As Israel and Iran respond to each other’s attacks, which started with Israel’s coordinated strikes across Iran on Friday, Iran’s neighbor and Israel’s chief critic, Türkiye, remains concerned. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan coordinates the response to the developments in the region through intensive phone diplomacy. Erdoğan held talks with leaders from U.S. President Donald Trump to Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian since the attacks and convened a security meeting at the Presidential Complex on Saturday.

Türkiye adheres to its stance that Israel is a primary threat to the region, especially in light of its expansionist policies. Ankara advocates that Israel was emboldened by the inaction of the international community and spread its conflict with the Palestinians to a wider region. This stance was evident in Erdoğan’s talks over the weekend.

Erdoğan told his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, that Türkiye sees nuclear negotiations as the only way to resolve the Israel-Iran conflict, the president’s office said.

According to a statement by his office, Erdoğan told Trump over the phone that Türkiye supports the U.S. view that nuclear negotiations should continue to resolve the dispute and Ankara’s readiness “to do everything it can to prevent uncontrolled escalation of the tension.”

The two leaders discussed the Israel-Iran conflict and regional and global issues, according to the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications. President Erdoğan said Türkiye is closely monitoring the tension between Iran and Israel, adding that it sees talks over Iran’s nuclear program as “the only way” to resolve the dispute. He “expressed support for the U.S. position that nuclear negotiations should continue to resolve the issue.” Trump has also urged Iran to make a deal over its nuclear program before it is too late. However, the sixth round of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington which was scheduled for Sunday in Muscat was canceled.

‘Devastating war’

Erdoğan also warned against a “devastating war” that could trigger a refugee crisis, in a series of calls to regional leaders, his office added. Speaking to his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, Erdoğan said that Israel was seeking “to drag the whole region into the fire,” according to a statement from the Turkish Presidency. This viewpoint echoes Türkiye’s earlier concern about Israel’s expansionist policies after Israeli security forces targeted Lebanon and killed the Hezbollah leaders in a series of attacks and assassinations.

To Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Erdoğan said: “Our region cannot tolerate another crisis, and a devastating war could create waves of irregular migration toward all the countries in the region.” Türkiye already hosts millions of Syrians, who fled their civil war, as well as Iranians seeking lives away from their country’s authoritarian rulers. The influx has created political tensions in Türkiye.

Erdoğan told Saudi Arabia’s prince that Israel needed “to be stopped,” calling it “the main threat to stability and security in the region,” the statement from the Presidency said. The issue of Iran’s nuclear program “can only be resolved through negotiations,” he added. “The fact that the international community has closed its eyes to the occupation and genocide in Palestine has led Israel to this level of flouting the law and its aggression,” Erdoğan was quoted as saying.

In talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Erdoğan said the cycle of violence caused by Israel threatens the region, emphasizing the importance of Syria staying out of the conflict. The Turkish president stressed the need for heightened vigilance against terrorist groups and radical elements in the current climate of Israeli aggression. Syria already faces an Israeli threat as the latter made an incursion into the country following the fall of the Assad regime last December and seized parts of the Golan Heights between the two countries. Israel also continued bombings of several locations within Syria after al-Sharaa-led forces toppled the Assad regime.

Erdoğan also spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

He told Egypt’s el-Sissi that Israel’s attacks “seriously” harm regional security and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lawlessness threatens global stability, Türkiye’s communications directorate said on X. Erdoğan said the Netanyahu government’s disregard for international law poses a global threat to stability.

Stressing that the region cannot afford another crisis, Erdoğan warned that Israel is trying to derail efforts for a nuclear deal with Iran. He underlined the importance of continuing the talks, which are mediated by Oman, and urged that Israel’s attacks on Iran should not be allowed to overshadow the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

In talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Erdoğan warned that Israel’s attacks on Iran constitute a provocation that could seriously harm the region’s security, stressing that “the aggressive and lawless stance” of Israel and the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu creates a global issue for stability and security. Noting that the global community’s silence on the occupation and genocide in Palestine has enabled Israel’s aggression to escalate to this level, Erdoğan said these attacks undermine efforts to resolve the issue over Iran’s nuclear program. Any potential nuclear leakage resulting from Israel’s strikes threatens civilians as well as regional and global health – an issue Israel is disregarding, he added. Stressing that the region cannot tolerate another crisis, President Erdoğan said continuing nuclear talks is the only way to resolve the conflict. The Turkish leader also urged that these attacks should not overshadow the Palestinian cause.

Silence over occupation and genocide in Palestine has empowered Israel’s actions in Iran, Erdoğan told Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a phone call, said Türkiye’s communications directorate on X.

Israel’s attacks on Iran are “unacceptable,” he said, adding the attacks have seriously damaged regional security, Tel Aviv poses a threat to global stability and security, he warned. He also noted that the attacks by Israel undermine efforts to resolve Iran’s nuclear program. He highlighted the importance of not allowing Israel to use these attacks to overshadow the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X that the two agreed that “Israel’s unprovoked aggression against Iran” was “a blatant violation of international law and a threat to regional peace.”

On Sunday, Erdoğan held a phone call with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. The president and the sultan discussed the conflict, as well as regional and global issues, media reports said.

Also on Saturday, Erdoğan chaired a security meeting.

At the meeting, the conflict sparked by Israel’s attacks was thoroughly discussed from all angles, the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications said.

The session addressed the impact of Israeli attacks on regional and global security, along with Türkiye’s possible contingency measures.

“The security meeting addressed Israel’s expanding aggression, diplomatic efforts to end the conflicts, the attacks’ global and regional security impacts, necessary measures and Türkiye’s preparations for potential developments,” the communications directorate said.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, head of the intelligence organization Ibrahim Kalın and Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party) were among the officials who attended the meeting.

In the aftermath of Israel’s attacks on Iran on Friday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a similar meeting with Kalın and Güler and stated that Israel must immediately abandon its strategy to destabilize the region. In a post on X after the four-hour security meeting, Fidan said that Ankara had been in close contact with the U.S., Iran, Iraq and Jordan. He added that Türkiye had taken necessary measures at the highest level against regional security risks.

Media outlets reported that Türkiye has been monitoring the activity of Israeli warplanes since the first attack, and authorities regularly briefed Erdoğan on the developments. After the attacks on Iran, Fidan talked with his counterparts in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon about the situation. The countries reportedly agreed to share information directly about the developments.

Türkiye maintains good ties with Iran, while its relations with Israel sharply deteriorated after the renewed Palestine-Israel conflict in 2023, at a time of debate on whether to normalize ties between Ankara and Tel Aviv, which was harmed by Israel’s aggression targeting Palestinians, particularly Gaza, in the past.

Iranian influx denied

Another fallout of the conflict may be an influx of Iranians fleeing the attacks, as speculated on Turkish social media. Though this might be true if the conflict escalates and forces the displacement of Iranians, Türkiye denied claims that a wave of migrants is heading to Türkiye already. The Presidency’s Directorate of Communication’s Center for Countering Disinformation said in a recent statement that the reports were untrue and aimed to disseminate disinformation. The center noted that the Interior Ministry, which is in charge of migration, confirmed no unusual activity on the Turkish-Iranian border, nor a change in the pace of irregular migration on the border, which is usually a route for irregular migrants traveling from Asian countries like Afghanistan.

The center said the border is monitored around the clock by security forces utilizing high technology, from thermal cameras to optical towers. “Reports (of the influx) likely aim to stir up speculations, particularly to promote xenophobia and fuel destabilization. Our citizens should not heed such content of disinformation and pay attention only to statements by authorities,” the center said in a statement.

On the contrary, there was an influx of Iranians returning home over the weekend. As airspaces remained closed, Iranian nationals visiting Türkiye and those living there took the long route of land travel. Bus companies in Istanbul, one of the most popular cities for Iranian visitors, added more trips to their itinerary over rising demand. Bus rides were also popular for Iranians arriving from third countries who tried to reach their countries amid cancellations of flights from Türkiye and other regional countries into Iran.

Ömer Sağdıç, a bus driver taking 47 Iranian passengers to the Gürbulak border crossing with Iran from Istanbul, told Demirören News Agency (DHA) that they used to see a surge in Iranian visitors to Türkiye, but it has reversed now. “People are rushing to see their families, to check whether they are safe. The demand is high and people have to wait for one day to find tickets,” he said on Sunday.

Four years ago, Türkiye and Azerbaijan opened a new chapter in their deep-rooted ties. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed the Shusha Declaration in the eponymous city of the Caucasus country, one year after Shusha was liberated from occupying Armenian forces through a landmark offensive in Karabakh. The declaration elevated the status of relations between the two countries that boast being “one nation, two states” due to their Turkic heritage, to the level of alliance.

Today, the alliance stands strong as emphasized in a recent trilateral summit between Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Pakistan, another key partner for the two countries.

The declaration cemented commitment to full cooperation between Türkiye and Azerbaijan, particularly on national security and all strategic fields. It calls for deepening the relations in fields ranging from military and defense industry Technologies to energy, transportation, economy and social ties.

Since Azerbaijan’s short-lived independence in the early 20th century and the establishment of the new state after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the two countries enjoyed good relations. But the Shusha Declaration took it to a new level, especially by demonstrating the will to act together against threats one country faces, from threats to independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity to border security. For a long time, Armenia remained the major threat to Azerbaijan as it held sway on territories it captured from Azerbaijan, namely Karabakh where Shusha is located. Azerbaijan’s victory over Armenian separatists in the region marked a turning point in the region and nowadays, Azerbaijan and Armenia are pursuing a peace deal, with the support of Türkiye, which may fully normalize its relations with Armenia if the two countries finally put aside their disagreements.

The declaration also has implications for regional peace, security and cooperation. Azerbaijan stands as a significant energy hub while Türkiye raised its international profile under the leadership of President Erdoğan and expanded its clout in Caucasus and wider Asia. This is most evident in the Turkic world which boosted its standing in the international community through the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) founded in 2009 in Azerbaijan, by Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan. The declaration reflects Türkiye and Azerbaijan’s joint vision toward the Turkic world. It includes primary goals such as promoting Turkic cultural heritage internationally, and increasing joint efforts on regional and global levels for the development of the Turkic world.

Erdoğan has described the declaration as a road map for a new era in relations between Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

Since the declaration was signed, the two countries progressed in their relations, such as in the military field. The security forces of the two countries held numerous joint exercises while the Turkish defense industry took concrete steps in assisting Azerbaijan’s army for modernization.

The day the declaration is signed is also marked as National Salvation Day in Azerbaijan, the date Heydar Aliyev was elected as chairperson of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan, months before his election as president. The father of the incumbent president is credited with rebuilding a new Azerbaijan after a brief period of turmoil in the wake of post-Soviet independence. The ruling New Azerbaijan Party on Sunday held an event entitled “The New World Order: Geopolitical Aspects and Global Challenges in Shusha,” an occasion that also celebrates the Shusha Declaration. In a message to the event, President Ilham Aliyev said that amid the emergence of numerous threats to national, regional and global security, new centers of power were rising. “In such a situation, safeguarding the national interests, independence, and sovereignty of states, and uniting efforts for peace, stability, cooperation, and multilateral development is of exceptional importance,” he said.

Aliyev said that Azerbaijan remained committed to a just world order through practical action and adhered to the idea of making Eurasia a hub of dialogue and cooperation. “The projects we implement jointly with friendly and partner countries make significant contributions to regional and international security and create a favorable basis for constructive and promising cooperation between both East and West, as well as North and South,” he said.

Speaking at the event, Zafer Sırakaya, deputy chair of Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) said the Shusha Declaration was a document emphasizing the importance of regional and international cooperation based on joint interests and efforts to reestablish economic and transportation ties in Southern Caucasus with stability and security.

Sırakaya said Türkiye always sided with Azerbaijan and would continue to do so, adding that they supported Azerbaijan’s righteous cause for its territorial integrity.

He stated that the Second Karabakh War ensured Azerbaijan’s security and paved the way for establishing regional and global peace. Sırakaya added that the illegal occupation of Karabakh has demonstrated the fact that international bodies failed to address the needs of the modern era.

On regional connectivity projects, Sırakaya said the connection between “Turkic gate” Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan’s main lands would strengthen ties with Central Asia and empower the Turkic world.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

One month after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted the need for reforms in local administrations, his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) held a workshop on that subject. The party aims to boost the “1994 vision” to improve municipal services and end debates on jurisdiction. Erdoğan’s political career and popularity skyrocketed after being elected mayor of Istanbul, Türkiye’s most populous city, in 1994. He is credited with turning around the fortunes of the city that was plagued with problems, ranging from constant water shortages to a trash crisis.

Erdoğan’s success as mayor also served as a blueprint for the AK Party’s campaigns in subsequent municipal elections. Indeed, improved municipal services, particularly in infrastructure, helped the party to secure victories in successive municipal elections in the past two decades. However, it suffered dramatic losses in the latest municipal vote held in 2024, conceding mayoral seats to its main rival, the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

CHP-run municipalities, however, are under fire for a lack of service improvement and corruption. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, who won the second municipal election on a CHP ticket in 2024, was among the high-profile mayors of the main opposition who were recently arrested on a spate of charges ranging from rigging public tenders to taking bribes in exchange for building permits.

In a speech in May, Erdoğan said parties should come together in Parliament to implement a more efficient local administrative system, addressing public demands for services. “We believe it will be beneficial to rehabilitate our local administration system, from small town municipalities to provincial private administrations (run by state-appointed governors) and address shortcomings,” he told a parliamentary group meeting of the AK Party. Erdoğan said reforms under the AK Party for local administrations were overshadowed by debates over authority in municipality-run locations. “Dispute over jurisdiction between central administrative bodies and municipalities overshadowed the real purpose of serving the people. Authority given to municipalities is exploited by some ill-minded municipal administrators to obtain illicit wealth and advance their own careers, instead of being used to accelerate the process involving public services,” Erdoğan has complained. The president has highlighted that more people were complaining of corruption in municipal services, from administrators squandering revenues of municipalities to those funnelling resources to “illegal networks.”

Erdoğan has pointed out that there was a need to review the jurisdiction of municipalities, especially those farthest from central municipalities in provinces, citing that urban municipalities had difficulties in addressing the needs of municipalities of smaller districts located remotely from the central province. He said there should be clearer regulations on jurisdiction, “to end the incidents such as disputes amounting to brawls between municipal police of municipalities run by different political parties.”

On Saturday, the AK Party held a workshop in Kocaeli in northwestern Türkiye, entitled “Future of Local Administrations: Problems and Solutions.” AK Party Deputy Chair Mustafa Demir, a former district mayor, chaired the workshop. The workshop was attended by officials from the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change, the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, as well as representatives of municipalities, academics and the private sector.

Demir told reporters on the sidelines of the event that their every step is based on a “municipal vision” implemented by Erdoğan in 1994. “We are working together to give municipalities a more participatory, transparent, accountable and sustainable structure.”

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Confessions of a businessman in a corruption investigation into Istanbul’s former mayor, Ekrem Imamoğlu, were confirmed by a report by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK). Adem Kameroğlu, a contractor, has admitted that he supplied a villa to Imamoğlu as a bribe during an investigation into Imamoğlu’s alleged criminal network.

The MASAK report shows SSB Inşaat, a company belonging to Imamoğlu, paid the cash for the said villa, but the money was returned to the company’s account, confirming that it was an attempt to disguise the bribe.

Kameroğlu has told investigators earlier that he bribed Imamoğlu with a lakeside villa in Istanbul’s Büyükçekmece district, in return for acquiring a permit for his construction project at the heart of Beylikdüzü, an Istanbul district where Imamoğlu served as mayor before winning the top office of the city in the 2019 elections. Kameroğlu added that he was “paid” for the villa but was forced to hand over that cash to Tuncay Yılmaz, general manager of Imamoğlu Construction Company, operated by the former mayor’s family. Yılmaz is among dozens arrested along with Imamoğlu in March in a corruption operation targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB).

The prosecutor’s office asked MASAK to prepare a report to check whether Kameroğlu was telling the truth. MASAK examined money transfers between the SSB Inşaat company owned by Imamoğlu and Kameroğlu’s company and found that SSB paid TL 100,000 to Kameroğlu’s company in 12 installments.

Kameroğlu has told investigators that Imamoğlu “bought” a villa from him in exchange for permits for his residential development located next to the municipality building of Beylikdüzü in 2016. He said Imamoğlu and his wife later visited the villa, which was still under construction back then and forced him to cover all interior furnishing costs to their taste. He added that SSB Inşaat paid him about TL 1.5 million to purchase the villa, but it was only to dodge inspection, and he handed the cash he received to Yılmaz.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan resumed his phone diplomacy over the Israel-Iran conflict on Sunday. After a busy weekend where he spoke to key actors from U.S. President Donald Trump to Iran’s President Pezeshkian, Erdoğan on Sunday held phone calls with the Iraqi premier and the Kuwaiti emir.

Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al Sudani on Sunday discussed the Israel-Iran conflict, as well as regional and global issues over a phone call, according to the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications.

The president said the cycle of violence caused by Israel threatens the region, emphasizing Iraq’s need to stay out of the conflict and calling for vigilance against terrorist groups and radical elements in the current climate.

He stressed that negotiations are the only solution to the nuclear dispute between Iran and the U.S., calling for restraint amid difficult conditions and insisting the cycle of violence must be prevented at all costs.

The president said Israel’s attacks on Iran must never be allowed to overshadow the genocide in Gaza, where Israeli forces have killed more than 55,000 people, mostly women and children, since October 2023 and created risks of famine.

Erdoğan also held talks with Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah on Sunday and the two discussed the conflict, as well as regional and global issues.

The Turkish president said Israel’s attacks on Iran jeopardize regional security in a region that cannot endure another war, adding that the Netanyahu government poses a threat to global stability and security.

Highlighting that Israel’s aggression is also undermining the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the U.S., Erdoğan emphasized that diplomacy remains the only viable path toward resolving the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.

The president said Türkiye and Kuwait have strongly condemned Israel’s aggression and genocide in Gaza, adding that Israel is trying to divert attention by escalating tensions with Iran, and stressed that such efforts must not be allowed to succeed.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday. Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said the two ministers discussed the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. Fidan told Lavrov that the conflict was worrying and the only way to end the conflict, as well as the nuclear dispute that pitted Iran against world powers, was diplomacy.

Israel and Iran traded fire for a third straight day on Sunday, with rising casualties and expanding targets marking an escalation in the conflict between the longtime adversaries.

Fidan was engaged in phone diplomacy since Israel launched the first attacks on Iran on Friday, talking to his counterparts in the region. Türkiye is a staunch critic of Israel’s genocidal policies targeting Palestinians and long accused Tel Aviv of attempts to expand its conflict to a wider region.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.