Politics
Erdoğan calls for lasting cease-fire in Gaza as Türkiye joins talks
Speaking to journalists during a return flight from Azerbaijan on Tuesday, Erdoğan said in remarks published on Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump requested them to persuade Hamas to agree upon a peace plan.
“Our priority is an immediate, lasting cease-fire,” Erdoğan stated. He noted that Hamas was ready for peace and further negotiations.
The president underlined that Türkiye has a resolute stance on the Palestinian cause and has worked for years to end the bloodshed and ensure the safety of the oppressed. “Entire Palestine knows that Türkiye protects Palestine’s interests. We see rights of oppressed Palestinians as rights of our own and defend them that way,” he said.
Erdoğan is among the most vocal supporters of the Palestinian cause, especially after the new round of Palestine-Israel conflict that broke out two years ago. Likewise, the Turkish public regularly stages pro-Palestinian rallies and mostly endorses the government’s efforts for peace in the region. The president stated that they have been in touch with Hamas, and they conveyed to them what the most reasonable way forward is and what steps should be taken for a better future for Palestine. “Our colleagues are in Sharm al-Sheikh and engage in talks,” he said, referring to intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalın’s participation in peace talks in the Egyptian resort city.
The president mentioned his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit to the U.S. for the U.N. General Assembly and a recent phone call with Trump, saying that he explained methods for resolving the conflict. “He asked us to convince Hamas, and we contacted our counterparts in return. I told Mr. Trump that we supported his peace efforts,” he said.
“Hamas is ready for peace and negotiations. It did not adopt a rhetoric against it. I think this is valuable. Hamas has the upper hand here. They lost so many people, and their residences were devastated. They don’t have any place to live. On the other hand, Israel has not exhibited a constructive approach. We wouldn’t expect it from them anyway,” said Erdoğan, who is a fervent critic of the Netanyahu administration and has likened it to Nazis in the past.
Erdoğan said that the priority in the peace plan for Gaza is achieving a cease-fire and ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches the area uninterrupted. Highlighting the urgent need to deliver aid to Gaza, Erdoğan said: “Restoring Gaza’s infrastructure, destroyed by Israeli attacks, as soon as possible is also among our priorities. We are conducting intense diplomatic efforts for this.”
He stressed the importance of Gaza remaining Palestinian territory and ultimately being governed by Palestinians.
Regarding how Gaza’s security will be maintained and the operation of an international stabilization force, Erdoğan said these issues could be discussed in detail, pointing to ongoing talks in Sharm el-Sheikh.
“The talks started today, but tomorrow’s sessions are very important. The outcome of these talks is of great significance,” Erdoğan said. He added that his support for all efforts was made with these possibilities in mind. “We hope Israel keeps its promises and does not take steps to sabotage peace. While we are hopeful for a lasting cease-fire and peace, we remain cautious,” Erdoğan said.
Sumud flotilla
The Turkish leader also commented on the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted illegally by Israel, and hailed activists for “making the illegal blockade on Gaza visible.” Türkiye scheduled a flight for 137 activists, including 36 Turkish citizens, last week after the incident, while Turkish prosecutors launched a probe into Israel’s illegal detention of activists. On Tuesday, 16 other activists, including 14 Turkish citizens, were repatriated from Israel via Jordan.
Erdoğan lauded the flotilla’s accomplishment of “breaking the blockade.” “This is what really matters,” he said. Erdoğan cited that Türkiye closely followed the flotilla en route to Gaza. “I personally watched how it sailed through footage by our Akıncı drones,” he said. Activists have commended Türkiye’s support during their journey, especially by flying drones and sending naval ships for the protection of the flotilla against Israel’s harassment.
The president said Israel trampled on international laws by intercepting the flotilla. “We worked hard to save our citizens and citizens of other countries aboard the flotilla from the hands of Israel. We managed the evacuation in a short time. My daughter was among those welcoming them at the airport,” he said, referring to Sumeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar, chairperson of the board of trustees of the Women and Democracy Association (KADEM), who greeted the evacuated activists in Istanbul. He noted that the activists were interviewed and had medical examinations in Istanbul, “to keep a legal record of what happened,” adding that it would contribute to Türkiye’s fight on legal and diplomatic grounds to document Israel’s rights violations.
Anniversary of genocide
Erdoğan also commented on the second anniversary of the Gaza “catastrophe.”
“67,000 Gazans have been martyred. On the other hand, more than 169,000 have been wounded. But there is something even more striking. I am told that these numbers are not accurate. Given the sheer number of those buried under the rubble, the figures are estimated to be around 600,000. Despite this, humanity remains silent and nothing has been done to stop it,” he said.
“Israel’s attacks will go down as a dark stain in history. What Israel has done is not self-defense; it is a planned genocide and terrorism. The massacres carried out by Israel openly and recklessly and those who ignore them, have entered the shameful records of human history. There is no excuse for this. While Israel kills babies, targets hospitals, ambulances, marketplaces, refugee tents, U.N. missions, schools and places of worship, those who try to justify this with ‘but’ and ‘however’ will not be able to explain this stance to future generations. History records both those who stand on the right side and those who persist in wrongdoing. It is clear who stood where during the Nazi genocide. Those who ignored genocides in Bosnia and other regions are also known. Our generation remembers them well. Just as they feel shame today, those who remain silent on the Gaza genocide will face a similar fate tomorrow. We take pride in standing on the right side of history, both yesterday and today.”
Syria’s stability
Commenting on the situation in neighboring Syria, where the U.S.-backed terrorist group YPG reached a tentative cease-fire with Damascus, Erdoğan said they would not allow Syria to relapse into instability and urged the YPG to honor its early deal for integration with Syrian security forces.
Syrian security forces on Monday reached a cease-fire agreement with the SDF, dominated by the U.S.-backed terrorist group YPG, in western Aleppo province following recent clashes.
YPG members launched assaults around Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods, prompting authorities to seal off roads leading to the area.
The fighting intensified after members of the YPG, the Syrian wing of the terrorist group PKK, attacked Syrian security forces in Sheikh Maqsoud using heavy weapons and targeted the Rahman Mosque area in the nearby Syrian neighborhood with mortar fire.
Tensions have escalated in northern Syria following the ouster of Bashar Assad last December, ending his 24-year rule and the Baath Party’s six-decade dominance. Assad fled to Russia amid mounting public unrest and military defections. The government, led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa since January, has vowed to reassert control across the country and eliminate remaining terrorist threats. Officials say the latest PKK/YPG assaults underscore ongoing challenges to achieving stability in the region.
Although a deal was signed between al-Sharaa and the YPG in March, implementation has yet to be seen. The deal involves integration of the terrorist group’s members into the Syrian army, but calls for decentralization by YPG leaders, endangering the process. Damascus rejects a self-styled autonomy in the northeast for the group. Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani, who was scheduled to meet his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan later on Wednesday in Ankara, is expected to discuss this issue.
Türkiye is concerned about the existence of the YPG on its immediate border, especially after attacks by the terrorist group during Syria’s civil war. It supports Damascus’ efforts to dissolve the group peacefully and has repeatedly warned it may carry out a military offensive as it did during the Assad era to weed out the terror threat.
“Those turning their face to Ankara and Damascus will win,” Erdoğan said, adding that a Turkish-Kurdish-Arabic alliance is key to peace in the region. “No one should fall for provocation, no one should harbor misguided intentions,” he said. “The Syrian Democratic Forces should fulfill its promise and complete the integration. If acted with the spirit of shared history and future, many issues may be resolved,” he said.
Erdoğan also spoke about Türkiye’s exclusion from the U.S. F-35 program and said the removal was not legitimate.
Damaged vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla are being repaired in Türkiye’s Antalya after an Israeli attack in international waters, with volunteers working to prepare the ships for another voyage toward Gaza.
Some of the vessels were left with damaged engines, broken masts and torn sails after the attack. They were later brought to Antalya, where local and international volunteers are carrying out repairs at a shipyard.
Two vessels have already been repaired and sent to Italy as part of preparations for another Gaza-bound mission, said Sümeyra Akdeniz Ordu, a board member of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
“We are trying to recover the ships drifting at sea one by one. We are carrying out a rescue mission,” Ordu told Anadolu Agency (AA). “We are repairing these ships so they can sail to Gaza again.”
Fourteen flotilla vessels are currently in Antalya, Ordu said, adding that volunteers from different countries were helping coordinate and repair the ships.
She said each vessel had a special significance for the activists and that they were treating the ships “like their own children” as they worked to restore them.
The damage was extensive, Ordu said, describing broken masts, damaged engines and cut hoses. She also said the sails had been torn with knives.
“The mast was broken, surface cleaner and coffee had been poured into the engines, and the hoses on each ship had been cut one by one,” she said. “They caused this damage by ramming them with larger ships.”
The repairs have been difficult because of the extent of the damage, but volunteers have continued working, Ordu said.
Türkiye has provided a safe port for the repair effort, she added.
Ordu said the activists remained determined to continue their efforts despite the damage to the vessels.
“If the enemy does not give up, we cannot give up,” she said. “We are trying to be a voice here for our Palestinian friends.”
She said the damage to the vessels showed what she described as the violence and hostility directed at the flotilla.
“We, too, insist on continuing every form of resistance,” Ordu said.
Türkiye condemned a drone attack on a power distribution station in the Saudi city of Medina that supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, reiterating its support for Saudi Arabia amid renewed regional tensions.
Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), condemned the attack on Friday, saying targeting infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque was unacceptable.
“Attacks targeting our sacred values are illegitimate acts directed against all Muslims,” Çelik said in a social media post, adding that Türkiye strongly supported Saudi Arabia’s security and stability.
The targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second-holiest site. The attack put one transformer out of service but did not affect the electricity network.
Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry also strongly condemned the attack, saying strikes targeting civilian infrastructure and threatening Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security should “cease immediately and unconditionally.”
The ministry reiterated Türkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia and called on parties to avoid steps that could further escalate tensions in the region.
“We reaffirm our strong support for Saudi Arabia and emphasize the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions in the region,” the statement said.
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran on Friday separately condemned the strike and said Türkiye would continue to stand by Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi-led coalition said an investigation and examination of drone wreckage indicated Houthi involvement in the Sept. 29 attack.
Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al Maliki said the targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over the Muslim holy city. The coalition described that incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017.
Earlier on Thursday, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, also condemned the attack on Medina.
The OIC described the targeting of vital infrastructure and facilities as “a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of the sanctity of holy sites,” as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms.
Bashiqa-Zilkan, a key Turkish base in Iraq, will soon be handed over to Iraqi authorities while Turkish troops are expected to withdraw from the country. The development, which comes amid the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country, which remained there as part of an anti-Daesh coalition, signals the start of a new era for Iraq and Türkiye. The Ministry of National Defense said in a statement on Thursday that the handover of the base did not mean an end to cooperation with Iraq and, on the contrary, Türkiye would continue supporting Iraq’s security and stability.
Türkiye and Iraq agreed earlier this month to deepen security cooperation, restore full Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and begin the gradual handover of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base to Baghdad under an agreed timetable.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced the steps in a joint statement following talks in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The ministry said Türkiye welcomed steps to ensure state authority in Sinjar. The base was set up in 2015 to help Iraq fight against Daesh and later maintained its presence when the terrorist group PKK sought to replace Daesh following the liberation of Sinjar.
“These steps will contribute to normalization of the region, establishing an environment of security and stability and a terror-free region,” the ministry said, using an expression referring to Ankara’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, which aims to disarm the PKK.
The statement also said it was decided to gradually hand over the compound to the central government in Baghdad, “based on improvement of security in Sinjar.”
“Our country, as it did in the past, stands with our neighbor Iraq in terms of maintaining an environment of security and stability. Throughout future contacts, we are planning to take steps that will further advance military and security cooperation. We will continue supporting Iraq’s armed forces in increasing military capacity, sharing know-how in counterterrorism and in the fields of military training and defense industry cooperation, based on bilateral agreements,” the ministry stated.
Ayhan Sarı, an assistant professor at the Turkish-German University and a security and foreign policy expert at the Turkish Research Foundation (TAV), noted that Türkiye’s withdrawal was linked to ending the PKK’s presence in Sinjar and the re-establishment of Baghdad’s authority there.
Sarı told Daily Sabah that Türkiye has been in Iraq as an exercise of its right to self-defense under international law, particularly Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognizes the right to individual and collective self-defense against armed attacks. “Türkiye’s presence in Iraq has been due to the PKK threat in the north. (The dissolution) of the PKK will remove the need to remain in Iraq,” Sarı said.
He noted that the PKK and other terrorist groups had, for years, filled the power vacuum that emerged in Iraq’s northern region following the beginning of the Iraq War.
“Iraq’s central government claims it can find a solution to this vacuum through recent steps and establish full authority within its borders after the U.S. withdrawal,” Sarı said.
A U.S.-led coalition deployed in Iraq more than a decade ago against Daesh formally concluded its mission on Wednesday. Daesh was largely expelled from Iraq and Syria, also thanks to Türkiye’s cross-border operations in Assad-era Syria, but U.S. forces remained. Washington and Baghdad reached an agreement two years ago to wind down the mission.
Sarı said it was only natural that Türkiye was supportive of Iraq’s steps to ensure security on its own, since Ankara was committed to developing good relations with its neighbors and centered its foreign policy on peace and stability.
“As it did in Syria, Türkiye sides with central authority, stability and security in Iraq. Türkiye will support this move and will do whatever it can to ensure that this mission succeeds in maintaining stability and security, based on its neighborly relations,” he said.
Sarı added that Iraq’s efforts were compatible with Türkiye’s foreign policy and plans. “Iraq’s success will also mean the complete expulsion of the PKK from that country. This expulsion, removal of this malignant tumor between Türkiye and Iraq, will certainly add momentum to Turkish-Iraqi relations,” he also stated.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new legislative year at the Turkish Parliament on Thursday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed a law passed by Parliament on terror-free Türkiye, which involves the disarmament of the terrorist group PKK.
“Consensus on a terror-free Türkiye has upset the country’s foes. (Terror-free Türkiye) is already having a deterrent effect on Türkiye’s foes and is empowering the country,” Erdoğan said.
The president also urged other political parties to strengthen the “home front” amid regional tensions and reach a “grand Türkiye consensus.”
The Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration was approved by Parliament in August following months of political consultations over the government’s terror-free Türkiye initiative. The 12-article legislation received broad parliamentary backing, with 468 lawmakers voting in favor, 88 against and six abstaining. It mainly involves deferral of sentences and prosecution, as part of the initiative that paved the way for the dissolution of the PKK.
For decades, the PKK remained the main security threat for Türkiye, and its violent campaign is blamed for the deaths of thousands of people and immense economic losses, especially in southeastern Türkiye. Apart from small nationalist parties, almost all political parties openly supported the initiative, something rare in polarized Turkish politics.
“The era of opposition solely based on opposing what the government did is over. It is a grave mistake to reduce politics to antagonizing the rivals, to a war of attrition, instead of making it a race in offering the best public services. Regional and global developments require us to pursue a new style of politics,” Erdoğan told Parliament amid constant applause from lawmakers from his Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The main opposition New Party (YP) left Parliament’s general assembly hall as Erdoğan took the floor.
“We have two options now: We will either continue with the old way of politics focusing on polarization, or we will build new politics based on finding common ground, finding consensus amid competition,” he said.
“If we are meant to make Türkiye great and strong again, if we are meant to utilize historic opportunities, we have to adapt to this paradigm shift altogether and without losing more time,” he said.
The president said they did not expect all political parties to fully align or have the same opinion.
“Different views are certainly the wealth of Türkiye, Turkish democracy. But all political parties should prioritize Türkiye. Every party should draw power from its own dynamics, its grassroots, to carry out ‘Türkiye-oriented politics,'” Erdoğan said.
“Reconciliation and tolerance should replace conflict and polarization. We have to find common ground on matters essential for every member of our nation. This is what we call the ‘grand Türkiye consensus,'” Erdoğan added.
New constitution
The president also focused on drafting a new constitution. “The goal of a new and civilian constitution is a struggle for Turkish democracy to prove its maturity. Our esteemed Parliament is competent and authorized to draft a constitution under all circumstances and in every period. A new constitution that will broaden Türkiye’s horizons will be the product not of a politics of polarization, but of a new politics based on competition within consensus. Our nation’s longing for a new constitution must not be held hostage by manufactured fears. Our position regarding the first four articles of the Constitution currently in force is clear. Rolling up our sleeves for a new and civilian constitution worthy of the ‘Century of Türkiye’ is a genuine test of sincerity for everyone. I hope the current legislative year will be a year of constitutional reform that expands Türkiye’s opportunities and potential,” he said.
Since the founding of the Republic of Türkiye, constitutional design has served as the backbone of the country’s legal system. The current Constitution, adopted in 1982, has been repeatedly amended over the decades, most notably in 2017, when a national referendum paved the way for the country’s transition from a parliamentary model to an executive presidential system.
Despite numerous amendments over the decades, replacing the 1982 Constitution with a new, civilian-drafted charter remains a prominent issue in Türkiye’s political debate.
Erdoğan and Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş have repeatedly advocated for a new civilian constitution, arguing that the existing charter retains the legacy of military rule under which it was drafted despite extensive subsequent amendments.
Türkiye condemned Thursday a drone attack by Houthis on a power station in the Muslim holy city of Medina, reaffirming its support for Saudi Arabia.
The targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second-holiest site. The attack put one transformer out of service but did not affect the electricity network.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Thursday that an investigation and examination of drone wreckage confirmed Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out Tuesday’s attack.
“We strongly condemn the Houthis’ attack on civilian infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“These provocative attacks, which threaten Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security and target the sacred values of the Islamic world, must cease immediately and unconditionally,” it said.
Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over the Muslim holy city. The coalition described that incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions.
“We reaffirm our strong support for Saudi Arabia and emphasize the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions in the region,” the statement said.
Earlier Thursday, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, also condemned the attack on Medina.
The OIC described the targeting of vital infrastructure and facilities as “a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of the sanctity of holy sites,” as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms.
The organization affirmed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia in measures taken to protect its territory, security and stability, defend Islamic holy sites and safeguard citizens and residents.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said the drone attack constituted “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia and a threat to its security and stability.”
The Saudi-led coalition said the Medina attack was part of what it described as repeated Houthi attempts to target the Two Holy Mosques and “provoke” Muslims worldwide. It said it would continue taking measures to protect the holy sites and pilgrims.
Houthis denied the accusation.
The latest escalation is the most serious fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis since a U.N.-brokered truce largely halted cross-border attacks in 2022. Hostilities resumed this year after the Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July and began attacking Saudi territory and shipping, while Houthi forces also made major territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes in Yemen and backed government forces fighting to push back the Houthis.
Turkish authorities detained Eyüpsultan Mayor Mithat Bülent Özmen and 27 other suspects earlier Friday as part of a corruption investigation involving the Istanbul district municipality, prosecutors said.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said detention orders were issued for 28 suspects over allegations including membership in a criminal organization, receiving and giving bribes and bid rigging.
All 28 suspects were detained in simultaneous operations carried out by financial crimes police, according to the prosecutor’s office. Authorities also conducted searches and seizures at addresses linked to the suspects and searched the Republican People’s Party (CHP)-run Eyüpsultan Municipality building.
Prosecutors said the investigation was being conducted in coordination with the Ankara Police Department’s Financial Crimes Investigation Branch.
“The investigation continues in a comprehensive and meticulous manner,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Özmen, who serves as mayor of Istanbul’s Eyüpsultan district, was among those taken into custody.
The detentions are part of an ongoing investigation, and no court has ruled on the allegations against the suspects.
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