Politics
Terror-free Türkiye initiative vital for region: Vice president
Ankara is on the verge of eliminating the scourge of terrorism, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said late Monday, emphasizing that the terror-free Türkiye initiative is vital for the region.
Yılmaz reiterated that one of the most important agendas of the Century of Türkiye is strengthening internal unity and peace, and added that important developments are also underway in the Middle East, which could be easily exploited by foreign powers.
He indicated that the region has been put into turmoil for years with “artificial ethnic and sectarian movements.”
Speaking to the A Haber TV channel, the vice president highlighted that the terror-free Türkiye process is proceeding as planned.
“The process of a terror-free Türkiye has become a state policy thanks to the work of our relevant institutions, supported by our president. Türkiye has achieved significant success in the fight against terrorism. A very peaceful environment has been established within our borders and significant work has been carried out across the border through various operations and maneuvers. Türkiye is now in the process of being permanently rid of the scourge of terrorism,” he said.
The initiative was launched by government ally Devlet Bahçeli, head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), who called on the PKK’s jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan, to appeal to the PKK to lay down arms last year.
Soon, his call evolved into a new initiative that saw Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) lawmakers visiting Öcalan in the island prison where he is incarcerated in the Marmara Sea. As a result and in a landmark development, the PKK in May announced its dissolution and the end of its four-decade terror campaign that cost tens of thousands of lives in Türkiye, as well as in Iraq and Syria. Most recently, in a ceremony across the border in Iraq this month, PKK members destroyed their weapons as part of the process.
Meanwhile, Bahçeli also spoke on the same issue, saying that “those expecting Türkiye to be divided on ethnic or sectarian grounds will be disappointed with the terror-free Türkiye initiative.”
In a written statement, he said that his party discussed a system where Türkiye could have two vice presidents, one of whom could be an Alevi and the other a Kurd.
Ankara is at the same time also working on legal steps, establishing a parliamentary commission to follow up on the process of the PKK dissolving itself. This committee will make recommendations to the Parliament speaker regarding both administrative and legal regulations.
Parliament entered recess this week, yet some commissions will continue their work.
When asked about the new constitutional work, Yılmaz said that the commission was continuing its work and that the issue was not the work of just one party, and that constitutional work should be carried out with the highest consensus.
The government has been pushing to overhaul Türkiye’s Constitution for over a decade now, which was enforced in 1982 following a military coup that led to the detention of hundreds of thousands of people along with mass trials, torture and executions, which still represents a dark period in Turkish political history.
‘Stable Syria’
Yılmaz also touched upon the latest developments in Syria, where sectarian violence in southern Syria killed more than 1,260 people.
Ankara played a key role in establishing the cease-fire in Syria after Israeli airstrikes targeted the capital, Damascus, as well as Suwayda and Daraa, on the pretext of protecting the Druze community.
“Our stance on Syria is clear,” Yılmaz said, “we want a stable Syria.”
Yılmaz explained that Israel is committing massacres in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. He added that Israel is not only attacking Palestine, but has also attacked Lebanon, Yemen, and most recently, Iran and that a similar situation is now being seen in Syria.
“As long as Israel considers itself above international law, our entire region is unfortunately under threat. Israel must immediately return to the boundaries of international law, a cease-fire must be established in Gaza, humanitarian aid must reach the oppressed people of Gaza without interruption and a political solution must be developed in our region.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan commemorated the 106th anniversary of the historic Erzurum Congress on Wednesday, emphasizing its lasting impact on Türkiye’s unity and national identity.
In a statement released by the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, Erdoğan described the 1919 Congress as a turning point in the nation’s path to independence.
“The consciousness, determination and resolve that emerged at the Congress remain the foundation of our unity and solidarity today,” he said, calling it a symbol of love for the homeland and a key force in advancing toward the “Century of Türkiye.”
Erdoğan noted that the Erzurum Congress, although initially planned as a regional gathering, became a national platform that affirmed the will of the people and laid the groundwork for the Republic. Recalling the Congress’s firm rejection of mandates and protectorates, he reaffirmed Türkiye’s enduring commitment to national sovereignty.
“On this meaningful anniversary,” Erdoğan added, “I remember all the heroes of our independence struggle, especially Veteran Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with respect and gratitude and salute all my citizens with heartfelt feelings.”
Held from July 23 to Aug. 4, 1919, the Erzurum Congress marked a turning point in the Turkish national resistance following World War I and the Allied occupation of Ottoman territory.
Convened in response to growing foreign threats – especially the Greek occupation of western Izmir – the Congress united delegates from six eastern provinces to affirm Türkiye’s territorial integrity and reject mandates or foreign rule.
Led by Mustafa Kemal, the assembly laid the ideological foundation for the Turkish War of Independence and produced key principles later adopted nationally.
As the first organized response to foreign intervention, it helped define the modern Turkish national identity and set the stage for the founding of the republic.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, saying the Israeli premier has “surpassed Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler” with attacks that have killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in nearly 20 months.
“Whoever remains silent about genocide in Gaza is complicit in the crimes against humanity committed by Israel,” Erdoğan told the opening ceremony of the 17th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF 2025) at the Istanbul Expo Center in Istanbul.
“The plight of children in Gaza, who are skin and bones from hunger because humanitarian aid is not allowed in, is also our plight,” he said. “No one with even a shred of human dignity can accept this cruelty (in Gaza), where dozens of innocent people die every day due to lack of bread or water.”
Türkiye’s goal is to establish a cease-fire as soon as possible, he said, adding that allowing humanitarian aid to enter Gaza is another priority.
“In these dark days, when mass deaths from hunger have begun, I call on the entire international community to unite on the side of humanity,” Erdoğan stressed.
Despite international calls for a cease-fire, the Israeli army has pursued a genocidal war on Gaza, killing more than 59,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, since October 2023. Relentless bombing has destroyed the enclave, almost collapsed the health system and created famine-like conditions.
Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war on the enclave.
NATO member Türkiye has been a traditional ally to Palestine, but the more brutal Israeli attacks became, the harsher Ankara has made its criticism. It has condemned what it calls genocide, halted all trade with Israel in May 2024 and applied to join the genocide case against Israel at the World Court, which Israel rejects.
In addition to delivering humanitarian aid, the Turkish government has sought to rally international organizations, including the United Nations, NATO and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to both restrain Israel and encourage cooperation between Palestinian factions.
Ankara is a firm supporter of the two-state solution with the 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as an independent Palestine.
Eight of the 17 suspects detained in a major corruption investigation targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) have been arrested, authorities announced on Monday.
The investigation, led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, centers around serious allegations including bribery and tender rigging. The suspects were taken into custody on charges of “giving a bribe,” “receiving a bribe” and “rigging a tender.”
Following their initial detention since last week, an Istanbul court ordered the arrest of the following individuals: Ali Cüneyt Özdemir, Can Karataş, Cengiz Tosun, Deniz Erzincan, Erdinç Karataş, Mehmet Karataş, Murat Timuçin Altıer and Taylan Çokyiğit.
The remaining nine suspects were released under judicial control, pending further investigation.
Authorities say the case, in which the first arrests were made earlier this year, has widened significantly.
The arrests are part of an ongoing investigation by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul into alleged bribery, tender rigging and fraud at the IBB, which is run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
Dozens of suspects, including Istanbul’s former mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, have been arrested on charges of “leading a criminal organization,” “membership in a criminal organization,” “extortion,” “bribery,” “aggravated fraud,” “unlawful acquisition of personal data” and “tender rigging” since March.
A barrage of investigations focusing on CHP-run municipalities across Türkiye netted mayors and municipal bureaucrats accused of taking bribes in exchange for building permits, rigging tenders and other forms of corruption involving municipal businesses.
The CHP, which runs Istanbul and more than half of its districts, claims the charges are politically motivated, while authorities highlight that the judiciary is independent of any political influence and point out that some investigations were launched upon complaints by CHP members themselves against mayors and municipal officials.
While 97 suspects were arrested in the corruption case, judicial control measures were applied to 206 additional suspects, the public prosecutor’s office stated recently.
The unfolding scandal has cast a shadow over the city’s municipal administration, raising fresh concerns about corruption in public procurement processes.
The Blue Homeland is essential for the Eastern Mediterranean as it is for the Turkic world, the president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Ersin Tatar said on Tuesday, underlining that the Turkish Cypriots are not alone.
Speaking to the press after a ceremony in Istanbul, Tatar said they have strengthened the TRNC’s diplomatic status on international platforms thanks to the two-state policy pursued with the support of Türkiye over the past five years.
The TRNC’s representation in the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) are important indicators of the foreign policy success of recent years, he stressed.
Emphasizing that the federal solution model poses serious risks for the Turkish Cypriots, Tatar said: “Under the guise of a federation, Turks will be reduced to a minority, the Republic of Türkiye will withdraw from Cyprus, the Republic of Türkiye’s guarantorship will be eliminated, and Turkishness will lose the Eastern Mediterranean.”
Underlining the geopolitical importance of the Eastern Mediterranean, Tatar said the TRNC should be evaluated as a whole, not only as a landmass but also with its maritime jurisdictions, continental shelf, exclusive economic zones and airspace.
“As (Turkish) President (Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan has said, the TRNC will continue to be a shining Turkish state in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Tatar added.
Later, at a reception in Istanbul marking the 51st anniversary of the Cyprus Peace Operation, known as Peace and Freedom Day, he underscored that the Turkish soldiers in the TRNC will continue to remain there as a deterrent force.
If an agreement is to be signed on the Cyprus issue, the Turkish Cypriots will only sign an honorable agreement that is built on solid foundations, with Türkiye as a guarantor and the Turkish military remaining there as a deterrent force, the president underlined.
“Blue Homeland” is the name of a doctrine conceived by two former Turkish naval officers, encompassing Türkiye’s maritime jurisdictions, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in line with United Nations resolutions.
The island of Cyprus has been mired in a decadeslong struggle between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement. Five decades of Cyprus talks have led nowhere.
In the early 1960s, ethnic attacks forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety. In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aiming at Greece’s annexation of the island led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was founded in 1983.
The island has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland.
The Greek Cypriot administration entered the European Union in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots thwarted the U.N.’s Annan plan to end the decadeslong dispute, which had envisaged a reunited Cyprus joining the EU.
The status of the island remains unresolved in spite of a series of negotiations over the years.
While Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration supported a federation in Cyprus, Türkiye and the TRNC insisted on a two-state solution that reflected the realities of the island.
Economic ties grow
Stressing that economic relations between Türkiye and the TRNC are developing, Tatar said annual trade volume between the two countries is approaching around $3 billion.
He said they trade with more than 100 countries and noted that significant strides have been made in tourism with the Varosha (Maraş) initiative, which has been partially made available to the public.
The Defense Ministry on Tuesday shared footage recorded during a reconnaissance and surveillance drone flight of the navy that captured Greek coast guard elements pushing back migrants into Turkish waters.
It was detected that a boat of the Greek coast guard, close to the eastern shore of Samos (Sisam) island, pushed irregular migrants on their dinghy toward the west of Aydın province’s Yılancı Burnu, according to a statement of the ministry on social media.
“Subsequently, a civilian boat in the area tied the irregular migrant boats to a civilian boat, towed them eastward and released them into our territorial waters west of Yılancı Burnu. The irregular migrants in the rubber boat were rescued by a Turkish coast guard boat that arrived in the area,” it said.
Many boatloads of migrants attempt to make the dangerous sea crossing to reach the Greek islands from the Turkish coast, hoping to make their way to prosperous European Union countries eventually.
Others attempt to enter Greece by crossing the Maritsa (Meriç) River that runs along the land border between the two countries.
While many make it to the EU, many others perish at sea or are pushed back by Greece into Turkish waters in violation of international law.
Athens’ illegal practice has been documented by Türkiye, international human rights groups and charities on many occasions, as well as in accounts of migrants intercepted in the Aegean or land borders.
Athens has strongly denied such so-called “pushbacks,” arguing that its coast guard has saved hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa crossing in small boats from Türkiye.
Greece says it needs to protect its borders, which are also those of the EU, from mass illegal immigration. It has stepped up patrols in the Aegean Sea with the help of the European Border Surveillance Agency, Frontex.
The Turkish and Iranian foreign ministers discussed the nuclear talks set to take place in Istanbul on Friday in a phone call, Turkish diplomatic sources said on Monday.
Hakan Fidan and Abbas Araghchi also discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and developments in Syria, said sources.
A new round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the three European countries, known as the E3 – comprising the U.K., France and Germany – is set to take place in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Friday.
The talks mark a potential step forward in efforts to revive or renegotiate aspects of the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which has faced significant setbacks since the U.S. withdrew from the agreement in 2018.
In talks with Araghchi on Thursday, the top diplomats of the U.K., France, Germany and the European Union emphasized the urgency of returning to diplomacy for a nuclear deal, or else they were prepared to trigger the U.N. “snapback” mechanism, which would reimpose international sanctions.
Talks between Tehran and the U.S. were being held through Omani mediators until Israel’s surprise attack on Iran on June 13, which triggered a 12-day war. The attack came just two days before a planned sixth round of negotiations in the Omani capital Muscat.
Iran accused the U.S. of complicity in the Israeli attack, which killed top Iranian military officials, nuclear scientists and civilians. The U.S. also launched strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites, claiming to have obliterated them. A cease-fire took effect on June 24.
While the U.S. and Europeans say Iran can never have a nuclear bomb, Tehran argues its program is meant for the peaceful use of nuclear power.
After the talks with the E3 and EU, Araghchi highlighted that it was the U.S. that withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord, and any new round of negotiations is only possible “when the other side is ready for a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial nuclear deal.”
“If EU/E3 want to have a role, they should act responsibly and put aside the worn-out policies of threat and pressure, including the ‘snapback’ for which they lack absolutely no moral and legal ground,” he said on X.
Connecting Europe and Asia, Istanbul fosters numerous connections between the two continents and serves as a hub of diplomacy. The city has hosted talks between Iran and Western powers, as well as two rounds of Russia-Ukraine talks and discussions on the future of Syria, which brought together foreign diplomats.
Türkiye is keen on boosting its international profile as a key mediator and utilizes Istanbul’s symbolic location to promote diplomacy between the sides of conflicts and disagreements on a global level.
Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the country has emerged as a key player in diplomacy, thanks to an effective foreign policy grounded in win-win principles. Its geopolitical advantage also plays into Türkiye’s hands.
Iran maintains good neighborly relations with Türkiye, which stood against Israel’s attacks on Tehran.
Türkiye advocates a peaceful settlement to the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program and harshly criticized Israel for launching attacks on Iran, allegedly to prevent the latter from developing nuclear weapons.
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