Politics
‘Türkiye at center of diplomacy, energy routes as regional risks mount’
As the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict entered its second month, diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict intensified, with Pakistan facilitating indirect contacts between the parties and Türkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia coordinating regional initiatives aimed at establishing a framework for dialogue.
Türkiye, on the other hand, has consistently warned against the outbreak and expansion of the tensions. Ankara has also reiterated that its priority remains preventing further escalation, keeping itself outside the hostilities and continuing to emphasize diplomacy in all its engagements and initiatives.
Emphasizing Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s simultaneous phone diplomacy since the war that began on Feb. 28, Oral Toğa, a researcher at the Center for Iranian Studies (IRAM), told Daily Sabah, “Ankara is not merely a ‘message carrier’ in this process but a founding partner of the diplomatic architecture itself.”
“Indeed, Fidan’s own acknowledgment that the four-way foreign ministers’ meeting in Islamabad was originally planned to take place in Ankara confirms that Türkiye was the driving force behind the design of this mechanism,” Toğa added.
On March 29, Pakistan hosted talks with Türkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia aimed at ending the conflict in Iran, with early discussions centered on proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, sources familiar with the matter said.
At the end of the first day of talks in Islamabad, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said foreign ministers from the regional powers had discussed “possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region,” and had been briefed on potential U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad.
The talks were held as Iran warned the U.S. against launching a ground attack, and global oil prices surged amid continued fighting between Iran, the U.S. and Israel.
“Türkiye, on the other hand, is the actor building regional consensus, bringing conflict-affected countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt to the same table,” Toğa asserted, pointing out that the essence of Ankara’s proposal was not about where the talks would be held but about what mechanism would govern them reflecting a structural attempt to address the trust deficit between the sides.
Fidan engaged in an intense phone diplomacy over the past weeks for an end to the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict. As Foreign Ministry sources announced, he held discussions with a wide range of regional and international officials to evaluate efforts to secure a cease-fire
Fidan recently returned from a Gulf trip where he held talks with counterparts and attended a meeting in Riyadh over the Gulf countries’ response to the war, which quickly expanded into those countries.
“It is important to recognize that Türkiye and Pakistan are playing complementary rather than competing roles in this process,” Toğa noted, underlining that Türkiye still proceeds to form the intellectual backbone of this process.
Fidan previously underlined that under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s strong and resilient leadership, Türkiye has become an international actor with a say in international affairs, an actor with gravity that has an impact on the balance of matters.
Over the past few years, issues regarding securing justice and representation within the current international system have become unsustainable. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “The world is bigger than five” approach represented not only a political stance but also a humanitarian and ethical call for reform.
Türkiye has also been a central diplomatic figure between Kyiv and Moscow since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ankara’s most notable diplomatic triumph was brokering the Black Sea Grain Initiative alongside the U.N. on July 22, 2022.
Erdoğan has maintained open communication channels with Moscow and Kyiv. With his landmark visit to Lviv on Aug. 18, 2022, Erdoğan became the only NATO leader to have visited both nations since hostilities erupted, reflecting Türkiye’s unique position.
Moreover, steps taken through Türkiye’s mediation have paved the way for resolving a dispute between Somalia and Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa over Somaliland.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met in Ankara under the auspices of President Erdoğan and reached an understanding aimed at ending a crisis that has persisted for nearly a year between the two countries.
According to the Ethiopia-Somalia Ankara Declaration, the sides agreed to set aside differences and contentious issues and move forward with determination toward shared prosperity.
Professor Nurşin Ateşoğlu Güney from the National Intelligence Academy also stated that the meeting is highly significant, particularly given the participation of Egypt, Pakistan and Türkiye, as it reflects growing concern over the widening scope of the conflict.
She further added that the involvement of additional actors, including Yemen’s Houthis, underscores how the confrontation has taken on a broader regional dimension, stressing that the conflict with Iran is no longer a limited confrontation between specific parties, but a far more serious and expansive crisis with implications for the entire region.
Türkiye as energy hub
Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world’s total oil consumption, in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strikes that began Feb. 28. The conflict has caused a spike in oil prices, inflation concerns, supply chain problems and worries about the impact on the global economy.
Toğa warned that the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a humanitarian and economic crisis affecting millions, with Pakistan and Bangladesh facing acute LNG shortages, Gulf states halting energy exports and a sharp rise in global prices.
“In this context, Türkiye’s position should be read not as an ‘opportunity’ but as a structural responsibility imposed by a regional crisis,” he said.
Gulf countries are reconsidering pipeline projects that would bypass the Strait of Hormuz, as the renewed conflict has revived concerns over the region’s reliance on one of the world’s most critical oil and gas chokepoints, the Financial Times (FT) reported Thursday.
The renewed debate underscores growing fears that prolonged Iranian control or disruption in the strait could leave Gulf exporters vulnerable, prompting officials and industry executives to revisit alternatives once deemed too costly or technically challenging to pursue.
He drew attention to the potential reactivation of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline following a Baghdad-Irbil agreement, the growing importance of the Southern Gas Corridor for Europe, and the emergence of the Ceyhan terminal as one of the few secure energy exit points in the Eastern Mediterranean as factors placing Türkiye at the center of the evolving energy landscape, driven largely by geography rather than strategic choice.
“At the same time, Türkiye itself is paying a heavy price for this crisis. Thirteen percent of its natural gas imports come from Iran, and the prolongation of the crisis directly jeopardizes that supply.”
About 20% of the global oil supply passes through the strait daily, and heightened insecurity has driven up oil prices and shipping and insurance costs.
Toğa remarked that disruptions in industrial inputs imported from the Gulf, including aluminum, plastic raw materials and mono-ethylene glycol, are threatening the competitiveness of Türkiye’s $30 billion (TL 1.34 trillion) textile sector annually
While Türkiye’s role as an energy transit hub has expanded due to its geographic position, the country is simultaneously bearing the macroeconomic costs of the same crisis, he also asserted.
“The real issue here is not the capacity of pipelines but the urgent need for this war to end. The lasting solution lies not in transit infrastructure but at the diplomacy table.”
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to obliterate Iran’s energy plants if it does not agree to a peace deal and open the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil prices fell briefly below $100 per barrel on Wednesday after Trump said the U.S. will be done attacking Iran probably in two to three weeks, and that the U.S. “will not have anything to do with” what happens next in the Strait of Hormuz.
On the other hand, Güney also noted that the involvement of Yemen’s Houthi forces, extending the conflict into the Red Sea, underscores the fragility of global energy markets.
“The disruption of two critical maritime chokepoints has made the transportation of oil and gas increasingly difficult, highlighting the strategic importance of Türkiye and indirectly Syria in energy transit.”
The discussions over pipeline projects predating the Syrian war, aimed at transporting Gulf oil and gas through Syria to Türkiye, are now resurfacing, she said, emphasizing this development is significant in terms of bringing alternative hydrocarbon resources to global markets, positioning Türkiye as a key hub.
U.S. Ambassador to Ankara and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said last week that Syria has the geopolitical capacity to serve as an alternative to the energy security crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Türkiye and Syria will become the main distribution center of energy for the entire world,” Barrack said following his presentation.
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.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will be joined by National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of General Staff Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu on a visit to Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh on Monday.
They will attend a meeting of the Strategic Political and Defense Committee of the historic Mecca Joint Defense Alliance, formed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in August. The meeting comes amid rising threats to Saudi Arabia by the Houthis in Yemen.
Foreign Ministry sources said on Sunday that Fidan would reaffirm Türkiye’s strong solidarity with and support for Saudi Arabia in the face of Houthi attacks and underline that provocative acts targeting sacred sites are unacceptable. Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam and home to its most sacred site, the Kaaba, located in Mecca. Mecca has recently come under fire from the Houthis.
The Houthi group said on Saturday that it targeted Saudi oil company Aramco in Riyadh with ballistic missiles and drones in response to attacks on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.
The operation “successfully achieved its objective,” causing fires at the targeted sites, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement.
Saree added that Sanaa and other provinces had been subjected to 60 airstrikes over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of strikes to 1,420. He attributed the attacks to Saudi Arabia.
The spokesperson warned that the group would respond to “blockade with blockade, and escalation with escalation.”
Meanwhile, Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s government, said in remarks carried by Saudi media, including Asharq Al-Awsat, that Houthi claims of targeting Riyadh on Saturday were “misleading.”
He added that the Houthis were trying to “divert attention from the scale of their losses and growing public anger over the militias’ conduct and their ties to foreign agendas that have brought chaos and destruction to Yemen.”
Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government against Houthi forces, which have controlled Sanaa and several other governorates since September 2014.
In July this year, the Houthis announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, saying the move was in response to a Saudi naval and air siege on areas under their control in Yemen. The group has since targeted energy infrastructure in the kingdom.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud signed the Mecca agreement for joint defense in Mecca on Aug. 7, 2026. The agreement aims to bolster the security of Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia through joint deterrence and defense, and reflects the three countries’ commitment to developing regional solutions to regional issues and their shared strategic vision centered on regional security and stability.
A Strategic Political and Defense Committee, comprising the foreign and defense ministers and chiefs of general staff of the three countries, was established to guide activities under the agreement. The committee held its inaugural meeting in Istanbul on Aug. 31, 2026. At the meeting, foundational decisions were adopted, and technical work toward institutionalizing the alliance was reviewed. Accordingly, the alliance’s secretariat is expected to be established in Riyadh as soon as possible. Retired Pakistani Lt. Gen. Nauman Mahmood has been nominated to serve as its first secretary-general.
The foreign ministers of the three countries held a meeting in New York on Sept. 24, 2026, on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. Regional developments were discussed at the meeting. In a joint statement issued afterward, the three countries condemned attacks targeting the holy city of Mecca and Saudi Arabia’s civilian and economic infrastructure. The chiefs of general staff of the three countries met in Riyadh on Sept. 25, 2026.
Turkish sources said Fidan would convey Türkiye’s views on the next steps for the alliance and its institutionalization process. He will also offer Türkiye’s assessment of threats to peace and stability in the Middle East and views on regional developments related to the joint security of the allies. He is also expected to highlight how the alliance’s progress in a short time has proved valuable for the prospects of lasting stability in the region, as well as the importance of the alliance both in building capacity for a joint and efficient response to existing threats and in preventing regional crises.
Fidan is also expected to underline the prioritization of peaceful means to resolve conflicts in the region and the need to avoid steps that may escalate tensions. He will also stress the importance of ensuring the freedom and security of navigation on international trade routes and discuss how Israel has continued to undermine efforts for regional peace and stability.
In an interview last month, Fidan said the alliance had reached an advanced stage, with efforts underway to establish its headquarters and assign personnel, describing the initiative as a “very game-changing platform.” Fidan also implied that Türkiye stood ready to provide technical assistance to Saudi Arabia amid an escalating conflict with the Houthis in Yemen.
Fidan stated that there is “a very strong will” behind the alliance and that Ankara is working to turn that political will into action.
“The Mecca alliance is really at a good stage. There’s a very strong will that has been put forward. We’re working with all our strength to put this will into action,” Fidan told broadcaster NTV last month.
He said steps toward institutionalizing the alliance are underway, particularly work to establish a secretariat envisaged under the agreement and a military headquarters affiliated with it. He added that detailed preparations for both structures have “almost been completed” and that the three countries have reached a common understanding of how they will operate.
“There are steps currently being taken toward institutionalization. In particular, the work on establishing the secretariat mentioned in the agreement and bringing an affiliated military headquarters into operation is almost complete. We have reached a common understanding. From now on, the remaining stage is to send personnel and make the headquarters operational. I am pleased with the process on this issue,” Fidan said.
He said that once institutionalization steps are completed, talks could be held with the other two founding countries on admitting new members.
“There is such a principle decision because our president said this from the beginning. If this does not grow, then it would not be an alliance area. We would have created a bloc. Our regional vision is for as many countries in the region as possible to come together and establish a common defense area.
“This defense area is not against outsiders; it is about solving problems within the region better through regional ownership and creating an environment of trust that has not existed before, in order to prevent new crises from emerging. The basic point of departure for all of this is the search for regional solutions to regional problems,” Fidan said.
He stressed that the alliance was not intended to create a new regional bloc against other countries but to establish a common defense framework based on regional ownership.
“It is an alliance open to the countries of the region,” he said.
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz was among the dignitaries attending the International Bediüzzaman Symposium, held under the theme “Quranic Solutions to Global Crises,” in Istanbul on Sunday. The occasion was also a remembrance of prominent 20th-century Muslim scholar Said Nursi, who also carried the honorific Bediüzzaman, or “wonder of the age.”
Speaking at the symposium, Yılmaz explained how the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) sought to portray itself as followers of Nursi and how the scholar fought against imperialist forces during his lifetime.
The two-day event hosts scholars from across the world. Along with Yılmaz, Mohammed Abu al-Khair Shukri, Syria’s minister of Awqaf, or Endowments, in charge of managing religious affairs; Safi Arpaguş, head of Türkiye’s Presidency of Religious Affairs; and Necmettin Bilal Erdoğan, head of the board of trustees at Türkiye’s Foundation for Dissemination of Knowledge, attended Sunday’s symposium.
Nursi, who passed away in 1960, was a Kurdish scholar best known for his Risale-i Nur collection of writings on the Quran. Early in his life, he was instrumental in the fight against the Russian occupation of eastern Türkiye, where Nursi originated. He was also a staunch opponent of Western powers invading present-day Türkiye in the last days of the Ottoman Empire. Nursi inspired several movements that came to be known as “Nurcular.” FETÖ also claimed to follow Nursi’s teachings but evolved into what it is known today: a terrorist group that tried to seize power in 2016 through its military infiltrators.
In his speech at the symposium, Yılmaz delved into FETÖ’s scheme to brainwash people into doing its bidding. “Unfortunately, we confronted a network exploiting the name of Bediüzzaman and his writings, a network that stirred up strife in our country. FETÖ is a terrorist network serving international powers and intelligence agencies. It is also a structure treating its members as slaves who do not question the leader. The Quran teaches us to use our minds. FETÖ held people’s minds hostage,” Yılmaz said.
Yılmaz, who also heads a board overseeing the terror-free Türkiye initiative, spoke at length about the process that aims for the full dissolution of the terrorist group PKK. The PKK, exploiting disillusioned Kurds deprived of their rights, carried out a campaign of violence since the 1980s that killed tens of thousands of people across Türkiye. In 2024, Türkiye launched the initiative by highlighting the need to strengthen unity between Turks and Kurds against external threats. Yılmaz said they wanted to remove terrorism from Türkiye’s and the wider region’s agenda permanently.
He lamented that, for a long time, the very imperialist powers Nursi fought against sought to pit people against each other in the region.
“As the Republic of Türkiye, we have to end those conflicts, this ethnic and sectarian strife, and act in unison. We have to create a region where terrorism is no longer an issue, where foreign powers are not able to exploit our resources,” he said.
“Bediüzzaman Said Nursi was a man of these lands. He fought against imperialists. He did not flee to another country to incite strife in Türkiye as certain people did,” he said, referring to Fethullah Gülen, who died in Pennsylvania, United States, where he spent his last years in a self-styled “exile” while facing multiple arrest warrants issued by Türkiye for his role in the 2016 coup attempt.
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