Politics
Azerbaijani, US dialogues continue on Baku-Yerevan peace deal
According to the Azerbaijani mission’s announcement on Tuesday, Azerbaijan’s permanent representative to NATO, Jafar Huseynzade, discussed with the U.S. ambassador to the alliance, Matthew Whitaker, about the peace process between Baku and Yerevan.
During the meeting, the cooperation under NATO’s Partnership for Peace program and future opportunities for engagement were also underlined. In a statement shared on social media, the Azerbaijani side pointed out its appreciation for U.S President Donald Trump regarding his promotion of regional peace and stability.
Ambassador Whitaker said the parties “discussed a historic peace agreement that, with the mediation of the U.S. president, ended the 35-year conflict.”
“Peace saves lives and is the key to prosperity both at home and abroad,” he added.
Hosted by Trump in Washington last month, Azerbaijan and Armenia published a text of a peace deal they had initialed in the trilateral summit.
The 17-point agreement confirmed mutual recognition of borders along former Soviet Union lines, renunciation of territorial claims, and a pledge to refrain from force.
In addition, both nations committed to establishing diplomatic ties, negotiating border delimitation, and setting up a joint commission to oversee implementation. The two countries also agreed to the withdrawal of mutual legal claims in international courts when the deal comes into force.
The agreement marks the end of decades of hostility, including wars since the late 1980s, and the 2023 conflict where Azerbaijan liberated Karabakh from Armenia.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sat down with Al-Jazeera Arabic as his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) marks its 25th anniversary and the Turkish leader boosts his influence in the wider region.
The interview, scheduled to be broadcast on Sunday evening, touched upon regional issues and Türkiye’s role amid tensions in the Middle East. On the landmark Mecca Joint Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that he signed earlier this month, Erdoğan underlined that Egypt might join the pact. The president also renewed Ankara’s commitment to the stability of Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, while hinting that he may visit Syria soon, two years after the fall of the Baathist regime following a popular revolution.
Under Erdoğan, Türkiye has pivoted toward a greater role in the Middle East, with which it shares a common heritage. Over the past two decades, it has evolved into a key diplomatic actor rather than a mere bystander.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, which Erdoğan signed in the birthplace of Islam alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, is one result of Türkiye’s rising diplomatic profile.
Under the pact, the three countries plan to establish strategic political and military mechanisms involving their defense and foreign ministers, as well as their chiefs of general staff or armed forces commanders. Military cooperation is expected to expand gradually, beginning with command-post and field exercises before progressing to joint drills involving land, naval and air forces, air defense assets and unmanned systems.
One highlight of the agreement is that an attack on one party will be viewed as an attack on all. The signatories reject claims that it poses a threat to other regional countries, and since the signing, Turkish officials, primarily Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, have emphasized that the pact is open to expansion.
Egypt, another key actor in the region, emerged in rumors regarding potential expansion. Erdoğan confirmed this in his interview with Al-Jazeera Arabic, stating that Cairo could join them. “This agreement has sent an important message to the world,” Erdoğan was quoted as saying.
The three countries in the defense agreement have been stepping up relations in recent years. To an extent, the deal is part of Türkiye’s vision of cementing unity among Muslim countries. Erdoğan himself has repeatedly highlighted the need to achieve this unity, particularly in the face of Israel’s expansionist policies that target more and more countries in the region. At one point, Erdoğan implied in a speech that Türkiye may very well be a future target for Israel’s genocidal regime.
The president vowed that Türkiye would not abandon its neighbors, especially amid regional turmoil. On Syria, he said they were doing everything to support stability in the post-Assad period. He also declared his plans to visit Syria. Erdoğan had earlier hinted at a visit to the country; if it happens, it will be his first visit to Syria as president.
Türkiye enjoys good relations with its southern neighbor, Syria, following the ousting of the Baathist regime in 2024. Most Turkish ministers, including Fidan, have visited Damascus over the past two years. Turkish Ambassador to Syria Nuh Yılmaz also confirmed plans for Erdoğan’s visit in an interview with Al-Jazeera on Saturday.
“We hope that our president will be in Damascus before the end of this year,” Yılmaz stated, noting that Erdoğan loved Damascus and its landmark Umayyad Mosque. “Seeing Mr. Erdoğan and Mr. (Syrian President Ahmed) al-Sharaa together in the Umayyad Mosque would be a historic sight, a declaration of the two countries’ strategic partnership,” Yılmaz added.
In the Al-Jazeera interview, Erdoğan also highlighted the importance of Syria’s Kurdish community having a share of peace and stability in the new era, underlining that they would continue strengthening ties with Kurdish communities across the region. Syria recently made progress on a deal with the YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK terrorist group, for its integration into the post-Assad state. Damascus also started restoring the rights of the Kurdish community, which the YPG claimed to represent.
Türkiye itself is pursuing a “terror-free Türkiye” initiative for the disarmament of the PKK, which has exploited disadvantaged Kurds for decades to cultivate recruits for its cause of a so-called “Kurdistan” in southeastern Türkiye. The “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, first proposed by government ally Devlet Bahçeli of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), primarily aims to “reinforce the home front against external threats through Turkish-Kurdish unity,” as Bahçeli and Erdoğan have repeatedly emphasized in the past.
On Gaza, Erdoğan said that Ankara will continue to back Palestine and will continue its support. He criticized Israel for failing to adhere to the cease-fire and underlined that Hamas, on the other hand, met its commitments in good faith.
On Lebanon, Erdoğan stated that Israel’s ongoing attacks on the country were a serious source of concern, noting that he raised the issue with U.S. President Donald Trump during the latter’s visit to Ankara last month for a NATO summit.
Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has marked its 25th anniversary by highlighting a series of labor and social security reforms introduced during its time in government, including expanded health coverage, stronger worker protections and changes that allowed millions to retire.
One of the earliest major changes came with the Labor Law adopted in 2003, which established regulations covering employment contracts, overtime, leave and job security while providing a legal framework for flexible employment models.
A broader overhaul followed with the consolidation of the Social Insurance Institution (SSK), Bağ-Kur and the Retirement Fund under the Social Security Institution (SGK). The move sought to eliminate differences in premium collection, retirement procedures and access to health services.
Türkiye subsequently introduced General Health Insurance (GSS), expanding health coverage across the population and creating a common financing structure for medicine, examinations and treatment.
Access to health care was further transformed through digital services, including the Central Physician Appointment System and electronic prescriptions, reducing procedures that previously required patients to wait in long lines for medical services and medication.
Labor protections also expanded during the period. Türkiye adopted its first standalone Occupational Health and Safety Law in 2012, requiring employers to conduct risk assessments, prepare emergency plans and provide employee training. Workplace safety specialists and physicians also became mandatory in covered workplaces.
The government introduced additional protections for underground mine workers, limiting working hours to 7.5 hours a day and 37.5 hours a week while requiring wages to be at least twice the minimum wage.
Changes also affected public-sector employment. Around 900,000 subcontracted public workers gained permanent worker status following reforms launched in 2017, while a 2023 measure allowed hundreds of thousands of contracted public employees to move into civil servant positions.
One of the most consequential recent measures was the 2023 retirement-age reform, commonly known as EYT. The regulation removed the age requirement for eligible workers who had met other pension conditions. About 2.6 million people have since retired under the measure.
The government also abolished income and stamp taxes on the minimum wage beginning in 2022 and expanded additional pension indicators for civil servants, including teachers, police officers, nurses and religious officials.
Since 2018, millions of retirees have also received bonuses ahead of the Ramadan and Qurban Bayram holidays.
Reforms targeting women included expanded maternity-related borrowing toward retirement, part-time work opportunities following maternity leave and broader unpaid leave provisions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary restrictions on dismissals were introduced, while short-time working allowances and cash assistance programs were expanded to limit employment losses.
The government also introduced employment incentives targeting women, young people, people with disabilities and the long-term unemployed.
Union rights were expanded as well. A 2010 constitutional amendment granted public employees collective bargaining rights, while the unionization rate among public servants rose from 47.94% in July 2002 to 77.96% in July 2026.
The measures form part of a broader transformation of Türkiye’s labor and social security system over more than two decades of AK Party governments.
Hamas on Monday welcomed a joint statement by Türkiye and seven other countries calling on Israel to implement the Gaza plan, while urging further international political and diplomatic action to pressure Israel over the road map.
In a written statement, Hamas welcomed the position taken by the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who accused Israel of obstructing efforts to end the war in Gaza and called for the road map’s implementation.
The Palestinian group said the joint statement should serve as a basis for further diplomatic steps and renewed its call for international action against what it described as Israel’s resistance to implementing the road map for the Gaza Strip.
Hamas described the eight countries’ statement as “extremely important,” highlighting their condemnation of Israel’s rejection of the road map and what the group described as attempts to deny the Palestinian people their right to self-determination.
It said the eight nations’ position represented a critical step for regional peace and stability and called for their demands to be followed by concrete measures at the international level.
Hamas also welcomed the ministers’ insistence on the full and immediate implementation of the road map.
Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE had earlier issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s refusal to complete implementation of the road map linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan.
The eight countries said Israel’s position directly jeopardized implementation of the plan and undermined efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace.
They also said Israel would bear responsibility for consequences stemming from any rejection, obstruction or delay in implementing the road map, including a deterioration of conditions on the ground and setbacks to efforts to end the war.
The ministers reiterated their support for a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The investigation into the alleged Alihan Kuriş organized crime group targets criminal acts rather than religious beliefs or communities, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said on Monday, as Turkish authorities have uncovered tens of billions of liras in financial transactions linked to the case, including several companies.
Gürlek underlined that Türkiye would continue its fight against organized crime regardless of the identity of those involved or the guise under which they operate.
“The fundamental criterion here is not the identity of any belief, religious structure or community, but criminal acts and structures connected to those acts,” Gürlek said in a social media statement. “Faith and religious values can in no way be turned into an instrument or shield for criminal activities.”
He stated that authorities were taking action against groups accused of exploiting citizens’ religious beliefs and sentiments to commit crimes and obtain illicit financial gains, citing the Alihan Kuriş investigation as an example.
The remarks came as details emerged from a 168-page report by Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), which identified extensive domestic and international financial activity involving companies allegedly linked to suspects in the investigation.
According to the report, investigators identified large overseas transactions involving Istanbul Hisar Turizm ve Ticaret AŞ. Transfers to accounts linked to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates alone totaled about TL 8 billion ($167 million), according to the report.
Financial transactions were also recorded with accounts in the United States, Israel, Uzbekistan, India, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Spain, Britain, Jordan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Germany and Albania.
MASAK also highlighted Istanbul Hisar Health Investment and Tourism Trade company, established in November 2025 with capital of more than TL 1.35 billion, despite banking records showing a transaction volume of just TL 34,176 and no recorded gross or net sales.
The report separately detailed millions of dollars transferred from overseas to Akdeniz Toros Et, some of which investigators said were withdrawn in cash shortly after arriving or transferred to other companies.
Authorities said the investigation covers allegations including establishing and leading a criminal organization, membership in a criminal organization, laundering proceeds of crime, fraud against public institutions and violations of tax law.
Thirty-two suspects, including Alihan Kuriş, the de facto leader of a group known publicly as “Süleymancılar,” were remanded in custody on Sunday, along with 31 others.
Authorities searching an address as part of efforts to locate Kuriş’s fugitive brother, Hilmi Tuna Kuriş, also discovered 200 kilograms of gold bars of unexplained origin.
Gürlek said the state would remain equally committed to combating criminal activity and protecting citizens’ freedom of religion and worship.
“Süleymancılar,” a religious community founded by Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, who was born in Silistra in present-day Bulgaria, traces its roots to the Naqshbandi Sufi tradition.
Initially operating through informal religious instruction in homes and mosques, the group later expanded across Türkiye through Quran courses and student dormitories, largely financed by membership contributions and donations. Over time, its activities expanded into commercial sectors including food, health care, tourism, textiles, construction and real estate.
A report by Türkiye’s Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) described the group as emerging from the Naqshbandi tradition while not identifying itself as a religious order. The report characterized the community as highly insular, making its views and internal structure difficult to assess.
The community also developed an international presence, particularly after Turkish labor migration to Germany accelerated in the 1960s. It became one of the first Türkiye-based religious groups to establish Quran courses in Europe.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, who devoted a substantial amount of his time this legislative term to the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, hailed the stage it has reached and vowed that Türkiye would not allow further separatist agendas.
Kurtulmuş chaired a parliamentary committee on the initiative aimed at the disarmament of the PKK terrorist group. The committee’s work and Kurtulmuş’s meetings with various political parties eventually led to a draft bill that was passed by Parliament earlier this month.
In a speech at an event in Istanbul on Saturday, Kurtulmuş said Türkiye had no room for separatism and discrimination, referring both to the agenda of the PKK, which long sought to set up a so-called “Kurdistan” in the southeast and to far-right groups equating the Kurdish community with the PKK.
Pointing out that terrorism inflicted a heavy toll on Türkiye, both in terms of casualties and economic losses, Kurtulmuş recalled how numerous politicians strove to solve it in the past with little success. Kurtulmuş said former prime ministers and presidents Necmettin Erbakan, Turgut Özal, Süleyman Demirel, and Bülent Ecevit were among them.
“Unfortunately, whenever a step was taken to solve this problem, someone intervened, and this process was ruined through certain assassinations and provocations. Similarly, during our president’s tenure as prime minister in 2013-2014, when a process was carried out that came almost to the point of completion and was etched into collective memory as the ‘Dolmabahçe Accord,’ right at a point where things were going extremely well, that process was disrupted by certain traitors, namely servants of FETÖ,” he said, referring to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), which tried to seize power in 2016.
Expressing that the process restarted under President Erdoğan’s instructions and leadership, Kurtulmuş said: “The process went through an exceptionally long phase, and this month, the Bill on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion was accepted in Parliament with 467 votes.” The law, temporary in nature, offers deferrals in sentencing and prosecution for PKK members not involved in violent crimes and acts of terrorism.
Referring to the vote, he stated that the emergence of such a massive social alliance in Türkiye is a great achievement in itself, noting that it is very rare for people from such different parties to come together and meet at a common point.
Highlighting that the PKK’s will to lay down arms played an important role in reaching this stage, Kurtulmuş said, “The thing found most in the Middle East is weapons. We know that for decades, weapons were sold and supplied in the Middle East like selling bread and cheese in the market. The main issue is creating an environment that will no longer make it possible for any Kurdish youth in this country to pick up a weapon and go to the mountains for whatever reason. Allah willing, we will achieve this.”
“This has never been an issue of a single party or the government; this is Türkiye’s issue, the issue of all parties. If there is to be success, it will be the success of everyone who gives strength, power, and support to it,” Kurtulmuş added.
Regarding the details of the law, Kurtulmuş stated: “Presumably in no conflict resolution in the world has a state so thoroughly protected itself while doing its job. There are three safeguards. It is impossible to skip any of them. That is, as long as the PKK does not lay down its arms while pretending to do so, it is impossible to benefit from the scope of this law.”
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the fresh security agreement forged by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, framing the regional trilateral deal as a positive step toward broader security cooperation.
“Very happy to see that Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan have recently, and finally, signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform in a statement late Sunday.
“It shows how the Middle East is coming together, and how Countries will finally be able to defend themselves in a more meaningful way,” he wrote, calling it “a big, bold, and important first step.”
The three-way agreement, signed Aug. 7, comes amid a U.S.-Iran war that has extended violence to the region, including Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks.
The three countries will also share a commitment to participating in efforts to resolve the conflict between Iran and the United States.
Under the pact, the three countries plan to establish strategic political and military mechanisms involving their defense and foreign ministers as well as chiefs of general staff or armed forces commanders.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday praised U.S. President Donald Trump for his “kind words of support” following the signing of the trilateral defense pact between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
“Deeply appreciate” Trump’s statement on the signing of the defense agreement in Mecca, Sharif said in a statement on the U.S. social media platform X.
Sharif said the pact, signed on Aug. 7, “will continue to play a constructive role in ensuring the defense of our own countries as well as the entire region.”
Military cooperation is expected to expand gradually, beginning with command-post and field exercises before progressing to joint drills involving land, naval and air forces, air defense assets and unmanned systems.
Saudi Arabia, whose critical infrastructure and oil facilities have come under attack as part of the war in Iran, has been looking to diversify its defense partnerships. In September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense pact that also defines any attack on either nation as an attack on both. The agreement also comes amid rising tensions between Türkiye and Israel over Gaza and other regional conflicts, including the war in Iran and Lebanon.
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