaza war in 2023.
In his 2024 General Assembly address, Erdoğan sharply criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and called on countries that had not recognized Palestine to do so. He reiterated Türkiye’s support for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Erdoğan also renewed his criticism of the U.N. system, saying the organization had increasingly failed to fulfill its founding mission and invoking his “world is bigger than five” slogan as he criticized the Security Council’s response to the Gaza conflict.
Ukraine war, grain deal
The Russia-Ukraine war has also featured prominently in Erdoğan’s recent appearances.
Türkiye, a NATO member that maintains relations with both Moscow and Kyiv, played a central role alongside the United Nations in brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2022.
The agreement allowed Ukrainian grain and other food products to be exported through the Black Sea amid concerns over global food supplies.
Erdoğan used a photograph of a grain vessel passing through the Bosporus during a General Assembly speech to highlight the agreement, describing the Istanbul deal as one of the U.N.’s most significant recent achievements.
He argued that the initiative demonstrated that negotiations could produce results even on issues considered vital by parties to a conflict.
Cyprus, regional disputes
Cyprus has also been a recurring issue featured in Erdoğan’s speeches.
At the 78th General Assembly, he called on the international community to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and establish diplomatic, political and economic ties with it.
Erdoğan has also used his U.N. appearances to address Türkiye’s disputes and diplomatic priorities in the Eastern Mediterranean, developments in the Caucasus, Islamophobia, racism and climate change.
The president’s 2026 address is expected to again focus on major international and regional challenges while continuing Ankara’s long-standing calls for changes to the global governance system.
The Turkish leader is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with other heads of state and government during his visit to New York, alongside his participation in the General Assembly.
His Tuesday address will place Türkiye’s foreign policy priorities before the international community once again, more than two decades after he first used the U.N. podium to call for a more representative and effective international system.
Türkiye is closely monitoring developments on the ground to prevent setbacks in the “Terror-Free Türkiye” initiative, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said Thursday, as Ankara moves ahead with efforts aimed at ending terrorism and extending security cooperation across the region.
Speaking to a live broadcast, Çiftçi said the initiative was being pursued as a state policy, with security institutions continuing to monitor developments as the process advances.
He pointed to both the institutional and legal dimensions of the initiative, saying Parliament had held 21 meetings with a broad range of segments of society before its recess.
Security mechanisms on the ground are also operating to ensure the process is not derailed, he noted.
The minister said regional security was closely connected to developments in Syria, Iraq and Iran, an issue he also discussed during talks with Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni in Ankara.
The talks covered both Türkiye’s domestic initiative and Ankara’s broader vision for a “terror-free region,” he stated.
Çiftçi said the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, the YPG, was expected to dissolve itself and integrate into Syria’s state structures.
Asked whether Türkiye could remove terrorism entirely from its agenda in 2027, Çiftçi said the pace would depend on the terrorist group complying with the legal framework, surrendering its weapons and completing its dissolution.
“The faster it happens, the more important it will be for our country.”
He said a six-month period envisaged under the process would begin after the National Security Council (MGK) confirms that the required conditions have been met.
Moreover, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek separately said Friday that Türkiye was preparing to enter the second phase of the terror-free initiative.
Speaking during a visit to the southern province of Adana, Gürlek said the Justice Ministry had been involved in drafting legislation underpinning the process.
He said implementation would begin after the MGK verifies the terrorist organization’s complete dissolution and disarmament. Gürlek also stressed the importance of explaining the initiative to the public and building support on the ground.
‘Türkpol’ mechanism
The interior minister also outlined Türkiye’s efforts to deepen security cooperation among members of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), following a meeting of interior ministers in Kazakhstan.
Türkiye has proposed establishing a Crime-Fighting Council within the OTS, with officials expecting steps toward formalizing the mechanism at the next ministerial meeting, which is due to be held in Türkiye.
Çiftçi said the council could eventually develop an operational mechanism known as “Türkpol,” modeled on international law enforcement cooperation structures such as Interpol and Europol.
The proposed mechanism would facilitate efforts to identify, apprehend and extradite suspects who commit crimes in one member country and flee to another, while strengthening intelligence and information sharing among Turkic states.
The initiative is intended to accelerate cooperation on cross-border crime, including terrorism, organized crime, cybercrime, illegal gambling, human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
Çiftçi remarked that Türkiye had also proposed common passport control points among OTS members, citing European practices as an example of how closer coordination could streamline border procedures.
The proposals form part of Ankara’s broader effort to institutionalize security cooperation among Turkic states while it pursues its domestic initiative to end terrorism and prevent armed groups from posing renewed security threats.
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