Politics
Türkiye looms large as NATO agrees on stronger defense
The NATO summit in the Netherlands’ The Hague was set to conclude on Wednesday with a pledge on increasing defense budgets of the top security alliance as conflicts rage on across the world. From the U.S. president to Ukraine’s leader, heads of state and government streamed into the meeting held under the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and tension between Iran and Israel.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was among the leaders under the spotlight at the summit and stood next to U.S. President Donald Trump during a photo shoot at the summit, while the two leaders shared the same table at a dinner on Tuesday hosted by Dutch royalty. Commanders-in-chief of NATO’s two biggest armies also held a bilateral meeting on Tuesday. Türkiye will host the next summit of NATO heads of state and government in 2026, as reaffirmed in the declaration of the summit.
Erdoğan also held bilateral talks on Wednesday on the sidelines of the summit, including with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Speaking to reporters in Ankara on Tuesday before leaving for the summit, Erdoğan said his country strongly supported fair burden-sharing and the strengthening of European security, adding that Türkiye operates NATO’s second-largest land army and contributes significantly to the alliance’s deterrent power.
He criticized trade restrictions among NATO members in the defense sector, saying such barriers must be removed immediately. “As we set out with the goal of a stronger defense and a more effective military, we do not find it right to raise obstacles to trade in defense products between allies. These obstacles and restrictions should be removed as soon as possible, without ifs or buts.”
“In this context, we closely follow the recent initiatives of the European Union in the field of defense and security. Our country, which contributes more to Europe’s security than many of its members combined, should be properly included in the union’s defense initiatives. The inclusion of the Turkish defense sector in the union’s defense mechanisms and projects will benefit all of Europe. We are in close consultation with our non-EU allies on this,” he added.
During their meeting, Erdoğan and Trump underscored the importance of strengthening NATO’s deterrence as two of the alliance’s leading members. Welcoming the recently brokered cease-fire between Israel and Iran, Erdoğan praised Trump’s efforts in facilitating the truce and expressed hope that it would be sustained. He underscored the urgent need to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reaffirmed Türkiye’s readiness to engage in close dialogue for peaceful solutions to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. During the meeting, Erdoğan also highlighted the strong potential for cooperation between Türkiye and the United States, particularly in energy and investment. He emphasized that advancing defense industry ties would support the two countries’ shared goal of reaching a $100 billion bilateral trade volume.
Trump took a victory lap at the summit Wednesday, joining leaders in reaffirming the “ironclad” commitment to protect each other after allies agreed to his demand to ramp up defense spending.
Speaking at a news conference after the meeting of the heads of state and government concluded, NATO chief Mark Rutte said the agreement of states would lead to a “quantum leap” in collective defense. He also assured NATO’s support for Ukraine on its “irreversible path to membership.”
The unpredictable U.S. leader appeared keen to take the plaudits as he secured a key foreign policy win by getting NATO’s 32 countries to agree to meet his headline target of 5% of GDP on defense spending.
In a move that will provide reassurance to allies in Europe worried over the threat from Russia, Trump signed off on a final leaders’ declaration confirming “our ironclad commitment” to NATO’s collective defense pledge that an attack on one is an attack on all.
“It’s a great victory for everybody, I think, and we will be equalized,” Trump said of the new spending commitment, ahead of the summit’s main session.
Diplomats said that behind closed doors, Trump insisted there was no greater ally than Washington and urged others to spend some of the new money on U.S. weaponry.
The deal hatched by NATO is a compromise that allows Trump to claim triumph, while in reality providing wiggle room for cash-strapped governments in Europe.
It sees countries promise to dedicate 3.5% of GDP to core military spending by 2035, and a further 1.5% to broader security-related areas such as infrastructure.
Entering the meeting, leaders lined up to declare the summit’s spending hike as “historic.”
NATO allies say the increase is needed to counter a growing threat from Russia but also to keep Trump engaged, with the U.S. leader long complaining that Europe spends too little on its own defense.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said: “As Europeans, we should realize that our long break from history is over.”
The continent needed to take responsibility for its own security “in a very difficult time,” added De Wever.
Everything was carefully choreographed at the gathering in The Hague to keep the volatile U.S. president on board: from chopping back the official part of the meeting to putting him up overnight in the royal palace.
Trump rattled his allies by appearing to cast some doubt on the validity of NATO’s mutual defense clause, known as Article 5 of the alliance treaty, telling reporters on the way to The Hague that it “depends on your definition. There are numerous definitions of Article 5.”
But Rutte insisted Trump remained “totally committed” to the pledge, which was reaffirmed unequivocally in the summit’s final statement.
Underpinning the leaders’ discussions on defense was Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and in another sop to the demands of allies, the United States allowed NATO to refer to the “long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security” in the communique.
Though its language was watered down from previous years, the declaration also said allies would continue to support Ukraine, “whose security contributes to ours,” and could use money from the new spending pledge to fund military aid for Kyiv.
That came as Trump was poised to meet the war-torn country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the summit sidelines.
Zelenskyy is playing a less central role here than at previous summits, to avoid a bust-up with Trump after their infamous Oval Office shouting match.
But Trump described him as a “nice guy” and added that he was talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war, saying: “I think progress is being made.”
But despite Rutte’s insistence that Ukraine’s bid for membership remains “irreversible,” NATO’s statement avoided any mention of Kyiv’s push to join after Trump ruled it out.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban was more categorical.
“NATO has no business in Ukraine,” he said. “My job is to keep it as it is.”
Türkiye’s defense
Türkiye, as of 2024, exceeded 2% defense spending per NATO figures, in proportion to its GDP. On the southeastern flank of the alliance’s European wing, the country serves as a gateway to the Middle East where conflicts are brewing, while also serving as a bridge between the West and the East, something that came in handy amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
It is one of the few countries maintaining solid ties with both sides of the conflict and recently hosted talks between the warring parties in a bid to utilize diplomacy to end the conflict. Türkiye’s flourishing defense industry, particularly the international success of its unmanned aerial vehicles, also makes the country stand out among NATO members.
European countries recently agreed to involve Türkiye in efforts to reinforce the bloc’s defense amid the perceived threat from Russia. Turkish defense firms will likely benefit from the new security mechanism created by the European Union, which has long dragged out Türkiye’s membership process.
Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu voiced concern over Israel’s growing presence in the Greek Cypriot-administered south, saying expanding military ties could undermine security on the divided island.
Ertuğruloğlu made the remarks during a meeting with Turkish journalists in Washington, D.C., as part of his U.S. visit following the U.N. General Assembly meetings.
Responding to a question about the impact of the Greek Cypriot administration’s growing military ties with Israel and other countries on security on the island, Ertuğruloğlu said Turkish Cypriot authorities were concerned about Israel’s increasing involvement.
“We are, of course, not pleased with Israel becoming so influential in southern Cyprus,” he stated, “This is a relationship that puts the island’s security at risk.”
He also criticized the Greek Cypriot administration’s military cooperation with France, U.S. arms sales and military training, as well as British policies involving its bases on the island.
Ertuğruloğlu said such developments risked disrupting stability but argued that Türkiye had taken necessary measures to preserve the military balance.
He emphasized that Turkish Cypriots remained confident about their security despite regional tensions, citing the presence of Turkish forces on the island and Türkiye’s role as a guarantor.
Two-state position unchanged
Ertuğruloğlu further noted the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) would maintain its current foreign policy position on the future of the Cyprus issue, reiterating its call for two sovereign, equal states with equal international status.
“The point we have reached in foreign policy is final: two sovereign, equal states with equal international status,” he said. “There is no option of establishing a new partnership with the Greek Cypriots. That is over.”
He underlined that Turkish Cypriots had previously attempted to establish a partnership with Greek Cypriots, referring to the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960 and the intercommunal violence that began in 1963.
Ertuğruloğlu argued that the Greek Cypriot side’s approach to the Cyprus dispute had not changed and said the international community’s policies encouraged it.
He also pointed to military cooperation between the Greek Cypriot administration and Israel, as well as the expected participation of U.S., British and French military personnel in anniversary ceremonies in southern Cyprus.
Ertuğruloğlu said future relations on the island could instead be based on good, neighborly ties between the two states.
“There can now be neighborly relations on the island,” he said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay, who resigned from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in June, at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Wednesday.
“We informed the president about important issues on Izmir’s agenda and our projects for the city’s future,” Tugay noted in a written statement, thanking Erdoğan for the meeting and his interest in Izmir.
The meeting comes amid speculation over Tugay’s political future following his departure from the CHP.
Tugay resigned from the party on June 18 amid turmoil following a court ruling concerning the CHP leadership and said he would continue serving as Izmir mayor as an independent.
His departure left Türkiye’s third-largest city with a mayor who was not a CHP member for the first time in more than two decades.
Since his resignation, Turkish media reports have speculated that Tugay could join the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
AK Party Izmir lawmaker Mehmet Kasapoğlu, responding to the speculation, said the party would neither attempt to force political developments nor “close the door” on trends emerging naturally in politics.
Erdoğan’s meeting with Tugay follows a Sept. 9 meeting with Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, who later announced his resignation from the CHP and said he would continue his political career as an independent.
Morning raids on Thursday netted Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer, along with the mayors of the Yenişehir and Mezitli districts in the province.
Authorities announced that a total of 59 suspects were detained in an investigation into corruption in the municipalities.
Seçer, Yenişehir Mayor Abdullah Özyiğit and Mezitli Mayor Ahmet Serkan Tuncer are all members of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), whose new chair, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, has pledged to cleanse the party of corruption after taking office last May.
The investigation into Mersin municipality, a city of about 2 million people, found that violations of regulations in 13 public tenders and 63 acquisitions organized by the municipality resulted in a public loss of more than TL 330 million ($6.73 million). Suspects linked to Mezitli Municipality caused a public loss of more than TL 1.1 billion, investigators discovered, again through rigged public tenders and acquisitions, while the figure was TL 105 million at Yenişehir Municipality.
A similar scheme was discovered in most municipalities that faced investigations in the past two years, and almost all of them were run by CHP mayors. In other investigations, prosecutors have accused defendants, including mayors and senior municipal bureaucrats, of running criminal organizations that thrived on bribes in exchange for zoning and building permits, awarding lucrative tenders to businesspeople in exchange for advance payments in violation of tender laws and holding companies hostage over payments for their services, releasing the payments only after the companies paid additional money to the municipalities.
Authorities said Tuncer also faced a separate investigation over allegations that he ordered armed attacks on people with whom he was involved in a feud, as well as on a local office of the New Party (YP), which was founded last July by former CHP chair Özgür Özel, and the offices of a media company.
The CHP seeks to restore its image, tarnished by the arrest of mayors on corruption charges. As promised by Kılıçdaroğlu, the “cleansing process” will now involve preemptive steps to prevent future cases, according to a recent report by Sabah newspaper. Starting next year, the party will introduce a “performance monitoring system” for its mayors, which will serve as a benchmark to assess whether they comply with the CHP’s predetermined criteria.
With this move, the mayors’ past and future performance will come under scrutiny. They will be assessed based on how many criteria they have met, and at the end of the process, they will be given a “report card.”
The mayors will undergo reviews in a number of areas, including project management, financial management, human resources management and public relations. The flow of funds in municipalities, investments and the allocation of tenders are also expected to be examined comprehensively.
Mayors whose activities are deemed suspicious, who fail to meet the established criteria or are found to have performed poorly will not be nominated in the next election. Throughout the process, the main focus will be on clean politics and financial transparency.
All of the mayors who remain under the CHP umbrella are individuals who were nominated in the last local elections during Özgür Özel’s tenure as party chairperson. The party leadership also plans to hold a meeting of mayors shortly to strengthen central authority and discuss steps to be taken for the coming year.
Defense Minister Yaşar Güler attended the Distinguished Observer Day of the Unity of Strength-2026 military exercise in Azerbaijan on Thursday, alongside senior commanders from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).
The exercise, hosted by Azerbaijan with the participation of Türkiye and Uzbekistan, is aimed at improving coordination and joint operational capabilities among the three countries’ armed forces.
Güler visited the exercise area in Shusha with Chief of General Staff Gen. Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Navy Commander Adm. Ercüment Tatlıoğlu, Land Forces Commander Gen. Metin Tokel and Air Force Commander Gen. Rafet Dalkıran.
Güler and Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov also inspected weapons, ammunition and military technologies displayed and used during the exercise.
Türkiye’s Defense Ministry said Turkish and Azerbaijani air forces struck simulated ground targets on their first attempts during the drills. The ministry also said troops conducted urban warfare training as part of the exercise.
According to the ministry, participating units trained under challenging scenarios designed to improve coordination, speed and their ability to conduct joint operations.
More than 3,500 military personnel from Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have taken part in the joint exercises, which began Sept. 21, according to Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry, noting the drills marked the first military exercise of this scale to include territories retaken by Azerbaijan.
More than 130 unmanned aerial vehicles, 70 armored vehicles, 90 artillery systems and 20 aircraft are participating in the exercise, along with more than 30 electronic warfare, reconnaissance and surveillance systems. The drills also involve more than 15 air defense systems, eight sets of engineering equipment and more than 20 naval vessels, the ministry said.
The Kremlin said Wednesday that work was underway on the possible transfer of Türkiye’s Russian-made S-400 air defense systems to a third country, a move that could help address a longstanding dispute between Ankara and Washington over Türkiye’s participation in the F-35 fighter jet program.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the issue was “on the agenda” and that discussions were taking place.
“Relevant work is being done, and appropriate contacts are taking place,” Peskov noted when asked about the possibility of transferring the systems.
His comments came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow could consider allowing the S-400 systems to be transferred to another country.
Lavrov said any recipient would need to act responsibly and maintain friendly relations with Russia, adding that Moscow would consider such a transfer if a request were made.
Türkiye agreed to purchase the S-400 air defense system from Russia in 2017 and acquired the system in 2019.
The acquisition drew criticism from the United States and other NATO allies, which argued that operating the Russian system posed risks to NATO defense systems and the F-35 program.
Washington subsequently removed Türkiye from the F-35 program and imposed sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Ankara has long sought to resolve the dispute and return to the F-35 program. Yet, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was considering allowing Türkiye to rejoin the F-35 program at the NATO summit in Ankara in July.
Speaking alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex after arriving in Ankara for the summit, Trump said the time had come to remove sanctions that have strained relations between the two NATO allies.
“We’re going to lift the sanctions,” Trump said. “We don’t want to sanction our friends. I don’t want to choke my friend with sanctions.”
Calling Türkiye a militarily powerful country under Erdoğan’s leadership, Trump remarked that relations between Washington and Ankara were at their strongest point in years.
Yemen is seeking to expand cooperation with Türkiye to rebuild state institutions and improve essential public services as the war-torn country grapples with persistent security and humanitarian challenges, Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba said.
Al-Zouba made the remarks during a meeting with Türkiye’s Ambassador to Riyadh, Emrullah Işler, Yemen’s official SABA news agency reported.
The two officials discussed recent developments in Yemen and the wider region, as well as ways to strengthen bilateral relations and broaden cooperation.
Al-Zouba praised Türkiye’s support for Yemen and its internationally recognized government, including Ankara’s backing for the Presidential Leadership Council.
She stressed the importance of strengthening political and diplomatic coordination between Türkiye and Yemen amid regional and international developments, saying closer ties could support efforts to rebuild state institutions and bolster regional security and stability.
The Yemeni government is particularly interested in expanding cooperation with Türkiye in strengthening state institutions and improving basic services to help ease hardships facing the population, al-Zouba said.
The foreign minister also raised the impact of Houthi attacks on security in Yemen and the wider region, including threats to international trade and maritime traffic in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
She warned that indiscriminate missile launches by the Houthis posed growing risks to civil aviation and international air travel, saying weapons that fail to distinguish between civilian and military targets endanger passenger aircraft and civilian lives.
Işler, for his part, reiterated Türkiye’s support for the Yemeni government and for Yemen’s security, unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He also reaffirmed Ankara’s commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation and supporting the Yemeni government’s efforts to rebuild state institutions and restore security and stability.
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