Politics
Iran, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan call for regional-led security
Iran said Monday it had reached an understanding with Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that regional security should be maintained by countries in the region rather than foreign powers, following high-level talks in Tehran focused on strengthening cooperation and addressing shared security challenges.
Iran and three other countries participating in the Mecca pact — Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan — agreed that regional security should be ensured without foreign intervention, a senior Iranian official said Monday.
“The outcomes we agreed on were that security in the region where we live should be endogenous, meaning it should be achieved by the countries themselves, and that we must prevent any kind of foreign intervention in this region,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said following the meeting.
The four-way talks in Tehran brought together senior officials to discuss regional security, Israel’s activities in the Middle East and developments in Palestine and Lebanon.
Türkiye was represented by National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Director Ibrahim Kalın, Saudi Arabia by Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and Pakistan by army chief Asim Munir.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also attended the meeting.
Earlier Monday, Pezeshkian expressed Tehran’s readiness to deepen regional cooperation and resolve disputes, calling for greater unity among Muslim-majority countries, according to state news agency IRNA.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, with firm conviction and serious determination, is ready to take steps toward deepening regional cooperation, resolving differences and drawing on the shared capabilities of Islamic countries,” Pezeshkian said.
He emphasized that Tehran supported initiatives aimed at promoting regional solidarity, stability and economic development.
The Iranian president also said Muslim countries could harness their collective resources and capabilities to present a model of justice and development to the international community.
The meeting underscored efforts by the four countries to strengthen regional coordination amid continuing tensions in the Middle East.
Egypt discussed regional de-escalation efforts with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), emphasizing coordination through a four-way ministerial mechanism involving Türkiye and Pakistan, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate phone calls Tuesday with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, the ministry said in two separate statements Wednesday.
During his call with bin Farhan, Abdelatty discussed regional developments and “efforts to contain the current crisis amid growing risks of escalation,” stressing the need to “advance political and peaceful solutions through dialogue.”
The two foreign ministers agreed to “continue close consultations and coordination bilaterally and through a four-way ministerial mechanism that also includes Türkiye and Pakistan.”
The mechanism brings together Egypt, Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia to strengthen consultation and coordination on de-escalation and support political solutions to regional crises.
The foreign ministers of the four countries met last month on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss regional and international developments, according to a joint statement released after the meeting.
The ministers stressed the need for closer consultation and coordination among their governments to promote peace, security and economic stability across the Middle East and the broader region.
The call came a day after Egypt’s Parliament approved, by a two-thirds majority, a mandate for President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to take necessary measures to support Saudi Arabia and defend its territory, sovereignty and holy sites, in coordination with the kingdom.
It also comes amid ongoing military escalation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi group since July, including Houthi attacks on civil aviation facilities and energy infrastructure in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition since March 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government against the Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa and several provinces since September 2014.
In a separate statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Abdelatty and his Emirati counterpart discussed the latest regional developments, particularly growing indications of possible escalation in the coming period.
Abdelatty stressed the need for regional countries to “unite their efforts to reach peaceful solutions and return all parties to a peaceful political track to prevent the region from sliding into a more dangerous phase of the current crisis.”
The call came as mediation efforts continue to contain tensions between Washington and Tehran amid ongoing disagreements over the conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
On Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran, which responded with attacks on Israel and US military facilities in Arab countries.
On June 18, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding and began negotiations that later collapsed over disagreements, including maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic passage for global energy and goods supplies.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairperson Devlet Bahçeli at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Tuesday, with discussions expected to focus on key domestic and regional developments.
The meeting began at 2 p.m. local time, according to Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran.
The leaders were expected to discuss recent developments in Türkiye’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, aimed at ending decades of terrorism, alongside ongoing efforts to draft a new constitution.
The initiative began in 2024 after a landmark speech by Bahçeli, which urged the jailed ringleader of the PKK, Abdullah Öcalan, to call on the PKK to lay down arms. Öcalan responded in February 2025 and made the historic call to the group that has killed tens of thousands of people across Türkiye since the 1980s. Since then, a disarmament process has been underway, while Türkiye plans to introduce new laws and regulations to accommodate it, namely by offering leniency to PKK members not involved in acts of terrorism.
Regional issues, including the Türkiye-Libya maritime boundary agreement, recently approved by Libyan House of Representatives, were also expected to feature on the agenda.
The talks could also address the Mecca motion expected to reach Parliament and the Badr Memorandum.
Erdoğan had previously signaled that he could meet Bahçeli in the near future.
The meeting marked their fourth encounter this year, following previous talks on Jan. 21, April 30 and Aug. 26.
Türkiye unveiled a new digital sovereignty strategy Tuesday aimed at strengthening cybersecurity, reducing reliance on foreign technologies and protecting critical infrastructure, as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan chaired a high-level meeting on emerging cyber threats and artificial intelligence risks.
The strategy was presented during the second meeting of the Cybersecurity Board at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, according to a statement from the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications.
Officials reviewed the impact of global and regional geopolitical developments on cybersecurity, recent international cyber incidents and the evolving nature of digital threats.
The board also examined how advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping the scale, speed and sophistication of cyberattacks.
Particular attention was given to algorithmic manipulation and cognitive influence operations conducted through digital platforms, including their potential implications for national security and societal resilience.
The statement emphasized that digital sovereignty has become a strategic priority for Türkiye’s national security and development policies, alongside technological independence, protection of critical infrastructure and stronger cyber deterrence capabilities.
The newly developed Digital Sovereignty Strategy seeks to enhance Türkiye’s control over its digital infrastructure, reduce dependence on foreign suppliers in critical technologies and expand domestic technological capabilities.
Authorities agreed that relevant institutions would implement decisions aligned with the strategy’s objectives, monitor progress and regularly assess results.
The board also called for closer coordination among government agencies, improved joint risk assessment capabilities and more consistent implementation of cybersecurity measures across sectors.
Given the ability of cyber threats to spread rapidly and disrupt multiple industries simultaneously, officials reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation among public institutions, private companies and academia.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi, who attended the meeting, said Türkiye was determined to protect its digital domain with the same resolve it applies to safeguarding its physical borders.
“Digital sovereignty is an integral part of our national security,” Çiftçi said in a statement shared on social media.
He said the meeting addressed global cyber threats, emerging risks associated with artificial intelligence and the national security implications of algorithmic manipulation and influence operations.
Çiftçi also emphasized the importance of strengthening domestic technological capabilities and building a comprehensive cybersecurity framework through cooperation between government, industry and academic institutions.
“We will protect not only our physical borders but also our cyber homeland and strengthen our digital sovereignty with the same determination and resolve,” he said.
“Someone whom the public can trust, who can address their needs, and who is knowledgeable and experienced.” This is how the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) general coordinator Gürsel Tekin described the party’s presidential candidate. “We have someone in mind, and our chairperson will announce it when the time comes,” he told journalists on Monday in Ankara in response to a question about whether the CHP would nominate a candidate in the next general election.
Was it Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the party’s chair? Tekin did not answer the question, saying only that they had plenty of names in mind and that these would be discussed among party members before the next election.
The next election is scheduled for 2028, although the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has signaled that it could be brought forward so that incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan can run again. The CHP has voiced support for holding early elections under those circumstances.
Erdoğan’s most serious rival is expected to be the candidate of the main opposition New Party (YP). The CHP, meanwhile, secured its highest vote share in decades under Kılıçdaroğlu’s leadership in 2023, when he ran as the candidate of a six-party opposition alliance. His defeat to Erdoğan in the presidential runoff paved the way for his ouster as CHP leader. In an intraparty vote in November 2023, he lost to Özgür Özel, who is now chairperson of the YP. Kılıçdaroğlu returned to his post in May after a court ruled that Özel’s victory was questionable amid allegations of vote-buying. Özel initially appealed the ruling before founding the YP in July.
The CHP also plans to hold a congress soon to elect its leadership again. Kılıçdaroğlu has been vague about whether he intends to run, but Tekin said he was “perfectly eligible.”
“Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu has to lead the party before it reaches safe harbor,” Tekin said, referring to the turmoil within the party, where most members and lawmakers have switched to the YP.
Police and gendarmerie forces raided municipal buildings and other locations early Tuesday in a new wave of operations against corruption in municipalities. At least 85 people were detained in the operations that targeted municipalities run by the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
In Istanbul’s Bakırköy district, 58 suspects, including five deputy mayors and a member of the municipal assembly, were detained in the probe into allegations of tender-rigging and bribery. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that the probe stemmed from tip-offs about allegations of tender-rigging and claims that the municipal officials illicitly asked for payment from business owners seeking to obtain permits from the municipality, and those refusing to pay had their permit process deliberately stalled by the same officials. Prosecutors said the investigation was further expanded, and investigators examined 42 tenders between 2024 and 2026 and found irregularities. Ten other suspects remain at large.
In western province Denizli’s Merkezefendi district, security forces stormed the municipality building as part of an operation into claims of zoning irregularities committed by municipal officials. Merkezefendi Mayor Şeniz Doğan and her husband were among 27 suspects detained while security forces searched the couple’s residence.
Cooperation between Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria has become increasingly important for Black Sea security following a surge in drone attacks targeting commercial vessels, with experts calling for stronger regional defense coordination and greater NATO support.
Recent attacks on commercial shipping near the Black Sea coasts of Romania and Bulgaria have heightened concerns over maritime safety, highlighting Türkiye’s strategic role in securing critical shipping routes and maintaining regional stability.
Maria Branea, policy and research coordinator at the European Leadership Network, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the sharp increase in drone attacks has made a coordinated regional security framework increasingly urgent.
“Türkiye is undoubtedly a central actor,” Branea said, emphasizing Ankara’s naval capabilities and its authority over access to the Black Sea under the Montreux Convention.
She also highlighted Türkiye’s leadership in negotiating the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM Black Sea), describing the initiative as a significant example of regional cooperation.
Branea noted that the three NATO allies maintain different strategic priorities. While Türkiye traditionally emphasizes coastal states’ leadership and managing tensions with Russia, Romania advocates a stronger NATO presence, and Bulgaria has historically adopted a more cautious approach.
Stronger NATO, EU coordination
Branea argued that NATO and the European Union should reinforce existing regional initiatives rather than establish new institutions or develop comprehensive strategic frameworks.
“In my view, what needs to change is not the creation of a new NATO institution or a comprehensive strategy document,” she noted.
Instead, she urged both organizations to recognize and strengthen security arrangements already emerging among Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria.
She called for regular consultations among coastal allies, clearer responsibilities, integrated maritime surveillance systems and coordinated investments in defense capabilities.
Branea also highlighted the growing importance of protecting offshore energy infrastructure, citing Türkiye’s Sakarya gas field and Romania’s Neptun Deep project, which is expected to begin production in 2027.
She suggested expanding an EU-backed Maritime Security Center proposed by Romania and Bulgaria to include Türkiye, Ukraine and Moldova.
Defense cooperation between Türkiye and Ukraine could also be extended to Romania and Bulgaria, supported by sustained investment and closer political and military coordination, according to Branea.
Black Sea region has recently been a center of renewed tensions and attacks as part of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with attacks also weighing on critical trade supplies, including oil and grain exports.
Securing maritime routes
Dimitar Bechev, a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, similarly urged Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria to seek additional NATO assistance and engage Washington on strengthening maritime security.
Bechev argued that Russia’s primary objective was to weaken European support for Ukraine rather than directly test NATO.
He said reviving the original Black Sea Grain Initiative remained unlikely after Russia declined to renew the agreement in 2023.
Türkiye, alongside the U.N., was credited with brokering the historic Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 22, 2022, in Istanbul to allow safe maritime passage for Ukrainian agricultural exports during the war with Russia.
However, Russia withdrew from the agreement in 2023, complaining that its own food and fertilizer exports faced serious obstacles.
Instead, he advocated strengthening alternative shipping routes established through the territorial waters of NATO member states.
“Navigation through the territorial waters of Romania, Bulgaria and Türkiye must be guaranteed,” Bechev underlined, describing secure maritime passage as a minimum requirement.
He stressed that achieving this objective would require more effective counterdrone defense capabilities.
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