Politics
Syria set to train YPG as integration deal moves forward: Report
A group of members of the U.S.-backed terrorist group YPG, which relented to a deal with Damascus in January, will undergo training at a military college in the Syrian capital as part of the agreement. The news website Rudaw reported on Monday that 28 members of the group would leave for Damascus within three days. It is the first time that this section of the comprehensive agreement will be implemented.
The post-Baathist administration in Damascus has moved against the YPG when the latter reneged on an earlier deal for integration into the Syrian army. On Jan. 16, the Syrian army launched an offensive against YPG-controlled areas in northeastern Syria. After days of the offensive, the YPG consented to sign a new deal with Damascus on integrating both “administrative” and “military” structures of the YPG to post-Assad Syria. The terrorist group agreed that Syrian security forces would be deployed in Hassakeh and Qamishli, two key areas occupied by the YPG.
The deal also stipulated a faster integration of armed members of the YPG into Syrian security forces and the creation of a division consisting of three brigades of the YPG. A source speaking to Rudaw said 18 “officers” will join the training from Jazira and 10 others were deployed in Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobani. After completing their training, which will continue for one year, they are expected to command brigades as agreed upon in the January agreement. More YPG members will be trained for integration, Rudaw reported.
The YPG, the Syrian wing of the terrorist group PKK, neither complied with Türkiye’s terror-free initiative for disarmament of the PKK, nor with a March 2025 deal for integration with the Syrian security forces. Türkiye is a major supporter of post-Assad Syria and views the YPG as a threat to its own national security. Ankara has hinted that it may resort to a military option in Syria as it did in the past to thwart the YPG’s ambitions, but repeatedly called for dialogue to resolve the dispute between the YPG and Damascus.
Türkiye and Australia on Thursday outlined their priorities for the upcoming U.N. climate summit during an event at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) headquarters in Paris, emphasizing international cooperation, clean energy transition and sustainable development ahead of COP31, which Türkiye will host later this year.
The event, jointly organized by the Turkish and Australian permanent delegations to the OECD, brought together diplomats, energy experts and policymakers to discuss preparations for the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Among the participants were Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the OECD Esen Altuğ, Australia’s Permanent Representative to the OECD Stephen Jones, OECD Environment Director Jaime de Bourbon de Parme and International Energy Agency (IEA) Director of Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks Laura Cozzi.
Speaking at the event, Altuğ said Türkiye and Australia had developed a new model of cooperation under the COP31 framework that seeks to bridge regions and strengthen climate diplomacy.
“This new model connects the Mediterranean and the Pacific, launching a new form of environmental diplomacy based on dialogue, consensus and action,” Altuğ said.
She said the summit’s priorities would include clean energy transition, low-carbon industrialization, climate-resilient cities, sustainable agriculture and food security.
Altuğ also highlighted Türkiye’s commitment to ensuring that the road to COP31 remains transparent, inclusive and solution-oriented. She noted that the world leaders summit will take place in the southern province of Antalya on Nov. 11-12.
“Zero waste and the circular economy are among COP31’s priorities, and we hope tonight’s reception reflects that spirit,” she said.
Jones stressed the need for multilateral action on climate change through COP31, arguing that global cooperation remains essential despite growing geopolitical tensions.
He said energy security had once again become a major concern amid ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, underscoring the importance of accelerating the transition to renewable energy.
Pointing to declining renewable energy costs, Jones said approximately half of household electricity consumption in Australia is currently supplied by renewable sources.
“We are undergoing a transformation aimed at reducing our dependence on fossil fuels,” he said.
Cozzi welcomed the partnership between Türkiye and Australia, describing it as an example of leadership in an increasingly complex international environment.
“Thank you for leading and guiding this new multilateral world,” she said.
She noted that the world is experiencing an unprecedented energy crisis and said discussions during visits by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol to both Türkiye and Australia had focused on linking energy security challenges with COP31 objectives.
“We want to find structural solutions to the crisis we are facing today,” Cozzi said.
She also recalled that Türkiye’s Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister and COP31 President Murat Kurum addressed the first session of the IEA’s High-Level Energy Transition Dialogues in Paris on April 30, outlining Türkiye’s climate priorities.
OECD Environment Director de Bourbon de Parme welcomed closer cooperation with Türkiye on COP31 and reaffirmed support for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
“There is no better family than the OECD and the IEA to support COP31,” he said, adding that national climate commitments and investment plans are already producing measurable progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The event concluded with a reception featuring Turkish cuisine prepared under a zero-waste concept, highlighting the role of sustainable consumption in addressing climate challenges.
Guests at the event were offered a selection of sustainable Turkish dishes prepared with a focus on reducing food loss and waste. The menu was inspired by this year’s Turkish Cuisine Week theme, “Heritage on One Table,” which promotes sustainable food traditions and responsible consumption.
Türkiye is set to host the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP31, in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya in November under a joint framework with Australia. The summit is expected to focus heavily on climate adaptation, financing and implementation of commitments made under the Paris Agreement.
Türkiye has increasingly positioned itself as a central actor in global climate diplomacy ahead of COP31, promoting themes such as resilience, sustainable urban transformation and practical implementation.
Thirty-seven years after the mass migration of ethnic Turks from Bulgaria to Türkiye, survivors of the assimilation campaign say the trauma of forced name changes, cultural repression and violence remains vivid.
Between 1984 and 1989, Bulgarian government implemented policies aimed at assimilating the country’s Turkish minority. Hundreds of thousands of ethnic Turks were pressured to adopt Slavic names, abandon the public use of the Turkish language and face restrictions on religious practices. The campaign culminated in the forced migration of more than 350,000 people to Türkiye in 1989.
Among those still haunted by the period is Sevinç Deniz, 60, whose father died after being detained by Bulgarian authorities for refusing to change his name.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Deniz recalled that life in Bulgaria had been peaceful before the assimilation campaign intensified in the early 1980s.
“My father was taken from our home during a police raid because he refused to change his name,” she said. “Four days later, he returned in a coffin.”
Deniz said authorities attempted to replace her father’s Turkish name, Mustafa Mehmed Ibrahimov, with a Bulgarian one. According to her, his death certificate and coffin bore the name “Mihail” despite his refusal to accept it while alive.
“When I saw him, there were marks on his body and signs of violence,” she said. “He was only 41 years old and had his whole life ahead of him.”
Deniz said the experience shattered her family and left lasting psychological scars. Although she occasionally visits Bulgaria, she said memories of the period continue to cause fear and pain.
Another survivor, Nurettin Öztürk, 64, said he also resisted pressure to adopt a Bulgarian name.
“They gave me three days to change my name or leave,” he said. Rather than comply, Öztürk moved to another city before eventually migrating to Türkiye.
Öztürk said many Bulgarian Turks longed for Türkiye and were grateful for the opportunity to rebuild their lives after arriving.
“We worked hard and tried not to be a burden on the state,” he said. “Today we are thankful. We have homes, our children received an education, and we are satisfied with our lives in our country.”
At the same time, he said many migrants maintain emotional ties to Bulgaria, where relatives and ancestral roots remain.
Öztürk also objected to being described as a “Bulgarian migrant,” arguing that the label overlooks their Turkish identity and the circumstances that forced them to leave.
For many survivors, the memories of the assimilation campaign remain an enduring part of their lives decades after their arrival in Türkiye.
Türkiye on Friday called on all parties to avoid actions that could further inflame tensions in the Black Sea after a drone strike hit a Turkish-owned cargo vessel off Ukraine’s southern coast, injuring two crew members and sparking a fire on board.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had conveyed Ankara’s concerns to “all relevant parties” following the incident and reiterated its warning against steps that could lead to an uncontrolled escalation of the war in the region.
It said the situation was being closely monitored and confirmed that the injured crew members were Turkish nationals.
“We are closely monitoring the conditions of the two Turkish nationals,” the ministry said, adding that Türkiye was coordinating with relevant authorities over the safety of maritime traffic in the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s navy said earlier on Friday that Russian drones struck the vessel late Thursday while it was sailing from the Odesa region toward Türkiye, causing a fire and forcing the evacuation of part of the crew.
The vessel, which was sailing under the Vanuatu flag and was reportedly carrying cargo at the time, had Turkish ownership links, according to Ukrainian officials.
“The Russian Federation carried out a targeted attack on a Turkish vessel,” the Ukrainian navy said in a statement posted on Telegram. It said two crew members were wounded but did not immediately provide further details on the ship’s cargo or extent of damage.
Russian authorities did not immediately comment on the Ukrainian allegations.
The incident comes amid repeated strikes on shipping in the Black Sea, a critical corridor for grain and commercial goods since the start of the war in Ukraine. Maritime security in the region has remained a point of concern for coastal states, including Türkiye, which controls access to the Black Sea through the Bosporus under the 1936 Montreux Convention.
Ankara has repeatedly urged both Moscow and Kyiv to avoid actions that could endanger civilian shipping, warning that spillover from the conflict risks wider instability in the region.
Türkiye’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is entering a new phase of internal struggle as reinstated Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu moves to consolidate authority following a court ruling that annulled the party’s 2023 congress, while tensions rise over possible disciplinary measures against rivals Özgür Özel and jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu.
Attention has shifted to Kılıçdaroğlu’s expected address at CHP headquarters, where he is set to return publicly for the first time since the court decision restored his leadership and overturned the congress that had brought Özel to power.
The ruling, issued under the legal doctrine of “absolute nullity,” invalidated the November 2023 congress and reinstated CHP’s pre-congress administration on an interim basis until a new congress can be organized.
The decision triggered a fierce power struggle between competing factions and culminated days later in clashes outside party headquarters after riot police removed Özel’s administration from the building.
Authorities later opened an investigation into the unrest.
While both Kılıçdaroğlu and Özel say a congress is ultimately unavoidable, disagreement over timing and legitimacy has widened the divide.
“We will hold a congress, friends. Can there be a party without a congress?” Kılıçdaroğlu said this week.
“Of course, for this to happen, the congress must be held on legal grounds.”
His remarks underscored the legal argument increasingly advanced by his supporters: that party structures remain in transition and that any leadership contest must wait until court procedures and injunction questions are resolved.
That position has strengthened Kılıçdaroğlu’s institutional standing inside the party.
The Party Council meeting expected in early June has been postponed, with CHP headquarters citing delays in formal notification procedures concerning council appointments. Kılıçdaroğlu also informed lawmakers that the parliamentary group meeting would not be convened until further notice.
The moves effectively place key party organs on hold while legal and organizational questions are reviewed.
The authority dispute now extends beyond the chairmanship itself.
Özel, who was elected parliamentary group chair by CHP lawmakers after the court ruling, maintains that his political legitimacy remains intact and continues to call for a rapid congress or a broader leadership vote involving party members.
“There is a completely unlawful decision here,” Özel said during a visit to İzmir, arguing that restrictions linked to the ruling should not prevent him from exercising political authority.
He has also rejected suggestions of a split.
“No one should leave the party, no one should resign,” Özel told supporters.
Yet Kılıçdaroğlu’s camp increasingly appears focused on institutional consolidation before any vote takes place.
Party figures aligned with Kılıçdaroğlu argue that the CHP cannot organize a credible congress under the existing delegate structure, citing court findings and ongoing investigations tied to alleged irregularities during the 2023 leadership contest.
Former CHP figure Gürsel Tekin has argued that a renewed congress process beginning with local delegate elections could take several months to complete.
Others close to Kılıçdaroğlu have spoken of the need for what they describe as a “purification” period before a new contest is held.
The debate has also revived questions over disciplinary authority.
Figures within the Kılıçdaroğlu camp have increasingly voiced calls for disciplinary scrutiny targeting individuals they hold responsible for the confrontation surrounding party headquarters and the wider crisis.
Among the names frequently mentioned are Özel and Imamoğlu, whose political alliance helped shape the 2023 leadership transition.
No formal expulsion proceedings have been announced.
However, party sources say the High Disciplinary Board, restored alongside the pre-congress administration, could become a decisive institution should disciplinary referrals emerge.
The dispute reflects deeper questions about who currently exercises legitimate authority inside the CHP.
Under party bylaws, the chair holds broad powers to represent and manage the organization, convene party bodies and oversee coordination between headquarters and the parliamentary group.
The Party Council, meanwhile, functions as the highest decision-making organ after the congress, shaping strategy, approving candidate lists and possessing the authority to call an extraordinary congress.
The Central Executive Board serves as the party’s executive arm, while disciplinary mechanisms remain separate from day-to-day administration.
That institutional architecture has turned legal interpretation into a political battleground.
Supporters of Özel insist the crisis should be resolved quickly through a fresh vote reflecting delegate or member will. Kılıçdaroğlu allies counter that rushing to a congress before legal questions are settled risks deepening instability and reproducing the same disputes that led to the court intervention.
The rivalry has increasingly spilled into internal party communications and public messaging.
Reports of heated exchanges among CHP lawmakers and separate factional coordination channels have highlighted the deteriorating atmosphere inside the party, while accusations of political pressure and influence campaigns continue to circulate between rival camps.
Both sides deny wrongdoing.
For now, the central question confronting Türkiye’s main opposition party is no longer whether a congress will take place, but under whose authority and according to which timetable.
As Kılıçdaroğlu prepares to reappear at headquarters, his camp appears to hold the stronger institutional position. Yet Özel retains support among segments of the parliamentary group and party base, setting the stage for a prolonged struggle over the CHP’s future leadership and political direction.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye and Pakistan are working together with “brotherly countries” to help end ongoing regional conflicts and restore peace and stability, underscoring the importance of mediation efforts and expressing hope for positive outcomes from negotiations.
The remarks came as Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed bilateral ties and regional developments amid heightened tensions across the region, according to a statement made by the Presidential Communications Directorate.
Erdoğan said Ankara and Islamabad would continue taking steps to deepen Türkiye-Pakistan relations across all sectors, reaffirming the close partnership between the two countries.
The Turkish president also congratulated Sharif and the people of Pakistan on Eid al-Adha.
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli called Republican People’s Party (CHP) former chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and CHP parliamentary group leader Özgür Özel on Thursday to extend Eid al-Adha, also known as Qurban Bayram, greetings, according to statements from the opposition party.
A statement from CHP headquarters said Bahçeli phoned Kılıçdaroğlu to congratulate him on the Islamic holiday.
Separately, Özel’s press office said the MHP leader also called the CHP parliamentary group leader to convey his Eid al-Adha wishes.
The statement added that Bahçeli was the first political figure to congratulate Özel on the Qurban Bayram holiday.
The holiday exchange came amid an ongoing debate within the CHP over a recent court case seeking absolute nullity regarding the party’s 2023 congress that brought Özel to the leadership. The case has fueled political tensions and speculation over a possible legal challenge to the legitimacy of the congressional process and the current party administration.
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