Politics
İmamoğlu says he’s not after office, but ‘a tough fight’
Duvar English
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on Feb. 6 shared a video regarding his newly announced campaign for the presidency on his social media accounts.
Önce aday, sonra Cumhurbaşkanı olma iddiasıyla yola çıkıyorum.
Ortak akıl ve uzlaşmayla Türkiye yeniden ayağa kalkacak, milletçe birliğimizi ve kardeşliğimizi yeniden kazanacağız. pic.twitter.com/mEVdX0UxzT
— Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) March 6, 2025
In the video, İmamoğlu says he was not after the office, but “a tough fight.”
He said that his only concern and dream was to rebuild the state structure, the economy, democracy, and the law that “the government has destroyed,” and to “make the state the guardian of the nation’s interests and the nation’s security, not a handful of people.”
“We can change this corrupt order only through a principled, virtuous solidarity, every step of which is determined by the broadest consensus,” he added.
The first step of this consensus is the primary that his Republican People’s Party (CHP) will hold this month, the popular mayor noted.
The CHP will hold a primary on March 23 to name its presidential candidate, which is an unusual move in Turkish politics.
İmamoğlu is the only candidate in the primary in which all CHP members can vote.
“We will put forward the will of our party on March 23rd and turn to all the republicans, democrats, and patriots of this country and say, there is no salvation, alone! Let’s all take charge together,” İmamoğlu added.
İmamoğlu is facing several judicial investigations and can get a political ban as he is regarded a strong rival against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The elections are scheduled for 2028 but the CHP is pressuring the government to hold an early election this year.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday said that the spiral of violence triggered by Israel’s attacks could harm the region and Europe in terms of migration and the possibility of nuclear leakage.
In a phone call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Erdoğan said that nuclear disputes with Iran should be resolved via talks and warned that Israel’s attack has severely heightened threats to regional security, according to the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications.
“Our President also warned that the spiral of violence triggered by Israel’s attacks could negatively impact both the region and Europe, particularly in terms of potential migration waves and nuclear fallout,” the directorate said on X.
Erdoğan said the conflict, which began with Israel’s attack on Iran, has raised the threat to regional security to the highest level, he said.
The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations as well as regional issues, it added.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas hailed Türkiye’s role in diplomacy and said the country was a “security player” for the bloc.
“When it comes to the role of Türkiye, Istanbul has been where many meetings take place. Therefore, everybody is grateful that Türkiye is also offering this mediation,” Kaja Kallas told reporters, in response to a question about ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Kallas said the EU’s recent decisions on security and defense have unlocked significant funding, with over 800 billion euros ($918 billion) available to support joint procurement and defense projects.
She stressed that these instruments, including the SAFE loan mechanism, are not protectionist and can also be used in cooperation with partner countries such as Türkiye.
“Now Türkiye, as a candidate country, also has access to SAFE loans, for example, for joint projects with European countries,” she said, adding that these tools aim to strengthen Europe’s defense industry while fostering collaboration beyond the bloc.
Last month, EU countries adopted a regulation setting up SAFE, a new financial instrument designed to support member states that wish to invest in defense industrial production through common procurement, focusing on priority capabilities.
Under the approved part of the regulation, joint defense procurement of the bloc may include third countries not members of the EU, such as Türkiye.
Europe aims to reinforce its defenses as the U.S. reconsiders its generous support to the continent’s defense since World War II and the perceived threat from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Türkiye is eager to contribute to Europe’s security architecture, although the bloc stalled its accession for years.
In the Middle East, she expressed concern over rising tensions, particularly attacks on nuclear sites and fears of wider conflict. She said the EU supports diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation and manage risks related to Iran and regional instability.
“This war in the Middle East is extremely concerning. The risks of miscalculation are very high, so we try to bring the tensions down,” she said.
Türkiye has stepped up measures to protect its airspace and land borders with the start of Israeli airstrikes in Iran, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.
“At a time when diplomatic negotiations continue to resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, Israel has once again jeopardized global and regional peace and attacked our neighbor Iran in violation of international law,” the ministry sources told reporters at a weekly press briefing in Ankara.
The sources said reports of Israeli jets violating Turkish airspace during the first day of the airstrikes on Iran are inaccurate, emphasizing that from the outset, all air movements were closely monitored.
Upon the possibility of a potential airspace violation by Israeli jets, alert aircraft took off and began air patrol missions within Turkish airspace, the sources added.
They stressed that with the start of Israel’s airstrikes, measures to protect “our airspace and borders have been intensified.”
The sources condemned Israel’s aggressive policies toward Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran, which they warned were “disrupting the fragile balances in the region.”
Türkiye continues to call on Israel to “immediately abandon rhetoric and attacks that will further expand the course of the war,” the sources said.
Border security
They also said efforts to maintain Türkiye’s air and missile defense as a multilayered and comprehensive system are ongoing.
In addition to domestic radar and air defense systems, work continues to strengthen command and control capabilities. Measures are in place to ensure air defense units and weapon systems remain at the highest level of readiness, the sources added.
Stating that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are on duty 24/7 with top-level technology and personnel to secure Türkiye’s borders, the sources emphasized that there is no uncontrolled migration movement, that the claims are disinformation and that there is no data or official confirmation of any mass migration to the country.
Türkiye’s capacity to ensure border security and respond to potential humanitarian crises is maintained at the highest level in coordination with relevant state institutions, the ministry sources stressed.
“Türkiye acts in a controlled and orderly manner as a country that supports regional stability and fulfills its humanitarian responsibilities,” the sources added.
Also speaking to reporters, ministry spokesperson Zeki Aktürk confirmed there has been no rise in illegal border crossings following Israel-Iran clashes.
The Turkish Armed Forces will continue to take all necessary security measures proactively against possible migration movements, Akturk said.
He condemned Israel’s attacks on Iran and said Israel’s “aggression, which entirely negates international law, blatantly demonstrates its intention to further spread the conflict.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly warned of regional repercussions of Israel’s war with Iran and assured Ankara was engaged in diplomatic efforts to stop Israel’s attacks in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Iran.
All our institutions are on alert regarding the possible effects of these attacks on Türkiye,” Erdoğan assured Wednesday, speaking at a meeting of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Ankara.
It is entirely “natural, legitimate and lawful” for Iran to defend itself against Israel’s “banditry and state terrorism,” Erdoğan said.
On June 13, Israel launched large-scale attacks targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities across several cities, as well as high-ranking military command centers. At least 585 people were killed and 1,326 people were injured in Israeli airstrikes in Tehran and other populated areas. In retaliation, Iran’s military launched ballistic missiles at Israel, killing 24 people and wounding over 500, according to reports. Numerous countries, including Türkiye, have condemned Israel’s actions.
Since a new round of the Palestine-Israel conflict erupted in 2023, Türkiye has been on alert, and Erdoğan had warned that Israel may set its sights on Türkiye in the future, citing the Netanyahu administration’s expansionist goals. Over time, Israel has launched attacks in Lebanon and Syria and hurled veiled threats toward Türkiye, calling on Ankara not to side with Palestinians.
A Turkish court on Thursday acquitted a group of youths who assaulted U.S. servicemen late last year in the western Izmir province, while one of them was fined TL 10,000 ($252) for “bodily harm.”
Fifteen members of the Turkish Youth Union (TGB), an anti-American group linked to a political party, attacked two American servicemen, part of the crew of USS Wasp, an American amphibious assault ship docked in Izmir on Sept. 1, 2024. The incident was captured on camera by the TGB, which is known for similar attacks on U.S. soldiers in the past.
The servicemen had been in civilian clothes, and five other U.S. soldiers nearby tried to intervene in the incident. Security forces stopped the assailants, and the suspects were all detained and charged with “depriving a person of their freedom by coercion, threat or trickery.” All were tried without serving jail time.
At the final hearing on Thursday, the suspects’ lawyer Bülent Karagöz argued the incident was “not meant to deprive a person of their freedom but a protest.”
“They used their institutional rights to protest. It was not an illegal demonstration or a meeting,” he told the court.
Fourteen suspects were acquitted of the charges while TGB Chair Kayahan Çetin was handed a monetary fine, but the final ruling was adjourned.
The TGB claimed the video with a video on its X account in which several people are seen forcing a bag over the head of a person dressed in civilian clothes as the attackers chant: “Yankee go home!” in English. “American soldiers who carry the blood of our soldiers and thousands of Palestinians on their hands cannot defile our country,” the TGB said.
The bag over the head referred to an incident from the 2003 Iraq war when U.S. forces in northern Iraq arrested a group of Turkish soldiers, forced hoods over their heads and held them for three days. The incident outraged many in Türkiye.
The TGB is affiliated with the Patriotic Party (VP), a fringe party known for its staunch opposition to U.S.-Turkish ties and advocates stronger bonds with Russia and China.
Türkiye-U.S. relations have been tumultuous at times, but the two countries remain steadfast NATO allies. Yet, a recent international survey by U.S.-based think tank Pew Research Center showed that favorable opinion of the U.S. around the world was lowest in Türkiye, along with Tunisia.
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is courting Muharrem Ince, a former member who once challenged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in presidential elections. CHP leader Özgür Özel visited the Homeland Party (MP) headquarters on Wednesday and openly invited the party’s chair, Ince, to “return home.” Ince was a four-term CHP lawmaker before he was nominated as the party’s presidential candidate in the 2018 elections.
Ince told Özel that he would consider the invitation and discuss it with his party’s administrative board.
Although he parted ways with the CHP in 2021 after he failed to trigger an intraparty election to topple former CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the veteran politician appeared supportive of the party at times, especially after the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu last March on charges of corruption. Ince also sided with the CHP in opposing the arrest as Özel, claiming it was a “politically motivated” act to imprison Imamoğlu, the future presidential candidate of the party. Nevertheless, Ince hinted that his support would not last long and suggested “a third way” was possible in Turkish politics outside the CHP and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) without openly promoting his party.
The MP has one of the lowest followings in the Turkish political landscape, scoring only 0.17% of the vote in last year’s municipal elections.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will one day face justice, Ambassador Egemen Bağış said Wednesday at a regional peace forum in Tirana, slamming the Israeli leader for exploiting his power to deflect from his own legal troubles.
Speaking during a panel at the “From Knowledge to Action” forum in Albania’s capital, Bağış criticized Israel’s ongoing attacks on Palestinians and said the time had come to reject Netanyahu’s actions.
“…we all have a problem with how Netanyahu abuses his authority to escape prosecution and extend his political career. It’s time to say ‘no’ — and I have no doubt we will see the day he is judged,” Bağış said.
Türkiye has been a fervent critic of Israel, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan comparing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide and criticizing Western nations for backing Israel.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November 2024, for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to the war in Gaza and the October 2023 incursion that spurred Israel’s genocidal offensive.
In their decision to grant the warrants, the ICC judges said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant were criminally responsible for starvation in Gaza and the persecution of Palestinians.
Addressing Türkiye-Greece relations, Bağış acknowledged political differences but emphasized solidarity in times of crisis. “We may have disagreements, but when it matters most, we are the first to help each other,” he said.
He also highlighted the growing role of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations in combating xenophobia, racism, and Islamophobia.
“In today’s world of wars, I can’t hear the voice of peace,” Bağış said, calling for renewed global efforts to protect human dignity and cooperation.
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