Politics
Erdoğan urges joint action to end Gaza tragedy, restore Mideast peace
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday urged NATO allies and the international community to take responsibility for ending Israeli violations and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and restoring peace in the Middle East, warning that war and destruction offer no path forward for the region.
Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in The Hague, Erdoğan said diplomacy remains the only viable solution to the region’s enduring conflicts.
“The permanent resolution of problems with Iran is only possible through diplomacy and negotiation,” Erdoğan said. “Our region is full of examples showing that war and destruction lead nowhere.”
Condemning Israel’s massacres and blockade in Gaza, Erdoğan stressed the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding there.
“Due to Israel’s attacks, the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza has turned into a humanitarian disaster. No person with a conscience can remain silent in the face of such brutality,” he said.
The Turkish president said that 80% of Gaza has been destroyed and 95% of the health care infrastructure has been demolished, with more than 2 million Gazans struggling to survive under very difficult conditions amid the rubble, with bombs constantly falling down on them.
“The Israeli government is even blocking the entry of the most basic necessities into Gaza. Due to Israel’s blockades and attacks, the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza has turned into a humanitarian disaster. No conscientious person can remain silent in the face of such savagery. People stay silent when babies are sleeping, but not when babies are being killed,” he said.
“Like all countries in the region, Israel’s security depends on the stability, peace, and prosperity of its neighbors,” he said.
The Turkish president also called for shared responsibility among global powers to restore peace in the region.
“I believe that in order to establish peace in the Middle East, everyone, including our allies, must step up and take responsibility,” Erdoğan said.
Highlighting Türkiye’s contributions to NATO defense cooperation, Erdoğan noted that Ankara has taken the lead in pushing for the removal of barriers to defense industry trade among alliance members.
“As Türkiye, we led efforts to include in alliance documents the understanding that barriers to defense industry trade among NATO allies should be lifted,” he said.
Touching upon his diplomatic contacts during the NATO summit, including his meeting with Trump, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.K.’s Prime Minister Keir Stammer, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Romanian President Nicusor Don and French President Emmanuel Macron, Erdoğan said the meetings addressed the strengthening of bilateral ties with allies and the summit agenda, and Türkiye’s plan to host next year’s NATO summit is confirmed.
On Russia’s army leaving Azerbaijan, Erdoğan confirmed tha Russian forces had left and are no longer there.
He said he had recently visited Karabakh, and that Baku is working to make the region livable, investing heavily in infrastructure.
On whether NATO would defend Türkiye if a conflict arose between Türkiye and Israel, Erdoğan said there is currently no attack on Türkiye, which is “a peace-loving” country focused on maintaining regional peace.
Trump ‘sincere’ in push to deliver F-35s to Türkiye
Meanwhile, Erdoğan welcomed recent progress in discussions with the United States over the long-disputed delivery of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye, saying that he discussed the issue directly with U.S. President Donald Trump during their meeting late Tuesday.
“We made payments of $1.3 to $1.4 billion for F-35s, and we saw that Mr. Trump was well-intentioned about delivering them,” Erdoğan said.
The president also emphasized that increased defense spending by NATO allies was a key outcome of the summit, but warned that budget increases alone would not ensure the alliance’s strength.
“Türkiye is the NATO ally most affected by terrorism and regional crises,” Erdoğan said. “We’ve made a great breakthrough in our defense industry and are working to enhance deterrence while staying clear of unnecessary conflict.”
He added that many allies were now aligning with Türkiye in taking on greater responsibility against shared threats, calling for “mutual understanding and sincere cooperation” to improve NATO’s effectiveness.
“It is not possible to strengthen the alliance solely by increasing defense spending,” he said.
Erdoğan attended the two-day NATO summit in the Netherlands alongside other heads of state, where leaders are discussing regional threats, alliance cohesion, and strategies to bolster NATO’s deterrence posture.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez discussed bilateral relations and global developments during talks in Istanbul on Monday, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
During the meeting, Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue to stand by the people of Venezuela and underscored Ankara’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Caracas across a range of sectors, particularly trade, energy and mining.
The leaders also reviewed steps aimed at reaching the two countries’ shared goal of increasing bilateral trade volume to $3 billion, while exchanging views on regional and international developments.
Rodriguez, who is visiting Türkiye at Erdoğan’s invitation, was received with an official ceremony before the leaders moved on to one-on-one and delegation-level meetings.
The talks were attended by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran and Chief Foreign Policy and Security Adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç.
The meeting brought together senior officials from both countries as Türkiye and Venezuela continue efforts to strengthen cooperation and deepen bilateral ties.
Türkiye on Monday welcomed the successful completion of Armenia’s parliamentary election and expressed hope that the post-election period would create conditions conducive to the signing of a final peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it was pleased that the election had been conducted peacefully and wished the results to be beneficial for the Armenian people.
The ministry voiced hope that developments following the vote would pave the way for a comprehensive peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a step seen as critical for lasting stability in the South Caucasus.
Türkiye will continue to support regional peace, stability and prosperity on the basis of the shared interests of countries in the region, the statement said.
According to preliminary results, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract Party secured an outright parliamentary majority, winning 61 of the legislature’s 105 seats with nearly 50% of the vote.
Official election results are expected to be announced on Tuesday.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Monday strongly criticized a newly signed defense agreement between the Greek Cypriot administration and France, warning that the deal ignores the realities on the island and risks fueling tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed by French and Greek Cypriot defense officials was a unilateral move that disregards the existence of the Turkish Cypriot people and the political realities of Cyprus.
“The agreement ignores the current realities of the island, fundamental principles of international law and the delicate balance that must be preserved in the region,” Üstel said in a statement.
He argued that the deal would create a legal framework for a more permanent presence of foreign military personnel on the island and accused the Greek Cypriot administration of pursuing policies that could transform Cyprus into a hub for foreign military deployments.
Üstel also criticized Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, saying his administration had systematically expanded military and strategic partnerships since taking office, a trend he described as harmful to both Cyprus and wider Eastern Mediterranean security.
The TRNC prime minister warned that efforts to increase France’s military footprint in the region could undermine the fragile balance in the Eastern Mediterranean and deepen regional polarization.
He said the agreement comes at a sensitive time when diplomatic efforts are underway to promote dialogue on the island, including contacts led by the U.N. secretary-general’s personal envoy.
Reaffirming the Turkish Cypriot position, Üstel said a lasting settlement, sustainable stability and genuine peace on the island could only be achieved through recognition of the sovereign equality of the two peoples and the equal international status of the two states.
He also stressed that no initiative targeting the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people and Türkiye would succeed, while calling on the international community to respect the realities on the island and adhere to international law.
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in the western city of Izmir issued detention warrants for 78 suspects linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) on Tuesday. The warrants were part of an investigation into the group’s “education network,” authorities said.
The terrorist group orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in Türkiye, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 wounded. Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
Türkiye has targeted its active members and sleeper cells nonstop, and its influence has been much reduced since 2016. However, the group maintains a vast network, including infiltrators suspected to be still operating within Turkish institutions.
FETÖ backers in army ranks and civil institutions have disguised their loyalty, as operations and investigations have indicated since the 2016 coup attempt. FETÖ is also implicated in a string of cases related to its alleged plots to imprison its critics, money laundering, fraud and forgery.
The terrorist group faces operations almost daily as investigators still try to unravel their massive network of infiltrators everywhere.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will represent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit in Sofia on June 10, where regional leaders are expected to discuss cooperation, security and economic development across the Balkans, Foreign Ministry sources said.
The summit, hosted by Bulgaria under the theme “Strengthening Regional Unity for a Stable, Secure and Sustainable Future: Reflections on 30 Years of Partnership and Progress,” will bring together heads of state and government, foreign ministers from 13 participating countries and the secretary-general of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the operational arm of the SEECP.
A summit declaration is expected to be adopted at the conclusion of the meeting.
According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Fidan is expected to reaffirm Türkiye’s support for enhancing regional cooperation based on the principles of regional ownership and inclusivity. He is also expected to emphasize Ankara’s commitment to the SEECP, describing the platform as one of the most important mechanisms for political dialogue in the Balkans.
Fidan is anticipated to underline the strategic significance of the Balkans not only for regional stability but also for the security of a broader geographic area.
He is expected to stress that strengthening good-neighborly relations remains a shared responsibility and highlight Türkiye’s efforts to promote dialogue and cooperation through initiatives such as the Balkan Peace Platform.
The Turkish foreign minister is also expected to call for stronger transportation and energy connectivity across the region, arguing that deeper integration would help unlock the Balkans’ economic and strategic potential while contributing to prosperity and sustainable development.
Fidan is expected to reiterate Türkiye’s support for diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace in the Russia-Ukraine war and emphasize the importance of maintaining dialogue between Iran and the United States and preventing renewed regional tensions.
The SEECP was established in 1996 and remains the only regional cooperation platform that includes all Balkan countries.
Romania is scheduled to assume the bloc’s rotating chairmanship from Bulgaria on July 1.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Monday announced the start of the party’s congress process and urged members to stand united ahead of a parliamentary group meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
Kılıçdaroğlu said the main opposition party would formally launch its congress process with its first Party Assembly meeting on Thursday, June 11.
In a statement shared on social media, the CHP leader emphasized unity within the party, describing its members as a large family brought together by a common purpose despite differing views.
“We are not rivals to one another. We are the sons and daughters of the Republican People’s Party walking shoulder to shoulder,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.
He reiterated the party’s goals of strengthening democracy and justice in Türkiye during the second century of the republic and called on party members to demonstrate solidarity throughout the congress process.
Kılıçdaroğlu also invited CHP members to attend Tuesday’s parliamentary group meeting with a spirit of unity, urging them to remain connected through what he described as common sense and comradeship.
-
Sports3 days agoAndreeva declares arrival on world stage with Roland Garros win
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoAccurate hit on targets from the Steel Dome 3
-
Politics3 days agoKurum highlights Türkiye’s climate commitment on World Environment Day
-
Economy3 days agoTurkish central bank to hold another MPC meeting amid Iran war shadow
-
Politics2 days agoTürkiye stresses peace in Caucasus as dynamics shift
-
Politics2 days agoTürkiye can achieve new constitution in 2026-2027: Parliament speaker
-
Sports3 days agoMarquez marks 100th career win with Hungarian GP triumph
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoBREAKING NEWS | Kılıçdaroğlu announced! CHP congress process begins