Politics
Sea of Friendship: Türkiye, Egypt bond over Med drills
The distinguished visitors’ day of the Sea of Friendship Exercise between Türkiye and Egypt was held off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, on Monday. Speaking to reporters after the exercise, Turkish Naval Forces Commander Adm. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu said: “In this strategic geography, the two key actors in ensuring security and stability are the Turkish and Egyptian navies. The Friendship Sea Exercise, which we are conducting with this understanding, is a tangible demonstration of the growing cooperation between Türkiye and Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean.”
Tatlıoğlu joined Egyptian Navy Commander Vice Adm. Mahmud Adel Fawzy for the event.
The Turkish Naval Forces Command participated in the exercise with the TCG Anadolu multipurpose amphibious assault ship, the TCG Gaziantep frigate, the TCG Meltem fast attack craft, three TB3 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), two SH-70 helicopters, three AH-1W attack helicopters and a large number of personnel. The Egyptian Navy Command took part with the multipurpose amphibious assault ship Gamal Abdel Nasser, as well as the M. Fahmy, El Fateh, Fouad Zekry, El Farouk and Al-Arish vessels.
As part of the activities, a PUMA unmanned aerial vehicle operated by the Egyptian Navy took off from the Gamal Abdel Nasser following a briefing aboard the vessel. During an asymmetric threat training exercise, two jet skis approached the TCG Anadolu, while an unmanned maritime vehicle (UMV) and an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) moved toward the Gamal Abdel Nasser. Subsequently, a member of the crew who fell into the sea was rescued by search and rescue teams and taken to a safe area.
During a search, seizure and confiscation drill, SAT special forces teams aboard an SH-70 helicopter launched from the TCG Gaziantep carried out a joint operation with Egyptian special operations forces. A Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aerial vehicle also took off from the TCG Anadolu during the distinguished visitors’ day. The event successfully concluded with a salute and a naval and aerial parade by the sea and air units participating in the exercise.
Tatlıoğlu and Fawzy also toured an exhibition aboard the TCG Anadolu showcasing domestically developed defense industry equipment and systems.
Speaking to reporters after the exercise, Tatlıoğlu underscored that Türkiye and Egypt are two key actors in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“The Eastern Mediterranean is gaining increasing importance in the international security environment due to its geostrategic position, energy resources, critical maritime transportation routes and regional developments. In this strategic geography, the two key actors in ensuring security and stability are the Turkish and Egyptian navies. The exercise, which we are conducting with this understanding, is a tangible demonstration of the growing cooperation between Türkiye and Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean. Our exercise makes a significant contribution to strengthening mutual trust between our navies and improving interoperability,” he said.
Underlining that the Turkish Naval Forces Command possesses leading capabilities in the defense industry, Tatlıoğlu said they attach great importance to sharing these capabilities with friendly and allied countries and expanding opportunities for cooperation. Noting that the Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aerial vehicle and the MKE Piranha kamikaze unmanned surface vehicle took part in the exercise, Tatlıoğlu said their participation demonstrated Türkiye’s technological capabilities and the navy’s ability to adapt to the requirements of modern operational environments.
Tatlıoğlu said Türkiye produces domestically developed and manufactured guided munitions, torpedoes and naval mines, adding: “We are also working with the Egyptian Navy on the joint use of these weapons systems. We aim to take our defense industry cooperation in the maritime domain to a more advanced level and carry out joint shipbuilding activities with Egypt, similar to the cooperation we have established with Pakistan under the MILGEM project.”
Noting that Turkish naval forces have been actively engaged in countering the threat posed by drifting mines in the Black Sea, Adm. Tatlıoğlu continued: “We are also sharing our expertise in mine warfare and the experience we have gained in the field with the Egyptian Navy. We believe this cooperation will contribute not only to the operational capabilities of the two navies but also to the security of maritime transportation in the Eastern Mediterranean and regional stability.
“As the Turkish Naval Forces Command, we are aware that possessing a strong and modern navy is of great importance not only for protecting our national rights and interests but also for supporting regional peace and stability. Türkiye and Egypt’s maritime expertise, military capabilities and defense industry potential provide an opportunity to develop much more comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
“As the two most important naval powers in the Eastern Mediterranean, we seek to expand our joint efforts to strengthen security and stability at sea. I hope the exercise will further strengthen the friendship and cooperation between Türkiye and Egypt.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday called for the rapid operationalization of the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub, welcoming growing cooperation between Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria to strengthen security in the strategic region.
“We need to operationalize the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub,” von der Leyen said during a joint news briefing with Romanian President Nicusor Dan in Bucharest.
She welcomed the “closer maritime cooperation” among the three countries, stressing that the EU must adopt an “urgency mindset” in addressing defense and security challenges.
“The skies over the Black Sea have darkened, particularly in recent weeks, with drone attacks targeting commercial ships off your coasts, innocent sailors having lost their lives, others are still missing at sea,” she said.
Von der Leyen called for restoring and preserving freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, highlighting its importance for Europe, Ukraine’s economy and global food security.
She also stressed the need to strengthen maritime surveillance and the bloc’s security in the information space.
“Hostile actors are weaponizing the information space, and drone incidents are often doubled by foreign information manipulation and interference,” she warned.
“They target relentlessly our citizens and democracies, sowing fear, spreading uncertainty,” she added.
Von der Leyen said Europe must strengthen its capacity to respond to crises along its borders.
“I am pleased to announce an additional €10 million ($11.2 million) in funding to Romanian authorities for search and rescue operations,” she said.
“This will support your capacity to respond to such incidents rapidly and effectively,” she added.
Turning to the upcoming U.S.-mediated peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi, von der Leyen reaffirmed European support for Kyiv.
She said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had requested support from European partners for the negotiations and that the bloc was providing it.
“The focus of these peace talks is ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. That must be the goal,” she stressed.
Von der Leyen said the EU was also working on a post-war prosperity plan to support Ukraine’s stability and reconstruction.
“Any meaningful discussions about Europe’s security architecture can only be undertaken once a ceasefire in Ukraine has been achieved,” she said.
Such discussions must take place in an appropriate forum, particularly with NATO allies and EU members, she added.
Moscow has maintained that the U.S.-mediated negotiations should remain strictly trilateral, involving Russia, Ukraine and the U.S., without direct European participation.
The Abu Dhabi talks, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, will mark the fourth round of U.S.-mediated negotiations between Russia and Ukraine under the Trump administration.
They will also be the first such meetings since the previous round in Geneva in February.
At 9:05 a.m., the time of his death, the nation stood still to observe a minute of silence in memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the great statesman and commander who led Türkiye’s liberation from the post-World War I invasion and established the Republic.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, top officials, commanders of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and politicians across the political spectrum gathered at Anıtkabir, Atatürk’s mausoleum in the capital, Ankara, where crowds flocked to pay tribute to Atatürk on the 88th anniversary of his death. In Istanbul, similar scenes unfolded at Dolmabahçe Palace, the Ottoman-era building where Atatürk spent his final days as he battled terminal illness.
“Beloved Atatürk, we remember you on the 88th anniversary of your passing, along with your comrades in arms, members of our parliament who led the War of Independence, our martyrs and veterans who paid a heavy price for our nation. In this challenging period, where our region and the world struggle with crises, we mobilized all our resources to carry the Republic of Türkiye and its 86 million members to a more prosperous future. We will continue resolutely to develop this paradise-like land entrusted to us by our martyrs and veterans, in unity with our nation. May your soul be blessed,” Erdoğan wrote in the memorial book at Anıtkabir.
Erdoğan later spoke at an event on the occasion held by the Atatürk Supreme Council for Culture, Language and History, the only high-level state institution specifically bearing the name of Atatürk. He delved into Atatürk’s past as leader of the independence movement. “At a time when enemies’ boots stained Izmir, he left Istanbul (then the capital of the Ottoman Empire) for Anatolia and sparked the torch of independence,” he said. He recited Atatürk’s remarks about those days when he saw what he defined as “a tendency among the nation for achieving independence that would put those hesitating fighting for it to shame.”
“These words are the crystal-clear indication that the liberation of the country was sought through resilience of the nation, not through submitting to the mandate of other countries, at a time where our independence and the future were threatened,” Erdoğan stated. “This was also a fight for the oppressed nation. As he told Azerbaijan’s representative Ibrahim Abilov when he hosted him in Ankara at the height of the War of Independence, Türkiye’s fight was not just about its own future and its cause was the cause of all oppressed nations, the entire East.”
Compared with subsequent presidents of the country, Atatürk had a relatively short life. He passed away at the age of 57 after suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, something attributed to his lifelong habit of smoking and drinking. The condition ultimately confined him to bed, a man who had survived an assassination attempt, multiple encounters with death on the World War I battlefronts and numerous other challenges throughout his life.
Born in 1881 in then-Ottoman Salonica (Thessaloniki), now in Greece, Mustafa Kemal, as he was known before he was given the unique surname that translates as “Father of Turks,” started a brilliant military career in the early 20th century and served on multiple fronts during the Ottoman Empire’s eventful last years, from Libya to the Balkans. While serving in Sofia as a military attache after years on the battlefield, he sought reassignment to the field. In 1915, he was appointed a division commander and proved his military mettle as a commander during World War I. He was nicknamed the “Hero of Anafartalar” after a decisive battle on the western front in Gallipoli. This feat later brought him wider recognition as a skilled commander and a trusted figure as he sought to rally the nation for independence in the aftermath of World War I. It was also his first brush with death, when a piece of shrapnel hit him in the chest but was stopped by a pocket watch he was carrying.
His next mission was on the eastern front in 1916, where he managed to stop the Russian incursion and reclaimed the eastern provinces of Bitlis and Muş from invading forces, a feat that helped secure his promotion to the rank of general. In the next two years, he served in Palestine and Syria as commander of the Seventh Army. After the war ended, he returned to Istanbul, the then capital of the Ottoman Empire, during a time when invading forces occupied the city, and secretly worked to organize a nationwide resistance. He found an opportunity to serve this purpose when he left the city as an “army inspector” under the guise of inspecting Ottoman troops scattered across the country. His arrival in the northern province of Samsun on May 19, 1919, is today viewed as the first step toward independence in postwar Türkiye. Once he drummed up the support of fellow commanders and the public during his travels across Anatolia, Atatürk started organizing a formal opposition to invading Allied forces through conventions in eastern and central Turkish cities. The conventions and congresses paved the way for the establishment of a temporary government independent of the Ottoman seat of power, which was then in its death throes, and a new Parliament firmly opposed to any foreign mandate. In 1920, he spearheaded the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) and was elected as its president, as well as head of the interim government.
Under his leadership, an outnumbered army, with broad public support, was assembled and showed the world that a new country was rising from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. Victories in central and western Türkiye against invading Greek forces in defensive battles in 1921 cemented trust in Atatürk. He was soon promoted to the rank of marshal. In 1922, the army launched the Great Offensive, the first counterattack against invaders. Months after a decisive victory against the Greek army, a cease-fire agreement was signed with the Allied forces, paving the way for their withdrawal from Turkish territories. The Treaty of Lausanne, signed in 1923, officially marked the end of the conflict between invading forces and Türkiye. A few months after it was signed, Atatürk pronounced the formation of the Republic of Türkiye and was elected as its first president. He remained in this post until his death, being elected to four consecutive terms as president.
After the foundation of the Republic, Atatürk devoted his life to the reconstruction of a war-torn country, which was also tested by a global economic crisis, while establishing ties with countries against which Türkiye had once fought. His diplomatic and economic efforts made Türkiye an emerging country with a say in international affairs. On the domestic front, Atatürk is credited with revolutionary changes, including a switch to a new alphabet, a new education system, and vast legal, social and economic reforms.
Every year on Nov. 10, solemn ceremonies are held across the country and in the country’s diplomatic missions abroad to pay respects to Atatürk, who remains a beloved figure for millions and a leader whose name adorns many places in Türkiye. A remembrance tradition involves honking horns and sounding sirens at the exact time of his death, as people observe a minute of silence.
As part of this year’s ceremonies, Savarona, the yacht Atatürk spent about two months on before his death, was anchored off the coast of Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace. The yacht, restored a few years ago and now in service with the Turkish Naval Forces Command, hosted Atatürk for 56 days, during which the ailing leader continued governing the country and attending daily government affairs, from Cabinet meetings to hosting visiting foreign leaders. When his health deteriorated further, Atatürk had to disembark on July 25, 1938, and move to Dolmabahçe Palace. Savarona still houses Atatürk’s personal belongings, including his desk, slippers, towels, glasses and a bed cover stained with blood he spat during his illness, among other things.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to easing escalating tensions between Iran and the United States and advancing diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war during talks with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the COP31 Leaders Summit in Antalya.
The meeting focused on pressing regional and global challenges, including ongoing conflicts and international efforts to address climate change.
Erdoğan welcomed Türkiye’s role as host and president of COP31, saying preparations for the international climate conference had been completed.
He expressed hope that the gathering in Antalya would mark a turning point in efforts to tackle climate-related challenges and strengthen international cooperation.
Addressing mounting tensions between Tehran and Washington, Erdoğan said Türkiye was working closely with regional countries to prevent further escalation and promote solutions through dialogue and diplomacy.
The Turkish president also reiterated Ankara’s commitment to ending the Russia-Ukraine war, emphasizing Türkiye’s readiness to support a renewed diplomatic process aimed at securing peace.
Erdoğan and Guterres also exchanged views on the latest developments in Gaza, Cyprus and Libya, underscoring the broad range of regional crises on the international agenda.
Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders agreed to open two new crossing points on the divided island of Cyprus during U.N.-brokered talks in Lefkoşa, marking a step toward improving cooperation between the two communities.
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides reached the agreement during a trilateral meeting mediated by Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, the U.N. secretary-general’s personal envoy for Cyprus.
The meeting, held at the residence of the U.N. chief of mission in the buffer zone in Lefkoşa, began at 11 a.m. and lasted approximately three hours and 15 minutes.
Following the talks, Holguin and U.N. Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus spokesperson Aleem Siddique presented a joint U.N. statement to reporters after the two leaders departed.
According to the statement, the leaders agreed to establish new crossing points connecting Akıncılar with Lympia and Gemikonağı with Kambos-Karavostasi.
Discussions on additional crossings will continue, while Erhürman and Christodoulides are also expected to hold another trilateral meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The U.N. described the discussions as taking place in a positive atmosphere, with both sides agreeing on further confidence-building measures.
The leaders agreed to relaunch the bicommunal Imagine education program under the supervision of the Technical Committee on Education, which will determine the framework for its implementation.
They also tasked the Technical Committee on Crisis Management with establishing a mechanism to ensure rapid responses to emergencies.
Additionally, the leaders agreed that the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage would begin restoration work on several Maronite churches and an Armenian monastery.
The agreements signal renewed efforts to strengthen practical cooperation between the island’s two communities amid continuing U.N.-facilitated dialogue.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, United Nations under-secretary-general for peace operations, says Türkiye plays an important role in training peacekeepers and the U.N. is looking forward to enhancing cooperation with the country in this field.
Lacroix spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) in Türkiye, where he attended an international forum, months after his visit to Ankara, where he met Turkish officials on peacekeeping operations. He said Türkiye made double contributions to their operations, both as a trainer and by deploying peacekeeping troops.
He said the current conflicts across the world were more connected and had global consequences and to deal with them, the international community needed a collective approach. “Multilateralism is certainly of critical importance but member states need to exhibit a strong will and resolution to actively support the efforts for peace. Türkiye is among those countries demonstrating that will,” he said. Lacroix noted that every crisis also had actors working for peace, “a few countries with special influence,” and noted that Türkiye was among them as it was in the past.
He pointed out that conflicts today have become more complex than in the past, saying, “We also need to adapt our existing peace operations to current conditions and be prepared to establish new peace operations that are quite different from those created 50 to 60 years ago.” However, Lacroix said the most critical factor was not new models but the political will of member states, stressing the importance of providing the necessary financial resources as well. Lacroix said the U.N. system had previously succeeded in developing different types of peace operations and had the capacity to do so in the future.
Addressing questions over the effectiveness of U.N. peace operations, Lacroix said many countries, including Cambodia, East Timor, Angola, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Liberia and El Salvador, had regained stability with the support of peace operations.
Lacroix also addressed attacks targeting U.N. peacekeeping personnel, saying that despite all the challenges, peacekeepers protect hundreds of thousands of civilians every day and help prevent cease-fires from collapsing.
Noting that the safety of peacekeeping personnel was frequently put at risk and that the obligation to protect them was being violated, Lacroix said such incidents required a strong response. “Crimes committed against peacekeeping personnel must be held to account,” Lacroix said.
Lacroix welcomed the adoption by the U.N. Security Council, following an initiative by Pakistan and Denmark, of a resolution calling for accountability for crimes committed against peacekeeping personnel. He added that peacekeepers serve the cause of peace and people, and therefore deserve to be respected.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed Türkiye’s support for Niger’s territorial integrity and security during a phone call with Nigerien President Abdourahamane Tchiani, pledging Ankara’s assistance in strengthening regional dialogue and stability.
The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional developments, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said in a statement.
Erdoğan emphasized that Türkiye would continue taking steps to deepen cooperation with Niger across various sectors, underscoring Ankara’s commitment to strengthening ties between the two countries.
He also expressed Türkiye’s readiness to support efforts aimed at establishing and reinforcing regional dialogue mechanisms.
During the conversation, Erdoğan extended his condolences to Tchiani and the people of Niger over the death of the Nigerien leader’s father.
Türkiye increased the number of its embassies across Africa from 12 in 2002 to 44 by 2024, while the number of African embassies in Türkiye rose from 10 in 2008 to 38 in 2024.
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