Politics
Türkiye’s FM Fidan meets Croatian parliament speaker in Ankara
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks Thursday with Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic in Ankara as the senior Croatian official paid an official visit to Türkiye, the ministry said.
Separately, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler also met with Jandrokovic at the Defense Ministry, where the two chaired talks between their delegations, the ministry said in a statement.
Türkiye and Croatia maintain close diplomatic and economic ties, underpinned by their shared NATO membership and cooperation on regional security. Türkiye was among the first countries to recognize Croatia’s independence in 1992, and the two countries have since strengthened relations through political dialogue, trade and investment, as well as cooperation aimed at promoting stability in southeastern Europe.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced Thursday plans to travel to Türkiye’s southern resort city of Antalya for the COP31 U.N. climate summit, in a visit that comes amid ongoing efforts to normalize relations between the two neighboring countries, state-run Armenpress reported.
“Yes, I plan to go to Antalya to participate in the COP,” Pashinyan told reporters during a briefing.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan invited Pashinyan to the summit during their meeting in New York in September, where they discussed efforts to normalize relations between the two countries.
COP31 will take place Nov. 9-20, bringing together world leaders, experts and civil society representatives to discuss international efforts to address climate change.
The conference’s leaders’ summit is scheduled for Nov. 11-12.
Turning to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Pashinyan said Armenia had “exhausted” its interest in the military alliance.
“I want to state once and for all that our interests in the CSTO have been exhausted,” he said during a briefing.
His remarks came after CSTO Deputy Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov said that there was no question of expelling Armenia from the organization.
However, he said an upcoming CSTO Council meeting could result in the application of Article 25 of the organization’s charter, which would suspend Armenia’s right to nominate candidates for quota-based positions and its voting rights until it settles outstanding membership fee arrears.
Armenia suspended its participation in the CSTO in February 2024 and has since stopped taking part in the organization’s activities and paying membership fees.
Pashinyan also said Armenia did not intend to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), while reiterating plans to apply for European Union membership in 2027 or 2028.
“We have not started preparations to leave the EAEU. We are preparing to offer our people alternative options, as we promised. Our people must have the opportunity to choose,” he said.
Pashinyan said Armenia would follow the necessary procedures before holding a referendum on leaving the EAEU and joining the EU.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed ongoing negotations between Tehran and Washington with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Thursday, amid evolving regional developments.
The two ministers exchanged views on the diplomatic process between Iran and the U.S., as well as other regional issues, according to diplomatic sources.
Türkiye has been calling on the U.S. and Iran to end the war and return to the negotiation table.
The U.S.-Israel-Iran war has already put Türkiye on alert, particularly after several missiles fired toward Turkish territory were intercepted by NATO air defense systems deployed in the country. The incidents have been isolated, however, unlike the barrage of missiles targeting Gulf countries. Türkiye and Iran maintain good relations, and Ankara at one point sought to mediate the conflict between the U.S. and Iran, which is still ongoing, with occasional bursts of missile launches.
Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has regained the lead in voter support, reaching 31.9% in an October election survey by MetroPOLL Research, while the New Party (YP) suffered a sharp decline, falling to 25% after leading by more than 10 percentage points in July.
The survey, comparing voter preferences in July and October 2026, revealed significant shifts in support for major political parties, with the AK Party overtaking its closest rival by 6.9 percentage points.
According to the results, which were calculated after proportionally distributing undecided voters, nonresponses and protest votes, the AK Party increased its support by 2.92 percentage points from 28.98% in July to 31.9% in October.
The New Party, which topped the July survey with 39.2%, recorded the steepest decline among the parties surveyed, losing 14.2 percentage points to fall to 25% and second place.
The reversal marks a significant shift from July, when the YP held a 10.22-percentage-point advantage over the ruling party.
The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) registered the largest increase in voter support, climbing 3.61 percentage points from 6.99% in July to 10.6% in October, placing third.
The Good Party (IP) also recorded a notable increase, rising 3.45 percentage points from 5.05% to 8.5%.
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the AK Party’s governing alliance partner, increased its support from 4.66% to 6.6%, a gain of 1.94 percentage points.
Meanwhile, the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) saw its support edge down from 3.75% to 3.5%, according to the figures provided in the survey report.
The New Welfare Party (YRP) increased its share from 2.2% to 3.4%, while the Key Party (Anahtar Party) rose from 1.68% to 3.2%.
According to the October report, undecided voters and protest responses accounted for 27.8% of respondents before their proportional redistribution among political parties.
The adjusted results placed the AK Party first, followed by the YP, DEM Party, IP and MHP.
The findings suggest a substantial reshuffling of voter preferences between July and October, although the figures represent polling estimates rather than actual election results.
Moreover, presidential chief adviser Mehmet Uçum recently said the Constitution allows Erdoğan to seek reelection if Parliament votes to call early elections, suggesting April 16, 2028, as his preferred date to coincide with the anniversary of Türkiye’s 2017 constitutional referendum.
Uçum argued that bringing forward the vote would not constitute an early election in the traditional sense but rather an adjustment to enable Erdoğan’s candidacy.
He cited the 2023 presidential election, which was held on May 14 instead of its originally scheduled June 18 date, as a precedent.
He further claimed that around 500 lawmakers could support a parliamentary decision to renew elections, adding that Erdoğan’s candidacy was politically settled but still required legal authorization.
Under Article 116 of Türkiye’s Constitution, Parliament can call for renewed presidential and parliamentary elections with a three-fifths majority, requiring at least 360 votes in the 600-seat legislature.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and its Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) ally currently hold 331 seats, meaning they would need support from at least 29 opposition lawmakers.
Erdoğan was elected president under Türkiye’s current presidential system in 2018 and 2023. The Constitution generally limits presidents to two terms but provides an exception when Parliament renews elections during a president’s second term.
Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday criticized the European Commission’s 2026 Türkiye Report, issued as part of the bloc’s annual enlargement package, saying it once again exposed the EU’s prejudiced and unfair approach toward Ankara.
In a statement, the ministry rejected allegations concerning political criteria, the judiciary and fundamental rights, describing them as unfounded and reflective of double standards among certain EU officials.
The ministry said the report continued to endorse Greece’s and the Greek Cypriot administration’s maximalist positions, while overlooking the legitimate rights, interests and policies of Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
It stressed that the EU could not contribute meaningfully to efforts to resolve the Cyprus dispute as long as it unconditionally supported the Greek Cypriot side.
Ankara also rejected the report’s assessments of the Eastern Mediterranean, arguing that they contradicted international law and principles of fairness. It dismissed references to the maritime memorandum of understanding between Türkiye and Libya as having no legal bearing.
Despite its criticism, the ministry welcomed the report’s recognition of Türkiye’s progress in economic and monetary policies, its functioning market economy and its capacity to withstand competitive pressures within the EU.
It also positively assessed references to Türkiye’s strategic role in connectivity, supply chain resilience, value chains, defense and security.
The ministry said the economic and trade data cited in the report reinforced Ankara’s longstanding call to modernize the Türkiye-EU Customs Union.
Emphasizing the need for a broader strategic vision, the ministry urged Brussels to move beyond narrow political calculations and unilateral approaches in its relations with Türkiye.
It reaffirmed Ankara’s readiness to advance ties based on mutual trust, respect, fairness and the principle of honoring existing commitments.
The ministry also called on the EU to translate recently intensified dialogue into concrete decisions that would strengthen Türkiye’s membership prospects and demonstrate the political will needed to shape a shared future.
Turkish authorities have uncovered a network of police officers allegedly supplying confidential information to a man arrested on suspicion of spying for Israeli intelligence, revealing unauthorized access to police databases and surveillance of Palestinian activists and Turkish citizens, according to a report by Sabah newspaper.
The findings emerged from the second phase of an investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Istanbul Police Department’s Counterterrorism Branch into Serkan Çiçek, who was arrested in 2025 over allegations of conducting surveillance activities on behalf of Israeli intelligence.
Investigators identified 11 current and former police officers who allegedly maintained direct or indirect contact with Çiçek from 2023 to 2024, providing access to restricted databases and confidential personal records.
According to the report, the suspects included a chief inspector and two former police officers; the remaining nine were described as active-duty personnel. The investigation examined messages, audio recordings, phone records and witness statements.
Authorities found that Çiçek, who presented himself as the owner of Pandora Detective Agency, obtained sensitive information through police officers who accessed official databases without authorization.
In one instance, a suspect identified as Mehmet Nurullah Y., allegedly obtained hotel accommodation records through a colleague’s access credentials and passed the information to Çiçek.
The spy monitored the individual’s movements and conducted reconnaissance near the person’s residence.
Another officer, identified as Şahin K., admitted to secretly monitoring a jeweler for about 14 hours while off duty at Çiçek’s request.
Investigators also found that officers shared citizens’ identification numbers, residential addresses, family information, vehicle registration details, hotel records and criminal histories through WhatsApp.
According to the report, Çiçek used the alias Serkan Ipek and presented himself as an intelligence operative while visiting government offices in a vehicle equipped with emergency flashing lights.
The investigation further uncovered an alleged financial scheme through which Çiçek established relationships with police officers by promising lucrative business opportunities.
Presenting himself as the wealthy owner of two companies, Çiçek reportedly borrowed small amounts of money from officers before repaying them with additional profits to gain their confidence.
He subsequently persuaded several officers to obtain bank loans ranging from TL 1.2 million to TL 3 million (approximately $25,000 to $60,000), promising returns from food distribution and water purification businesses.
When payments stopped, several officers reportedly faced severe financial difficulties, including the sale of personal assets and accumulated savings.
Police officer Nurullah Y. reportedly suffered a heart attack amid mounting debts and underwent surgery to receive two coronary stents.
Authorities also determined that Çiçek allegedly used bank accounts and cryptocurrency accounts belonging to family members and an associate to conceal proceeds from his activities.
The findings have expanded the investigation into alleged espionage, unauthorized disclosure of confidential information and financial misconduct involving law enforcement personnel.
The Greek Cypriot administration plans to allocate approximately 230 million euros (nearly $260 million) to water infrastructure and supplies in 2027 as worsening drought conditions strain resources, while Türkiye’s decade-old underwater pipeline continues to provide drinking and irrigation water to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
According to Greek Cypriot media reports, the administration is preparing at least 65 drinking water and irrigation projects, with approximately 43% of the Agriculture Ministry’s proposed budget earmarked for the water sector.
Of the total allocation, 158 million euros will be dedicated to purchasing desalinated water as authorities seek to secure supplies amid persistent shortages.
Greek Cypriot Agriculture Minister Christos Senekis said the proposed water budget represents an increase of approximately 30 million euros compared with 2026. The administration plans to undertake 15 major infrastructure projects while maintaining continuous operations at existing desalination facilities.
It currently relies on five permanent and five mobile desalination plants, with two additional mobile facilities planned to expand production capacity.
Türkiye’s cross-sea water link
While Greek Cypriot authorities pursue new investments to address water shortages, Türkiye has supplied the TRNC through an underwater pipeline since 2015.
The TRNC Water Supply Project, inaugurated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Oct. 17, 2015, was designed to address longstanding water shortages and strengthen water security in the Turkish side of the island.
Known in Türkiye as the “Project of the Century,” the system transports freshwater from the Alaköprü Dam in Anamur, in Türkiye’s southern Mersin province, across the Mediterranean to the Geçitköy Dam in the TRNC.
The pipeline, which includes an approximately 80-kilometer (49.7-mile) offshore section, has an annual transportation capacity of 75 million cubic meters (19.8 billion gallons).
Of that capacity, approximately 37.76 million cubic meters are designated for drinking, domestic and industrial use, while 37.24 million cubic meters are allocated to agricultural irrigation.
The project aims to reduce dependence on limited local water resources while supporting agricultural production and economic development.
Islandwide water proposal
Türkiye has also expressed willingness to extend the project’s benefits beyond the TRNC under appropriate political conditions.
According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s 2015 annual report, the water supply system could potentially be expanded to serve the entire island if the Greek Cypriot side demonstrated the necessary political willingness.
The proposal highlighted the possibility of using water infrastructure as an avenue for cooperation between the island’s two communities.
As Greek Cypriot authorities prepare substantial investments in desalination and water infrastructure, Türkiye’s existing pipeline remains a major component of the TRNC’s water supply network, providing an alternative source of freshwater amid recurring drought conditions across the island.
TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said last week that the Turkish Cypriot side remained open to cooperation with the Greek Cypriot leadership on both water and natural gas.
“Our door is always open to the Greek Cypriot leadership on both water and natural gas,” he noted in a written statement.
Üstel added that his government was closely monitoring the Greek Cypriot administration’s diplomatic initiatives and correspondence with the United Nations and European Union, warning that unilateral actions disregarding Turkish Cypriots’ rights and interests could further undermine stability on the island.
Türkiye and the TRNC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on natural gas supplies on July 10, after which Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced that work had begun on a subsea pipeline linking the two.
Bayraktar said the planned pipeline would stretch 101 kilometers (63 miles), including 97 kilometers offshore and 4 kilometers onshore, connecting Anamur on Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast with Teknecik in the TRNC.
The project envisages two 22-inch pipelines designed to operate in both directions, allowing natural gas to flow from Türkiye to the TRNC while also enabling any future gas production from the island to be transported to Türkiye and potentially onward to Europe.
-
Economy3 days agoTWF to be largest shareholder in Togg as Vestel, Anadolu sell stakes
-
Politics3 days agoErdoğan begins South Korea visit, eyes new partnerships
-
Economy2 days agoGerman auto supplier Schaeffler to cut 3,460 jobs as crisis deepens
-
Sports1 day agoBeşiktaş put Europa League record on line against off-color Celtic
-
Sports2 days agoTenerife striker Jesus de Miguel dies after on-field collision
-
Economy2 days agoAustralia’s central bank hikes rates to highest since 2008
-
Economy3 days agoAnnual inflation in Türkiye edges up slightly to 29.77% in October
-
Politics2 days agoSuspected poison found in body of former Turkish intel officer