Politics
Türkiye key to Middle Corridor, connectivity agenda: EU commissioner
European Union Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said on Tuesday that Türkiye plays a pivotal role in the bloc’s Connectivity Agenda, stressing that a strong Middle Corridor and deeper digital, energy and trade links would be difficult to imagine without Ankara’s active participation.
Speaking ahead of the high-level opening event of the Connectivity Agenda Platform in Brussels, Kos welcomed the participation of Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and said the EU would continue its engagement with Türkiye.
Kos said she would meet Turkish officials later in the day and announced plans to visit Ankara at the end of the month alongside EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner.
She noted that EU-Türkiye relations are currently progressing on two separate tracks, saying there has been no movement in Türkiye’s accession process at this stage but significant opportunities remain under the connectivity agenda.
“I cannot imagine having a strong Middle Corridor and all these digital, energy and trade connections without Türkiye’s strong participation,” Kos said.
The commissioner added that the European Commission had received a list of potential connectivity projects from Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry and was assessing them alongside proposals submitted by other countries, with work on the initiatives continuing.
Türkiye urges faster visas, simpler customs procedures
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Uraloğlu called for faster visa issuance for transport workers and simpler customs procedures to prevent delays in global supply chains, warning that administrative bottlenecks can undermine even completed commercial deals.
Speaking to reporters following the high-level launch of the Connectivity Agenda Platform in Brussels, Uraloğlu said international trade cannot function efficiently if goods are delayed at borders despite being already produced, sold, and paid for.
“If road and rail transport visas are not issued on time, if customs crossings are not facilitated, and if digital infrastructure is not established, then in fact the work you have completed is wasted at customs gates or visa procedures,” he said.
“We really need to make this easier. If we’re not going to make it easier, then why are we doing trade at all?” Uraloğlu added.
The minister stressed that all countries are now deeply interdependent and no longer self-sufficient in production and trade, making efficient cross-border logistics more critical than ever.
“None of the countries, including the most developed ones, can be self-sufficient anymore,” he said, adding that international trade must therefore be supported by faster administrative systems.
Uraloğlu said Türkiye is actively engaging with the EU to strengthen transport connectivity, particularly along the Middle Corridor linking Asia and Europe through Türkiye.
He said that there is growing recognition in Brussels that transport routes must be diversified and not dependent on a single mode or corridor, especially in light of recent global disruptions.
“Therefore, at this point, we see a determination and will to cooperate more strongly with Türkiye,” the minister said.
Uraloğlu recalled that Ankara has long advocated major connectivity investments, including the planned Northern Rail Crossing over the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge in Istanbul.
He said the project has already received support from European funding mechanisms under World Bank leadership, and that additional EU credit instruments could be mobilized for future connectivity investments along the corridor.
On the sidelines of the event, Uraloğlu said he held talks with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, adding that she is expected to visit Istanbul next week, with further bilateral discussions planned thereafter.
He also highlighted ongoing regional engagement with Armenia, saying he had a bilateral meeting with Armenian Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Minister Davit Khudatyan.
According to Uraloğlu, both sides are working toward reactivating previously operational road and rail crossings.
He said maintenance and preparatory works are progressing on both sides, with Türkiye having begun its own preparations while the Armenian side has also indicated readiness to proceed.
Uraloğlu added that improving regional connectivity could also help restore historical transport links along the Silk Road corridor, referencing ongoing efforts tied to the restoration of a historic bridge in the Kars Ani region.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a series of high-level talks in Tripoli on Tuesday, meeting Libya’s prime minister and his national security adviser as he began a two-day diplomatic visit that will also take him to Benghazi.
Fidan met Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, prime minister of Libya’s Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU), for talks in the Libyan capital.
The two officials first held a one-on-one meeting before talks continued with their respective delegations.
Following the meeting, Fidan held separate talks with Ibrahim Dbeibah, the prime minister’s national security adviser.
Fidan will continue his diplomatic contacts in Tripoli and Benghazi as part of the two-day visit spanning Tuesday and Wednesday.
Fidan arrived in Libya on Tuesday for a two-day visit. The top diplomat’s trip comes one day after the suspected assassination of a senior Libyan intelligence officer serving the eastern-based forces led by Khalifa Haftar, and amid Türkiye’s efforts to promote unity in the North African country.
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed last Friday by Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is the focus of a new campaign by the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate.
The deal, which brings the three countries closer together, made its way onto landmarks in Istanbul and Ankara. Images of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif holding copies of the agreement in an iconic photograph were projected onto highly visible locations across the country, including Istanbul’s Galata Tower. Content about the deal was also displayed on digital screens surrounding Ankara’s landmark Atakule Tower on Sunday night. Istanbul’s July 15 Martyrs’ Bridge was illuminated in the colors of the three countries’ flags.
Landmarks in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad and Saudi cities were also illuminated in the colors of the Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani flags to celebrate the deal, while people formed convoys in Pakistan, waving their country’s flag as well as the flags of Türkiye and Saudi Arabia.
The agreement embodies the spirit of alliance among the three countries, which already enjoy close ties. One of its key provisions stipulates that an attack on one of the parties would be deemed an attack on all three and would therefore require a joint response.
The agreement came against the backdrop of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war, which has spread across the region, with Iran targeting other countries it views as supportive of the U.S. and disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was set to arrive in Libya on Tuesday for a two-day visit. The top diplomat’s trip comes one day after the suspected assassination of a senior Libyan intelligence officer serving the eastern-based forces led by Khalifa Haftar, and amid Türkiye’s efforts to promote unity in the North African country.
Diplomatic sources said Fidan will hold talks in Tripoli and Benghazi in a bid to strengthen Türkiye-Libya relations in all areas, particularly in the political, commercial, energy, military and defense fields, on the basis of mutual benefit and the longstanding bonds of fraternity between the two countries.
Fidan is expected to emphasize the importance Türkiye attaches to Libya’s stability and note that Türkiye is closely following initiatives by the United States and the United Nations in this context.
During Fidan’s visit, consultations are expected on the contributions Türkiye can make to steps to be taken under Libyan ownership and leadership, based on the priority of achieving lasting peace and preserving calm in Libya, sources said.
As a manifestation of Türkiye’s “One Libya” policy, which makes no distinction between the country’s western, eastern and southern regions, the determination to strengthen ongoing dialogue with Libyan authorities is expected to be emphasized, sources added.
The importance of safeguarding the two countries’ shared rights and interests in the Eastern Mediterranean in line with a win-win approach is also expected to be underlined, according to diplomatic sources.
Libya remains divided between two rival governments: the internationally recognized Government of National Unity, headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh and based in Tripoli, which administers western Libya, and a government appointed by the House of Representatives in early 2022, currently headed by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which administers the east and most of the south.
For years, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has sought to broker a political settlement leading to elections, which many Libyans hope will end the political divisions and armed conflict that have persisted since the 2011 ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.
Turkish sources said the desire to further develop Türkiye’s existing cooperation with Libya in the energy sector on the basis of mutual benefit and to implement new projects is expected to be expressed during Fidan’s talks.
Fidan is also expected to highlight that the safe and sustainable continuation of the activities of Turkish companies, which have a significant presence in Libya, particularly in the construction sector, will contribute to taking economic and commercial cooperation to a higher level and further deepening it.
An exchange of views is also expected on regional and global developments, particularly the Palestinian issue and the situation in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Türkiye-Libya relations
Türkiye and Libya share longstanding historical, cultural and people-to-people ties. Relations between the two countries are being developed in all possible areas on the basis of mutual benefit, with the objective of contributing to the establishment of lasting peace, stability and security in Libya.
In this context, reciprocal high-level visits continue to gain momentum. Most recently, Libya’s Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, was received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the margins of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on April 18, 2026.
Within the framework of its “One Libya” policy, Türkiye gives priority to preserving Libya’s unity, territorial integrity and cohesion, and continues its active efforts to establish lasting stability and preserve calm in Libya.
Based on this approach, Türkiye maintains dialogue with all sides in Libya without distinction between the West, East and South and works together with Libyans to advance relations in all fields.
Türkiye supports U.N. efforts aimed at holding credible, fair and transparent elections in Libya and cooperates with all Libyan stakeholders and the international community.
Türkiye emphasizes the importance of ensuring that steps taken as part of political efforts toward the goal of a prosperous and united Libya, to which the Libyan people aspire, are carried out under Libyan ownership and leadership.
Within the framework of its “One Libya” policy, Türkiye also continues its efforts toward the unification of Libya’s military institutions. The active participation of forces from both western and eastern Libya in the EFES 2026 exercise, held from April 11 to May 21, 2026, constituted a significant step in this direction.
Bilateral trade volume between Türkiye and Libya reached approximately $3.5 billion in 2025.
Despite the prevailing fragile conditions, Libya remains an important market for the Turkish private sector. Bilateral economic relations continue to develop across various fields, particularly in the construction sector.
In this context, the 22nd Türkiye-Libya Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting was held in Tripoli on Jan. 24, 2026.
The Turkish contracting sector undertook its first overseas project in Libya in 1972. To date, Turkish companies have undertaken 633 projects in Libya with a total value of $31 billion. In this regard, Libya ranks as the fourth country where Turkish companies have undertaken the largest number of projects.
More than 40 projects undertaken by Turkish companies are currently ongoing in Libya, with a total value exceeding $2.3 billion.
The steadily developing relations between Türkiye and Libya are also creating new opportunities in the energy sector. In February 2026, TPAO was awarded the right to jointly operate two oil fields in Libya in the country’s first licensing round in 17 years. The agreement concerning these fields was signed in Tripoli on June 15, 2026.
Türkiye’s growing regional influence could increase the potential for friction and conflict with Israel, former Israeli National Security Council head Meir Ben-Shabbat said, warning Israeli authorities against complacency as Ankara expands its role across the Middle East.
Speaking to Israel’s Maariv newspaper on Tuesday, Ben-Shabbat argued that Türkiye is taking advantage of shifting regional dynamics to strengthen its position as a leading Middle Eastern power.
He pointed particularly to Syria, saying Türkiye has emerged as a key player in the country following the collapse of the Baath regime and the withdrawal of Iran’s military presence.
“Ankara is further consolidating its position in the region by financing and training the new Syrian army, building energy and transportation infrastructure and through many other moves,” he said.
Ben-Shabbat also highlighted the Aug. 7 Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, arguing that the pact seeks to provide mutual defense and regional stability without complete reliance on Washington.
“It places Türkiye in a position of diplomatic-military leadership,” he noted.
Turning to the Eastern Mediterranean, Ben-Shabbat argued that Türkiye’s objectives under its Blue Homeland doctrine conflict with Israel’s partnerships with Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, as well as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, potentially creating persistent disputes over maritime jurisdiction and sovereignty.
Despite his warnings, Ben-Shabbat said Israel should not view Türkiye and Iran through the same lens, arguing that the two countries have distinct characteristics requiring different approaches.
He also urged Israel to remain cautious toward regional agreements and avoid relying on other actors for its security.
“We must preserve our security margins,” he said, warning that diplomatic agreements could ultimately be reversed.
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi met his Bulgarian counterpart, Ivan Demerdzhiev, in Sofia on Tuesday. The two ministers oversaw the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the law enforcement academies of the two countries and held a joint news conference.
Çiftçi underlined that the two countries need to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the fight against criminal gangs, as they share a border. “We are not just neighbors. We are also two friends and allies in the same region,” he said at the news conference.
Çiftçi said he discussed areas of cooperation with Demerdzhiev. “One of the primary areas where there is room for greater cooperation is the fight against cross-border crime. Türkiye is currently engaged in a fight against next-generation criminal organizations. They have evolved into next-generation terrorist groups,” he said.
Türkiye has stepped up its crackdown on criminal gangs, particularly those exploiting minors and recruiting them to carry out murders and extortion.
Çiftçi underlined that Türkiye does not view its own security independently from that of its neighbors, stressing that cooperation with Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry is valuable for peace and security in the region.
Pointing to important steps taken with Bulgaria in the fight against next-generation criminal gangs, Çiftçi said: “They have extradited 89 people wanted by our country. Discussions on the extradition of 19 people are ongoing. I believe the necessary assistance and support will also be provided on this matter. On the other hand, as Türkiye, we have extradited 24 people wanted by the Bulgarian authorities.”
Çiftçi also emphasized the importance of combating drugs during Tuesday’s talks. “Cooperation between the two countries in the fight against drugs is extremely important. We value Bulgaria’s support in combating both new-generation crime and drug trafficking. We believe that the steps we take in these areas will serve the interests of both countries. This makes security cooperation between our countries not a matter of choice, but a necessity,” he said.
For his part, Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev praised Türkiye’s efforts in the fight against irregular migration.
He said Çiftçi’s visit was a clear indication of the high level of good-neighborly relations between Bulgaria and Türkiye, noting that these relations are based on “partnership, mutual trust and mutual respect.” He added that he and Çiftçi had discussed numerous issues at both the political and professional levels.
Demerdzhiev said their shared priorities included combating irregular migration, drug trafficking and distribution, human trafficking and smuggling. He added that they also shared the view with Türkiye that crimes committed by young people were an issue that needed to be addressed.
The Bulgarian minister said they had reached an agreement on cooperation in these areas.
Emphasizing that he had informed Çiftçi that Bulgaria would “fight all forms of organized crime without compromise,” Demerdzhiev said they had also discussed the significant amount of capital held in Türkiye and other countries as a result of corrupt activities in Bulgaria. Demerdzhiev said Çiftçi had assured him that Türkiye would assist Bulgaria in combating such crimes, adding that the two sides had also agreed to identify and repatriate assets obtained through illegal means. Demerdzhiev also noted that they had discussed in detail the security and management of their shared border, saying they had identified a number of measures to make the process more efficient.
A draft law to advance the terror-free Türkiye initiative, which involves the disarmament and dissolution of the terrorist group PKK, was before Parliament on Monday for deliberation.
The Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration provides for the deferral of prosecution and prison terms for members of the terrorist group who surrender. Parliament’s Justice Committee approved the bill over the weekend and referred it to the General Assembly.
Monday was also the last day before parliament begins a recess that will continue until October. Lawmakers are expected to continue discussions on the law until early hours of Tuesday.
Abdullah Güler, parliamentary group chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), who worked with representatives of other parties to drum up support for the draft law, sought to convince lawmakers to have faith in the legislation, while most parties expressed support for it.
“We don’t want guns to dominate the agenda in this country again. This law truly presents a terror-free Türkiye model,” he told lawmakers at the General Assembly.
The General Assembly session was portrayed as “historic” by Turkish media outlets. It was almost as if the initiative had come full circle, with Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the government’s ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), sitting in his usual seat and shaking hands with lawmakers from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) in October 2024.
The unprecedented sight of a nationalist politician shaking hands with lawmakers from a party closely linked to the PKK is now regarded as the informal beginning of the initiative. Soon after the handshake, Bahçeli called for the PKK’s jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan, to order the terrorist group to lay down its arms. Öcalan complied and made the call in February 2025.
Bahçeli shook hands with DEM lawmakers again as he took his parliamentary seat, just a few inches away from Müsavat Dervişoğlu, leader of the Good Party (IP), which strictly opposes the law. Dervişoğlu and other IP lawmakers donned scarves with Turkish flags to protest the legislation.
The main opposition New Party (YP), which had remained undecided on its position on the law, announced at the last minute on Monday that it would vote in favor of it.
The draft bill will come into force once authorities verify that the PKK and all of its regional affiliates have fully dissolved and handed over all weapons and munitions to security forces, and this verification is published in the Official Gazette.
The bill covers crimes including founding and running the PKK, aiding and abetting the group, producing propaganda for it and funding its operations. Suspects who were prosecuted or investigated for those crimes will have their sentences deferred for five to 10 years. The deferral period will be longer for those prosecuted for crimes carrying prison terms of more than 15 years.
PKK members involved in killings, as well as those prosecuted and sentenced for crimes carrying penalties such as life imprisonment before June 1, 2005, will be exempt from the deferrals. This includes most senior PKK cadres currently hiding in northern Iraq, as well as Abdullah Öcalan, who was previously sentenced to life imprisonment and is currently held in an island prison near Istanbul.
Those benefiting from the deferrals will have certain political and civil rights suspended for two to three years. PKK members seeking to benefit from the deferrals will be allowed to apply at Turkish diplomatic missions in their countries of residence.
Türkiye will also establish two boards to monitor the process: a monitoring board chaired by the vice president and a parliamentary board comprising 17 members. Authorities will record every weapon, piece of ammunition, explosive and piece of equipment declared by PKK members in a registry to monitor the dissolution process.
Speaking on behalf of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the early hours of the session, lawmaker Inan Akgün Alp said his party had consistently supported resolving what he called the “Kurdish issue” through peaceful means and would unreservedly support current efforts as well.
“If the guns fall silent, brotherhood will grow stronger. If brotherhood grows stronger, Türkiye will grow stronger. If Türkiye grows stronger, our nation will win,” Alp said.
MHP Deputy Chair Feti Yıldız assured fellow lawmakers in his speech at the Assembly that the bill was not a regulation that “eliminates convictions, changes the legal nature of crimes or terminates criminal liability.”
“Ongoing investigation and prosecution processes, as well as finalized convictions, remain in force with all their consequences. No change is envisaged regarding the nature of the crime, the conviction or criminal liability,” he said.
Addressing the session, DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan said the law was the “first step toward bringing Kurds within the legal order.”
“I would particularly like to underline the founding role of Öcalan, whose call for peace and a democratic society on Feb. 27, 2025, made this beginning possible. His efforts in favor of a solution should be viewed fairly, rather than through prejudice.
“We also acknowledge the constructive role played in this process by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli.
“The law we are discussing today is not a law that creates privileges; it is the first step toward resolving the conflict. This is not a matter of give and take. It is a step toward correcting our historical relationship and achieving a proper reconciliation.
“This law and this process are not concessions, nor are they about winning or losing. There is only one winner in this process: all of Türkiye, our 86 million citizens,” he said.
YP Chair Özgür Özel said the party had decided to vote in favor of the law “so that mothers would not have to hug their children’s coffins.”
“Peace, democracy and justice will be the medicine of this country. We will build our common future together,” he added.
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