Politics
Four detained for PKK propaganda in southeastern Türkiye
On alert against provocations aimed at disrupting the terror-free Türkiye process, authorities on Sunday announced that four suspects who were hanging pictures of PKK terrorists on walls in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır had been detained.
The Diyarbakır Governor’s Office, in a province with a large Kurdish population, said in a statement that the incident was “isolated” and took place “only in a few small streets.”
On Sunday, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said in a social media post that authorities would not tolerate anyone trying to thwart the terror-free Türkiye process. The initiative seeks the full disarmament of the terrorist group and recently took a new turn with the introduction of a new law concerning the future status of PKK members. The law defers the prosecution and sentencing of PKK members who were not involved in acts of terrorism.
The PKK stepped up its propaganda activities after the law was introduced, as a party aligned with the group held “remembrance events” for slain PKK terrorists. The events angered critics of the initiative.
Çiftçi said that “every provocateur attempting to poison the climate of national unity and brotherhood will be subject to the treatment he/she deserves.” Proponents of the initiative, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, say the process will strengthen unity between Turks and Kurds. The latter has been exploited by the PKK for decades, as the terrorist group claims to fight for Kurdish self-rule in the southeast.
“As the Ministry of Interior, we are working in full coordination with all institutions and bodies of our state to completely rid our country of terrorism, remove violence entirely from our agenda and strengthen our social cohesion. The terror-free Türkiye process is an opportunity to open a new chapter that will free our country from the shackles holding it back and provide peace and prosperity for every one of its citizens.
“We are closely and resolutely monitoring the process to ensure that this sensitive period remains free from all forms of provocation and exploitation. We now face a new period that will further strengthen our brotherhood and enable us to channel our energy toward development, production and the prosperity of our nation. In this historic process, everyone, from political parties and civil society organizations to our citizens, has an important responsibility to fulfill,” Çiftçi said in his social media post.
The first meeting of a committee set up specifically for the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement will be held in Istanbul on Monday.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu will host their Pakistani and Saudi counterparts for the meeting.
The Strategic Political and Defense Committee, as it was called by Turkish diplomatic sources, will discuss international security issues, sources said on Sunday.
“The participants will also discuss such issues as developing defense capabilities, promoting greater interoperability among the armed forces of the three countries, deepening cooperation in the defense industry, including joint production and research and development, and strengthening joint efforts in the fight against terrorism,” sources said.
The agreement, signed in the birthplace of Islam in Saudi Arabia on Aug. 7, expands the Saudi Arabia-Pakistan alliance to include Türkiye, and the parties to the agreement hope other countries, especially Muslim-majority ones, will join the alliance in the future. Although it comes amid the U.S.-Iran war, which has also affected regional countries, and Israel’s relentless expansionist campaign spanning Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, the agreement does not target any country specifically and merely aims to serve as a deterrent to any power threatening them, according to proponents of the pact.
Türkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest military, has said the pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan and top oil exporter Saudi Arabia is open to expansion, with Egypt a potential candidate, and does not seek to replace existing alliances.
Sources said the meeting is expected to be attended by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, and Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir; and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Chief of General Staff Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili.
The meeting is also expected to establish the framework for a Secretariat and other relevant mechanisms to guide work in areas of joint activity identified by the committee, as well as to determine a road map for steps to be taken in the coming period.
The meeting will provide an opportunity to once again emphasize that the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement offers significant opportunities to all countries seeking to reinforce security, peace and stability in the region, adopt a cooperative approach to security issues, and prioritize peace and prosperity over conflict, diplomatic sources said.
The agreement stipulates that an attack against any one of the signatory states will be considered an attack against all parties, sources highlighted.
Aiming to foster a new culture of cooperation in the region, the agreement is open to the participation of all actors that respect international law and share a vision of peaceful cooperation, sources also said.
Türkiye’s declaration of marine parks in the Aegean Sea earlier this month annoyed Greece, which disputes Turkish maritime borders.
Greek media outlets reported that Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis would raise the issue at an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on Sept. 2. He is expected to reiterate Greece’s claim that the marine parks violate international law. Gerapetritis previously announced that Greece had issued a diplomatic note to Türkiye about the matter.
Two presidential decrees published in the Official Gazette on Aug. 16 reaffirmed Türkiye’s maritime rights in the Aegean Sea.
One decree designated an area between the Fethiye district of Muğla and the Kaş district of Antalya in the southern Aegean as a “national marine park,” while another applied the same designation to an area in the North Aegean Sea, near the coasts of Tekirdağ and Çanakkale.
For Türkiye, it is merely a move to protect marine biodiversity, but marine parks have been a source of contention with neighboring Greece for some time. Greek media outlets reported earlier this month that the Greek government was also moving forward with plans to declare a new national marine park in the southern Aegean Sea. The decree on the matter is now before a top court in the country and, according to the To Vima website, will be finalized in October.
Greece last year announced two marine parks, or areas designated for the protection of marine species, in the Ionian Sea and around the southern Cyclades islands, to the chagrin of Ankara. Türkiye argued that the declaration of marine parks, particularly near the islands, was political rather than aimed at protecting biodiversity and was an attempt to change the status quo in the disputed sea. Greek media outlets reported that new marine parks could be declared near the Dodecanese islands, or “On İki Ada” (Twelve Islands), as they are known in Türkiye. The islands were Ottoman domains until the early 20th century, before they were ceded to Italy. Italy, in turn, ceded them to Greece following World War II.
Ankara and Athens seek to improve relations after years of hostilities, but maritime jurisdiction remains a thorny issue. The countries, which came close to an all-out war in the 1990s over the Aegean Sea, remain vigilant, with Türkiye concentrating on developing its domestic defense industry. Greece relies on foreign partners to bolster its defenses. Embracing the doctrine of being effective and powerful at sea, as its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, once was, Türkiye has over the past two decades developed an independent defense industry capable of operating in open waters, thereby shifting geopolitical balances in its favor. The navy plays a critical role in ensuring the security of maritime trade routes in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, while promoting regional stability.
Ankara’s proactive stance on marine spatial planning is part of a broader strategy to assert its maritime rights and uphold international legal norms in the face of what it sees as encroaching initiatives by Greece. Turkish officials maintain that marine protection efforts must be transparent, equitable and cooperative, particularly in semi-enclosed seas like the Aegean, where maritime boundaries remain unsettled.
As Türkiye moves to institutionalize its marine planning within international frameworks, it seeks to preempt efforts that may attempt to redefine maritime jurisdiction through environmental discourse. The broader message from Ankara is clear: Marine conservation is vital, but not at the cost of geopolitical stability or sovereign rights.
Safeguarding its rights in its “Blue Homeland” (areas of Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction) is essential for Ankara, especially at a time of growing international cooperation, particularly involving Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, whose maritime claims contradict those of Türkiye and other countries. In May, Türkiye unveiled plans for a “Blue Homeland law,” which is expected to be debated in Parliament when the next legislative term starts in October. Aiming to cover all legal aspects of maritime areas over which the country has sovereignty, the law will cement and clarify Türkiye’s rights across the Black Sea, Aegean Sea, Mediterranean and Marmara Sea.
Türkiye said Friday that Greece’s newly announced spatial planning framework covering parts of the Aegean Sea would have no legal effect on Ankara, reiterating its position on longstanding disputes between the two neighbors. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said Greece’s Special Spatial Framework for Industry and Supply Chains, announced Friday, would not create any legal consequences for Türkiye regarding the interconnected disputes in the Aegean.
“The Special Spatial Framework for Industry and Supply Chains announced by Greece today (Aug. 28), which also covers the Aegean Sea, will have no legal consequences for our country in the context of the interconnected Aegean disputes between the two countries, including geographical formations whose sovereignty was not transferred to Greece by international treaties,” Keçeli said.
He reiterated Ankara’s call for Athens to pursue an approach consistent with the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighborliness, signed by the two countries on Dec. 7, 2023. Keçeli also stressed Türkiye’s readiness to cooperate with Greece as one of the two coastal states of the Aegean Sea.
“We once again emphasize that, as Türkiye, we maintain our position that an approach consistent with the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good-Neighborliness should be adopted, and that as one of the two coastal states of the Aegean Sea, we are always ready to cooperate with Greece,” he said.
Somali authorities said Saturday that the Turkish navy, along with Somali armed forces, had freed a hijacked vessel held in Somali waters and killed 14 pirates after a battle lasting several days.
The Horn of Africa has seen a resurgence in piracy since April, according to figures from the International Maritime Organization, with at least 15 attacks off the coast of Somalia this year, the highest number since 2013.
“During the 10-day operation, four boats used by the pirates were destroyed and 14 pirates were killed,” a Somali Defense Ministry statement said.
“The sustained military pressure finally forced the remaining pirates to abandon the ship,” it added.
“The forces subsequently secured the MV LATUF, which has now safely resumed its journey.”
According to sources in Puntland, at least eight crew members were on board, including one Turk.
The MarineTraffic website shows that the vessel, which operates under a Cameroonian flag, left Türkiye in late July bound for the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam.
The joint Türkiye-Somalia operation was carried out as part of a defense cooperation agreement between the two countries.
Piracy was rampant off the coast of Somalia in the 2000s, peaking in 2011 before being curbed by international naval deployments and new protection measures for commercial shipping. But attacks have surged since April, with at least five cargo ships held hostage, the latest of which was seized on Aug. 20 off Yemen.
A Defense and Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement signed between Türkiye and Somalia in February 2024 covers defense ties as well as efforts to strengthen Somalia’s maritime security capabilities.
Under the agreement, Türkiye is expected to support Somalia in protecting its maritime jurisdiction, securing marine resources and combating illegal activities. Türkiye has also long provided military training and capacity-building support in Somalia.
An Israeli Foreign Ministry social media post targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan outraged Türkiye, a steadfast champion of the Palestinian cause.
Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said in a statement on Sunday that the post by the Israeli ministry was “terrorism propaganda of the genocide network” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“It does not mean anything for anyone, but the strong voice of our president for humanity’s alliance will continue guiding those engaged in politics to preserve humanity’s dignity,” Çelik said in a social media post.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry branded Erdoğan “anti-Semitic,” an adjective now casually thrown at anyone opposing Israel’s genocidal actions toward Palestinians in Gaza and beyond.
Çelik stated that the “genocidal network is churning out lies, targeting our president.”
Erdoğan’s remarks during an event in Istanbul on Friday reignited rising anti-Turkish rhetoric in Israel. The president lashed out at the “radical, genocidal ideology of Zionism” in his speech.
“When we draw attention to the expansionist ambitions of Zionism, we are not doing so for ourselves, but on behalf of all the peoples of the region, regardless of their faith, and on behalf of humanity as a whole,” Erdoğan said at the event held to mark the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad.
“Even kites are seen as a threat and prevented from flying in Gaza, which the genocide network has turned into the world’s largest children’s cemetery. Millions of our brothers and sisters in Palestine alone are struggling to survive under extremely difficult conditions, deprived of even the most basic necessities. Likewise, in Lebanon, 1.3 million of our brothers and sisters have been forced to leave their homes due to attacks by the Israeli administration. More than 4,000 people have been killed, while more than 12,000 Lebanese, most of them women and children, have been injured. Israel’s current government, addicted to war, is trying every provocation imaginable to drag our entire region into instability.”
President Erdoğan said civilians pay the price for silence in the face of ruthless oppressors.
“Unfortunately, in recent history, civilians were forced to pay the price for the silence in the face of Hitler, Pol Pot and other ruthless tyrants. Millions of people from different backgrounds and faiths were subjected to genocide in Hitler’s concentration camps and Pol Pot’s killing fields. Sadly, humanity could do nothing but watch what was happening at the time. Today, the same mistake is being repeated in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.
“The necessary reaction is not being shown by the world to the genocide network’s policies, which recognize no rules, laws, principles, values or boundaries. Neither global institutions nor the international community are demonstrating the strong resolve needed to prevent massacres today, just as they failed to do so in the past. I believe we must now recognize this reality: As Muslims, we cannot get anywhere by placing our hopes in others. We must be strong, be capable of deterring threats, defend our rights and interests together, and jointly build peace and security in our region. That is why we say there is strength in alliances, and we are working to expand alliances and reduce disagreements both among ourselves and across the Islamic world,” he said.
“The lies and slanders targeting our President in the statement issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry reflect the cowardly and rotten mentality of the criminals serving in the Israeli government, particularly (Benjamin) Netanyahu,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday in response to the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s post.
The ministry said Netanyahu and his “criminal network” had brought “historic shame” upon the entire Israeli people by committing genocide in Gaza and had displayed expansionism unprecedented in the modern history of the Middle East, making them a primary source of regional and global instability.
“The immunities enjoyed by Netanyahu and his criminal network are disappearing both legally and politically,” the statement said.
The ministry said the efforts of Israeli institutions, which it said operate in a manner similar to “Goebbels’ propaganda machine,” were no longer sufficient and that the international community no longer believed the Netanyahu government’s “lies.”
“Türkiye, under the leadership of our President, has maintained an honest and determined stance against the crimes committed during the Netanyahu era,” the ministry said. “We will continue to defend and voice the truth.”
Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate, said in a social media post on Saturday that Israel’s statement was “a stark example of a mindset that resorts to slander and propaganda rather than confronting the facts.”
He said Israel was attempting to “conceal their aggression, the genocide they have committed, war crimes, and crimes against humanity” by “hiding behind the concept of ‘anti-Semitism.’”
Duran said Türkiye’s opposition was directed at Israel’s occupation, oppression, massacres and violations of international law, stressing that Erdoğan would continue defending the Palestinian cause and supporting the people of Gaza and regional stability.
Türkiye has granted visa exemptions to Syrian citizens holding diplomatic passports for official assignments in the country, as well as for tourist travel and transit crossings, according to a presidential decision published in the Official Gazette on Friday.
The decision, signed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, allows Syrian diplomatic passport holders to travel to Türkiye without a visa for tourist purposes for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. The exemption also covers transit passages through Türkiye.
Syrian citizens holding diplomatic passports who are assigned to official duties in Türkiye will likewise be exempt from visa requirements under the new arrangement.
The decision, numbered 6458, was issued under Article 18 of Türkiye’s Law on Foreigners and International Protection.
The measure establishes a specific visa regime for Syrian diplomatic passport holders, distinguishing their travel requirements from those applicable to holders of ordinary Syrian passports.
The new arrangement covers three categories of travel: assignments to Türkiye for official duties, tourist visits and transit travel. For tourism, the 90-day limit applies cumulatively within each 180-day period.
The decision comes as Türkiye and Syria continue to expand official contacts and diplomatic engagement following a period of major political change in Syria.
The visa exemption is expected to facilitate travel by Syrian diplomatic officials and other eligible diplomatic passport holders between the two countries, while also simplifying transit and short-term visits.
Türkiye summoned Ukraine’s ambassador on Saturday after two Turkish-operated commercial vessels were damaged in separate drone attacks in the Black Sea near the Russian port of Tuapse, raising fresh concerns in Ankara about the safety of civilian shipping in the region.
Ukrainian Ambassador Naryman Dzhelialov was called to the Turkish Foreign Ministry in Ankara following attacks on the Lider Bordo Mavi and Lider Kocatepe, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
The diplomatic move came after the Lider Bordo Mavi was struck Aug. 26 while sailing near Tuapse. The vessel was carrying fresh produce and caught fire after being hit by three drones, according to Turkish shipping and regional sources. Five crew members were injured.
The ship, which flies the Cameroon flag and is operated by a Turkish company, had left the Turkish Black Sea port of Samsun around Aug. 25. It was bound for Tuapse after reportedly being unable to call at the Russian port of Novorossiysk.
A second Turkish-operated vessel, the Lider Kocatepe, was sent to the area the following day to assist the damaged ship. It was also targeted by a drone while en route, sustaining material damage before returning to Samsun, Turkish media reported.
There was no immediate public claim of responsibility from Ukraine for either attack. Russia has attributed similar recent strikes on commercial shipping to Ukrainian forces.
The incidents have added to mounting concerns over the risks facing commercial vessels operating in the Black Sea, where civilian ships have increasingly been caught up in the fighting between Russia and Ukraine.
Türkiye warns over civilian shipping
During Saturday’s meeting, Turkish officials conveyed Ankara’s concerns over the attacks and stressed the need to protect lives, property, navigation and the marine environment, according to Foreign Ministry sources.
Türkiye has repeatedly warned that the war must not further threaten civilian maritime traffic or disrupt commercial navigation in the Black Sea. Ankara has also maintained diplomatic contacts with both Kyiv and Moscow after incidents involving ships connected to Türkiye.
The latest attacks come as Türkiye seeks greater protections for civilian vessels and commercial infrastructure in the Black Sea. Turkish officials have recently pushed for a mutual halt to attacks on civilian ships, commercial ports and energy facilities.
The issue carries particular importance for Türkiye, a Black Sea coastal state whose shipping industry has continued to operate routes linking Turkish ports with Russia and other regional markets despite the war.
Growing risks at sea
The Black Sea has become increasingly dangerous for commercial shipping since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ports, energy facilities and maritime infrastructure have been repeatedly targeted, while commercial vessels have faced growing risks from missiles, drones and naval activity.
Ukrainian officials have said attacks on vessels and infrastructure connected to Russia are aimed at disrupting Moscow’s wartime logistics and revenue rather than deliberately targeting civilians. They have also acknowledged the dangers faced by seafarers and urged shipowners to take the security situation into account when operating in the region.
The recent attacks involving Turkish-operated ships have nevertheless increased pressure on Ankara to safeguard its citizens, commercial interests and maritime trade.
Türkiye has sought to balance its relations with both Russia and Ukraine while positioning itself as a mediator in efforts to reduce the impact of the war on civilian activity. Ankara played a central role in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which helped facilitate the export of Ukrainian agricultural products through the region.
As of Saturday, the condition of the five injured crew members from the Lider Bordo Mavi was being monitored. The full extent of the damage to both vessels was still being assessed.
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