President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss bilateral ties as well as regional and global developments, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said Monday.

During the call, Erdoğan noted Türkiye aims to further strengthen relations with Germany and underlined the importance of continuing mutual steps to advance cooperation between the two countries.

The leaders also discussed the NATO leaders’ summit scheduled to be held in Ankara. Erdoğan said Türkiye expects the summit to demonstrate a strong will to strengthen Europe’s defense within NATO while preserving the transatlantic bond.

Erdoğan also stressed thatTürkiye was making intensive efforts to help bring Russia’s war against Ukraine to an end through a lasting peace. He said Ankara was continuing work to revive negotiations and restart the diplomatic process between Moscow and Kyiv.

Türkiye has maintained contacts with both Russia and Ukraine throughout the war and has repeatedly offered to facilitate talks aimed at ending the conflict.

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Muhittin Böcek, the former mayor of Antalya who was arrested in a corruption probe, admitted paying 5 million euros ($5.5 million) to Ekrem Imamoğlu, another former mayor charged with corruption, for candidacy at the Turkish main opposition CHP.

Böcek came forward with more confessions this week, long after his arrest in a corruption investigation. Böcek told investigators that he had a deal with Ekrem Imamoğlu, a former mayor of Istanbul, to pay 15 million euros in exchange of securing a candidacy for Antalya in the past elections. Böcek’s statements made public over the weekend indicate the influence of Imamoğlu within the party, which declared him as a future presidential candidate following his 2025 arrest on charges of rampant corruption at Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB).

In his earlier statements where he sought a leniency in his future sentencing, Böcek has admitted making a payment to party’s headquarters for candidacy in municipal elections. He has claimed that the party’s then chair, Özgür Özel, instructed him to deliver 950,000 euros to Ferdi Zeyrek, the late mayor of western city of Manisa and a close associate of Özel, to contribute to his campaign for candidacy. In his new statement, Böcek said Imamoğlu asked for 15 million euros and he used “hawala” system to pay 5 million euros of the request and skipped the rest of the payment when Imamoğlu was arrested in March 2025. Böcek also claimed that Imamoğlu asked him to cover his expenses for the Mediterranean leg of his future presidential campaign.

In his statement to prosecutors in Antalya, Böcek repeated his previous statement and explained that he traveled to Manisa upon the direction of Özel, before the 2024 local elections. Böcek said he went to Manisa on Jan. 15, 2024, before his candidacy had been officially announced.

In his statement, Böcek claimed that after a meeting in Ankara, Özel instructed him to provide financial and project support to Zeyrek. Böcek said that while traveling to Manisa, he carried approximately 950,000 euros in a bag. He stated that after a social project presentation, he was briefly alone with Ferdi Zeyrek and left the money next to his desk during that time.

Muhittin Böcek also described another process he experienced regarding his candidacy for Antalya Metropolitan Municipality during the 2024 local elections. Böcek said that the mayor of Muratpaşa Municipality had met İmamoğlu, received certain assurances regarding the candidacy process in return of payments.

Böcek said that, in order to clarify his own candidacy, he traveled to Istanbul on Nov. 30, 2023, and held a meeting lasting approximately one hour with Imamoğlu at a hotel. Böcek stated that his private secretary Yasin Yellice witnessed the meeting and that afterward they took a photo together on the hotel balcony, which he shared on his social media account.

According to Böcek’s statement, İmamoğlu told him during the meeting that he had not promised the candidacy to anyone else and that he would choose Böcek. However, the most notable part of the meeting was the alleged financial support requested for the election campaign and İmamoğlu’s presidential ambitions. Böcek claimed that İmamoğlu told him he needed financial resources for his election campaign and also said that he was planning to run for the presidency in the future, sharing his political roadmap. According to his account, İmamoğlu said that Antalya would take on important responsibilities both economically and socially during this process and that Böcek needed to be prepared for this.

Böcek said that after returning to Antalya, he told a friend that he needed €5 million and would use the money to make a payment in Istanbul. According to his statement, a few days later the person he met took a photo of a 100 Turkish lira banknote and gave him a piece of paper inside an envelope with a name and phone number written on it. Böcek said he was told that the payment could be collected at Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar using the banknote and the paper.

Böcek stated that he believed this method was a secret payment system known as “hawala” and said he had no way of knowing from which currency exchange office the money was collected.

The former mayor said that, in order to cover part of the requested amount, he called İmamoğlu on Dec. 16, 2023, and traveled to Istanbul the next day, to meet with him again. Böcek stated that he went to a building used by İmamoğlu as an election campaign office, describing it as an office located on the ground floor of a high-rise plaza.

Böcek claimed that during their private meeting, he handed the banknote and the paper containing the phone number to İmamoğlu and said that he would settle the remaining part of the requested money over time. He also said that he pledged to win many districts of Antalya in the election and presented his work regarding the districts to İmamoğlu.

Another notable detail in Böcek’s statement concerned the remaining portion of the money he had pledged. Muhittin Böcek said that he did not provide the remaining support he claimed he had promised to İmamoğlu because İmamoğlu was arrested. He also stated that the same payment method was used to cover the election advertising expenses arranged by his son, Gökhan Böcek.

The former mayor also talked about the political ambitions of Imamoğlu and how his influence spread across the party. He said Imamoğlu began working on plans for the presidency after his success in the Istanbul elections and soon “turned into a political power by himself above the power of the party” and intervened to selection of mayoral candidates. He claimed that the Özel administration was dependent on Imamoğlu’s opinion in most of the work they’ve done in the party.

He also referred to new CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s recent statement that “Municipalities are not places that should meet the demands of party headquarters and leaders.” Böcek argued that these words reflected the essence of the ongoing debate, saying that one reason CHP municipal governance’s strong public support had weakened was that political ambitions had been placed ahead of municipal services.

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Parliament is anticipated to discuss a draft bill soon for the next stage of the terror-free Türkiye initiative, which began in 2024. The initiative, which aims for full disarmament of the terrorist group PKK, will be reinforced with the new law, which will be temporary in nature and will have a clear definition about the fate of PKK members. The law will also exclude Abdullah Öcalan and other PKK members who were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, though it may offer leniency to other members of the terrorist group. The law will only be implemented after Turkish authorities confirmed PKK is fully dissolved and has abandoned arms.

The AK Party sources say the law’s rationale was offering its benefits to members of the group only after they dissolve it, and Türkiye is able to confirm this. National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are authorized to confirm the disarmament, but the National Security Council (NSC) will have the final say on the matter. Sources say that the confirmation will be announced only after the disarmament process reaches around 80%.

It is unclear how long the law will remain in force, but a time span of six months to one year is considered. It will definitely exclude Öcalan, who was sentenced to death on June 29, 1999, on charges of treason, before his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Any leniency in prison terms for Öcalan and other PKK members committed to acts of terrorism will be out of question. Those convicted of the grave acts of terrorism and currently abroad at large will also be exempt from leniency.

The law does not bring amnesty to PKK members, and it will only annul terrorism charges for those imprisoned on charges of PKK membership and those who face prosecution for similar charges. This means an early release from prison for convicts or a significant reduction in their sentences. In most terrorism cases, suspects face a wide variety of charges in addition to charges related to acts defined as terrorism under Turkish laws. For instance, a convict involved in bombing will only be sentenced or serve his/her sentence for manslaughter instead of terrorism. Currently, Türkiye hosts 4,300 people convicted of terrorism in its prisons. The case of each will be re-examined by the courts once the law is implemented.

For PKK members residing abroad and without any criminal record in Türkiye, the country plans to allow their return, but they will be subject to judicial control.

PKK’s senior cadres, who currently hide in Qandil mountains in northern Iraq, will also be exempted from the law, while sources say they already left the hideouts for several other destinations. Sources also say that it is believed that the majority of PKK members would not return to Türkiye even if the law is implemented, and they would prefer settling in Iraq, where they spent years.

On Saturday, Parliamentary Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said the initiative reached to an important stage and “80-90% of the work is done.” Kurtulmuş, who chaired a parliamentary committee on the initiative, said the terrorism would be “off the agenda of Türkiye soon.”

Kurtulmuş told broadcaster CNN Türk that the regime change in neighboring Syria, where the PKK’s wing YPG, has been active throughout the civil war, contributed to the initiative. “It became clear that it is now impossible to threaten Türkiye through Syria,” he said.

He expressed hope that all political parties would act unanimously to pass the law. “If we relax caution and do not act with urgency, I am afraid that provocations will emerge to undermine the process,” he said.

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Reinstated Chairperson Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is expected to fire at least 50 more people from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) within two months amid a growing rift between his supporters and the supporters of ousted Chair Özgür Özel. Özel, for now, is spared from the wrath of the Kılıçdaroğlu administration. The party denied claims that he would be removed from his current tenure as parliamentary group chair of the party.

Nevertheless, a report by the Sabah newspaper says at least 50 provincial chairs of the party will lose their seats by September. So far, the party parted ways with 10 provincial chairs who sided with Özgür Özel in the aftermath of a court verdict that annulled Özel’s chairmanship over allegations of vote-buying in a 2023 intra-party election. Özel views himself as the de facto chair of the party and repeatedly called Kılıçdaroğlu to hold a new intra-party election. The Kılıçdaroğlu administration announced earlier that the process for a new election will be launched in September. Although Özel is confident of winning a new election, he is also rumored to be preparing to switch to a new party or establish a new one, based on the outcome of the process, which will be held two years before the scheduled date for the presidential elections.

Kılıçdaroğlu, glorified by CHP supporters including Özel during his presidential election campaign against incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, found himself in hot water after accepting the job to lead the party again, three years after losing the intra-party race to Özel. Özel repeatedly condemns the move and says Kılıçdaroğlu works for the government, claiming that the court verdict ousting him was politically motivated. Özel’s supporters brand Kılıçdaroğlu as a “traitor.” This slogan was chanted en masse when Özel was visiting a cemevi, an Alevi place of worship, in Istanbul earlier this week. The incident sparked outrage among several Alevi associations. Although the Alevi community’s political views are diverse, it counts fervent supporters of both Özel and Kılıçdaroğlu among its members. Seven Alevi federations released a joint declaration on Saturday over the incident in Istanbul and accused the Özel supporters of politicizing a place of worship. The federations said, “ugly slogans constituted a hate crime.”

“Certain political actors and their supporters turned the cemevi into a venue for a political rally. Things that should never happen at a cemevi happened. We are also worried to see that politicians present at Garip Dede Cemevi did not intervene in this act of disrespect,” the joint statement said.

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Commenting on Sunday on plans for a new “solution plan” for divided Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was in the same place as it was in the past. “We won’t give even a piece of rock to Greek Cypriots. We won’t give land, won’t abandon our homeland, our state, and our flag.”

According to a report in the Greek Cypriot press, the solution model discussed during the recent contacts of the U.N. secretary-general’s personal envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, does not envisage a return to the “heavy federation” concept that had been discussed in previous years. It was claimed that the model under discussion is a “loose federation” approach aimed at reconciling the Greek Cypriot side’s position of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with the Turkish Cypriot side’s demands for sovereign equality and equal international status under a single framework.

The report stated that the proposed structure could be described by Greek Cypriots as a federation and by Turkish Cypriots as a confederation. It further alleged that the discussions centered on the previously debated concept of “territory in exchange for recognition and political equality.” Within this framework, it was suggested that areas such as Varosha, Morphou (Güzelyurt), and the Mesaoria region were included in various scenarios, similar to the maps discussed during the Crans-Montana process. In return, it was reportedly intended that the political equality of the Turkish Cypriot side would be recognized not merely verbally but in a functional manner within the state mechanism.

The report further claimed that the model envisages a state structure shaped by loose ties between two constituent states. Unlike previous federal proposals that included approximately 120 shared competencies, the new approach reportedly aims to significantly reduce common powers, leaving most day-to-day governance to the constituent states. The central authority would be limited to powers necessary for the effective representation of the new state internationally and within the European Union. According to the report, the system under consideration would include two constituent states, two separate legislatures, and a federal structure that would primarily serve a supervisory role for federal matters. Instead of an elected federal parliament, a body resembling the Council of Europe model and composed of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot representatives was allegedly being considered. This body would deal only with matters that the two constituent states could not decide independently. The aim, it was argued, would be to address Greek Cypriot concerns about governmental deadlock caused by veto powers while also alleviating Turkish Cypriot concerns stemming from the Greek Cypriot population majority.

Speaking to Ihlas News Agency (IHA) on Sunday, Üstel stated that the Turkish Cypriot people’s stance on the national cause is clear, saying: “The response that the Turkish Cypriots have always given to these claims is well known around the world. The position and determination put forward in the national cause have created a vision together with the Republic of Türkiye.”

Stating that the Turkish Cypriot people had been engaged in a struggle for existence from 1950 to 1974, Üstel said that during this period the Republic of Türkiye had always stood by the Turkish Cypriots. Üstel noted that from 1974 to the present day, the Turkish Cypriot people had also fought a major struggle in terms of the economy and catching up with the modern world, adding: “Here too, our motherland, the Republic of Türkiye, was always by our side.”

Emphasizing that they introduced a new policy on the national cause in 2020, Üstel said: “After 2020, the federation file has been closed for us. For us, a solution on the island can only be possible based on two states. Two peoples, two states and the sovereign equality of these states are important.” Üstel said that if this framework is not accepted, the Turkish Cypriot people would not say “yes” to any agreement, adding: “I say this on every platform. The governments before me in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, as well as our government, have always said the following: We have only one red line. The guarantor country in this case is Türkiye. We will not and cannot sign any agreement without Türkiye’s effective and de facto guarantee.”

Üstel stated that this stance had been clearly expressed not only by the TRNC but also by the Republic of Türkiye, recalling that Türkiye had called on the world three times at the United Nations General Assembly for the recognition of the TRNC.

Referring to the meeting between Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Representative on Cyprus, Üstel said Fidan’s message was clear.

Üstel said: “The message conveyed by Mr. Hakan Fidan is clear. For us, no agreement can be reached in Cyprus unless the two peoples, the two states, and the sovereign equality and equal international status of these two states are accepted.”

Stating that the claims raised by the Greek Cypriot side were aimed at disturbing the Turkish Cypriot people, Prime Minister Üstel said: “These provocations and statements made by the Greek Cypriot side are causing great unease among our people.”

Emphasizing that the Turkish Cypriot people have maintained the same stance from the past to the present, Üstel pointed to the line established by Dr. Fazıl Küçük, founding President Rauf Raif Denktaş, and honorary National Unity Party (UBP) chairman Dr. Derviş Eroğlu.

Stating that the statements appearing in the Greek Cypriot press were of no validity for the TRNC, Üstel said these claims were related to the election process on the Greek Cypriot side.

“Since the Greek Cypriot side has its own elections coming up, they are putting forward these statements as part of their election preparations. In addition, as the UN Secretary-General is entering the final phase of his term this year, there is an effort to show that the Greek Cypriot side is willing and to introduce a new plan. This is not a plan that can be accepted.”

Emphasizing that the Turkish Cypriot side has always supported negotiations but that talks must take place on the right basis, Üstel said: “The Turkish Cypriots have always said on every platform that they support negotiations taking place and that they are in favor of them. However, they have also stated on every platform that these negotiations must take place on the right basis.”

Drawing attention to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s emphasis on a two-state solution, sovereign equality, and equal international status, Üstel recalled that the two-state solution decision had been unanimously adopted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly and that a similar decision on a two-state solution and sovereign equality had passed by majority vote in the TRNC Assembly.

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Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said Monday that ending Israel’s military actions against Palestinians would be essential not only for achieving peace in the Middle East but also for ensuring broader global stability.

Speaking at the opening of the NATO Parliamentary Summit in Istanbul, Kurtulmuş said lasting peace could not be achieved without a peaceful Middle East, and that peace in the region was impossible without a just resolution for the Palestinian people.

“The end of these acts of aggression by the Israeli government would not only allow Palestinians to attain peace and tranquility, but would also mean securing world peace,” he said.

Kurtulmuş reiterated Türkiye’s support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, saying a two-state solution remained the only viable path toward a lasting settlement.

He also urged NATO allies and the wider international community to support diplomatic efforts to end conflicts across the region.

Referring to the recently signed memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, Kurtulmuş welcomed negotiations launched in Switzerland, expressing hope they would result in “a lasting and just peace,” rather than a temporary ceasefire.

Highlighting Türkiye’s diplomatic role in regional conflicts, Kurtulmuş pointed to Ankara’s mediation efforts that helped facilitate the Black Sea Grain Initiative and multiple prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia.

On defense cooperation, he said Türkiye had significantly strengthened its domestic defense industry and stood ready to share its capabilities with NATO allies.

Kurtulmuş also reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to NATO’s target of allocating 5% of gross domestic product to defense spending while criticizing defense industry restrictions imposed by some allies. He described such embargoes as unilateral, meaningless, and incompatible with the alliance’s principles.

Calling the current international environment a “historic crossroads,” Kurtulmuş urged NATO members to deepen cooperation in support of a more just, equitable, and secure international order.

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