Politics
Govt ally Bahçeli vows commitment to terror-free Türkiye
Devlet Bahçeli, leader of government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) vowed not to back down from an initiative he co-founded for the dissolution of the terrorist group PKK. Addressing his party’s parliamentary group meeting in Ankara on Tuesday, Bahçeli said their “terror-free Türkiye and terror-free region” goals were “moves for self-determination of the fate of the Turkish nation.” “Whoever dismisses these goals are puppets and cowards. Whoever attempts to undermine it with their remarks and actions has bad intentions,” he said.
Bahçeli launched the initiative in 2024 in another parliamentary group meeting of the MHP, where he called upon the PKK’s jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, to order the group to lay down arms after more than four decades of violence. Öcalan responded with a call to the PKK in February 2025 to dissolve itself. The PKK largely complied with the call and held a symbolic ceremony in northern Iraq last summer where its members burned down weapons. Bahçeli and the government later expanded the initiative to the “terror-free region” by urging the YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK, which shunned the initiative, to join it. The YPG ultimately reached a deal with Damascus for integration into the new Syrian security forces, but the deal is not fully implemented yet. Recently, the Syrian army began retaking areas occupied by the YPG in a major offensive, forcing the group to sign another deal with Damascus.
In the wake of the Syrian offensive, the YPG attempted to portray operations as attacks on Kurds while pro-PKK groups in Türkiye joined this YPG campaign, stoking riots near the Turkish-Syrian border. Bahçeli said it was a malignant attempt to “provoke our Kurdish brothers.” “You cannot align Kurdish brothers and sisters with the YPG,” he said on Tuesday.
Bahçeli said developments in Syria, where the Syrian army started regaining control in YPG-occupied Hassakeh, as an important stage in the terror-free region initiative.
“The PKK’s founder fulfilled his promise in 2025 and ensured that the separatist terrorist group is dissolved and had its weapons burned. His call for the dissolution is binding for all groups associated with the PKK,” Bahçeli stressed.
“Those aiming to disrupt the eternal brotherhood of Turks and Kurds will lose. Those equating our Kurdish brothers with the terrorist group will lose,” he added. “Our march to achieve the goal of superpower Türkiye will continue. We have one homeland. The MHP will never concede from its goals. Our stance is clear. Anatolia should be peaceful, Öcalan should have hope, the Ahmets should return to office and Demirtaş should return home,” he said. Bahçeli in 2024 has proposed that Öcalan should be entitled to the “right to hope” if he works for the dissolution of the PKK.
The “Ahmets” Bahçeli was referring to are Ahmet Özer and Ahmet Türk. Özer, of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was suspended from office and arrested in 2024 for his links to the PKK while he was serving as mayor of Istanbul’s Esenyurt district. Türk, a prominent politician of Kurdish origin, was also suspended from the post of mayor of Mardin in the southeast in 2024 for his alleged links to the PKK. Türk was a mayor for the pro-PKK Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), whose spiritual predecessor Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) was co-chaired by Selahattin Demirtaş. Demirtaş was arrested in 2016 and was sentenced for provoking fatal pro-PKK riots which rocked Türkiye in 2014.
US threat for Iran
Bahçeli also commented on potential U.S. military action against Türkiye’s eastern neighbor, Iran. He stated that it would pose a fundamental danger that would have devastating consequences not only for Iran and the region but for the entire world.
He said any scenario aimed at installing “so-called moderate, but in reality shackled and co-opted puppet leaders in Iran through military force would trigger a series of grave consequences.”
“After Venezuela, turning to Iran would amount to nothing more than an open invitation to disaster,” he said. Bahçeli added that a U.S. strike on Iran, “driven by Zionism,” would be an unacceptable act of imperialist vandalism. “No country has such a right or authority,” he said, arguing that the only force capable of determining the future of Iran or any other sovereign and equal independent state is the will and dignity of its own people. He said dialogue and diplomacy should be prioritized between the United States and Iran, and praised President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s efforts to mediate and de-escalate tensions as “respectable and worthy of appreciation.”
Iran’s peace and security, he said, like Syria’s, are a cornerstone of regional stability. “Dislodging this cornerstone through a military operation against Iran would unleash a chain of problems that would be difficult to contain,” he warned.
Bahçeli cautioned that if a climate of war and armed conflict were to expand globally to include Iran after Russia and Ukraine, “nightmare scenarios would turn into reality.” He said Qatar’s mediation and Türkiye’s intensive efforts should contribute to resolving the disputes between the United States and Iran through mutual agreement. “Our region cannot endure another war,” he said.
A senior official from Türkiye’s ruling party said elections could be brought forward to November 2027 under certain conditions, while rejecting opposition calls for an early vote more than two years ahead of schedule.
Mustafa Elitaş, deputy chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), made the remarks during a public discussion event organized by the Turkish Press Federation.
Elitaş said that from a seasonal and logistical perspective, October or November would be the most suitable period for holding elections, citing weather conditions, school calendars and voter participation. He said November 2027 could be considered an appropriate time if elections were to be brought forward through a constitutional amendment.
Under Türkiye’s current election law, the next general election is scheduled for May 2028, while local elections are due in March 2029.
Elitaş dismissed claims that opposition leader Özgür Özel is genuinely pushing for early elections, arguing that Özel’s public statements have been inconsistent and shaped by internal party dynamics following the 2024 local elections.
Asked about comments by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, who previously described calls for early elections as “foolish,” Elitaş said an elected government should not abandon its mandate prematurely.
Elitaş said Türkiye’s political system provides clear legal frameworks for election timing and that any changes would require broad political agreement and constitutional procedures.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with the European Commission’s commissioner for enlargement, Marta Kos, in Ankara on Friday, the Foreign Ministry said.
In a statement posted on the Foreign Ministry’s official NSosyal media account, it said the two held talks in the Turkish capital and shared images from the meeting.
In a joint statement released following the talks, Fidan and Kos confirmed Türkiye’s status as a candidate country and welcomed renewed mutual engagement in areas of shared interest, pledging to translate dialogue into concrete steps. They said five high-level dialogue meetings held in 2025 had helped advance EU support for Türkiye’s efforts to host refugees under temporary protection and improve Turkish citizens’ access to multiple-entry Schengen Area visas.
The two sides said recent global and regional developments have further underscored the strategic importance of Türkiye-EU relations. Fidan called for swiftly overcoming existing obstacles in bilateral ties and urged cooperation within a more comprehensive, institutional and multilayered framework. Both sides agreed that strengthening cooperation in areas including security and connectivity is of strategic importance in light of ongoing regional and global challenges.
Fidan and Kos also emphasized closer coordination to shape a regional connectivity agenda covering energy, transport, digitalization and trade, aimed at boosting stability, resilience and sustainable growth in the Black Sea, South Caucasus and Central Asia, highlighting Türkiye’s role as a central geopolitical actor in the region.
On economic ties, both sides reaffirmed the importance of Türkiye-EU economic integration. Fidan stressed the growing urgency of modernizing the customs union amid changing global trade dynamics, geopolitical and economic uncertainty, supply chain vulnerabilities, and the green and digital transitions. They agreed to continue working to improve the customs union’s implementation and to unlock its full potential to support competitiveness, economic security and resilience.
The sides welcomed the gradual resumption of European Investment Bank operations in Türkiye and said they intend to strengthen cooperation with the bank to support innovation-driven and sustainable projects in Türkiye and neighboring regions.
They also welcomed the adoption of a European Commission decision easing access for Turkish citizens to multiple-entry Schengen visas and underscored the importance of advancing the Visa Liberalization Dialogue, alongside enhanced cooperation on security and migration through high-level dialogue mechanisms.
Marking the anniversary of the devastating 2023 earthquakes, Kos paid tribute to those affected and reaffirmed the EU’s solidarity with Türkiye, including 1 billion euros ($1.18 billion) in emergency and reconstruction support. Fidan, citing the EU’s solidarity during the disaster, emphasized the importance of Türkiye-EU cooperation in all fields for the security, stability and prosperity of Europe.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday commemorated those who lost their lives in 2023’s twin earthquakes, on the third anniversary of the disaster.
The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes struck southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, 2023, causing widespread destruction across multiple provinces and resulting in over 53,000 fatalities. The disaster triggered one of the largest emergency response and reconstruction efforts in the country’s history.
In a social media post, Erdoğan said the victims would not be forgotten and reaffirmed commitments made to the nation following the earthquakes. He said authorities pledged to preserve the memory of those who died, protect what they left behind and rebuild cities destroyed by the disaster.
“We will not forget our brothers and sisters who lost their lives in the two major earthquakes we experienced three years ago today,” Erdoğan said. “We promised our nation that we would always keep their memories alive in our hearts and minds and rebuild our cities destroyed by the earthquake.”
Erdoğan said Türkiye has fulfilled that promise, adding that cities damaged in the earthquakes have been rebuilt within three years.
The post also included a video showing the destruction caused by the earthquakes and reconstruction efforts carried out in the affected region.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he aims to build on recent diplomatic momentum between Greece and Türkiye despite longstanding tensions, according to an interview on Thursday, ahead of his visit to Türkiye on Feb. 11.
Speaking to Foreign Policy magazine, Mitsotakis said Athens recognizes a single core dispute with Ankara: the delimitation of maritime zones in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.
“This difference goes back decades,” Mitsotakis said. He added that the two sides have worked constructively in recent years to ease tensions and maintain cooperation, even without resolving the long-running dispute.
“We cannot solve this major problem, which hasn’t been resolved for many decades,” he said. “But we can still have a working relationship, a constructive relationship on certain fronts.”
Mitsotakis underlined that he plans to clearly restate Greece’s position during talks in Ankara, while also seeking to build on progress made over the past year. He is scheduled to visit Türkiye on Feb. 11 as part of ongoing efforts to improve bilateral ties.
Most recently, Türkiye rejected statements by Greek officials regarding a possible extension of Greece’s territorial waters in the Aegean Sea to 12 nautical miles, stressing that such unilateral actions are unacceptable and contrary to international law.
Ankara’s stance on the issue is clear, the Defense Ministry sources told reporters at a weekly briefing on Thursday. They emphasized that a fair and lawful sharing of maritime jurisdiction in the Aegean is only possible through dialogue conducted in good faith. They warned that actions and claims that ignore existing disputes and violate Türkiye’s rights cannot have legal consequences for the country.
“As Türkiye, we advocate that a fair, equitable and internationally lawful sharing of maritime jurisdiction in the Aegean is only possible within the framework of mutual dialogue and good faith,” the ministry said. It added that Greece’s unilateral actions, claims and statements disregarding contested areas are unacceptable.
The ministry underlined that the Turkish military remains determined to protect the country’s interests in line with the “Blue Homeland” doctrine, a concept defining Türkiye’s maritime jurisdiction areas, including its continental shelf and exclusive economic zone.
“In line with the ‘Blue Homeland’ concept, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are resolutely continuing their duty to protect all rights and interests in our country’s maritime jurisdiction areas,” the statement said.
Previously this week, the Greek prime minister also told local media that the dispute over the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean stands out as an obstacle in advancing Greek-Turkish ties and threatens the prevalence of Türkiye’s exclusion from EU funds.
Athens and Ankara have tried to overcome their differences in recent years, leaving behind a troubled past. Last month, diplomats from the two countries came together in the Greek capital for a “positive agenda” meeting.
Regarding his meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his Türkiye visit, Mitsotakis told Skai TV that Greece and Türkiye did not need arbitrators or intermediaries to discuss bilateral issues. He hailed improvement in relations since the Athens Declaration was signed during Erdoğan’s visit to Greece in 2023.
Mitsotakis noted that resolving their dispute in maritime delimitation would bring Türkiye closer to the European Union, of which Ankara hopes to be a member. He warned, however, that the prevalence of “casus belli” in the Aegean would prevent Türkiye’s access to European funds. Mitsotakis, quoted by the Greek TV, admitted that Athens used the issue as “leverage” against Türkiye, so that Ankara would “abandon misguided claims.”
Türkiye recently extended the navigation warnings, known as Navtex, in the wake of Greece’s violation of Türkiye’s maritime borders. Mitsotakis, who was accused by the Greek opposition of remaining silent on the issue, hit out at the warnings and claimed they were illegal and Greece would not seek Türkiye’s permission for running projects in those waters, such as electrical interconnection projects.
Speaking ahead of the potential U.S.-Iran talks expected to take place on Friday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Thursday that Ankara does not want a new war in the region.
Erdoğan stated that having both sides at the negotiation table was important and urged dialogue to resolve the crisis between the two countries. The president was answering reporters’ questions as he was returning home from an official visit to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, where Iran-U.S. tensions, among other hot topics, were discussed.
Türkiye was named as one of the potential venues for direct talks between Iran and the U.S., after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran following weeks of deadly protests in Türkiye’s eastern neighbor. Iran confirmed Wednesday that the talks would take place in Oman’s Muscat on Friday amid rumors that negotiations may collapse due to disagreements about the format and the venue. Moreover, Trump reiterated his threats to Iran on Wednesday, warning Iran’s supreme leader that he should be “very worried.”
Media outlets reported earlier that Iran opposed the inclusion of its ballistic missile programs in potential talks with the U.S.
Ankara, which maintains close ties with Iran and the U.S., has advocated dialogue since tensions gradually escalated over the past few weeks. Erdoğan conducted phone diplomacy with both Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the crisis, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan in Istanbul in January.
“We are doing everything to prevent these tensions between the United States and Iran from driving the region into a new conflict and chaos. We are on it. We clearly expressed our opposition to a military intervention in Iran. I see the sides are making room for diplomacy, and this is a positive development. Conflicts are not a solution to the problems, and they should find grounds for reconciliation. This is an ongoing process, and it has not collapsed. There is still room for dialogue and diplomacy,” Erdoğan stated.
“I believe there should also be talks between leaders if the expected negotiations succeed. At a time of high military tensions, it is important to have both sides in the negotiations,” he said.
“We will conduct our leadership diplomacy and diplomacy at other levels, to reinforce the ground for negotiations. We will wait and see if these grounds expand and other countries join the process,” Erdoğan also said.
“Türkiye’s key advantage lies in its ability to communicate with the parties swiftly and in a results-oriented manner, as Türkiye generally maintains a more balanced position and engages with the parties on a principled basis. It currently stands out as the most suitable candidate for mediation. At present, Türkiye enjoys good relations both with the Donald Trump administration and with Iran, a country with which we have been neighbors for centuries,” Mustafa Caner, editor-in-chief of Kriter Magazine and a researcher at Turkish think-tank, the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), told Daily Sabah.
On a question whether Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries aligned more with Türkiye’s policies on Iran, shifting from a seemingly pro-U.S. approach, Erdoğan said that countries such as Saudi Arabia favored the prevalence of peace in the region.
“We don’t want a new war, I always said that. Saudi Arabia is also affected by any conflict. Our sensitivity on this matter is aligned. Complete peace and stability are a big win for our region. A region dominated by conflicts, bloodshed and tears is a great loss. The most reasonable choice for all of us is siding with peace. I believe the regional countries clearly see our stand on these matters after years of conflicts, and they support our stand. It is time to extinguish the fires, to get rid of the ring of fire. Common sense should unite us. Handling matters militarily will only drive the region to a catastrophe. It is of no use to anybody to stoke the fire. Our region is fed up with bloodshed and wars. We want to speak peace and increase cooperation. Problems always emerge, and disputes are part of international relations, but this is what diplomacy is for. We have to strengthen peaceful diplomacy,” he stressed.
Also commenting on the situation in Gaza, Erdoğan highlighted Türkiye’s efficient role in establishing peace and stability in the Palestinian enclave and for “proper execution of the Gaza Peace Plan.” He also called the international community to exert pressure on Israel for adherence to the cease-fire.
On Syria, Erdoğan said Ankara endorsed a strong, integrated Syria and “embraced all Syrians, be they Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens or Nusairis.”
Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias acknowledged Türkiye’s growing regional clout and called on the U.S. to decide whether its long-term interests align more closely with Ankara or Israel, as he spoke Wednesday at the Delphi Economic Forum held in Washington.
Responding to a moderator’s remarks on Türkiye’s expanding influence in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and the Horn of Africa, and claims that Ankara could benefit from any potential U.S.-Iran confrontation, Dendias said he “completely agrees” that Türkiye has demonstrated significant diplomatic and strategic success in recent years. He added that Libya should also be included among Türkiye’s achievements.
Dendias said Türkiye maintains a military presence in western Libya while engaging with authorities in the country’s east. He also noted that during his tenure as Greece’s foreign minister, he observed Türkiye’s strong footprint across Africa, including sub-Saharan regions, even encountering President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan twice during visits. He added that Türkiye has been similarly assertive in the South Caucasus.
The Greek minister urged Washington to assess what kind of Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean it wants to see in the next 10 to 20 years, suggesting that the U.S. should compare that vision with Ankara’s and determine which aligns better with its national interests. Dendias also commented on the personal rapport between Trump and Erdoğan, arguing that the U.S. president should encourage Türkiye to align with “Western values and interests.”
Reiterating his long-standing criticisms of Türkiye, Dendias claimed Ankara should abandon its “Blue Homeland” maritime doctrine.
“Blue Homeland” is the name of a doctrine conceived by two former Turkish naval officers, encompassing Türkiye’s maritime jurisdictions, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in line with U.N. resolutions.
Ankara and Athens seek to improve relations after years of hostilities, but maritime jurisdictions remain a thorny issue. Countries that came close to an all-out war in the 1990s over the Aegean Sea remain vigilant, with Türkiye concentrating on developing a domestic defense industry. Greece relies on foreign partners to boost its defenses.
Türkiye boasts a rapidly flourishing defense industry, especially in terms of the uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) it owns and exports. In the Blue Homeland exercise, 28 armed UAVs will showcase their abilities, in addition to some locally made ships, seven submarines, seven uncrewed naval vehicles, 31 military jets and 17 helicopters.
Embracing the doctrine of being effective and powerful at sea as its predecessor, the Ottomans, once were, the Republic of Türkiye in the past two decades has 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, promoting regional stability.
In the past two decades, Türkiye has reached a milestone by designing and producing its own warships. The TCG Heybeliada, the first indigenous corvette, was commissioned in 2011, followed by projects for indigenous frigates and destroyers. The ADVENT combat management system, developed domestically, represents a significant achievement, enhancing the capabilities of the Turkish navy.
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