Politics
Mecca Defense Alliance reps meet in Iran for regional coordination
Ibrahim Kalın, director of Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), will join officials from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Ankara’s partners in the Mecca Defense Alliance, in a visit to Tehran, an Iranian official said on Monday. Turkish sources speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) also confirmed the participation of Kalın to the talks, which, according to Iranian media outlets, will be held on Monday. The talks will focus on “regional security.”
“As agreed, Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, Pakistani army chief General Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalın will participate in this meeting,” said Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. He said the meeting will be held with Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei.
“This four-party meeting in Tehran could represent an important and effective step towards building lasting regional security, and we hope this initiative will contribute to establishing a stable region,” said Kani in an interview with state television, without elaborating.
He said that the meeting was proposed during a visit by Pakistani army chief Asim Munir to Tehran last week.
War has engulfed the Middle East since February when the United States and Israel launched a wave of surprise attacks on Iran, while Washington and Tehran were in the midst of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.
An April cease-fire brought an end to the initial phase of intense bombardment but the two sides have continued to vie for control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas used to travel.
Iran has since claimed control over the strait and has regularly targeted vessels that attempt to cross without its authorization, while the United States has imposed a naval counterblockade on Iranian ports.
Diplomatic efforts with the U.S. remain stalled, especially since the collapse of a June deal which laid out a pathway to a permanent settlement of the conflict.
The war has since spread across the region to include fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen.
Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Rayed Krimly said the meeting is part of ongoing efforts by the Mecca Pact countries to de-escalate the current crisis, promote diplomatic solutions, and support mediation efforts led by Qatar and Pakistan. “The visit also underscores the pivotal role of the Mecca Pact states in fostering regional security and stability, and their commitment to working with all nations in the region toward achieving this goal,” Krimly posted on X. Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman will represent Saudi Arabia at the meeting.
The meeting is the first high-level contact between the alliance members and Iranian officials. The Alliance has denied that it was founded to counter Iran’s influence in the region and signaled it was open to new members.
Attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have spiralled in recent weeks, and rhetoric between Washington and Tehran has grown more heated. Both countries have also drawn up plans to restart the wider war, possibly after the U.S. midterm elections on November 3.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday discussions on regional security would include “Israel’s expansionist policies, developments in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, and the repercussions of U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran.”
Baghaei said the meeting could be a first step toward establishing regional security mechanisms based on the interests of countries in the region. Qatari mediators met Iranian officials in Tehran on Sunday in a push to de-escalate regional tensions, Reuters reported. Qatar has, for months, played a mediating role between Tehran and Washington.
A senior Iranian official said the meeting was initiated by Pakistan, during Munir’s visit to Tehran, as he met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials. During the visit, Iranian officials told him there would be no talks with Washington until Tehran’s demands were met, according to Iranian media. Earlier mediation efforts involving both Pakistan and Qatar helped produce an interim peace agreement in June, but the deal quickly unravelled as fighting between Iran and the United States resumed weeks later.
Saudi Arabia intercepted another wave of missiles and drones on Sunday as fighting with the Houthis continued unabated. Ministers from the Mecca Pact countries held an emergency meeting in Riyadh earlier this month and agreed to ensure the “rapid deployment” of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi attacks have become an increasingly destabilizing element in the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, turning U.S. ally Saudi Arabia into a pressure point in the wider war.
The Mecca agreement’s first article says the parties shall use “all necessary means” to eliminate threats to one another’s territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognized borders.
The Turkish Parliament will start debates to ratify the agreement on Tuesday, while Pakistan approved the pact last week.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed bilateral relations, regional and global developments, and the selection of the next United Nations secretary-general during a phone call, according to a statement released Tuesday.
During the conversation, Erdoğan stressed that the next U.N. chief should possess the vision and experience needed to restore the organization’s role as a hub for multilateral diplomacy and effectively implement necessary reforms.
The two leaders also reviewed the process of appointing a successor to the current U.N. secretary-general.
Erdoğan invited Macron to attend the COP31 Leaders Summit, which Türkiye is set to host.
Macron, meanwhile, extended his congratulations to Erdoğan on the occasion of Türkiye’s Republic Day, celebrated annually on Oct. 29.
Egypt discussed regional de-escalation efforts with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), emphasizing coordination through a four-way ministerial mechanism involving Türkiye and Pakistan, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate phone calls Tuesday with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, the ministry said in two separate statements Wednesday.
During his call with bin Farhan, Abdelatty discussed regional developments and “efforts to contain the current crisis amid growing risks of escalation,” stressing the need to “advance political and peaceful solutions through dialogue.”
The two foreign ministers agreed to “continue close consultations and coordination bilaterally and through a four-way ministerial mechanism that also includes Türkiye and Pakistan.”
The mechanism brings together Egypt, Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia to strengthen consultation and coordination on de-escalation and support political solutions to regional crises.
The foreign ministers of the four countries met last month on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss regional and international developments, according to a joint statement released after the meeting.
The ministers stressed the need for closer consultation and coordination among their governments to promote peace, security and economic stability across the Middle East and the broader region.
The call came a day after Egypt’s Parliament approved, by a two-thirds majority, a mandate for President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to take necessary measures to support Saudi Arabia and defend its territory, sovereignty and holy sites, in coordination with the kingdom.
It also comes amid ongoing military escalation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi group since July, including Houthi attacks on civil aviation facilities and energy infrastructure in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition since March 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa and several provinces since September 2014.
In a separate statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Abdelatty and his Emirati counterpart discussed the latest regional developments, particularly growing indications of possible escalation in the coming period.
Abdelatty stressed the need for regional countries to “unite their efforts to reach peaceful solutions and return all parties to a peaceful political track to prevent the region from sliding into a more dangerous phase of the current crisis.”
The call came as mediation efforts continue to contain tensions between Washington and Tehran amid ongoing disagreements over the conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran, which responded with attacks on Israel and US military facilities in Arab countries.
On June 18, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding and began negotiations that later collapsed over disagreements, including maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage for global energy and goods supplies.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairperson Devlet Bahçeli at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Tuesday, with discussions expected to focus on key domestic and regional developments.
The meeting began at 2 p.m. local time, according to Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran.
The leaders were expected to discuss recent developments in Türkiye’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, aimed at ending decades of terrorism, alongside ongoing efforts to draft a new constitution.
The initiative began in 2024 after a landmark speech by Bahçeli, which urged the jailed ringleader of the PKK, Abdullah Öcalan, to call on the PKK to lay down arms. Öcalan responded in February 2025 and made the historic call to the group that has killed tens of thousands of people across Türkiye since the 1980s. Since then, a disarmament process has been underway, while Türkiye plans to introduce new laws and regulations to accommodate it, namely by offering leniency to PKK members not involved in acts of terrorism.
Regional issues, including the Türkiye-Libya maritime boundary agreement, recently approved by Libyan House of Representatives, were also expected to feature on the agenda.
The talks could also address the Mecca motion expected to reach Parliament and the Badr Memorandum.
Erdoğan had previously signaled that he could meet Bahçeli in the near future.
The meeting marked their fourth encounter this year, following previous talks on Jan. 21, April 30 and Aug. 26.
Türkiye unveiled a new digital sovereignty strategy Tuesday aimed at strengthening cybersecurity, reducing reliance on foreign technologies and protecting critical infrastructure, as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan chaired a high-level meeting on emerging cyber threats and artificial intelligence risks.
The strategy was presented during the second meeting of the Cybersecurity Board at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, according to a statement from the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications.
Officials reviewed the impact of global and regional geopolitical developments on cybersecurity, recent international cyber incidents and the evolving nature of digital threats.
The board also examined how advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping the scale, speed and sophistication of cyberattacks.
Particular attention was given to algorithmic manipulation and cognitive influence operations conducted through digital platforms, including their potential implications for national security and societal resilience.
The statement emphasized that digital sovereignty has become a strategic priority for Türkiye’s national security and development policies, alongside technological independence, protection of critical infrastructure and stronger cyber deterrence capabilities.
The newly developed Digital Sovereignty Strategy seeks to enhance Türkiye’s control over its digital infrastructure, reduce dependence on foreign suppliers in critical technologies and expand domestic technological capabilities.
Authorities agreed that relevant institutions would implement decisions aligned with the strategy’s objectives, monitor progress and regularly assess results.
The board also called for closer coordination among government agencies, improved joint risk assessment capabilities and more consistent implementation of cybersecurity measures across sectors.
Given the ability of cyber threats to spread rapidly and disrupt multiple industries simultaneously, officials reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation among public institutions, private companies and academia.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, who attended the meeting, said Türkiye was determined to protect its digital domain with the same resolve it applies to safeguarding its physical borders.
“Digital sovereignty is an integral part of our national security,” Çiftçi said in a statement shared on social media.
He said the meeting addressed global cyber threats, emerging risks associated with artificial intelligence and the national security implications of algorithmic manipulation and influence operations.
Çiftçi also emphasized the importance of strengthening domestic technological capabilities and building a comprehensive cybersecurity framework through cooperation between government, industry and academic institutions.
“We will protect not only our physical borders but also our cyber homeland and strengthen our digital sovereignty with the same determination and resolve,” he said.
“Someone whom the public can trust, who can address their needs, and who is knowledgeable and experienced.” This is how the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) general coordinator Gürsel Tekin described the party’s presidential candidate. “We have someone in mind, and our chairperson will announce it when the time comes,” he told journalists on Monday in Ankara in response to a question about whether the CHP would nominate a candidate in the next general election.
Was it Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the party’s chair? Tekin did not answer the question, saying only that they had plenty of names in mind and that these would be discussed among party members before the next election.
The next election is scheduled for 2028, although the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has signaled that it could be brought forward so that incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan can run again. The CHP has voiced support for holding early elections under those circumstances.
Erdoğan’s most serious rival is expected to be the candidate of the main opposition New Party (YP). The CHP, meanwhile, secured its highest vote share in decades under Kılıçdaroğlu’s leadership in 2023, when he ran as the candidate of a six-party opposition alliance. His defeat to Erdoğan in the presidential runoff paved the way for his ouster as CHP leader. In an intraparty vote in November 2023, he lost to Özgür Özel, who is now chairperson of the YP. Kılıçdaroğlu returned to his post in May after a court ruled that Özel’s victory was questionable amid allegations of vote-buying. Özel initially appealed the ruling before founding the YP in July.
The CHP also plans to hold a congress soon to elect its leadership again. Kılıçdaroğlu has been vague about whether he intends to run, but Tekin said he was “perfectly eligible.”
“Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu has to lead the party before it reaches safe harbor,” Tekin said, referring to the turmoil within the party, where most members and lawmakers have switched to the YP.
Police and gendarmerie forces raided municipal buildings and other locations early Tuesday in a new wave of operations against corruption in municipalities. At least 85 people were detained in the operations that targeted municipalities run by the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
In Istanbul’s Bakırköy district, 58 suspects, including five deputy mayors and a member of the municipal assembly, were detained in the probe into allegations of tender-rigging and bribery. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that the probe stemmed from tip-offs about allegations of tender-rigging and claims that the municipal officials illicitly asked for payment from business owners seeking to obtain permits from the municipality, and those refusing to pay had their permit process deliberately stalled by the same officials. Prosecutors said the investigation was further expanded, and investigators examined 42 tenders between 2024 and 2026 and found irregularities. Ten other suspects remain at large.
In western province Denizli’s Merkezefendi district, security forces stormed the municipality building as part of an operation into claims of zoning irregularities committed by municipal officials. Merkezefendi Mayor Şeniz Doğan and her husband were among 27 suspects detained while security forces searched the couple’s residence.
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