Politics
Turkish lawmakers set for US visit for warmer ties with Washington
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish Parliament, chaired by lawmaker Fuat Oktay of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), will travel to Washington, D.C. on Feb. 9 for a six-day visit.
Parliament’s General Assembly recently approved a motion for the visit. Oktay said in a statement that the visit aims to expand the warm relations between the United States and Türkiye on the presidential and governmental levels. Oktay added that they would hold talks with the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee chair, the chair of the House of Representatives, and several senators and House representatives during the visit.
“The lifting of sanctions on the defense industry, the terror-free Türkiye initiative, as well as developments in Syria, Iraq, Iran and Gaza will be on the agenda,” Oktay stated.
Following a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in September, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he was hopeful that the meeting would help lift sanctions blocking Ankara’s purchase of F-35 jets.
Ankara was excluded from the U.S.-led multinational program in 2019 over its purchase of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems. Ever since, it has repeatedly called the move unfair and voiced hope that the sides could overcome the issue during Trump’s second term.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez discussed bilateral relations and global developments during talks in Istanbul on Monday, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.
During the meeting, Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue to stand by the people of Venezuela and underscored Ankara’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Caracas across a range of sectors, particularly trade, energy and mining.
The leaders also reviewed steps aimed at reaching the two countries’ shared goal of increasing bilateral trade volume to $3 billion, while exchanging views on regional and international developments.
Rodriguez, who is visiting Türkiye at Erdoğan’s invitation, was received with an official ceremony before the leaders moved on to one-on-one and delegation-level meetings.
The talks were attended by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran and Chief Foreign Policy and Security Adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç.
The meeting brought together senior officials from both countries as Türkiye and Venezuela continue efforts to strengthen cooperation and deepen bilateral ties.
Türkiye on Monday welcomed the successful completion of Armenia’s parliamentary election and expressed hope that the post-election period would create conditions conducive to the signing of a final peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it was pleased that the election had been conducted peacefully and wished the results to be beneficial for the Armenian people.
The ministry voiced hope that developments following the vote would pave the way for a comprehensive peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a step seen as critical for lasting stability in the South Caucasus.
Türkiye will continue to support regional peace, stability and prosperity on the basis of the shared interests of countries in the region, the statement said.
According to preliminary results, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract Party secured an outright parliamentary majority, winning 61 of the legislature’s 105 seats with nearly 50% of the vote.
Official election results are expected to be announced on Tuesday.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Monday strongly criticized a newly signed defense agreement between the Greek Cypriot administration and France, warning that the deal ignores the realities on the island and risks fueling tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel said the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed by French and Greek Cypriot defense officials was a unilateral move that disregards the existence of the Turkish Cypriot people and the political realities of Cyprus.
“The agreement ignores the current realities of the island, fundamental principles of international law and the delicate balance that must be preserved in the region,” Üstel said in a statement.
He argued that the deal would create a legal framework for a more permanent presence of foreign military personnel on the island and accused the Greek Cypriot administration of pursuing policies that could transform Cyprus into a hub for foreign military deployments.
Üstel also criticized Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides, saying his administration had systematically expanded military and strategic partnerships since taking office, a trend he described as harmful to both Cyprus and wider Eastern Mediterranean security.
The TRNC prime minister warned that efforts to increase France’s military footprint in the region could undermine the fragile balance in the Eastern Mediterranean and deepen regional polarization.
He said the agreement comes at a sensitive time when diplomatic efforts are underway to promote dialogue on the island, including contacts led by the U.N. secretary-general’s personal envoy.
Reaffirming the Turkish Cypriot position, Üstel said a lasting settlement, sustainable stability and genuine peace on the island could only be achieved through recognition of the sovereign equality of the two peoples and the equal international status of the two states.
He also stressed that no initiative targeting the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot people and Türkiye would succeed, while calling on the international community to respect the realities on the island and adhere to international law.
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in the western city of Izmir issued detention warrants for 78 suspects linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) on Tuesday. The warrants were part of an investigation into the group’s “education network,” authorities said.
The terrorist group orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in Türkiye, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 wounded. Ankara also accuses FETÖ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
Türkiye has targeted its active members and sleeper cells nonstop, and its influence has been much reduced since 2016. However, the group maintains a vast network, including infiltrators suspected to be still operating within Turkish institutions.
FETÖ backers in army ranks and civil institutions have disguised their loyalty, as operations and investigations have indicated since the 2016 coup attempt. FETÖ is also implicated in a string of cases related to its alleged plots to imprison its critics, money laundering, fraud and forgery.
The terrorist group faces operations almost daily as investigators still try to unravel their massive network of infiltrators everywhere.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will represent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit in Sofia on June 10, where regional leaders are expected to discuss cooperation, security and economic development across the Balkans, Foreign Ministry sources said.
The summit, hosted by Bulgaria under the theme “Strengthening Regional Unity for a Stable, Secure and Sustainable Future: Reflections on 30 Years of Partnership and Progress,” will bring together heads of state and government, foreign ministers from 13 participating countries and the secretary-general of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the operational arm of the SEECP.
A summit declaration is expected to be adopted at the conclusion of the meeting.
According to Turkish diplomatic sources, Fidan is expected to reaffirm Türkiye’s support for enhancing regional cooperation based on the principles of regional ownership and inclusivity. He is also expected to emphasize Ankara’s commitment to the SEECP, describing the platform as one of the most important mechanisms for political dialogue in the Balkans.
Fidan is anticipated to underline the strategic significance of the Balkans not only for regional stability but also for the security of a broader geographic area.
He is expected to stress that strengthening good-neighborly relations remains a shared responsibility and highlight Türkiye’s efforts to promote dialogue and cooperation through initiatives such as the Balkan Peace Platform.
The Turkish foreign minister is also expected to call for stronger transportation and energy connectivity across the region, arguing that deeper integration would help unlock the Balkans’ economic and strategic potential while contributing to prosperity and sustainable development.
Fidan is expected to reiterate Türkiye’s support for diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace in the Russia-Ukraine war and emphasize the importance of maintaining dialogue between Iran and the United States and preventing renewed regional tensions.
The SEECP was established in 1996 and remains the only regional cooperation platform that includes all Balkan countries.
Romania is scheduled to assume the bloc’s rotating chairmanship from Bulgaria on July 1.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Monday announced the start of the party’s congress process and urged members to stand united ahead of a parliamentary group meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
Kılıçdaroğlu said the main opposition party would formally launch its congress process with its first Party Assembly meeting on Thursday, June 11.
In a statement shared on social media, the CHP leader emphasized unity within the party, describing its members as a large family brought together by a common purpose despite differing views.
“We are not rivals to one another. We are the sons and daughters of the Republican People’s Party walking shoulder to shoulder,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.
He reiterated the party’s goals of strengthening democracy and justice in Türkiye during the second century of the republic and called on party members to demonstrate solidarity throughout the congress process.
Kılıçdaroğlu also invited CHP members to attend Tuesday’s parliamentary group meeting with a spirit of unity, urging them to remain connected through what he described as common sense and comradeship.
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