Politics
Türkiye, Armenia sign bridge deal as VP makes historic visit
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz was in Yerevan on Monday to attend a European Political Community summit in the Armenian capital. His visit comes at a time of gradual normalization of ties between the two countries, which is also linked to a peace process between Armenia and Türkiye’s main ally, Azerbaijan. During the visit, Turkish and Armenian officials signed an agreement for the joint restoration of the Ani Bridge. The bridge, dated to the 10th century, is also known as the Silk Road Bridge and is located on the Arpaçay River in the eastern Turkish province of Kars, near the Turkish-Armenian border and near the eponymous archaeological site. It is regarded as the ancient Silk Road’s “gateway” to Anatolia.
The two countries reached an understanding in September 2025 for the restoration of the bridge and Monday’s signing sealed the deal. Ambassador Serdar Kılıç, special envoy of Türkiye for normalization with Armenia, and Armenia’s Ruben Rubinyan, signed the deal.
Yılmaz is the highest-ranking official since former President Abdullah Gül to visit Armenia. His visit is more significant though, as Yerevan and Ankara explore more ways to further cooperation and eventually, fully normalize their relations.
The vice president was welcomed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and joined heads of state and government for a family photo at the summit. More than 40 leaders are attending the summit, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. On the sidelines of the meeting, Yılmaz met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store to discuss bilateral ties and areas of cooperation.
Yılmaz’s participation was singled out by Pashinyan as he hailed the visit during a speech at the summit while EU Council President Antonio Costa emphasized that the South Caucasus has entered a “transformative phase” following the normalization of relations between Armenia and Türkiye, alongside a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan Speaking at the summit, Costa highlighted growing momentum toward regional stability and cooperation. He said improved ties between Ankara and Yerevan, coupled with the Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement, are laying the foundation for a more integrated and connected region. “That agreement is a story of peace in Europe that must be celebrated, in a world where escalation and war seem to dominate. Thanks to this agreement and improved relations between Turkey and Armenia, the region has embarked on a transformative path,” he said, pointing to efforts to develop strategic industries, markets, transport corridors, digital networks and energy interconnections. According to Costa, these initiatives go beyond facilitating trade and movement, instead helping build trust among neighbors, create jobs and foster shared economic growth.
Since 2020, Türkiye and Armenia have held a string of talks at various levels to explore the way forward in relations. Most recently, delegations from the two sides met in Kars of eastern Türkiye to discuss the revival of a railway between the two neighbors. Earlier, direct passenger and cargo flights were launched mutually. Ankara and Yerevan also approved the opening of the Alican border crossing to citizens of third countries and diplomatic passport holders. Before Yılmaz’s visit, Pashinyan met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last June in Istanbul.
Azerbaijan-Armenia peace
The peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia is also crucial for progress in Turkish-Armenian normalization. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev was also present at the summit, although via videolink. He used the opportunity to criticize the European Parliament for “sabotaging” the peace process. Aliyev said the European Parliament had adopted 14 resolutions over the past five years containing offensive language directed at Baku. “This body, instead of supporting the peace process, is effectively engaged in sabotaging it. From May 2021 to April 30, 2026, the European Parliament has adopted 14 resolutions full of offensive wording against Azerbaijan. Just imagine – 14 resolutions in five years, a kind of obsession. And the latest one was adopted just four days ago,” Aliyev stated.
Aliyev said the Azerbaijani Parliament decided on May 1 to suspend cooperation with the European Parliament in all spheres and initiate procedures to terminate its membership in the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly. On May 1, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry summoned EU Ambassador to Baku Mariana Kuyuncic who was handed a protest note regarding the European Parliament resolution Supporting Democratic Resilience in Armenia. The ministry emphasized that the provisions of the resolution distort reality, contradict the principles of objectivity, as well as, the obligations to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. According to Aliyev, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said the resolution distorted reality, contradicted the principles of objectivity and violated obligations to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, for his part, expressed hope that he would visit Azerbaijan in 2028 to participate in the next EPC summit.
“I hope that I will have the opportunity to visit Azerbaijan in 2028 for the EPC summit,” Pashinyan said during the gathering in Yerevan.
Pashinyan noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan had mutually supported each other’s candidacies to host future EPC summits.
Commenting on Aliyev’s remarks, he emphasized that it was the first time an Azerbaijani president had participated in an event held in Armenia, even if through videoconference.
He added that EPC summits have played an important role in facilitating contacts between the leaderships of Armenia and Türkiye.
“My first bilateral meeting with the Turkish president took place precisely on the sidelines of the first EPC summit in Prague. And now the Vice President of Türkiye is here to participate in the EPC summit and has become the first Turkish vice president to visit Armenia,” Pashinyan said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that two Russian drones struck a Turkish-owned civilian vessel carrying corn in neutral waters in the Black Sea, killing the ship’s captain.
Zelenskyy said Azerbaijani and Indian nationals were aboard the vessel at the time of the attack.
Eleven crew members were rescued, including one who was injured, while the fate of another person was initially unknown, he said in a statement on social media platform X.
The Ukrainian leader described the vessel as a Turkish-owned civilian ship carrying corn and said it was sailing in neutral waters when it was hit by two Russian drones.
Ukraine had proposed measures aimed at reducing tensions and improving security in the Black Sea, and that proposals had also been put forward by third countries, Zelenskyy said.
He accused Russia of choosing attacks rather than ensuring the safe passage of civilian vessels and called for international pressure to restore security in the Black Sea and protect global food supplies.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns over commercial shipping in the Black Sea as the Russia-Ukraine war continues.
Türkiye extended condolences to the people of Nigeria on Monday and said that it is “deeply saddened” over a deadly military aircraft crash in its Ondo state.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of lives resulting from the crash of a military aircraft today in Ondo state of Nigeria,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The statement also offered the nation’s condolences to those who lost their relatives in the accident and to the people of Nigeria.
A military helicopter crashed in the southwestern state of Ondo on Monday, according to Jimoh Abayomi, public relations officer for the state police.
Abayomi said an investigation into the accident had been launched and that security forces had been deployed to the crash site.
Nigerian Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo told reporters that the helicopter crashed near the Igbokoda Naval Base.
He said 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board, adding that the wreckage had been located and search and rescue operations in the area are ongoing.
Keyamo did not provide any information on casualties or injuries from the crash.
However, media reports quoted the African country’s president, Bola Tinubu, as saying that all 32 people on board lost their lives.
The crash was seen as one of the worst air disasters in recent years in Africa’s most populous country.
“The president extends his deepest condolences to the family of the 25 passengers and seven crew members involved,” Tinubu’s office said in a statement.
A video circulating on social media showed a small crowd gathered near a river while rescuers searched the area by boat.
The president said he had “directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences.”
Three suspects, including a former deputy head of Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), have been jailed as part of an investigation into alleged political or military espionage involving the agency’s financial intelligence systems.
Former MASAK Deputy Chair Inönü Akgün Alp and agency employees Eda Aydoğan and Güner Eke were arrested as authorities investigate alleged unauthorized access to MASAK’s Integrated Financial Intelligence System, known as EMIS.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating claims that individuals and companies linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) gained influence over the development and maintenance of MASAK’s critical digital infrastructure between 2012 and 2018.
According to findings cited in the investigation, Aydoğan, a former MASAK statistician, allegedly had administrator-level access to an Oracle Exadata database between 2016 and 2019 despite holding no managerial position.
The investigation also found that a security mechanism designed to alert senior officials when financial information belonging to politically exposed persons was accessed was disabled on Sept. 2, 2016.
Investigators allege that thousands of unauthorized searches involving President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, members of his family and some Cabinet officials were subsequently conducted through EMIS between September 2016 and December 2018.
Financial investigations by police and cybercrime units also uncovered alleged links between FETÖ and subcontracted technology companies responsible for MASAK’s software infrastructure and database management.
Türkiye’s Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) was appointed as trustee to several technology companies, whose partners included Hakan Çiçek, group’s civilian imam accused of playing a key role in the 2016 coup attempt detained at Akıncı Air Base, as well as other FETÖ operatives.
According to official reports cited in the investigation, the companies channeled TL 210 million ($4.3 million) to the group through public contracts.
Investigators also found that audit logs designed to record who accessed the systems had been disabled and identifying data deleted. The network is accused of erasing digital traces of unauthorized access involving senior government officials, including the president.
Investigators further allege that audit logs identifying users accessing the systems were disabled or deleted, making it more difficult to trace unauthorized searches.
Separately, witness testimony included in the case file alleges Aydoğan was involved in distributing questions ahead of a 2013 public personnel examination to individuals linked to FETÖ.
Türkiye will host the multinational Nusret-2026 Invitation Exercise from Oct. 6-16 in the Gulf of Izmir and off the coast of Karadeniz Ereğli, the Defense Ministry said Sunday.
The exercise will bring together Turkish forces, as well as military personnel and assets from allied and partner countries, with 20 ships, five aircraft and unmanned systems, the ministry said.
Participants will include units from the Turkish Naval Forces, Air Force and Coast Guard Command, as well as NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG-2), comprising assets from Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and Türkiye.
The Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group, known as MCM Black Sea, with units from Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye, will also participate.
Explosive ordnance disposal and autonomous underwater vehicle teams from the United States, Belgium, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Romania and Oman will participate in the drills, while 32 military observers from a number of countries will attend.
According to the ministry, the exercise is aimed at improving the participating units’ capabilities in the planning, execution and assessment of mine warfare operations.
It also seeks to enhance interoperability among mine warfare units from different countries and strengthen their ability to conduct coordinated multinational operations.
Türkiye most recently conducted the Sea Wolf-I/2026 (“Denizkurdu-I/2026”) Exercise from Sept. 20-25 in the Black Sea, Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, with 100 ships, 50 aircraft and 14,000 personnel taking part.
The growing rift between the main opposition New Party (YP) and the former main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) manifested in Muğla, a southwestern city home to world-famous Bodrum and other top tourism destinations. A local CHP official suggested that Mayor Ahmet Aras should face disciplinary proceedings for his contacts with YP.
YP was formed in July by Özgür Özel, the former chair of CHP. Özel was removed from office by a court ruling over allegations of vote-buying during a 2023 intra-party election that brought him to power. He was replaced by his predecessor Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Kılıçdaroğlu’s return sparked a bitter row with supporters of Özel, who accused him of betraying the party by accepting the court’s request for his reinstatement. Özel initially appealed the verdict but decided to form the new party after receiving overwhelming support among CHP lawmakers.
Under Kılıçdaroğlu, CHP began what it called a “cleansing” process, expelling several figures accused of corruption. The new administration has been more muted about the fate of members openly supporting Özel while several mayors resigned from the party and remain independent, leaving the door open for a future switch to YP.
Aras, who was Bodrum mayor for CHP before his election as Muğla Metropolitan Municipality mayor in the 2024 elections, faces accusations of cooperating with YP while remaining in CHP. CHP’s local branch was angered when Aras temporarily handed over his duties to a YP municipal assembly member in Muğla during a recent visit to Syria. Aras also reportedly ceased contact with CHP’s Muğla branch.
Aziz Gürsoy, head of CHP’s disciplinary board in Muğla, told the Sabah newspaper that Aras has almost severed all ties with CHP.
“It is neither ethical nor legitimate for Mr. Aras to remain in the CHP under the current conditions. In fact, I believe there is bad intent here. He needs to be expelled immediately. Even during his trips abroad, he leaves the municipality (to YP). He has no communication with us. He no longer has any emotional or organic ties to the CHP,” Gürsoy stated.
Stating that they will protect the institutional structure of the CHP under all conditions and that no one is above the party, Gürsoy said: “The current picture creates serious concern among the CHP base. If this situation continues, as the president of the provincial disciplinary board, I will personally apply to headquarters for Mr. Aras’s expulsion. We will not hesitate to take any step necessary to protect the rights, rules and institutional structure of the CHP.”
According to the CHP bylaws, metropolitan mayors can only be referred to the High Disciplinary Board upon the request of the Party Assembly.
The name of Lütfü Türkkan, a lawmaker from the opposition Good Party (IP), came up in an investigation into judiciary officials accused of taking bribes. Prosecutors in Istanbul separated the case of Türkkan and referred it to Ankara on Monday for further investigation.
The Bakırköy Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul has recently ordered the arrest of eight suspects in an investigation into judges accused of taking bribes in exchange for verdicts in favor of defendants in some cases. The investigation specifically focused on a former judge working at the Court of Enforcement who was accused of receiving millions of Turkish liras in bribes.
Suspects in the case are also accused of running a criminal organization apparently thriving on bribes. Authorities are now looking into cases handled by several Istanbul courts between 2022 and 2024, on suspicion that some businesspeople, politicians and lawyers sought to influence trials and get verdicts in their favor in exchange for bribes, employing judges and court staff. In connection with the case, the Board of Judges and Prosecutors suspended five people, including judges and prosecutors.
In one instance of the suspicious cases, investigators are looking into the claim that M.Ş. and Y.A., identified only through their initials, served as mediators in a case involving lawmaker Türkkan and secured a verdict in favor of the lawmaker, reports by Turkish media outlets say.
In a social media post on Sunday, Türkkan rejected claims, though he acknowledged that a case he was party to was handled by one of the arrested judges. He said that being a party to a trial involving the suspect did not mean that he should be associated with “allegations (of bribery).” He said his lawyers were looking into the case and he never met the judge in person during the trial.
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