Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said on Thursday that they sought to upgrade their status in the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) from observer to full member, “so we can upgrade relations between our people too.”

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) suffers from a lack of international recognition, whereas Greek Cypriots in the divided island enjoy worldwide support. The OTS is an essential venue for the country to reclaim its international rights, as it comprises countries sharing Turkic heritage.

Cyprus has been mired for decades in a dispute between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement. Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety. In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at Greece’s annexation led to Türkiye’s military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. As a result, the TRNC was founded in 1983. It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Türkiye, Greece and the U.K.

Üstel said they endeavored to help the TRNC adapt to the world and reiterated President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s three subsequent calls to the U.N. General Assembly for recognition of the country. He noted that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has also made calls for their recognition. Erdoğan helped the TRNC to obtain observer member status in the OTS.

The prime minister underlined that commercial and tourism relations between the OTS and the TRNC should be enhanced.

“Our people should truly come together. We hope to reinforce our relations. We can convert our strong historical bonds into synergy,” he told Anadolu Agency (AA).

He noted that Turkic states faced external pressure against recognizing the TRNC, but he was assured they would not bow down. “Nobody can force us to bow down to their demands if we remain united. We want them to stand up for the TRNC. It is not a mere diplomatic matter. It is the restoration of justice, ensuring the nation’s right to self-determination. This is a historic responsibility for the Turkic world,” he said.

Some member countries of the OTS announced at the summit they held with the EU on April 4 that they would abide by U.N. Security Council Resolutions 541 and 550, which condemned the establishment of the TRNC and called on states not to recognize it. Those countries later decided to open embassies in the Greek Cypriot administration.

TRNC President Ersin Tatar recently said: “Turkic states should be a little more careful about their relations with the Greek side. They may have relations with the EU. The EU is a union, but it is not under the sovereignty of the Greeks, whose population is 800,000. Turkic states can also establish relations with the Greeks, but they should be careful because the game played by the Greek Cypriot administration is completely different.”

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Fear of losing loved ones trumps fear of death for Iranians abroad. Dozens of worried Iranians huddled in the shade of an Istanbul bus shelter Tuesday, waiting for a bus to take them back home despite an intensifying air war between Iran and Israel.

Flights to Iran were suspended on Friday after Israel launched a devastating attack on Tehran’s nuclear facilities, sparking a deadly confrontation which is now in its sixth day.

Although many have fled the Israeli bombardments of Tehran, other Iranians have been stranded abroad and are trying to get home to their loved ones, despite the ongoing airstrikes.

“I want to look after my parents, they’re afraid,” said Babak Alpor, 34, who flew from Tehran to Istanbul to visit his brother who is studying in Türkiye’s largest city.

Horrified by the images of the bombings, Alpor decided to cut short his trip and go home to his parents, despite his mother begging him to stay with his brother.

But with all flights canceled, he was forced to find another way home, a one-way bus trip back to the Iranian capital that will take 38 hours and cost him 5,000 Turkish lira ($127). “I’m not scared, but of course I’m sad. Nobody likes war,” he told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Next to him, a group of women were talking quietly in Farsi. “They’re saying they are afraid and don’t want to go back,” he explained.

Türkiye is a popular destination for tourists from neighboring Iran, with 460,000 of them visiting in the first two months of the year, official figures show.

Elsewhere, an Iranian student hugged her mother and younger sister goodbye as they boarded the bus for Tehran, the anxiety plain on her face as it pulled away. Her mother was afraid but decided to go back to be with another daughter who was stuck in Tehran and very frightened, explained the physiotherapy student, who did not want to give her name. “My other sister who stayed in Iran is just crying and crying,” she said.

U.S. President Donald Trump urged Tehran’s nearly 10 million residents to leave “immediately,” his words echoing warnings from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Despite the warnings, some travelers were trying to put on a brave face. “It will be over soon, I think it will last a maximum of two or three weeks,” said Fahim, an Iranian tourist in his forties who was visiting Istanbul with his wife and two little girls. Although they will pass through Tehran, their bus journey of 2,700 kilometres (1,700 miles) will end in Sari, a town five hours northeast of the capital. “Where we live, everything is OK,” he said in a show of confidence aimed at reassuring his young family. “Peace is coming.”

In Kapıköy, a border crossing in the eastern Turkish province of Van, a relative quiet dominated on Tuesday after the past few days saw a flurry of new arrivals and those hastily departing Türkiye for Iran. Some did not cancel their short visits to Türkiye for vacation, while almost all interviewed by the media say they have no intention to take shelter in Türkiye amid the conflict.

Sanam, an Iranian woman who did not give her last name, told Ihlas News Agency (IHA) on Wednesday that she had accompanied her mother to Tabriz on a flight from Istanbul. The return flight of the Istanbul resident was canceled due to the conflict, forcing her to take the land route. “Things are fine for us in Iran for now. The state is doing everything to protect its citizens. I would stay in my country if my husband did not have to work in Istanbul,” she said. Sanam says Iranians are accustomed to such situations. “The elderly people remind us of eight years of war with Iraq and urge us to calm down,” she said.

Soleyman Dalla said he is a frequent visitor to Türkiye and will travel to the southeastern province of Diyarbakır. “Iran is fine, people are not scared,” he said as he crossed into Türkiye through Kapıköy.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Türkiye will continue to do everything in its power to further diplomacy and end Israel’s attacks, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday, warning of regional repercussions as tensions between Iran and Israel have surged.

“We are doing everything we can to stop (Israel’s) inhumane aggression against Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and our neighbor Iran,” Erdoğan said, speaking during the Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) parliamentary group meeting in Ankara.

“We are closely following Israel’s terrorist attacks against Iran. All our institutions are on alert regarding the possible effects of these attacks on Türkiye,” he added. “We are not running a grocery store here. We are running one of the world’s greatest countries, the Republic of Türkiye. Our state’s experience, historical heritage and experience of our nation is our guiding light,” he said.

Saying that it is entirely “natural, legitimate and lawful” for Iran to defend itself against Israel’s “banditry and state terrorism,” Erdoğan said. “Iran is blatantly attacked by a spoiled country which knows no rules and recognizes no laws, a country without principles,” he said.

On Israel’s attacks on Iran, Erdoğan highlighted that they were carried out while Iran’s nuclear talks were still underway. “Israel owns nuclear weapons and has ignored all international rules in the development of nuclear weapons. Yet, it did not wait for negotiations to conclude and committed a blatant terror attack,” he said. “Unfortunately, international institutions, particularly the United Nations and states, are silent in the face of the aggression unfolding before their eyes. Some even openly support this banditry. Those who remained silent in the face of 620 days of violence in Gaza, which is a shame for humanity, adhered to the silence as the fire spread across our region. Remaining silent in the face of this disrespect for rules, this state terrorism and banditry is equal to consenting to it,” he said.

He said Türkiye had been engaged in diplomacy since June 13, noting that he had held talks with the presidents of Iran and the U.S., as well as leaders of regional countries and Russian President Vladimir Putin. “As a country that can hold talks with Iran, we advocated a diplomatic solution to resolve the nuclear dispute. We will continue to do so,” he stressed. “We don’t have any land ambitions in the region. We don’t want to harm other countries’ territorial integrity or sovereignty. We only want peace and stability,” he said.

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long surpassed Hitler. We hope their fates will not be the same.” He elaborated on Israel’s actions targeting Palestinians, “that evolved from mass punishment to massacres and ultimately to genocide.” He noted that more than 55,000 innocent Gazans died in 620 days of violence and Israel’s attacks became more barbaric. “Israel condemned 2 million civilians striving to survive in Gaza, filled with rubble, to hunger and water scarcity. Not content with that, they fired upon innocent people rushing to aid at the distribution point, and every day, they massacre people suffering from hunger,” he said.

“It is clear that even the most starkly brutal images of the Holocaust are not as striking as what we see in Gaza today,” he noted.

He underscored the human toll of Israel’s actions, warning: “The blood of massacred civilians, murdered babies and children is splattered not only on the hands and faces of those who support Israel’s arrogance, but also on those who remain silent.”

He reassured the public, stating: “Our nation can rest assured. The government is fully committed to safeguarding Türkiye’s interests, peace, unity and security.” Erdoğan added: “We have made and are preparing for every possible negative development and scenario.” “You have to be ready for war if you want peace,” he stated. “Nobody should test our resolve, our patience. We sincerely fight for peace, but we respond in kind if confronted. Any attack will be confronted by the steel will of our government,” he 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. Iranian media reported Wednesday that the death toll from Israeli airstrikes across Tehran and other populated areas has risen to 585, with at least 1,326 people injured since the attacks started last week. 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 launched attacks in Lebanon and Syria and hurled veiled threats toward Türkiye, calling on Ankara not to side with Palestinians.

Erdoğan also underlined that Türkiye had started to invest in and develop its defense industry at the right time, looking at the regional developments and the world order breaking down.

Pointing to global tensions and increasing conflicts, Erdoğan said that Türkiye must be united – the steps of which have been laid through the terror-free Türkiye initiative.

The initiative was launched by government ally Devlet Bahçeli, head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), who called on the PKK’s jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan to appeal to the PKK to lay down arms last year.

Soon, his call evolved into a new initiative that saw Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) lawmakers visiting Öcalan in the island prison where he is incarcerated in the Marmara Sea. As a result and in a landmark development, the PKK last month announced its dissolution and the end of its four-decade terror campaign that cost tens of thousands of lives in Türkiye, as well as in Iraq and Syria.

Earlier this week, Erdoğan had pointed out that Türkiye was becoming a strong deterrent force thanks to its flourishing defense arsenal, boasting everything from locally-made missiles to armed drones.

Last year, Türkiye announced plans to form an indigenous multilayered air defense system that features a network-centric and AI-supported multiplatform-integrated shield across large swaths of land, seeking to provide an impenetrable defense system over Turkish airspace. The “Steel Dome Project,” approved by the Defense Industry Executive Committee, aims to integrate multiple layers of domestic air defense systems, sensors and weapons under a unified network structure.

Turkish missile producer Roketsan plays a key role in improving Turkish air defense systems. Most prominent among them is Tayfun, which has a range above 280 kilometers (174 miles). Its hypersonic speed helps the missile dodge the air defenses of targeted locations. It can operate under diverse weather conditions.

Bora, which has a range of 280 kilometers, provides an adequate firepower against strategic targets within the battlefield, such as artillery and air defense systems, radar command and control positions, and communication systems.

The TRG-300 guided missile can be fired at even the most distant targets in less than five minutes with its 20 to 120-kilometer range and similarly, the TRG-230 has a slightly reduced range of up to 70 kilometers but stands out with its cost-effectiveness and optional laser seeker heads. Meanwhile, the TRG-122 missile can be effective on targets up to 28 kilometers away, but its high precision ensures that the avoidance of civilian casualties can be minimized. Similarly, the TRLG-122 laser-guided missile, with a range of up to 30 kilometers, can pinpoint targets with its laser seeker head.

The CNRA multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) can fire at targets upward of 280 kilometers with high accuracy and timing, and targets can be air defense systems, radar sites, command and control systems, logistics facilities and others. The TR-107 and the TR-122 artillery rockets can continuously fire regardless of the time of day and neutralize targets in all sorts of operations, while the TR-122 and the TRB-122 rockets can be fired from a wide range of MLRSs for operational flexibility and rapid deployment. The T-106/122 MLRS provides the user with effective fire support to maneuver units against high-priority targets in all weather conditions, day or night, and its battery can allow the system to perform independent missions. Additionally, the parachute-equipped variant of the TR-122 rocket, signal jammers and cameras replaced the traditional warheads, and its dislocating front section allows the engine to be separated so that the payload can glide with the parachute open. The Kara Atmaca surface-to-surface long-range cruise missile is a jam-resistant munition that can be launched from a tactical land vehicle and it is planned to be used against fixed land targets with a maximum operational range of 280 kilometers. The Tanok 120-millimeter laser-guided anti-tank cannon missile can be fired from tanks without modifications and boasts a highly accurate and cost-effective solution on the battlefield with a range of over 6 kilometers.

Meanwhile, the UMTAS/LUMTAS-GM air-to-surface anti-tank guided missile system is used against targets out of the line of sight without detection, with a range of 15 kilometers for air platforms and 20 kilometers for ground platforms. The two configurations include the image-processing infrared seeker and the semi-active laser seeker heads. The OMTAS medium-range anti-tank missile system is effective against armored targets and its seeker head, capable of infrared imaging, allows it to operate day and night in all weather conditions with a range of 4 kilometers. In addition, the L-OMTAS laser-guided medium-range anti-tank weapon system is strong against armored threats with its armor-piercing warhead. The missile can lock onto the target before or after firing, making it highly effective against moving targets and its own tripod platform for launching allows it to be used on land platforms with open or closed turret integration. The Karaok short-range anti-tank guided missile boasts the capability to attack both fixed and moving targets, tanks and other armored and combat vehicles with a maximum operational range of 2.5 kilometers.

Additionally, the KMC-U tactical missile system features 360-degree rotation and high mobility and can be controlled from the inside or outside of the vehicle it is attached to and boasts infrared and laser-guided warheads. The 105/155-millimeter Howitzer Ammunition Range Correction Kit is an alternative to the standard fuses used in unguided artillery munitions with multiple fuse functions, and its data link infrastructure allows the kit to track multiple munitions in the air and transmit commands on the fly.

The SOM air-to-surface standoff missile stands out among Roketsan’s air systems, as it is used against heavily protected targets on land and sea and can reach outside the range of air defense missile systems. The Teber high-precision guidance kit is used to integrate into MK-81 and MK-82 bombs to enhance their striking capabilities against moving and fixed targets, while the Laçin smart guidance kit uses an imaging infrared seeker warhead and the tactical data link for the MK-82 bomb to boost its capability. Meanwhile, the UAV-230 air-to-surface ballistic supersonic missile is used as a tool of psychological warfare, as its long range of 150 kilometers can attack targets from far away without facing enemy threats.

The MAM-T smart munition is highly destructive in air-to-surface missions and was developed for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and light attack aircraft, and its various warheads can enhance its capabilities. For instance, the MAM-T IIR uses an imaging infrared seeker warhead, allowing the user to deploy the munition even in the harshest of conditions, while the MAM-C laser-guided mini-smart munition can be used against human targets, vehicles and other surface targets in a relatively short range of 8 kilometers. Roketsan’s laser-guided long-range anti-tank missile system L-UMTAS is a highly precise armor-piercing weapon used against moving and fixed targets, while the Cirit laser-guided missile is a cost-effective solution against lightly armored and unarmored targets from surface to naval and air vehicles. The Alpagut smart loitering munition system can also be used similarly to the Cirit missile against fixed and moving targets on sea and surface, whether it be critical facilities like command centers or human targets, with a range of 60 kilometers.

The Barbaros is a coastal defense system that can fire the Atmaca and Çakır long-range anti-cruise missiles integrated into the mobile vehicle battery and its operations and missions can be directed by a command and control vehicle. Meanwhile, torpedoes Akya and Orka provide high speed and a long range and can be internally and externally guided via fiber optics. The latter, Orka, was developed entirely through domestic capabilities. The Temren long-range anti-tank missile system is used in integrating anti-tank missiles into Seahawk helicopters and the procurement of guided missiles (G/Ms), while the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Rocket and Launcher System is used against underwater targets, equipped with an integrated weapons management system and sonar with a range of up to 2 kilometers and 300 meters (984 feet) of depth.

Roketsan’s Siper long-range air and missile defense system provides for the survival of allied troops in war by limiting, delaying or destroying enemy targets in surface-to-air munition attacks. It is designed to protect strategic facilities with two different variations, while Hisar air defense missiles are used to protect military bases, ports and other facilities against aircraft and UAVs. The Burç ground-based mobile air defense system employs superior firepower and active and passive sensors against air threats, with its tracking capabilities provided by 360-degree air surveillance and fire control data processed by advanced algorithms. In addition, the Sungur short-range air defense missile system is used against moving and stationary human targets and facilities, while the Levent close-range system, operating similarly to Sungur, is used to neutralize aircraft, UAVs and guided missiles in all weather conditions and surface-to-air attacks. On the other hand, the directed-energy weapon named Alka uses a two-layered close hybrid air defense system, enabling asymmetric threats to be “soft killed” with its electromagnetic jamming weapon and properly neutralized with a laser weapon.

Additionally, the Midlas vertical launcher system stores G/Ms for surface-to-air attacks and can launch them with hot or cold launch methods according to the commands it receives from the vessel’s combat management system. Its electromechanical launching system can fire different types of G/Ms one by one or consecutively at various targets.

Opposition corruption

Erdoğan also criticized the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) for several corruption cases within the party and especially the municipalities the party holds across Türkiye.

“The situation of the main opposition, which cannot break free from the control of a handful of bandits settled in Istanbul, I regret to say, does not suit our democracy or Turkish politics at all,” Erdoğan said.

“A chronic shortfall of the main opposition is getting deeper in Türkiye,” he warned.

Pointing to the disputes and intrigues among the actors of the CHP, Erodğan added: “We are confused, too, as to whether we are watching Türkiye’s main opposition party or a soap opera full of intrigues and betrayals.”

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, along with dozens of others, is currently under arrest on charges of corruption related to his two-time tenure as mayor of the city, as well as his previous tenure as mayor of the city’s Beylikdüzü district.

Prosecutors say he led a criminal network profiting from bribes from businesses and tender rigging, among other offenses. His alleged cohorts, from municipality employees to owners of companies who were awarded lucrative contracts, were among the detainees and those formally arrested on March 22.

The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul said several witnesses came out in the case against the alleged Imamoğlu-led network, disclosing a scheme of bribery that started after Imamoğlu took office in 2019.

Military forces of the United States have pulled out of two more bases in northeastern Syria, it was reported, after the country entered a new process under a new government recently.

Reuters reporters who visited the two bases in the past week found them mostly deserted, both guarded by small contingents of the YPG terrorist organization-dominated SDF.

Cameras used on bases occupied by the U.S.-led military coalition had been taken down, and razor wire on the outer perimeters had begun to sag.

SDF members at the second base said troops had left recently but declined to say when. The Pentagon declined to comment.

It is the first confirmation on the ground by reporters that the U.S. has withdrawn from al-Wazir and Tel Baydar bases in Hassakeh province. It brings to at least four the number of bases in Syria that U.S. troops have left since President Donald Trump took office.

Trump’s administration said this month it will scale down its military presence in Syria to one base from eight in parts of northeastern Syria. The New York Times reported in April that troops might be reduced from 2,000 to 500 in the drawdown.

Furthermore, earlier this month, the new U.S. ambassador to Türkiye and Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack similarly said that the U.S. would change its Syria policy and decrease troops there.

The YPG currently occupies one-third of Syria’s territory, including most of the country’s oil and gas fields. The YPG uses the name SDF to give itself an air of legitimacy. Türkiye, which suffered from cross-border attacks by the YPG, supported the Syrian opposition through military offensives in Syria’s north in the past decade and liberated parts of northern Syria from the YPG’s grip.

Türkiye has urged Syria’s interim administration to address the YPG’s control over large parts of northern Syria and is currently closely monitoring the integration of the SDF into the Syrian government. Ankara is a major supporter of the Ahmed al-Sharaa-led administration and also backs the March deal.

The issue strains Turkish-U.S. ties as Ankara warns its NATO ally against aiding terror elements that threaten its national security, something Washington continues to do despite promising to remove the group from the Turkish border area.

Ferhat Abdi Şahin, code-named “Mazloum Kobani,” the ringleader of the SDF who spoke to Reuters at another U.S. base, al-Shadadi, said the presence of a few hundred troops on one base would be “not enough” to contain Daesh – a pretext that Washington and the group have used for years for their cooperation.

He said the SDF long knew of the U.S. plan to decrease its presence.

Şahin spoke to Reuters on Friday, hours after Israel launched its air war on Iran. He declined to comment on how the new Israel-Iran war would affect Syria, saying simply that he hoped it would not spill over there and that he felt safe on a U.S. base.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Ankara University National Research Center for Maritime Law (DEHUKAM) coordinated registration of Turkish Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) at IOC-UNESCO (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission). The plan is open for international access at the international body’s online MSPGlobal platform. The move disturbed neighboring Greece, which claims jurisdiction in territorial waters across the Aegean Sea. The issue is a longstanding source of hostilities between the two countries, which nowadays pursue rapprochement.

MSP is crucial for Türkiye’s sustainable use of territorial waters and international recognition. DEHUKAM Director Mustafa Başkara told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Tuesday that the MSP, first publicized in April, was part of efforts for the “Blue Homeland,” Türkiye’s ambitions and goals to protect its territorial waters. “This is a milestone and will contribute to subsequent efforts,” he said.

Greece has protested the plan that designated zones for specific activities in the Aegean Sea of the Eastern Mediterranean, accusing Ankara of attempting to claim areas of Greek jurisdiction in a move without legal grounds. Maritime spatial plans define where activities, including fishing, sea transport, tourism, aquaculture and renewable energy projects, can take place.

In April, Greece submitted its own maritime spatial plan to the EU, citing geopolitical issues in the Eastern Mediterranean, among other issues, for the delay, which had drawn rebuke from the European Commission.

Türkiye said in April its map was prepared in line with the European Union’s rights, obligations and laws and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Greece called on Türkiye to end its claims and warned that it would take “appropriate action in all international fora.”

A separate Greek plan for a marine park in the Aegean Sea has irked Ankara, which has said it would not accept a possible “fait accompli on geographical features whose status is disputed.”

A high-level meeting between Greece and Türkiye, part of an established mechanism to discuss differences, is expected to take place in Türkiye.

Başkara says Greece’s statements have “no effect on the validity of this map or its existence, nor would it affect Türkiye’s ambition to reclaim its territorial waters. Türkiye certified a map it has been advocating since the 1970s, a map based on international laws and complying with legal claims,” he said.

The two countries came close to an all-out war in the 1990s over the Aegean Sea, and they still remain vigilant, with Türkiye concentrating on developing a domestic defense industry. Greece relies on foreign partners to boost its defenses. An agreement on where their maritime zones begin and end is important for determining rights over possible gas reserves and power infrastructure schemes. Türkiye, which has the longest continental coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, rejects the maritime boundary claims of Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, arguing that their excessive claims violate the sovereign rights of both Türkiye and the Turkish Cypriots.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned a recent social media post by Israel’s foreign minister as “baseless” and “vile,” accusing Tel Aviv of attempting to deflect attention from war crimes accusations against its leadership.

The ministry said the Israeli official’s fixation on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statements only reinforced the accuracy and legitimacy of Türkiye’s criticisms.

“It is no coincidence that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s name is now being mentioned alongside those responsible for historic atrocities,” the statement said, noting that the Israeli leader is currently facing charges of genocide before international courts.

“The crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli leadership are unfolding in full view of the world and are being documented in a way that leaves no room for doubt,” it added.

The ministry also warned that as international support for Israel’s impunity begins to erode, accountability will follow.

“Once this shield of protection begins to crack, Netanyahu and his collaborators will face justice. As President Erdoğan emphasized, we hope to see them tried before a fair and independent court,” the statement concluded.

President Erdoğan has been one of the most outspoken critics of Israel’s assault in Gaza, calling it a genocide and holding Netanyahu personally responsible.

Earlier on Wednesday, Erdoğan signalled Türkiye’s readiness for a worst-case scenario as the Israel-Iran conflict heightened, while reiterating his call for utilizing diplomacy for peace.

On June 13, Israel launched large-scale attacks targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities across several cities, as well as high-ranking military command centers.

Numerous countries, including Türkiye, have condemned Israel’s aggression and violations of international law.

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 launched attacks in Lebanon and Syria and hurled veiled threats toward Türkiye, calling on Ankara not to side with Palestinians.

The Daily Sabah Newsletter

Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.

SIGN ME UP

You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.