Politics
Türkiye, Cambodia sign military coop. deal as Erdoğan hails growing ties
Türkiye and Cambodia signed a military framework agreement Friday aimed at strengthening defense cooperation, as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the Southeast Asian nation as an increasingly important partner during talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Istanbul.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony preceding a joint news conference by Erdoğan and Manet at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Office, following bilateral and delegation-level talks earlier in the day.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan signed the agreement on behalf of Türkiye, while Cambodian Deputy Defense Minister Prak Sovanna represented Cambodia.
The deal seeks to deepen military and defense cooperation between the two countries amid efforts to expand bilateral relations.
Speaking at the joint news conference, Erdoğan highlighted the growing momentum in relations with Cambodia and Ankara’s commitment to strengthening its engagement with Southeast Asia.
“I consider Cambodia, with which our relations have developed rapidly in recent years, an important partner in Southeast Asia,” Erdoğan said.
The president also welcomed Cambodia’s participation as a founding member of the Gaza Board of Peace, describing the move as highly encouraging.
Erdoğan further highlighted humanitarian cooperation between the two countries, saying Turkish assistance had reached more than 3,000 people through coordination with Cambodian authorities.
“We have delivered assistance to more than 3,000 people in cooperation with Cambodian authorities. We will continue our humanitarian aid efforts,” he said.
Earlier Friday, Erdoğan welcomed Manet, who arrived in Türkiye at the president’s invitation, with an official ceremony at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Office.
The two leaders introduced their respective delegations before holding a one-on-one meeting, followed by talks between their delegations.
Foreign Minister Fidan, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran and Presidential Chief Adviser on Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç also attended the discussions.
The visit reflects efforts by Ankara and Phnom Penh to broaden their partnership, with military cooperation emerging as a key area of engagement alongside diplomatic and humanitarian ties.
Türkiye is expected to expand cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in trade, economic relations, the defense industry and energy after recently becoming a “dialogue partner” of the regional bloc.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted Türkiye’s centuries-old medical tradition and the importance of institutional continuity as he inaugurated new hospital facilities and launched construction projects at Istanbul University’s Çapa and Esenyurt campuses.
Speaking Saturday at a groundbreaking and opening ceremony at Istanbul University’s Çapa Faculty of Medicine campus, Erdoğan said the country’s healthcare institutions had played a significant role in preserving national identity, supporting independence and serving the public across generations.
“Our state tradition is founded on continuity,” Erdoğan said. “Our ancestors, who said, ‘Keep people alive so the state may live,’ reflected their understanding of the state’s eternal existence in our institutions as well.”
He added that these institutions belonged not only to the state but also to the nation, helping shape Türkiye’s struggle for independence and its future.
The ceremony marked the opening of the Internal Medicine Hospital at the Çapa campus and the Esenyurt Hospital, while construction began on the Orthopedics and Traumatology Hospital, the second surgical hospital and Deniz Abdal Mosque.
Erdoğan wished the new facilities success, saying they would benefit Istanbul, Türkiye and its people. He also thanked the Health Ministry, Istanbul University, the construction company and the workers, engineers, civil servants and other personnel involved in the projects.
He extended his appreciation to healthcare professionals across the country, praising doctors, surgeons, nurses, caregivers and administrative staff for their dedication to providing quality medical services. He also wished patients who would receive treatment at the new facilities a healthy and fulfilling life.
Erdoğan said Türkiye had a substantial legacy in both medical practice and scientific education, arguing that medicine had historically been regarded as more than an ordinary profession.
“Being a physician has never been considered an ordinary profession among us,” he said, describing doctors as individuals who pursued wisdom as well as medical knowledge.
He pointed to the hospitals and medical institutions established across Anatolia from the 13th century onward, saying they demonstrated the region’s longstanding contribution to healthcare while parts of Europe experienced some of their darkest periods during the Middle Ages.
The president also traced the history of Istanbul Faculty of Medicine to institutions established during the Ottoman Empire, describing the faculty as an inheritance passed down through generations.
He cited the Fatih Darüşşifası, established on the orders of Sultan Mehmed II, also known as Mehmed the Conqueror, as an early foundation for medical education. The institution later developed through successive stages, including the establishment of Tıphane-i Amire by Sultan Mahmud II on March 14, 1827, which Erdoğan described as the country’s first modern medical school.
With the addition of Cerrahhane-i Amire, the institution took the names Mekteb-i Tıbbiye-i Şahane and Darülfünun Faculty of Medicine in 1839 before eventually becoming Istanbul Faculty of Medicine.
Erdoğan said this history illustrated how Türkiye’s institutions had maintained their identity and purpose through political and social changes.
He highlighted March 14, 1919, when Hikmet Bey and his colleagues raised the Turkish flag at the Imperial School of Medicine during the Allied occupation of Istanbul, describing the act as a declaration that the nation would not submit to foreign domination.
He also pointed to the role of humanitarian and civil society organizations, including the Turkish Red Crescent and the Green Crescent, during Türkiye’s War of Independence.
According to Erdoğan, the same spirit of solidarity and national determination resurfaced during the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation, the July 15, 2016, coup attempt, the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating earthquakes of Feb. 6, 2023.
The president congratulated Istanbul Faculty of Medicine as it prepares to mark its 200th anniversary next year, expressing confidence that the institution would continue to provide healthcare services and contribute to medical research for generations to come.
He said the faculty had produced internationally recognized figures throughout its two-century history and would continue making important contributions to medical literature while serving the nation.
Türkiye’s Embassy in Baku on Saturday dismissed reports alleging that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a secret meeting during his recent trip to Azerbaijan, rejecting claims circulated by several Azerbaijani media outlets.
In a statement, the embassy said a report titled “Behind the Scenes of Hakan Fidan’s Meeting at GYF,” published by several media outlets, particularly Qafqazinfo, was based on baseless allegations.
The statement said the publication was part of disinformation efforts by circles seeking to damage relations between Türkiye and Azerbaijan.
It noted that Fidan had posed for courtesy photographs with numerous people during his visit to Baku, including members of an organization with legal status in Azerbaijan.
“The allegations that our minister held a secret meeting and issued various instructions are categorically untrue,” the statement said.
The embassy said claims had been made based on an alleged letter addressed to the Turkish parliament, containing accusations with no connection to reality. It underlined that the purported letter did not exist.
Fidan visited Baku on Oct. 15 to represent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). During the visit, he met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, discussing bilateral relations and regional developments.
The statement stressed that references in the report to “plans to interfere in internal affairs,” “intelligence operations,” “coup and chaos plots,” and “recruiting agents of influence” were deliberate falsehoods intended to turn the Azerbaijani public against Türkiye.
The embassy called on the public of both Azerbaijan and Türkiye not to give credence to these allegations or manipulative claims that have no basis in fact.
The Qafqazinfo news website had reported that Fidan visited a foundation established by Turkish philanthropists in Baku, where he allegedly held a secret meeting and issued various instructions.
The report was later removed from the website.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş will hold talks this week with political parties in a new drive to advance the terror-free Türkiye initiative, which aims for the dissolution of the terrorist group PKK, which has killed tens of thousands of people across the country since the 1980s.
The talks will precede the establishment of a monitoring committee in Parliament to observe the process, which has been underway since last year.
Before the summer recess, Parliament approved a framework law that provided a legal basis for the initiative, which had been largely informal so far. The law stipulated the establishment of a monitoring committee. Authorities have previously said that, unlike other stages of the initiative, which require verification of full disarmament, the committee would not be bound by confirmation of the process.
Starting this week, Kurtulmuş is expected to hold talks with leaders of parties eligible to form parliamentary groups, including the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the main opposition New Party (YP), government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the PKK-linked Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the New Path coalition of smaller opposition parties. He will also hold talks later with leaders or representatives of opposition parties that have a small number of seats in Parliament. Separately, he will visit Müsavat Dervişoğlu, whose Good Party (IP) refused to join parliamentary work to advance the initiative.
Kurtulmuş had previously stated that the monitoring committee would be established swiftly. During his meetings with political party leaders, he will ask them to nominate members to the committee. The talks will address the committee’s size, how it will operate and what actions it will take on various issues.
In similar processes around the world, particularly in Ireland and Colombia, the United Nations, foreign governments or international civil society organizations have generally been involved in monitoring disarmament steps. This was referred to as a “third eye” (“arbiter”). Türkiye, which developed its own model, did not seek a third-party observer to monitor the process. Kurtulmuş stated that, unlike international examples, Parliament itself would oversee the process as the “third eye,” rather than relying on external actors.
The committee was tasked with monitoring and reporting on activities carried out under the process, making recommendations to relevant institutions and preparing legislative proposals when necessary.
The initiative unofficially began in 2024 following a call by veteran politician Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the MHP. Bahçeli suggested that the PKK’s jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, order the group to lay down its arms “at Parliament.” Öcalan consented, though he remained in jail, and within months, following a historic call by Öcalan, the PKK agreed to disarm. In return, the Turkish Parliament passed a law in August providing for the deferral of sentencing and prosecution for members of the terrorist group who were not involved in acts of violence. Through the security forces and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), Türkiye currently monitors the disarmament process, which began symbolically last year when several PKK members burned their weapons at a ceremony in northern Iraq, where the PKK’s senior cadres are based.
The PKK has left four camps in Metina, northern Iraq, Turkish security sources announced last Monday.
This is among the few solid indicators of progress in the initiative and a significant gain in the secretive and highly sensitive process, although the PKK touted it as a bargain with Türkiye. The government rejects any deal in what it portrays as a unilateral initiative. Turkish sources confirmed the veracity of the PKK’s “withdrawal,” but experts argue that it is still the beginning of the end.
Turkish security sources also said last Monday that they expected PKK members to return from abroad to benefit from the law passed by Parliament. Sources said several programs covering education, economic support and other areas would be rolled out to reintegrate PKK members into society, though details remain unclear about what these programs would entail and how receptive the Turkish public would be to former members of the group. Although the reintegration system and deferrals of sentencing and prosecution would cover members not involved in acts of violence, it remains to be seen how PKK members would adapt to a new life after spending years in hiding in the mountains.
Bahçeli recently suggested that Öcalan serve as “a coordinator” in the process and that Türkiye establish a coordination office on Imralı Island, where Öcalan is imprisoned. Authorities have not openly responded to Bahçeli’s call, but media reports suggest that Öcalan would be given greater access to the outside world, though still within the confines of the prison, allowing him to relay his messages to the terrorist group and the wider public more easily.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend the 52nd Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Baghdad on Oct. 17-18, where he is expected to call for coordinated action against Israel’s policies and stronger regional cooperation, diplomatic sources said Friday.
The two-day gathering, held under the theme “Dialogue and Solidarity: Two Pillars for Promoting Peace and Sustainable Development,” will see Türkiye hand over the council’s rotating chairpersonship to Iraq after holding the position since June 2025.
According to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources, discussions will focus on Israel’s military operations in Gaza, its occupation and annexation activities in Palestinian territories, regional conflicts, counterterrorism, United Nations reform, Islamophobia and the situation of Muslim communities in non-OIC countries.
The meeting is expected to conclude with the adoption of the “Baghdad Declaration,” while Fidan is scheduled to address participants and hold bilateral talks with his counterparts.
Joint action on Israel
Fidan is expected to describe Israel’s military actions and expansionist policies as the Middle East’s most significant security threat, urging OIC members to demonstrate a united position and coordinate with international partners.
He will also call for decisive measures against countries relocating their embassies to Jerusalem and efforts to prevent further such moves.
Fidan is expected to reiterate that establishing an independent Palestinian state through a two-state solution remains the only viable path toward lasting peace, while stressing the need for uninterrupted humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.
The Turkish minister is also expected to emphasize solidarity with Turkish Cypriots, calling for an end to their international isolation and greater protection of the rights of Muslim Turkish minorities in Western Thrace and the Dodecanese islands.
On Syria, Fidan will advocate continued international efforts to safeguard the country’s territorial integrity, revive its economy and support reconstruction.
He is also expected to demand Israel’s complete withdrawal from southern Lebanon while reaffirming support for Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Addressing tensions in the Gulf, Fidan will condemn attacks targeting Gulf countries, including Houthi strikes against Saudi civilian infrastructure, and emphasize freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.
Türkiye to hand over OIC chair
Established in 1969 following an arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the OIC comprises 57 member states and is the world’s second-largest intergovernmental organization after the United Nations.
Türkiye, a founding member, assumed the council’s chairmanship during the 51st ministerial meeting in Istanbul in June 2025.
The Baghdad gathering will mark the end of Ankara’s tenure, with Iraq taking over leadership of the council as member states seek common positions on regional security, humanitarian crises and broader challenges facing the Muslim world.
Türkiye welcomed the appointment of Iraq’s new Cabinet following a parliamentary confidence vote Thursday, expressing hope that the new government would accelerate bilateral cooperation in energy, infrastructure and security while strengthening political stability and the representation of the country’s Turkmen community.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry congratulated the Iraqi government led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi after the Council of Representatives approved new Cabinet appointments in an Oct. 15 vote.
The ministry said the development could provide fresh momentum for cooperation in several strategic areas, particularly the Development Road Project, a major regional transport and infrastructure initiative.
Ankara also identified energy, water management, infrastructure and security as key areas where it expects bilateral cooperation to advance under the new administration.
The statement particularly welcomed the appointment of Kirkuk Governor and Iraqi Turkmen Front Chairman Mohammed Samaan Agha as minister of state.
Türkiye described the appointment as a positive step toward promoting political stability, social cohesion and fair representation for Iraq’s Turkmen population.
Ankara reaffirmed its commitment to further deepening cooperation with Baghdad across all sectors, emphasizing its determination to strengthen bilateral relations under the new government.
Türkiye’s natural gas production in the Black Sea is expected to double to 20 million cubic meters per day, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Saturday, as the country prepares to deploy its Osman Gazi floating production platform to process gas from the Sakarya field.
In a video message to a ceremony at Filyos Port in the northern province of Zonguldak, Erdoğan said the platform would process gas extracted from wells in the Sakarya Gas Field and transport it to Filyos through subsea pipelines.
He said the increased output would allow one in every three households in Türkiye to use domestically produced natural gas starting in early 2027.
Erdoğan described Osman Gazi as a major step in the country’s energy ambitions and called it the first factory of the “Blue Homeland,” a term Türkiye uses to describe its maritime interests and ambitions.
“Today, we are opening a brand-new page in our energy history,” Erdoğan said. “We are sending Osman Gazi, essentially a floating industrial facility, to its duty station in the Black Sea.”
The president recalled announcing in July 2024 that Türkiye would acquire its first floating production platform. In May 2025, the vessel, named Osman Gazi, was sent from Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace to Filyos.
Measuring 298.5 meters long, 56 meters wide and 29.5 meters deep, the platform is designed to operate as a floating natural gas processing facility, with a crew of 140 people. Its 21 separate units will process gas extracted from the Sakarya field before it is transferred to shore through underwater pipelines.
The planned increase to 20 million cubic meters per day would double Türkiye’s Black Sea gas production, according to Erdoğan. The government expects the additional output to expand the share of households supplied with domestically produced gas from early 2027.
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