Politics
Greek-Turkish tensions rise as Athens seeks EU support
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.
A new police operation in the southern province of Antalya has revealed that Muhittin Böcek, former mayor of the Mediterranean city for the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was allegedly involved in a sex-for-hire scheme. Seven suspects have been detained as part of the investigation.
Böcek, who is already jailed on corruption charges, reportedly sought to have sex with 11 young women who were promised jobs at municipality-run companies by Böcek’s subordinates.
Turkish media outlets reported that testimonies from the alleged victims indicated that Böcek was accused of having group sex and sexual relationships with two sisters and underage girls.
Several people were already arrested in an earlier operation on allegations of prostitution linked to the municipality. Among them was T.G., the director of a youth center run by the municipality. T.G. and four others are accused of organizing the scheme.
Böcek was arrested in 2025 on bribery charges. In an apparent bid for leniency in sentencing, he cooperated with authorities and recently admitted to paying 5 million euros ($5.5 million) to Ekrem İmamoğlu, another former mayor charged with corruption, in exchange for securing a CHP candidacy in the municipal elections.
He told investigators that he had a deal with İmamoğlu, an influential figure in the CHP, to pay 15 million euros in exchange for securing the CHP candidacy for Antalya in the previous elections.
Türkiye and Syria have completed construction of a floating bridge across the Euphrates River as part of growing cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces, Turkish and Syrian officials said on Sunday.
In a post on social media platform X, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Syria Nuh Yılmaz said that the bridge, connecting the two banks of the Euphrates in Syria, was completed on Aug. 30, Türkiye’s Victory Day.
Yılmaz said the bridge was built jointly by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the Syrian army to replace a previous bridge destroyed by flooding.
He said the project marked the second bridge constructed through cooperation between the Turkish and Syrian militaries.
“The Turkish and Syrian armed forces are building the future together in peace as well,” Yılmaz said.
Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said separately on X that the bridge was constructed to ease transportation difficulties for residents of the eastern province of Deir el-Zour.
Abu Qasra also thanked Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler for his efforts to strengthen trust and cooperation between the two countries.
“I extend my sincere thanks to my brother, Turkish Defense Minister Gen. Yaşar Güler, for his intensive efforts in strengthening trust and cooperation between our countries,” Abu Qasra noted.
Nuh Yılmaz, Türkiye’s ambassador to Damascus, previously said that relations between Türkiye and Syria are developing rapidly in line with the political will expressed by the two countries’ presidents, adding that the necessary legal framework is also being established.
Ankara was the main backer of the opposition forces that overthrew Assad and has since pledged to help Syria’s reconstruction and economic revival.
Commercial ties between Türkiye and Syria gained momentum after the ouster of longtime dictator Bashar Assad in late 2024. Bilateral trade with Syria reached $3.75 billion in 2025, up 42% year-to-year. The two neighbors are aiming to reach a $10 billion trade volume in the near future.
Top officials from the countries party to the historic Mecca Joint Defense Agreement convened in Istanbul on Monday on the occasion of the first meeting of the Strategic, Political and Defense Committee established to advance the deal. An army of journalists, including Daily Sabah managing editor Batuhan Takış, covered the key meeting highly anticipated by friends and foes of Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Speaking after the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said they decided to name the alliance the Mecca Defense Alliance. He said the first secretary-general of the alliance would be a Pakistani official and the secretariat’s offices would be based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He emphasized that the alliance would “reduce uncertainty and instability” in the region.
Along with Fidan, the meeting was attended by Türkiye’s National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of the General Staff General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman, and Chief of the General Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al Ruwaili.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the “Joint Defense Agreement” in Mecca on Aug. 7.
“We took a historic step in Mecca under the leadership of our President. The agreement is a product of the principle of regional ownership. As we have always stated, attempts to impose solutions on our region from outside do not provide remedies to our problems, on the contrary, they can lead to the payment of a heavy price. It has become an urgent necessity for the countries of the region to act together for security, stability, prosperity, and lasting peace, and to give an institutional character to the steps they take in this direction. With this agreement, the process of establishing a new security and cooperation architecture in our region has thus begun,” Fidan said in a news conference following the meeting.
He stated that the alliance will seek to establish a security architecture. In response to questions, he said they were open to expansion, underlining that its main purpose was to include more countries. He said that the alliance would reduce uncertainty, instability in the region and they hoped that it would be key to peace. Turkish officials have earlier stated that they were open to expanding the alliance to include other countries, particularly Egypt.
“We held a comprehensive exchange of views on the concrete steps we will take in the implementation of the agreement. As of today, we have also begun work on establishing the institutional structure envisaged by the agreement. First and foremost, we reached an agreement on the official name of our alliance. The official name of our alliance is the Mecca Defense Alliance. As you know, the Mecca Defense Alliance Agreement envisaged the establishment of a secretariat. It was decided that this secretariat would be established in Riyadh. There had also been a general agreement that the first Secretary-General would be a Pakistani colleague. In the discussions we held today, we reached preliminary decisions on the steps to be taken from this point forward, including which steps would be taken and when in order to institutionalize the alliance. Our brothers expressed their views during the meeting with a great deal of harmony and depth. I once again wish that the decisions taken here will be auspicious and beneficial, and I would like to extend my sincere thanks in advance to everyone who has contributed to the efforts to institutionalize the alliance,” Fidan added.
“Signed with our vision of a secure, stable, and prosperous future, this alliance is defense-oriented. The alliance is based on principles of international law, including respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and non-interference in their internal affairs. We would like to emphasize once again here that the alliance is not directed against any state, on the contrary, it is open to all states in our region that abide by these fundamental principles. It is our shared aspiration to advance the peaceful vision put forward by the Mecca Defense Alliance together with other friendly countries that share the principles at the heart of the agreement,” he said.
As the news of the alliance circulated, speculation was rife that it was squarely aimed at deterring Iran amid the U.S.-Iran war that spilled into U.S. allies in the region. The three countries rejected this but underlined that an attack on one country party to the agreement would be deemed as an attack on all.
Fidan also clarified that the alliance did not contradict Türkiye’s membership of NATO. “It does not eliminate or replace Türkiye’s obligations arising from NATO, in particular, or from its other alliances and agreements. Rather, it is complementary to all of them,” he said.
“With today’s inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the Mecca Defense Alliance, we have demonstrated that we are ready to assume responsibility for regional peace, security, and stability. We will continue to ensure close cooperation and coordination with friendly countries, particularly Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” he stated.
In response to a question, Fidan slammed the Israeli administration, singling out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “This murderer should be stopped. He is the common enemy of humanity,” he said.
“From the moment the electoral process began (in Israel), there has been an increasingly hostile rhetoric toward Türkiye from the Netanyahu government, including Netanyahu himself and his supporters, as well as approaches targeting our President and some of our colleagues. We have been following this from the very beginning.
“Netanyahu, the murderer and perpetrator of genocide, is not a person who should be taken seriously. He has become a common enemy of humanity, the international community, and global security. The principal party Netanyahu is accountable to is the international community and the international system. Because Netanyahu, his mentality, and the genocidal group acting alongside him constitute a threat not only to Türkiye but to global security as a whole. It would be a major mistake to think of this as merely Türkiye’s problem. Therefore, the international community must fulfill the responsibility it has failed to fulfill until now and stop this murderer, this perpetrator of genocide.
“It is now necessary to prevent this perpetrator of genocide from causing further harm to the region, to Israel, to the Jewish people, and to the entire world. In other words, this murderer, who takes pleasure in spilling Palestinian and Muslim blood, must now be stopped.
“The continuation of this situation is also causing great harm to Israel, while it is already causing immense harm to the Palestinians and the region. When you look at his statements, he does not want a Palestinian state to be established, nor does he want the ongoing occupation of countries in the region to come to an end. He wants the continuation of a genocidal and expansionist approach that threatens regional and international security,” he said.
In a move likely to anger Ankara, Israel and Greece signed a 3-billion-euro ($3.48 billion) defense deal on Monday under which Israel would build a “multilayered” defense system for Greece, according to a statement by Israel’s defense ministry.
The statement said a supplementary deal valued at 26 million euros would see Israel sell Greece Drone Dome systems to protect strategic sites against drones and reinforce existing defenses.
Both countries are at odds with Türkiye, though Greece seeks to mend ties after years of hostilities. Ankara has repeatedly warned against Israel’s expansionist goals across the region. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has previously warned that Türkiye may be the next target of Israel after the Netanyahu administration launched a genocidal campaign in Gaza.
Israel’s Defense Ministry said it was Israel’s largest-ever defense export deal with Greece and one of the biggest in the country’s history.
Amir Baram, director general of Israel’s defense ministry, said the so-called Achilles Shield deal reflected “Israel’s technological edge and the proven track record of our defense systems in the field.”
Under the deal, Israel will supply Greece with the David’s Sling and SPYDER systems produced by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the BARAK MX system made by Israel Aerospace Industries, as well as MMR multimission radars for air surveillance, manufactured by IAI unit ELTA Systems. David’s Sling was used by Israel to intercept Iranian missiles during the war with Iran this year. Greece becomes the second customer for the system after Finland.
Greece spends nearly 3.5% of its gross domestic product on defense, a higher proportion than many NATO allies due to its long-standing dispute with neighboring Türkiye.
Athens plans to spend about 28 billion euros by 2036 to build the Achilles Shield multilayered anti-ballistic, anti-aircraft and anti-drone system, and to buy up to 40 F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. and frigates from France and Italy.
Under Monday’s deal, Greece will also receive a new national command and control system, developed by Rafael, to integrate the country’s air defense capabilities.
Israel will also expand defense-industrial cooperation with Greece, including transfers of technology and expertise to local industry.
Greece and Israel, which have strong economic and diplomatic ties, operate an air training center in Greece, hold joint annual military exercises and cooperate on anti-drone systems and cybersecurity. Last year, Athens bought 36 Israeli-made rocket artillery systems for approximately 650 million euros.
In June, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned that Israel and its “accomplices” were engaged in starting “a fire” in the Mediterranean, especially on the island of Cyprus, and said they were following the developments. Türkiye is a guarantor state on the divided island and recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). It has no ties to the Greek Cypriot administration based in parts of southern Cyprus.
The president said, “some small circles whose ambitions are bigger than their size” have jumped on the Israeli bandwagon and served as “contractors of Zionism.”
“They are chasing dreams in the Eastern Mediterranean. Let me be clear: Do not engage in military adventurism, do not ride on the tails of the Zionist network of murderers. Our response to the attempts at the rights and sovereignty of Türkiye and Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean will be clear and very strong,” he warned.
Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed Monday to further institutionalize their defense cooperation under the Mecca Agreement, taking new steps aimed at strengthening solidarity and boosting the credibility and effectiveness of their collective deterrence and defense, according to a joint statement released after the meeting.
The agreement came during a meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee in Istanbul, bringing together the three countries’ foreign and defense ministers as well as their chiefs of defense forces and general staff.
The meeting marked a push by Ankara, Islamabad and Riyadh to transform their trilateral defense cooperation into a more structured framework focused on collective deterrence, defense capabilities and regional security.
Under the measures agreed Monday, the three countries will establish a permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia to support and coordinate cooperation under the Makkah Agreement.
The secretariat will initially be led by a secretary-general from Pakistan for a three-year term, the joint statement said.
The three countries also agreed to strengthen the capabilities and cohesion of their armed forces through joint activities, while expanding defense industry cooperation, including joint technology development and production.
The measures are intended to reinforce the three countries’ ability to act together and strengthen the effectiveness of their collective defense and deterrence framework.
At the same time, Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia stressed that their cooperation is aimed at supporting regional stability rather than escalating tensions.
Acting on the principle of regional ownership, the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable peace and stability and pledged to support de-escalation, restraint and the peaceful resolution of regional crises.
They said closer implementation of the Mecca Agreement would also contribute to cooperative regional security and efforts toward a just, inclusive and lasting peace.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan began his one-on-one talks with other leaders on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with a meeting with Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday. Erdoğan is scheduled to hold more one-on-one talks on Tuesday, including with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and address the opening session of the SCO Plus meeting that will follow the Council of Heads of State meeting.
The Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate said the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional and global developments. Erdoğan said at the meeting that the importance of the steps taken by Türkiye and Azerbaijan to enhance cooperation, particularly in the fields of energy, infrastructure and transportation, has become better understood amid the current atmosphere in the region, according to a statement by the directorate. He said that deepening relations in all areas based on the principle of “two states, one nation” would benefit both countries. President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye would continue to contribute to peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia and said that peace between the two countries would provide a vital boost to the region.
During the meeting, Erdoğan also invited Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the COP31 Summit set to be held in Antalya.
Türkiye and Azerbaijan are close allies, with their relationship strengthened by their shared cultural and ethnic heritage. The two countries also support efforts to normalize relations with neighboring Armenia. Aliyev met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday. According to the Azerbaijani presidency, Aliyev and Pashinyan agreed to continue direct bilateral engagement to advance the normalization of relations and strengthen regional connectivity.
The sides also discussed exports of Azerbaijani petroleum products to Armenia, shipments of grain and other goods through Azerbaijan, as well as steps toward implementing the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). Aliyev and Pashinyan also noted the important role of their respective state commissions on the delimitation of the Azerbaijan-Armenia border and emphasized the need to continue their work in line with agreements reached between the two countries.
On Aug. 8, 2025, Aliyev and Pashinyan initialed an agreement and, together with U.S. President Donald Trump, signed a joint declaration at a White House summit aimed at ending decades of conflict. The agreement included commitments to cease hostilities, reopen transport routes and normalize relations.
The two South Caucasus neighbors have fought two major wars over Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region since the late 1980s.
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