Politics
Top EU official visits Türkiye for $236M projects, stronger partnership
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said the European Union and Türkiye share strong ties that outweigh their differences, announcing that two projects each worth 100 million euros ($118 million) will be signed during her Feb. 5-6 visit to Ankara.
“There is really more that connects EU and Türkiye than what is dividing us, and we really should work on this,” she told Anadolu Agency (AA), stressing that “our economies are very much interdependent.”
Kos said she is “very much looking forward” to her first official visit to Türkiye, and explained that she had “intense contacts” with her Turkish counterparts “since the first day” of her mandate, especially with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
She asserted that her visit aligns with the approach of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with the aim of opening a new perspective in the relations.
“We are really living in challenging times. The world is changing around us. We are seeing the return of imperial behavior as China, Russia, and the U.S. are aggressively building their spheres of interest,” Kos said.
In the face of these geopolitical challenges, Kos urged strengthening cooperation, noting: “Our economies are very much interdependent. Whatever happens on the field of migration on each side is affecting the other side.”
Kos expressed hope that the Ukraine peace agreement would be signed soon to “change the realities in Europe and also especially in the Black Sea, where I see Türkiye as a very important partner already.”
Focusing on trust
Kos explained that she aims to foster trust during her visit as “trust is getting nowadays more and more important” while both in politics and business one needs partners “whom you can trust and build on.”
She described Türkiye as the “heart” of the EU’s Connectivity Strategy, a geopolitical approach aimed at establishing transport, energy, digital, and people-focused connections, seeking to “better Europe with Central Asia and turning this middle corridor into a very, very strong connection.”
“We can’t do this without Türkiye,” she asserted.
European Investment Bank
According to Kos, the Connectivity Strategy will allow much more for the EU and its partners “together in the Caucasus.”
“This is also why I’m very happy that the European Investment Bank (EIB) is coming back to Türkiye,” she said, referring to the multilateral financial institution owned by the EU’s 27 member states that provides funds for strategic projects.
“During my visit to Ankara, two projects, each worth of 100 million euros, will be signed as part of the re-engagement of the EIB, which wasn’t possible for some years,” she revealed.
She praised the EIB’s re-engagement as a result of the “high-level dialogue and economic discussions last year” that the “business community really, really loved to see.”
“Now it is happening,” she said, stressing that the two new renewable energy projects financed by the EIB “is now the start,” and the EU bank, as well as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the World Bank, would also play an important role in the future in new renewable energy and connectivity projects.
To support this agenda, Kos will meet with the minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar.
Impact of EU trade deals
Asked about the potential impact of recently signed trade deals with the South American trade bloc Mercosur and India on the EU’s customs union with Türkiye, Kos asserted that the agreement underpins the “attractiveness” of making a free trade agreement with the EU and its 450-million-strong market, despite “some people are doubting” the bloc’s geopolitical relevance.
She called the recent free trade deals “very important,” but emphasized that “the trade between the EU and Türkiye is almost twice as much as our trade with Mercosur.”
Kos urged to look at the “bigger picture in these uncertain times, when China, Russia and the U.S. are creating their spheres of interest.”
“It will be more and more important that we do business with reliable partners. There are many things we can do to improve the bilateral trade,” she noted, and explained that she had just received a letter from the Turkish business community, also published in the Financial Times, about the future of the EU-Türkiye economic relations.
“We should make much more out of this trading relation, including the improvement of the functioning of the customs union and removing some barriers we still have there,” she asserted.
Noting that “both sides should work on this” while there is a “clear will and possibility,” she promised to put all her “energy into moving on this.”
“We really shouldn’t miss this big chance which we have today, but it needs to be our common project and both sides have to deliver,” she added.
Admitting that the customs union with Türkiye has not been updated for 30 years, Kos mentioned that all political developments, and especially relations with the Greek Cypriot administration, can help to make progress in this area.
‘Made in Europe’ initiative
The “Made in Europe” initiative, which prioritizes European companies in public procurement in EU countries, is also “in principle a response to how the world of trade is also changing,” Kos revealed.
She explained that the rules set by the World Trade Organization have been increasingly eroded and trade dependencies are used as blackmail or a weapon, which the EU wants to prevent.
“We want to be sure that if we spend public money, it actually benefits the companies that choose to work in Europe or close to Europe, who want to innovate, who also want to invest and produce in Europe and in places we can trust. This is a matter of security,” she stressed.
She reminded that the work and discussions on the “Made in Europe” initiative are still in progress, and promised to “always defend that this economic logic should be aligned with our geopolitical logic, where we have to see who is our partner and with which partner we can get a better win-win situation out of this.”
“If we take together economic and geopolitical logic, this cannot exclude Türkiye,” Kos stated, adding that in order to participate in EU public procurements, first, the conditions enabling trade need to be “further developed.”
“We would love to see Türkiye involved deeper in some of our policies, but there are some conditions which have to be fulfilled,” she went on.
Kos said she would be meeting with Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek in Ankara, hailing that the EU and Türkiye had resumed high-level dialogues.
“Last year we had five: economy, trade, migration, security, research, innovation, agriculture,” she asserted.
“I would also be very happy if we would be able to do also the high-level dialogues on energy and transport. For the time being, it is not possible, but let’s move and see what we can do to make this possible,” she added.
She called for more trust, noting that “big changes will not come through the night until we are able to build trust.”
EU membership perspective
Asked about Türkiye’s EU membership perspective in the face of political obstacles, Kos acknowledged that “since 2018, there is a standstill in the negotiation or accession process” but underscored that the EU still “considers Türkiye as a candidate country.”
Acknowledging that they are “not starting from scratch,” Kos underlined that the latest EU enlargement reports on the progress of candidate countries had “seen steps away from EU standards, especially on the rule of law and democracy.”
“I know that Türkiye has a very long democratic tradition and also a strong civil society, and this is what we would like to strengthen, and this would build trust between the EU and Türkiye,” she underlined.
According to Kos, there are “immense possibilities” to be exploited within the 450-million-strong internal market of the EU and Türkiye’s over 80 million people.
“If we could put new energy into the development of the field of democracy, I think we could do really, really much more,” she asserted.
Kos described that the accession process is influenced by dynamics in the candidate countries and EU member states as well, and “we are engaging with our candidate countries, and the decision-making process is worked out together.”
“We know that any progress is connected to bilateral relations, not just Cyprus, but also with the Cyprus and the new Cyprus settlement talks. It is now a big opportunity to continue,” she added.
Defense cooperation
Asked about prospects of Türkiye’s contribution to the EU’s efforts in strengthening its defense industry and capabilities, Kos acknowledged Türkiye as a “very important, reliable NATO partner, the second-largest member in NATO, the institution that secured peace and security in the broader sense in Europe.”
“We also have seen how Turkish drones have been playing a decisive role at the beginning of the war in Ukraine. We have also seen the role Türkiye is playing in the war. For all of these reasons, Türkiye is a kind of natural partner for Europe, and it would be good both for us if we could work more together,” she added.
“Under certain conditions, Turkish companies can already cooperate, be part of our rearmament programs, if they have subsidies here in Europe,” she explained.
Kos also stressed: “Personally, I would like to really see strong involvement of stronger involvement of Türkiye in the security in Europe,” but warned that the development of EU security policy depends on member states.
“The new Cyprus settlement talks are a great opportunity for improvements also in this area,” she said, noting that Türkiye is “undisputably a really important NATO and security partner.”
Visa liberalization
Referring to the EU’s recently announced visa strategy, Kos underlined that due to last year’s high-level dialogue on migration, the EU could introduce the so-called cascade system, allowing Turkish citizens to more easily get multiple visas, and that “this is already showing the results.”
She highlighted that visa-free travel is one of the main topics in which she would like to see advancement, but warned that there are six conditions to be fulfilled.
Wowing to keep visa liberalization on the “high priority list” during her visit to Ankara, she explained that connectivity does not only mean “hard power in the sense of trade and transport and energy.”
“When I speak about the connectivity, I would also like to stress the connections between people,” Kos asserted.
Türkiye on Tuesday strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, warning that Israel’s escalating attacks are undermining the country’s territorial integrity and stability.
In a statement issued Aug. 18, the Foreign Ministry said Israeli forces carried out airstrikes on the military facility, located in the Idlib countryside, in the early hours of Tuesday.
“We strongly condemn the airstrikes carried out by Israel early this morning against the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in the countryside of Syria’s Idlib,” the ministry said.
The ministry criticized Israel for “recklessly” continuing attacks targeting Syria’s infrastructure and capabilities while violating the country’s territorial integrity and unity.
Ankara also urged the international community to take a firmer stance against Israel’s increasingly aggressive actions in Syria.
“We call on the international community to adopt a more resolute position to put an end to Israel’s aggression against Syria, which is taking on a new dimension with each passing day, and to ensure accountability for these actions that disregard international law,” the ministry said.
The statement comes amid heightened tensions over Israeli violations in Syria, with Türkiye repeatedly stressing the need to preserve Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and political unity.
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran strongly condemned the Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base.
“These attacks targeting Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and infrastructure are a continuation of a reckless policy of aggression that threatens regional peace and stability,” Duran said.
He said that Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, would continue to support Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and oppose any attempt that threatens peace and stability in the region.
Israel’s recent strikes on a military base in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province and the use of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s image in an election poster by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party bearing the slogan “They want Netanyahu to lose” are seen by experts as signs of the growing political and strategic pressure Netanyahu is facing.
“The circumstantial aspect of the issue is that, as Israel heads into an election period, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main concern is finding a new political target,” Gökhan Çınkara, an associate professor at Necmettin Erbakan University and director of the Global and Regional Studies Center, told Daily Sabah.
“This was already evident in the campaign poster he used for the election,” he said, adding that the decline in support for Netanyahu’s Likud party could be seen as another indication of the pressure he faces.
As Israel’s Oct. 27 elections approach, political parties have stepped up their campaigning.
A new election poster displayed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party on a billboard in Tel Aviv features images of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan alongside Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
“They want Netanyahu to lose. Don’t let them win,” as seen in the poster.
The campaign comes amid an increase in rhetoric targeting Türkiye and President Erdoğan by Israeli politicians ahead of the Oct. 27 vote.
Çınkara also remarked that Netanyahu’s political predicament and lack of a clear policy agenda has led him to target figures such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in an effort to consolidate his electoral base.
Alongside Netanyahu’s campaign move involving Erdoğan, diplomatic pressure on Tel Aviv is also mounting over the war in Gaza. On Tuesday, Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy, met Netanyahu to discuss efforts toward a cease-fire in Gaza.
The talks, which lasted about four hours, focused on obstacles to a cease-fire and arrangements for the postwar period. According to U.S. media reports, Kushner urged Netanyahu not to obstruct efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement.
Ufuk Necat Taşçı, assistant professor of International Relations at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University also noted that Israel entered the conflict with Iran on the basis of flawed intelligence assessments, while largely failing to achieve its main objectives.
He pointed to factors including Gadi Eisenkot’s growing political prominence and internal divisions within Netanyahu’s Likud party as signs of mounting domestic pressure.
As Kushner met Netanyahu, Trump also made remarks on Gaza, pointing to Hamas’ decision to lay down its arms.
“Israel should stop bombing Gaza,” Trump said.
Trump also stated it would not be appropriate for him to become directly involved in Israel’s Oct. 27 elections, though he said he could endorse a candidate.
Furthermore, Merve Suna Özel Özcan, associate professor and the vice chair of the International Relations Department at Kırıkkale University, said anti-Türkiye rhetoric is increasingly being used as a tool for electoral mobilization in Israel, with President Erdoğan portrayed not only as a regional rival but also as an external threat that could help Netanyahu rally support and bolster his political position.
She noted that portraying Türkiye as a potential security threat is not a new development in Israel, pointing to the Nagel Committee report, which had previously raised concerns over Ankara’s growing regional influence, particularly in Syria.
“Against this backdrop, Erdoğan’s appearance in Israeli election propaganda and the targeting of potential Turkish military capabilities in Syria should not be viewed as developments that emerged overnight,” the expert said. “Rather, they are the political and military manifestations of a threat narrative that has been developing for some time.”
Recently, Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper known for its criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, published an analysis arguing that Netanyahu has portrayed Türkiye as a major threat in an apparent effort to gain an electoral advantage while also examining Ankara’s bid to acquire F-35 fighter jets from the United States.
The analysis recalled that President Erdoğan and U.S. President Trump projected a warm rapport during the NATO summit in Ankara and that Washington signaled openness to a potential F-35 sale to Türkiye. It said those developments have been met with growing concern within both the Israeli government and the Israeli public, stating: “The election is approaching, and the ‘Mr. Security’ campaign has begun. In a calculated move, Benjamin Netanyahu last week launched a blitz of interviews, phone calls and statements in an attempt to block the sale of F-35 jets to Türkiye.”
Özcan offered that the changing regional environment following the Mecca Agreement should also be taken into consideration, while cautioning against portraying the agreement as an anti-Israel alliance.
All three countries support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the 1967 borders, the expert noted.
“From Israel’s perspective, therefore, the issue is not simply the emergence of another military mechanism, but the possibility that regional powers are beginning to build their own security and stability architecture,” she emphasized.
In an interview with the UAE-based The National, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan last month discussed tensions between Türkiye and Israel, as well as the Israeli government’s regional policies.
Fidan said there was no reason for a direct confrontation between Türkiye and Israel, arguing that Netanyahu has increasingly resorted to hostile rhetoric as he seeks a new political adversary ahead of the country’s upcoming elections.
Aylin Ünver Noi, professor of International Relations and Vice Rector of Beykoz University, indicated that “This should be viewed as an attempt to group together figures who oppose Israel’s regional policies, particularly its policies toward Hamas and the Palestinians.”
Whether the strategy will prove effective remains uncertain, she said, but the choice of figures featured in the campaign is significant because they have been associated with opposition to Israeli policies on the Palestinian issue.
“Türkiye and, in this context, the New York mayor should also be assessed from this perspective,” the expert added.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said last month that the city cannot enforce the international arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but called on the federal government to act.
In the video, Mamdani described the Israeli prime minister as a “war criminal” and said he is not welcome in New York City.
“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” he said in a video posted on X. “The federal government, however, does and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant,” he added, referring to the International Criminal Court.
Noi also described Türkiye’s broader foreign policy as focused on promoting regional and international stability and peace, pointing to Ankara’s diplomatic engagement in several conflict zones stretching from the Balkans and the South Caucasus to conflicts in Africa.
Israel, aggression in Syria
Israel has been carrying out incursions into Syrian territory since the December 2024 since the overthrow of the ousted Bashar Assad regime, including sending troops into a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone that separated Israeli and Syrian forces in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights since 1974.
Israel, on Tuesday, carried out airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, drawing attention from both Türkiye and regional countries.
Özcan stated that Israel’s latest strike in Syria should also be assessed within this broader context, arguing that the targeting of Abu al-Duhur Air Base could reflect Israeli concerns over Türkiye’s potential future military capabilities in the country.
“Although the base has remained largely inactive for some time, its potential future use by Türkiye suggests that Israel is concerned not only about existing threats but also about capabilities that could emerge in the future,” she said.
In a statement issued Aug. 18, the Foreign Ministry of Türkiye condemned the Israeli forces that carried out airstrikes on the military facility, located in the Idlib countryside, in the early hours of Tuesday.
“We strongly condemn the airstrikes carried out by Israel early this morning against the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base in the countryside of Syria’s Idlib,” the ministry said.
The ministry criticized Israel for “recklessly” continuing attacks targeting Syria’s infrastructure and capabilities while violating the country’s territorial integrity and unity.
Ankara also urged the international community to take a firmer stance against Israel’s increasingly aggressive actions in Syria.
Çınkara also added that another key issue for Israel since the Oct. 7 attacks has been how to restore its eroded deterrence.
“Against this backdrop, Israel tends to perceive virtually any military activity in the region as a potential threat,” he underlined. “This has become one of the main factors driving Israel’s increasingly aggressive military posture in places such as Lebanon and Syria.”
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran also strongly condemned the Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur Military Air Base.
“These attacks targeting Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and infrastructure are a continuation of a reckless policy of aggression that threatens regional peace and stability,” Duran noted.
He said that Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, would continue to support Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and oppose any attempt that threatens peace and stability in the region.
“Israel does not want a strong, unitary state on its border because it perceives such a state as a potential security threat,” Noi argued.
She also said the latest Israeli strikes should also be assessed against efforts to rehabilitate Syrian military infrastructure and Türkiye’s close relations with the new Syrian authorities.
“Türkiye has a fundamentally different approach,” Noi stressed. “Ankara wants to see a strong, unitary Syrian state and seeks to ensure its own security through stable relations with its neighbors.”
Türkiye’s broader regional policy is based on having stable and capable states along its borders and developing cooperative relations with them, according to her.
U.S. special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said Thursday that Washington is working to establish a deconfliction mechanism among Israel, Türkiye and Syria following an Israeli strike on a Syrian air base near the Turkish border.
Referring to the possibility of a Turkish military response, Barrack said Türkiye, after observing aircraft heading toward its territory, may have “understandably prepared to respond.”
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held separate phone calls Tuesday with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, diplomatic sources said.
Fidan and his Qatari counterpart discussed the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the sources.
In a separate call with al-Shaibani, Fidan discussed the latest developments in the region.
The calls came amid heightened attention on regional developments and the situation surrounding the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Fidan met with his Qatari counterpart, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, on July 19, a few days after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the country to extend condolences for the late emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
Türkiye and Qatar have steadily deepened their strategic partnership since establishing it in 2014 through high-level exchanges and bilateral agreements spanning a wide range of fields.
On the other hand, Fidan hosted his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, in Ankara on July 6 as the two neighboring countries continue to deepen relations following the collapse of the Baathist regime in 2024.
Regarding the U.S.-Israel-Iran war, Syria’s top diplomat stressed that the fighting in the region should come to an end as soon as possible. He noted that the regional tensions were also affecting Syria and said Damascus condemned Iran’s attacks against the Gulf countries.
Civil society groups supporting Palestinians will hold simultaneous events in more than 17 countries on Wednesday to call for greater humanitarian access to Gaza as the world marks World Humanitarian Day.
The global initiative, called the “Voice of Humanity,” will take place across five continents on Aug. 19, according to Osman Nuri Kabaktepe, head of the Palestine Support Platform, one of the organizations participating in the campaign.
Speaking at a news conference in Istanbul, Kabaktepe called on the public to support the initiative, saying access to food, medicine, shelter and healthcare should be regarded as a fundamental right rather than a concession.
“We are talking about a right, not a favor,” Kabaktepe noted, arguing that restrictions on humanitarian assistance have left civilians in Gaza struggling to obtain essential supplies.
Kabaktepe said tens of thousands of civilians have been killed during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and that children, women, patients and other vulnerable people continue to face difficulties accessing food and medical supplies.
He also accused Israel of failing to comply with provisions on humanitarian assistance under a cease-fire agreement, saying the arrangement envisaged the entry of at least 600 aid trucks into Gaza each day.
Kabaktepe called for the establishment of a humanitarian corridor and urged international organizations and institutions to work to ensure the delivery of aid into the Palestinian enclave.
As part of Wednesday’s campaign, supporters in Istanbul are expected to gather at Üsküdar Square at 6:30 p.m. local time.
Organizers will call for humanitarian assistance to be kept separate from political negotiations and for restrictions on aid deliveries to Gaza to be lifted.
“Humanitarian aid cannot be a matter of negotiation,” Kabaktepe underlined.
He urged international organizations and governments to increase efforts to secure humanitarian access to Gaza.
World Humanitarian Day is observed annually on Aug. 19 to recognize humanitarian workers and people affected by crises around the world.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi discussed efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and preserve the cease-fire in a phone call Monday, Turkish diplomatic sources said.
The two ministers reviewed the latest developments in ongoing negotiations concerning the reopening of the strategic waterway and the continuation of the cease-fire, according to the sources.
The two top diplomats spoke amid ongoing tensions in the region, with suspected Iranian drones targeting Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s office in Irbil on Monday.
Meanwhile, Fidan also held separate phone calls with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Nechirvan Barzani and KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday, Foreign Ministry sources said. The talks focused on the latest developments in the region, the sources added.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated newly appointed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham during a phone call Monday, as the two leaders pledged to deepen the strategic partnership between Türkiye and the United Kingdom, particularly in defense, security, trade and investment.
Erdoğan and Burnham discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments, according to a statement on the call.
Erdoğan congratulated Burnham on assuming his new post and expressed confidence that relations between Ankara and London would reach new heights in the coming period.
The president highlighted the significant progress Türkiye and the U.K. have made in cooperation across a broad range of areas, particularly in the defense industry.
He also underscored the importance of the Strategic Partnership Framework Document and the Security and Defense Partnership Document signed by the two countries, describing them as key instruments for strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Erdoğan said Ankara and London would continue working together to increase bilateral trade volume and achieve their shared objectives in investment, while building on the growing strategic partnership between the two NATO allies.
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