The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) marked its 57th anniversary on Monday in Ankara. The party’s leader, Devlet Bahçeli, hailed the long life of the party that evolved from a political movement founded by the late Alparslan Türkeş in the 1960s.

Bahçeli’s speech to the party’s supporters in the capital inevitably turned to the terror-free Türkiye initiative he championed for the disarmament of the terrorist group PKK. The veteran politician reiterated his commitment to the initiative and said that the party was willing to pay the price “to prevent this fight between brothers.”

The nationalist leader’s suggestion to get the PKK’s jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan, to Parliament so that he could call upon the group to lay down arms in 2024 had stunned many accustomed to his strict discourse against the PKK. Though such attempts to disarm the PKK were not new, it was the first time that Bahçeli, a man known for suggesting death by hanging for Öcalan once, led the initiative. Some far-right groups have accused Bahçeli of betraying nationalism. Bahçeli dismissed these claims in his lengthy speech on Monday and said they were “as Turkist as we were in the past.” “We are questioned by political converts,” he lamented, referring to former members of the MHP, which is known for its steadfast support of counterterrorism operations to eradicate the terrorist group.

The PKK claims to fight for Kurdish rights, while Bahçeli advocated strengthening Turkish-Kurdish unity in Türkiye to end the scourge of terrorism. The terrorist group killed thousands across Türkiye since the 1980s to achieve its goal of a self-styled “Kurdistan.” In his speech on Monday, Bahçeli said they needed to “wake up the national conscience.” “This is what we are aiming for. You cannot divide us, Turks and Kurds will carry Türkiye to the future together,” he said. Bahçeli underlined that they rejected “racist nationalism based on blood ties and ancestry” and issued a stern warning to “anyone attempting to argue against the foundation principles of the Republic of Türkiye with the intent of destroying these principles through differences in ethnic roots.”

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is set to meet members of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) delegation on Wednesday at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

The delegation, which includes senior figures Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar, is expected to discuss ongoing political issues linked to the Terror-Free Türkiye initiative.

They will be meeting at 2 p.m. local time (11 a.m. GMT).

The Imralı delegation is a delegation made up of DEM Party lawmakers who have been pursuing dialogue with the PKK’s jailed ringleader, Abdullah Öcalan, on Imralı Island.

Earlier on Tuesday, during a parliamentary group meeting, DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatımoğulları Oruç said the release of politicians imprisoned for political activities remains essential for advancing the terror-free process.

Turning to Syria, Oruç welcomed the Jan. 30 agreement reached between the Syrian government and the PKK’s Syrian offshoot, YPG-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), calling on the international community to support its implementation. She said Türkiye holds significant responsibility in ensuring the deal is not derailed, arguing that meaningful regional cooperation would benefit both Syria’s and Türkiye’s long-term stability.

The terror-free Türkiye initiative was launched last year by government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) when its leader, Devlet Bahçeli, implied that the government should facilitate access to Öcalan, so that he could call on the PKK to lay down arms.

Bahçeli’s proposal was endorsed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who had earlier hinted at the initiative with messages of unity between Turks and Kurds. The PKK has long justified its campaign of terrorism as a fight for the rights of Kurds. Both Bahçeli and Erdoğan have repeatedly said that ending terrorism and maintaining unity were essential for Türkiye’s “home front” in the face of Israeli aggression in the region, pointing to the fact that Israel may target Türkiye next as part of its expansionist policies. Öcalan responded positively to Bahçeli’s call and urged the PKK to lay down arms. In July, the PKK started the disarmament process with a ceremony in northern Iraq. The complete disarmament of the group is expected to be concluded by the end of 2025.

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Turkish authorities on Monday arrested two individuals who were detained previously on allegations of working for the Israeli spy agency Mossad. Mehmet Budak Derya and Veysel Kerimoğlu, who had been under surveillance for some time and were captured in a joint operation by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT), the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Istanbul Police Department, completed their procedures before a criminal court of peace at the Istanbul Courthouse.

The court ruled that the suspects be arrested on charges of “obtaining information that must remain confidential for the security or political interests of the state for purposes of political or military espionage. “It had been determined that company owner Derya, who had been under MIT surveillance for some time, and his employee Kerimoglu were transferring information to Mossad. Authorities found that Derya expanded his commercial activities toward Middle Eastern countries through Kerimoglu, developed social and commercial ties with Palestinians opposed to Israel’s policies in the region, and transmitted the information they gathered to the Israeli service.

It was understood that Derya, who has maintained ties with Israeli intelligence since 2013, held third-country meetings in various European countries with numerous operatives using the code names “Luis, Jesus/Jose, Dr. Roberto/Ricardo, Dan/Dennis, Mark, Elly/Emmy, and Michael.”

Investigators determined that Derya communicated with the Israeli service through an encrypted system and, following Mossad operatives’ instructions, purchased SIM cards as well as internet modems and router devices from Türkiye and other countries, sending photos of labels containing passwords, serial numbers, production details and MAC addresses to his contacts. It was also established that during Derya’s most recent meeting with Mossad officials in January, they discussed setting up a bank account for a front company, designing a website, opening social media accounts, and researching potential partner firms.

Derya was tasked with establishing a front company abroad to infiltrate international supply chains. According to the alleged plan, the company would coordinate procurement and shipment of products from countries designated by Mossad to final destinations identified by Israeli intelligence, working with three legitimate companies operating in Asia at different stages of the logistics process. Following the completion of the investigation, Derya and Kerimoğlu were detained in Istanbul on Feb. 6 as part of the “MONITUM Operation” conducted jointly by MIT, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Istanbul Police Department’s Counterterrorism Branch.

Turkish intelligence, in recent years, has uncovered several spy networks operated by independent groups, terrorist groups like Daesh, or foreign intelligence agencies in Türkiye.

According to Turkish security sources, Mossad often uses online communication applications to recruit operatives to spy on Palestinians and other foreign nationals living in Türkiye.

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Turkish authorities have detained eight suspects as part of an investigation into what prosecutors described as the “current financial structure” of the Gülenist terror group (FETÖ), the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said Tuesday.

In a statement, the prosecutor’s office said the suspects were detained following a joint operation by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the Ankara Police Department’s counterterrorism units. The investigation also covers FETO’s alleged clandestine network within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), known as the group’s secretive military (“mahrem”) structure.

Authorities said the suspects were identified through technical and physical surveillance and the examination of digital materials.

Two of the eight detainees had previously been dismissed from public service, while all were found to have continued alleged organizational activities despite earlier prosecutions for membership in the group, prosecutors said.

During searches of homes and locations allegedly used for organizational activities, security forces seized financial assets and digital equipment, including promissory notes valued at TL 2.5 million ($57,298.45), as well as cash in Turkish lira, U.S. dollars and euros, gold bars, and coins, authorities said.

Police also seized mobile phones, laptops, storage devices, SIM cards and other electronic materials.

One of the suspects has been formally arrested by a criminal court of peace, while judicial procedures for the remaining seven were continuing, the prosecutor’s office said.

Separately, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said nationwide operations against FETÖ had intensified in recent weeks. In a post on the social media platform NSosyal, Yerlikaya said gendarmerie units conducted operations in 29 provinces over the past two weeks, detaining 63 suspects.

According to Yerlikaya, those detained were accused of maintaining contact with senior members of the terrorist group through pay phones, providing financial support to groups linked to FETÖ, spreading propaganda on social media and attempting to flee abroad.

Of the 63 suspects, 41 have been arrested and four placed under judicial supervision, while legal proceedings for the others are ongoing, he said.

“Traps set against the national will are being dismantled one by one,” Yerlikaya said, praising security personnel involved in the operations.

Meanwhile, police in the northwestern province of Çanakkale arrested a fugitive convicted in a FETÖ-related case. The suspect, who had been sentenced to 14 years and two months in prison, was taken into custody during routine security checks and transferred to a high-security prison, authorities said.

FETÖ has been facing increased scrutiny following the July 15, 2016 coup attempt that killed 251 people and injured nearly 2,200 others. Tens of thousands of people were detained, arrested or dismissed from public sector jobs following the attempt under a state of emergency.

Last year, more than 1,600 FETÖ suspects were arrested, while 1,524 other suspects were released under judicial control, according to figures from the Interior Ministry as of December 2025.

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Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant, built by Russia’s state-owned nuclear company Rosatom, is a strategic infrastructure project that strengthens the country’s energy security, economic resilience and diplomatic leverage, a political science expert said.

Ismail Cingöz said the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant should be evaluated beyond short-term political debates and narrow financial calculations.

“Having a nuclear power plant does not simply mean producing electricity,” Cingöz said. “It creates strategic capacity that gives countries diplomatic weight in the international system.”

He said nuclear energy has moved to the center of global energy policy as countries seek to ensure energy security, stabilize prices and reduce carbon emissions.

“Major economies such as the United States, France, China and South Korea have returned nuclear power to the core of their energy strategies,” Cingöz said, adding that Akkuyu shows Türkiye has aligned with this global trend.

Cingöz said one of Akkuyu’s key contributions will be uninterrupted baseload power. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to supply about 10% of Türkiye’s electricity demand, replacing 35 billion to 40 billion kilowatt-hours of energy currently generated from imported natural gas and coal each year.

“This is not a temporary saving but a structural shift in Türkiye’s energy trade balance,” he said.

Addressing criticism of the project’s power purchase guarantees, Cingöz said such mechanisms are standard in nuclear financing worldwide and are limited in scope and duration.

“Nuclear projects cannot be assessed with simple profit calculations,” he said. “Their value lies in import substitution, price stability, supply security and long-term strategic benefits.”

Cingöz also said Akkuyu is among the largest single foreign direct investments (FDIs) in Türkiye, financed under a build-own-operate model without burdening the public budget.

Built under International Atomic Energy Agency standards, the plant will operate within one of the world’s strictest nuclear safety frameworks, he added.

“Nuclear power strengthens a country’s diplomatic position by demonstrating long-term planning and institutional capacity,” Cingöz said. “Akkuyu is more than an energy project.”

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A National Intelligence Academy (MIA) official said Tuesday that recent positive rhetoric surrounding talks between Iran and the U.S. should be viewed with caution, warning that the underlying tensions between the two countries remain unresolved and could still escalate.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) reporters on the sidelines of a program titled “Türkiye-Africa Strategic Dialogue,” held in Ankara, Hakkı Uygur addressed questions about rising regional tensions and the status of Iran-U.S. negotiations.

Uygur said it was premature to suggest that long-running disputes between Washington and Tehran had eased, despite both sides describing recent negotiations as constructive.

“I think these talks should be interpreted as attempts by both sides to buy time and play to their domestic audiences,” Uygur said. “It is far too early to say the problems have been resolved.”

He noted that similar diplomatic engagements in the past had failed to prevent conflict. Uygur recalled that earlier rounds of talks between Iran and the U.S. were held in Oman, followed by what he described as the outbreak of a 12-day conflict in June 2025 after the fifth round of negotiations.

“The two sides can talk on the one hand and still clash on the other,” Uygur said.

“While both claim the talks were positive, they continue to issue military threats and display naval power. That alone shows the situation has not stabilized.”

Uygur said military movements in the region, including U.S. naval deployments, increased coordination between U.S. and Israeli military officials, and the presence of British F-35 fighter jets in Cyprus, should be closely monitored. He added that such developments suggest both sides remain on high alert.

Turning to the substance of the negotiations, Uygur said Iran’s room for concessions is limited, while demands from U.S. President Donald Trump are extensive. He said key questions remain unanswered, including what Iran would receive in return for halting uranium enrichment and how quickly sanctions could realistically be lifted.

Uygur referenced the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, noting that sanctions relief was slow and incomplete even after Iran complied with the agreement. He added that Iran remains skeptical that meaningful economic benefits would follow any new concessions, particularly after Trump withdrew the U.S. from the deal during his previous term.

“Even if Iran does everything that is asked, it knows the gains may be limited,” Uygur said. “That explains why Tehran is proceeding cautiously.”

Uygur said recent comments by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan advocating a step-by-step approach appear to have influenced the process, with the latest talks in Oman reportedly focused solely on the nuclear issue rather than broader regional disputes.

However, Uygur warned that even a potential agreement between Washington and Tehran could face obstacles from Israel. He said Israel has historically opposed any deal it views as legitimizing Iran’s regional influence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to raise Iran as a key issue during an upcoming visit to Washington, Uygur said, adding that Israel could still take unilateral action even if the U.S. and Iran claim progress.

“Even if Iran and the United States say they have reached an understanding, Israel could take the initiative, as we have seen before,” Uygur said.

He concluded that while diplomacy continues, the risk of renewed confrontation remains high and the broader dispute is far from settled.

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