Politics
Türkiye says warned Israel against ‘exploiting’ Syria’s instability
Türkiye has warned Israel against exploiting the instability in post-Assad Syria, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday.
Speaking to private broadcaster NTV, Fidan said Ankara issued a stern warning to foreign powers and non-state actors seeking to exploit the fragile period in Syria following the ouster of Bashar Assad last December.
“After seeing the mobilization of some other groups, taking advantage of the events in Suwayda, we, as the government, had to issue a warning,” Fidan said. “Because we want unity and integrity in Syria. The groups there need to find the golden balance and move forward with that formula.”
“Türkiye is sending the same message to Israel, both through its own intelligence channels and through its interlocutors,” Fidan told NTV. “We have no hidden agenda. We say that no country should pose a threat to Syria, and Syria should pose a threat to no one. That’s our understanding.”
Fidan reiterated that the division of Syria remains a red line for Türkiye, calling it a national security issue. “Our neighbors are vital living spaces for us. We don’t want to be preoccupied with the problems there. Our number one goal is to ensure stability, tranquility, and security in the region. We do not have a hegemonic approach,” he said.
He accused foreign actors of capitalizing on Syria’s fractured state, singling out Israel.
“Türkiye saw that actors who would take advantage of Syria’s division and instability were struggling in the pit of despair and hopelessness that Syria was in. We believe Israel, in particular, had such a goal. Netanyahu made this clear,” he said.
Fidan emphasized the need for peace and cooperation.
“As the children of the region, we must manage to live in peace and establish this system,” he said, adding that Syria requires significant support to rebuild its state institutions.
Suwayda unrest
Commenting on the turmoil in Suwayda, Fidan criticized Israel for obstructing Syrian state efforts to de-escalate clashes between Bedouin and Druze communities. “If the central powers are not there, no one can prevent the mutual massacre there,” he warned.
Despite the tensions, Fidan noted signs of progress: “We met in Amman. Only one of the three Druze branches used language that they oppose any agreement.” Dialogue between factions remains ongoing.
Fidan also expressed support for Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Shara, noting his inclusive approach. “There are many groups in the region engaged in conflict. There should be no armed groups other than the state in Syria. I believe al-Shara is intervening with the resources at his disposal,” he said.
US goals in region
On the role of the United States, Fidan welcomed a shift in tone. “Türkiye sees the U.S. playing a constructive role in the region. Tom Barrack, sent to the region by Mr. Trump and appointed as the U.S. Representative in Syria, represents a new approach that strives to project a certain impartiality. It’s a unique vision we’ve been waiting for for years,” said Fidan.
He credited Barrack with helping establish a period of calm through diplomacy with Israel, Syria, Jordan, and Türkiye. “We are experiencing a certain calm now,” he said, expressing hope it would continue.
Warning to YPG
Fidan said that although media attention on Suwayda had altered public focus, Türkiye’s core objectives remain unchanged. “Türkiye’s agenda is not shifting,” he asserted.
He called on the YPG terrorist group to reach a voluntary agreement with the central government.
“It is important for the YPG to reach an agreement with the central government voluntarily, without delay… It is unacceptable for armed groups to continue to exist in this country using certain pretexts.” He added that Türkiye expects the YPG to disarm.
Tom Barrack’s recent statements on the YPG were described by Fidan as “a timely call.”
PKK disarmament
Fidan also spoke about the ongoing disarmament of the PKK, stating that Türkiye cannot afford to repeat past mistakes. “We have no right to replay the PKK scenario in Iraq and Syria over and over again… Our expectation is that there will be no threat left.”
He noted that armed elements in Iraq, Syria, and Iran continue to pose challenges. “For the last 10 years, we have driven the PKK from these lands… Transformation is possible with a more civilized approach, without resorting to the language of weapons and conflict.”
Gaza war
Turning to the war in Gaza, Fidan denounced Israel’s ongoing military campaign.
“It’s clear this unbridled rampage will end somewhere… Israel is pursuing a genocidal policy that goes something like this: In addition to burning and destroying Gaza, it is also trying to make it uninhabitable by starving people to death.”
He argued that ceasefire talks remain stalled due to three key issues: the distribution of humanitarian aid, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and Hamas’s demand for guarantees to prevent future attacks.
Fidan accused Israel of trying to offload the Palestinian population, stating, “Israeli intelligence officials are traveling from country to country, forcing them to accept Palestinian refugees.”
Russia-Ukraine summit
Fidan confirmed that Türkiye had hosted a meeting regarding Ukraine and Russia, where the groundwork for a potential leaders’ summit was laid.
“A principal agreement was reached to hold a leaders’ summit in Türkiye,” he said, adding that both sides had shown willingness to negotiate. “If we continue like this, I believe an interim solution will emerge.”
Eurofighters
On the topic of defense procurement, Fidan said that talks regarding Eurofighter jets had gained momentum after long delays.
“There’s a multi-layered process… The aircraft you’re purchasing isn’t just about flying… It’s not a simple decision. You’re changing a system.”
He noted that progress was made through the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s direct engagement and ongoing technical discussions.
Schengen visa
In a positive development for Turkish citizens, Fidan welcomed the EU’s decision to ease Schengen visa procedures.
The European Union has eased rules for Turks to use its open-border Schengen Area, the bloc’s ambassador to Ankara announced last week.
The new guidelines allow for longer-term, multiple-entry visas to be issued to Turkish nationals who have previously obtained a Schengen visa and traveled regularly without overstaying.
“There was very serious work, and as a result, this decision was made… The steps to be taken with Europe through visa liberalization are important for keeping Türkiye’s EU perspective alive,” Fidan said.
Iran-Israel war
Finally, addressing the possibility of a broader conflict between Iran and Israel, Fidan said tensions remain but war is not inevitable.
“I believe Iran will not attack unless it is attacked… If an agreement is reached in the nuclear negotiations, I believe we will not see a war,” he said.
With the latest confession in the corruption investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB), run by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), the number of suspects released under the effective remorse law has climbed to 32.
Burak Korzay, the general manager of ISFALT, an asphalt production subsidiary of IBB, was released from prison on Monday morning after pleading “adequate remorse.”
Korzay, who was arrested on June 4, provided testimony on July 10 and July 21 that prosecutors deemed sufficient for his release. His statements reportedly helped advance the case, according to judicial sources.
According to his testimony made public, Korzay alleged a covert “system” of coercion and illicit payments at the heart of the widening corruption probe.
Korzay claimed companies were forced to make off-the-books payments to receive funds already owed to them by IBB. He directly implicated Ertan Yıldız, chair of IBB’s Subsidiaries and Affiliates Commission, stating that Yıldız demanded 30 million lira from contractor Aziz İhsan Aktaş, warning, “They won’t pay him unless you send it.”
When Korzay objected, Yıldız allegedly replied, “Is this the first time you’ve heard of the system?” and said the money was needed for the upcoming election campaign budget of CHP.
Korzay said he immediately told Aktaş to pursue legal means instead of making the payment, but Aktaş insisted on paying in order to collect his receivables quickly. The money, according to Korzay, was allegedly dropped off in a bag at a hotel in Kilyos.
He also claimed Aktaş later paid $100,000 to another suspect, Baki Aydöner, who Korzay said had influence over vehicle and waste tenders in various municipalities. Tender procedures, he alleged, were manipulated by senior IBB officials, including Deputy Secretary General Arif Gürkan Alpay and Fatih Keleş.
Korzay stated that IBB approved projects without actual financial resources, launching tenders to appear active while using them to generate unofficial revenue. Detailed knowledge of tenders was allegedly shared informally, allowing preferred companies to secure lucrative contracts. “The real profit came from İSFALT tenders,” he said.
CHP-run municipalities are accused of taking bribes and engaging in irregularities in public tenders. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has recently described operations and allegations as “tentacles of an octopus” that stretch across various administrative bodies overseeing municipalities.
Although CHP-run municipalities were already under investigation and several mayors were detained for corruption last year, IBB has been under the spotlight as its high-profile mayor was arrested in March on graft charges.
Investigators have launched successive operations into an alleged criminal network run by former Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu and expanded another investigation linked to a businessman who was awarded a lucrative contract by district municipalities.
Operations are the culmination of four separate investigations and are mainly based on the confessions of Aziz Ihsan Aktaş, a businessperson identified as the head of a criminal network active in municipalities. Aktaş’s confessions revealed the scale of corruption at IBB and other CHP-run districts, including Istanbul’s Beşiktaş, as well as municipalities in other cities, such as southern Adana.
As the investigation deepens, a growing number of former suspects, including many prominent businesspeople, municipal officials and legal professionals, have opted to cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for leniency.
Businessperson Ahmet Sari and Ismail Sari, construction figure Adem Soytekin and his brother Ogün Soytekin are among those who have testified under adequate remorse provisions.
Other notable individuals who provided testimony include Nezahat Kurt, ISTAÇ Board Chair Ziya Gökmen Togay, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality surveying engineer Yakup Öner and lawyers Orçun Muhittin Yılmaz and Bülent Yılmaz. While several of these testimonies led to releases, not all statements were deemed substantial enough to warrant a release. Togay, Öner and Yılmaz, despite their cooperation, remain in custody.
The list of released suspects features high-level officials and influential figures across various sectors. Among them are: Murat Abbas, the head of IBB Culture Inc.; Ertan Yıldız, head of the IBB Subsidiaries and Affiliates Commission; businesspeople Ali Nuhoğlu, Seyfi Beyaz, Ahmet Sari, Ismail Sari, Ahmet Çiçek, Eyüp Subaşı, Noyan Kırmızıgül, Murat Ilbak, Muhittin Palazoğlu, Kabil Taşçı, Mehmet Ilhan Gülay and Nezahat Kurt.
Other suspects include Servet Yıldırım, personal driver to the arrested suspect Hüseyin Köksal, lawyer Süleyman Atik, construction technician Altan Gözcü and accounting manager Murat Bıyık; advertiser Hüseyin Kum; owners of Yapı Merkez Construction, Mustafa Başar Arıoğlu, Erdem Arıoğlu and Özge Arıoğlu; Ogün Soytekin, brother of arrested Adem Soytekin; and Murat Erenler, his bodyguard; business people Şeyhmus Sarıboğa, Güngör Gürman, Hasan Özsoy, Taner Gümüş and Kadir Gümüş; lawyer Bülent Yılmaz; former CHP Şişli Municipal Council Member Umut Şenol; and businessman Berat Çağrı Kapki.
The terror-free Türkiye initiative moves forward with the first instance of disarmament by the terrorist group PKK, but there is still a lot to do for its main actors. As Parliament considers forming a committee to oversee the process, parties directly and indirectly involved in the initiative hope to garner public support for the initiative.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and its ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), will hold public meetings throughout the rest of the summer to explain the initiative, particularly to their electorate. The MHP’s leader, Devlet Bahçeli, is the informal architect of the initiative that began with his call to the PKK’s jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, last year to urge his group to lay down arms. The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), closely associated with the PKK, will hold similar meetings to inform the public.
The initiative surprised many at first as it was commenced by an unexpected name who is known for his staunch support for strict counterterrorism efforts to wipe out the PKK. Bahçeli has reasoned that the PKK’s dissolution is a must to reinforce unity in Türkiye at a time of Israeli expansionism that also threatens Türkiye. The PKK’s longtime goal has been carving out a so-called Kurdistan in the southeast and it exploited the Kurdish community of the country, who were deprived of some fundamental rights in the past. Bahçeli and AK Party Chair President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan repeatedly emphasized Turkish-Kurdish unity as key to the future of the country against any separatist agendas.
A recent survey conducted by polling company ASAL earlier this month shows that more than 61% support the initiative. The initiative is not without its opponents and skeptics. The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) endorses the initiative but expresses reservations about its success. The far-right Good Party (IP) flatly opposed it and plans to hold nationwide “First Duty” rallies to voice its opposition. Inspired by the first sentence of a famous address to Turkish youth by the republic’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the rallies aim to sway public opinion against the initiative.
Legal framework
Elsewhere, Parliament is set to launch a committee to support the initiative with a legislative, legal framework later this week. The AK Party, MHP and DEM Party announced their contributions to the committee, while other parties are expected to unveil the names of lawmakers they would nominate for the committee by Thursday.
The DEM Party on Monday announced that its deputy parliamentary group chair Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, lawmakers Meral Danış Beştaş, Saruhan Oluç and Cengiz Çiçek would join the committee, while the MHP said on Sunday that the party’s deputy chair Feti Yıldız and lawmakers Muhammet Levent Bülbül, Halil Öztürk and Yücel Bulut would represent the party at the committee.
Koçyiğit said at a news conference on Monday that they opposed the initiative to be called “terror-free Türkiye” and claimed that there was a “Kurdish question” in Türkiye. “If we are going to provide a democratic solution to the ‘Kurdish question,’ we should not frame this issue through security policies,” Koçyiğit said.
Ilham Ahmed, a senior leader of the U.S.-backed terrorist group YPG in Syria, said they would not join the PKK for disarmament and said they would continue advocating “decentralization” in the post-Assad country.
Her comments to Rudaw are likely to anger Ankara, which is worried about the security risk the YPG poses at a time of expected dissolution of its parent terrorist group PKK.
The YPG controls parts of northeastern Syria since the civil war broke out in Türkiye’s southern neighbor more than a decade ago. Türkiye launched a cross-border offensive during the civil war to limit the expansion of the YPG and succeeded in confining it to a narrower area. After the fall of the Assad regime last December, the terrorist group, which is called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) by its main partner United States, managed to negotiate a deal with the new administration in Damascus. The deal, which involves integration of the YPG into the new army of the country, is not final and Ahmed insisted that it was not “a bargain.”
In an interview published on Rudaw’s website on Monday, Ahmed said Damascus sought to “take them over” and they would not “submit.” She acknowledged that they would be integrated into the Syrian army as stipulated in a March 10 deal between Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and YPG leader Ferhat Abdi Şahin, but insisted that it would be based on “mutual recognition.” The YPG, which enjoyed immense U.S. military support, wants to keep its so-called autonomous “canton” situated across the Turkish border. Ahmed reiterated this stance and said they were willing to leave “some services” to Damascus’ control, “such as borders and foreign policy.”
An “autonomous” region controlled by a terrorist entity is a major threat to Türkiye, which suffered cross-border rocket attacks by the YPG in the past, as well as terror attacks by YPG members who infiltrated into the country.
On a question whether the PKK’s jailed ringleader Abdullah Öcalan asked them to lay down arms as he called upon the terrorist group, Ahmed dodged the question but flatly said disarmament was “out of question” for them, claiming it would be a “suicide” for them to lay down arms at a time of “massacres” in Syria.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will chair Monday’s meeting of the Cabinet, which will discuss a range of issues affecting Türkiye and the region.
Wildfires that spread across Türkiye amid unusual temperatures will likely dominate the discussions. The terror-free Türkiye initiative will also be discussed at the meeting, according to media reports on Sunday. Additionally, the ministers are expected to discuss Israel’s “tactical pause” in Gaza, where the death toll from Israeli attacks has neared 60,000 since October 2023.
At the meeting, ministers will share details about a week of wildfires across the country that are still underway in some provinces, as well as how the government responded to them. Wildfires are at their worst in years for the country due to their sheer number, as a scorching heat wave has gripped Türkiye since mid-July. As of Sunday, firefighters and volunteers have been battling dozens of fires from west to the south, while Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumaklı said on Sunday that they worked to contain 84 blazes in just one day on Saturday.
Another important topic for the Cabinet is the disarmament of the PKK terrorist group as part of the terror-free Türkiye initiative launched last year by government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). This will be the first Cabinet meeting before a parliamentary committee set up to tackle the initiative will start work later this week. The Cabinet will assess the stage of the initiative in the wake of the first act of disarmament by the PKK earlier this month in northern Iraq.
The Cabinet will also discuss the latest developments in Gaza after Israel declared a “tactical pause” to its attacks on the Palestinian enclave amid international pressure and the beginning of a limited aid flow for Palestinians left starving by the Israeli aggression. Türkiye is a major critic of what it calls Israel’s genocide targeting Palestinians and has long sought to deliver aid to desperate Gazans, although Israel’s blockade has hampered the efforts.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş is set to visit Switzerland from July 29 to 31 to attend the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament.
The high-level international event, hosted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at the United Nations Office in Geneva, will convene parliamentary leaders from around the world alongside representatives of the United Nations.
The conference will focus on global cooperation amid rising challenges, featuring key panels on topics such as parliamentary cooperation and multilateralism for peace, justice and prosperity for all in a turbulent world; the participation of women and youth in parliaments in times of polarization and challenges; innovation for a peaceful future; and the role of parliaments in shaping the digital future.
Kurtulmuş will address the opening session and take part in several panels.
In addition, he will hold bilateral meetings, including those with IPU President Tulia Ackson and Secretary-General Martin Chungong.
A signing ceremony is also scheduled, marking the agreement to host the 152nd IPU General Assembly in Türkiye.
As part of his visit, Kurtulmuş will meet with members of the Turkish community in Zurich.
The conference, first established in 2000 on the eve of the United Nations Millennium Summit, aims to provide a unique forum for high-level engagement and dialogue among parliamentary leaders from around the world.
Previous conferences, held every five years since then, have served as catalysts for shaping and strengthening the parliamentary dimension of global governance, thereby helping to bridge the democracy gap in international affairs.
This occasion will mark the culmination of two years of work by a preparatory committee comprising approximately 20 speakers of parliament from all regions of the world, and promises to be the largest gathering of its kind, according to the IPU.
The union said in keeping with its inclusive approach, the conference will also feature prominent leaders from other international organizations, academia and civil society organizations, as well as the media.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated France for its decision to recognize the State of Palestine in a phone call with French leader Emmanuel Macron on Sunday.
Macron stated on Sunday that he had a phone call with Erdoğan, and in a social media post in Turkish, the French leader said they discussed the situation in Gaza and “perspective on a two-state solution conference.”
“Everything must be done for the peace and security of Israelis and Palestinians,” Macron said in his post.
The Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications stated in a written announcement on its official X account that, during the call, Erdoğan emphasized the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza. Erdoğan stressed that the international community should find an emergency solution to the matter. The president stated that a two-state solution was necessary for achieving lasting peace in the region.
Macron announced Thursday that Paris would formally recognize Palestine during the U.N. General Assembly in September.
France is set to become the first member of the G-7 – a group of the world’s largest advanced economies – to recognize a Palestinian state. To date, 147 of the 193 U.N. member states have officially recognized Palestine.
The move comes amid Israel’s continued offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, which has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians – most of them women and children – and caused the collapse of Gaza’s health system and severe food shortages.
France on Saturday said that recognizing a State of Palestine is an “essential step” on the path to peace and regional stability, reaffirming its commitment to a two-state solution based on international law.
“As France prepares to recognize the State of Palestine, let us recall the recognition of the State of Israel by France on Jan. 24, 1949,” the French Foreign Ministry said in a post on X.
Citing a historic letter from former Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, the ministry emphasized that France’s 1949 recognition of Israel did not prejudge final borders – a principle it now echoes in its approach to recognizing Palestine.
“Three-quarters of a century later, recognizing a State of Palestine is an essential step on the path to peace and regional stability,” it added.
The ministry said that official recognition would help facilitate “indispensable negotiations” between Israelis and Palestinians on final status issues, including borders.
Palestinians seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank, occupied East Jerusalem and Gaza, all territories Israel occupied in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel’s government and most of its political class have long been opposed to Palestinian statehood.
France’s decision marks an “important contribution” toward “implementing the two-state solution, which offers the only lasting basis for peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said on X.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also voiced support for the French decision, stressing the urgency of preserving the path to a negotiated settlement.
“I welcome that France joins Spain and other European countries in recognizing the State of Palestine,” he said on X.
“Together, we must protect what (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu is trying to destroy. The two-state solution is the only solution,” he added.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney also weighed in, calling on the U.K. government to take similar action. “The U.K. should follow the example of France tonight and recognize the State of Palestine. This is essential for peace,” he said on X.
“The cease-fire and humanitarian aid must start now,” he added.
The Palestinian Authority welcomed the announcement. A letter announcing the move was presented to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jerusalem on Thursday.
”We express our thanks and appreciation” to Macron, Hussein al-Sheikh, the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) vice president under Abbas, posted. ”This position reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination.”
Israel, meanwhile, denounced the decision.
”We strongly condemn President Macron’s decision,” Netanyahu said in a statement. He claimed such a move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.”
Türkiye is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause in the face of atrocities by Israel and has launched a diplomatic blitz for an end to the conflict. On every diplomatic platform, Turkish officials advocate for a two-state solution that would resolve the tensions.
France and Saudi Arabia will chair a ministerial event between July 28 and July 30 in New York for a peaceful solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict and the accomplishment of the two-state solution to the longstanding issue. Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yılmaz will represent Türkiye at the event.
The event will have eight working groups on different topics and Türkiye, along with Ireland, will co-chair a working group on safeguarding the two-state solution. It will focus on concrete steps to realize the two-state solution.
In an interview with French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche on Saturday, French Foreign and European Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France and Saudi Arabia plan to lay out a proposed postwar roadmap leading to a two-state solution covering security, reconstruction and governance, which will be compatible with the Abraham Accords negotiated by U.S. President Trump.
The French minister added that in the coming weeks, the European Commission would take a tougher stance on Israel and demand a stop to building any new settlement projects in the West Bank, and also an end to militarized policing of humanitarian aid distribution.
Barrot also called on fellow European countries to demand the removal of the financial blockade on the Palestinian Authority, so it can receive the 2 billion euros ($2.35 billion) it is owed.
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