Politics
Türkiye proposes deal to end Black Sea attacks
A Turkish diplomat announced that Ankara sent a proposal to Russia and Ukraine that would end attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea. The move follows a sharp increase in attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea in recent months, often using drones.
At least 25 Turkish-owned vessels, four of them flying a Turkish flag, have been hit since late June, industry figures show.
“We have shared a text of a memorandum, a draft text, with the Russians and the Ukrainians to come up with a solution to those strikes taking place in the Black Sea,” the diplomat told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Thursday.
Türkiye has been pushing Russia and Ukraine to suspend attacks on civilian vessels, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan demanding a “moratorium” on Aug. 8 in a call that appeared to have fallen on deaf ears. The attacks have intensified as the foes seek to damage the other’s export revenues, with the war now raging into a fifth year.
NATO-member Türkiye maintains relations with Kyiv and Moscow and has declined to join Western sanctions against Russia. Its ships are very active in the Black Sea, sailing under various countries’ flags, with several hit by drones believed to be launched by Ukraine.
In August, the Foreign Ministry said it had summoned Ukraine’s envoy following an attack on the Lider Bordo Mavi, a container ship off the Russian coast, and a subsequent attack on the Lider Kocatepe, which was sent to tow it away. Both are Turkish-owned vessels. Anchored in the northeastern port of Trabzon, the Lider Bordo Mavi appeared to have sustained damage to its bridge deck and the two decks below, showing signs of major fire damage, AFP correspondents said.
Türkiye has repeatedly raised the idea of reviving the grain corridor format to safeguard Black Sea shipping, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saying he would discuss the matter with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in November. The Turkish diplomat said the proposal was “inspired by” a 2022 deal brokered by Türkiye and the U.N. to grant safe passage for Ukrainian grain to be exported via the Black Sea without risk of attack.
Although Russia pulled out of the so-called grain corridor mechanism a year later, Ukraine set up an alternative shipping route that hugs the coast of Romania and Bulgaria. “In that mechanism, there is maybe a four- or five-mile gap where the Ukrainian ship has to leave the national territorial waters and travel in international waters, which is the risky part,” the diplomat explained. “So our offer is also inspired by this.”
As well as using a route flanking Romania and Bulgaria, the official also suggested another route along the eastern and southern shores of the Black Sea along the coastlines of Georgia and Türkiye.
“We want to use the territorial waters of the adjacent states, including Türkiye and Georgia, if they are willing to take part,” the diplomat said.
Türkiye on Wednesday strongly condemned a Houthi drone attack targeting the holy city of Mecca, reaffirming its support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Ankara once again stands in solidarity with Saudi Arabia following the attack.
Türkiye also warned that such attacks threaten regional stability and security, calling for them to end immediately.
The ministry urged all sides to avoid actions that could further escalate tensions in the region.
The statement came amid a sharp rise in hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. Saudi authorities had issued emergency warnings for Mecca, Jeddah and Taif a day earlier following a series of missile and drone attacks, while Riyadh vowed a firm response to strikes that wounded civilians and targeted cities and infrastructure.
The latest incident marked a further escalation after the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a suspected Houthi drone headed toward Mecca. The Houthis disputed the Saudi account.
Türkiye is closely monitoring developments in the Aegean Sea, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday after Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Kastellorizo island, near the Turkish coast, over the weekend amid rising tensions between the two neighbors.
“We invite Greece to adhere to its obligations under international agreements and avoid activities incompatible with the demilitarized status of the islands,” the ministry said in a statement after a weekly press briefing.
“The Greek prime minister’s visit to the island of Kastellorizo with his accompanying delegation and his contacts with military personnel stationed there have been closely followed. The deployment of military personnel and warships on Kastellorizo, which was ceded to Greece under the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty on the condition that it maintain a demilitarized status, and the public display of these military assets as part of high-level visits are incompatible with the island’s status and do not contribute to peace and stability,” the ministry said.
“We once again emphasize that efforts to create a de facto situation in violation of Kastellorizo’s demilitarized status, given its extremely close proximity to the Turkish coast, are incompatible with international obligations and will not be accepted by our country. While Türkiye advocates making the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean areas of peace and stability and developing relations between Türkiye and Greece on the basis of good-neighborly relations and dialogue, this approach does not mean that we will tolerate the disregard of rights and obligations arising from international treaties or the creation of de facto situations on the ground.
“We call on Greece to abide by its obligations arising from international treaties and refrain from activities incompatible with the demilitarized status of the islands concerned. While our country will continue its constructive approach in favor of good-neighborly relations and dialogue in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean, it will remain determined to protect its rights and interests arising from international law,” the ministry added.
Mitsotakis said during the visit that the island did not pose a threat to Türkiye, describing it as “a Greek and European outpost.” The visit came weeks after Greece signed a major defense deal with Türkiye’s archfoe Israel and unveiled plans to boost its air defenses.
The ministry also responded to questions about the deployment of a commando brigade to Söke, a western Turkish town opposite the Greek island of Samos, saying it was “an arrangement made in line with the mission and operational requirements of the Turkish Armed Forces” and was approved in June following “evaluations.”
Turkish-Greek tensions also extend to the split island of Cyprus, which is home to Greek Cypriot and Turkish communities. The ministry said a recent U.S. decision to extend the suspension of an arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot administration until September 2027 was “a step that would affect the delicate balance and security environment on the island.”
The ministry said third parties were expected to avoid activities that may harm this balance and refrain from actions that ignore Turkish Cypriots.
“As a guarantor country, Türkiye will take measures for the security and prosperity of Turkish Cypriots as it did in the past, in cooperation with the Turkish Cypriot authorities,” the ministry said.
Türkiye launched its Peace Operation in 1974 after Greek Cypriot groups stepped up attacks on the Turkish Cypriot community on the island. It is one of three guarantor states, along with the United Kingdom and Greece, which seek a peaceful resolution to the decades-old Cyprus dispute.
Türkiye advocates a solution to the Cyprus issue based on respect for the sovereignty of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni met his Turkish counterpart, Mustafa Çiftçi, in Ankara on Wednesday. The two officials promised to improve cooperation on security-related matters between the two countries.
Among other things, the ministers spoke about the Terror-Free Türkiye initiative Ankara launched for the dissolution of the terrorist group PKK, which also has an Iran-based wing, PJAK.
Momeni said Iran was pleased with Türkiye’s efforts to find a solution to the PKK issue. “Türkiye, Iraq, Iran and Syria should join hands for a lasting solution. PKK, PJAK and all other wings should cease to exist and should lay down their arms. In terms of terrorism, Türkiye’s security means Iran’s security and vice versa,” he said, calling for more cooperation between Tehran and Ankara.
Minister Çiftçi said they were monitoring the dismantling of all PKK affiliates operating under different names in different regions. He said the group’s dissolution in Syria and Iraq represented a critical threshold for regional peace, adding that it was highly important for the PKK’s PJAK structure in Iran to be included in this process. Çiftçi warned that members of the group who oppose the process could cross into Iran, allowing it to become more active inside the country.
Highlighting the importance of cooperation between Türkiye and Iran in combating drug trafficking and transnational crime, Minister Çiftçi said: “In 2026 alone, 32,848 people were arrested in 38,915 drug operations, and 36 tons of narcotics were seized. Given their geographical locations, our countries lie along the transit routes used by drug traffickers and other transnational criminal networks. In this regard, I would like to emphasize that we are open to effective cooperation with your ministry in combating all forms of transnational crime, particularly drug trafficking and emerging criminal organizations.”
Çiftçi also addressed extradition and deportation procedures between Türkiye and Iran, saying: “Extradition and deportation constitute an important item on the agenda of our bilateral cooperation. In this regard, we attach importance to strengthening ties between our Interpol units and ensuring that procedures are carried out more effectively. As a manifestation of this approach, we are doing everything we can, within the limits of our laws, to address the sensitivities of our friendly and brotherly Iran. We, too, are carefully following the extradition requests submitted by Iran and promptly extraditing individuals whose legal proceedings have been completed to your country. We believe that you are also carefully following our country’s requests, and I would like to state that we look forward to your valuable contribution to completing the ongoing procedures.”
The meeting also addressed joint steps that could be taken to combat irregular migration.
“We have built our policy for combating irregular migration around a comprehensive system that begins in the migrants’ countries of origin and ends there, ensuring their safe, dignified and voluntary return to their home countries. We know that you are also taking measures to prevent irregular migrants from crossing your eastern border. I believe that by coordinating and strengthening our border measures, we can combat the irregular migration pressure we face more effectively. In particular, we need to step up our fight against human trafficking networks and migrant smugglers and increase mutual information sharing. While combating irregular migration, we also support regular migration.”
Redeployment of the 51st Commando Brigade of the Turkish army, originally based in the eastern province of Tunceli, to Söke, just opposite the Greek island of Samos, is under the spotlight in neighboring Greece amid Aegean tensions. Greek experts quoted by Turkish media say the deployment may give Türkiye the upper hand in military supremacy in the region.
The brigade, consisting of more than 2,000 troops, moved to Söke in Aydın province and got a new commander in August as part of routine annual reassignment of commanders of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). The redeployment comes amid a dispute between the two countries over demilitarization of Greece’s Aegean islands and a feud over maritime borders. More recently, Ankara criticized a defense deal between Greece and Israel.
Türkiye’s Aegean coast is already home to several elite units, including the First Amphibious Naval Infantry Brigade in Izmir’s Foça and special forces units in central Izmir.
The brigade is led by Brig. Gen. Yaşar Karaoğlu, who made a name for himself as commander of a military unit protecting Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who led the Turkish war to expel Greek invaders more than a century ago.
Raci Şaşmaz, one of the co-creators of the popular Turkish TV series “Kurtlar Vadisi” (“Valley of Wolves”), testified to investigators on Monday as part of an investigation into the death of Kaşif Kozinoğlu, an intelligence official. The statement was linked to the killing of “Kazım Kaşifoğlu,” a fictional character in the TV series who bears striking similarities to the real-life figure. Authorities recently reopened the case over allegations that Kozinoğlu might have been killed in prison after he was jailed on trumped-up charges by prosecutors linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).
Şaşmaz’s statements were published by media outlets on Tuesday. He was one of three screenwriters who testified in Istanbul on Monday. Şaşmaz denied claims that the TV series was used as a tool to implicate critics of FETÖ and dismissed suspicions about similarities between the fictional character and the real-life figure he was apparently inspired by. He said the death scene of Kaşifoğlu, in which the character was injected with poison by one of the show’s main characters, was simply a coincidence and claimed it was written after Kozinoğlu’s death, disputing claims that the plot to kill Kozinoğlu was first “written” and then “executed,” as some social media users claimed.
Şaşmaz, however, acknowledged that some “forces” tried to intervene in the TV series’ script, which focused on the exploits of an intelligence official infiltrating the underworld. He implied that the series’ original director and co-creator, Osman Sınav, left the show due to pressure and threats from unnamed forces seeking to dictate the plot, which often paralleled real-life incidents.
Last week, authorities detained 10 people who worked at an Istanbul prison where Kozinoğlu was incarcerated in 2011. At the same time, media outlets reported that investigators were looking into the suspects’ alleged links to FETÖ.
Kozinoğlu, a former major who worked as the National Intelligence Organization’s (MİT) chief adviser for Central Asia before his arrest in 2011, was detained as part of the far-reaching Ergenekon investigations. Ergenekon was the name given to an alleged “deep state” network by prosecutors, but subsequent investigations and trials found that FETÖ infiltrators had orchestrated the probe within the judiciary and law enforcement. Kozinoğlu’s death at the time was attributed to a heart attack after he reportedly exercised excessively at the prison in Istanbul’s Silivri district.
Most of the suspects detained were prison guards who worked at Silivri prison while Kozinoğlu was held there. Another suspect remains at large. The Sabah newspaper identified the fugitive suspect as Ferhat Veysi Gül. A report published by Sabah said Gül was the sole guard in charge of Kozinoğlu’s ward and deliberately ignored an emergency call from the ward on the day Kozinoğlu died.
Security camera footage from the prison reportedly showed Gül turning up the volume of music at the venue to muffle the emergency alarm and ignoring it for several minutes. When other guards arrived about 15 minutes later, he joined them in checking on Kozinoğlu. Kozinoğlu was transferred to a hospital but was pronounced dead. Gül fled to France in August 2016 as Türkiye stepped up its crackdown on suspected FETÖ members following the terrorist group’s coup attempt in July 2016.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, who has led efforts to reopen unsolved cases since taking office in February, said in a social media post that authorities were determined not to leave any suspicious deaths in the dark.
“We are revisiting cases that have raised questions in the public conscience, regardless of how much time has passed, and pursuing every piece of evidence that can be uncovered,” Gürlek said.
“Camera footage and medical records were examined, and statements were taken from prison officials, gendarmerie and medical personnel, his cellmates and the deceased’s wife. On April 10, 2012, a decision of non-prosecution was issued. Our Department for Investigating Unsolved Crimes subsequently reexamined the case. In light of assessments by the Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation was reopened on Aug. 26, 2026,” Gürlek stated.
Kozinoğlu was scheduled to testify at a hearing and said in a statement shortly before his death that he feared he could be killed. Prosecutors had accused him of being a member of a terrorist group and leaking confidential documents, and he was questioned by Zekeriya Öz, a prosecutor who is now on the run after an arrest warrant was issued for him on charges of FETÖ membership.
The Ergenekon case began in 2007 after weapons were discovered in Istanbul’s Ümraniye district and eventually led to the prosecution of hundreds of military officers, journalists, academics and other public figures accused of belonging to an alleged clandestine network plotting to overthrow the government.
Following the failed coup attempt in 2016, Turkish authorities reassessed many of the investigations and trials carried out by members of FETÖ’s network within the judiciary. Officials have since argued that the Ergenekon proceedings were part of a broader effort by the terrorist group to remove senior military personnel and expand its influence within state institutions.
At the latest hearing in a case that landed former Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu in jail, owners of several companies admitted that they were forced to pay to do business with the municipality outside regulations.
The 81st hearing of the trial, in which Imamoğlu and top municipal bureaucrats are accused of running a criminal gang thriving on bribes and corruption in tenders, was held on Tuesday in Istanbul inside a massive complex that also houses the prison where Imamoğlu is held. The court heard statements from companies doing business with the IBB subsidiaries General Directorate of Culture Inc. and Istanbul Tree and Landscape Inc., two companies specializing in organizing cultural events and landscaping work, respectively. Mete Mağden, owner of a company that was awarded lucrative contracts by the General Directorate of Culture Inc., and Ensar Güney, owner of a company that did business with the Istanbul Tree and Landscape Inc., exposed illicitly awarded tenders, dummy bid schemes and how businesspeople handed out foreign currency in cash to municipal bureaucrats in violation of regulations to win tenders.
Güney admitted in court that he personally handed cash to Istanbul Tree and Landscape Inc. General Manager Ali Sukas at his office to collect his accumulated payments and checks stemming from past business he had done for the subsidiary. Güney said Istanbul Tree and Landscape Inc. Purchasing Manager Ümit Polat came to his nursery in Yalova with a list of companies and told him that Sukas was demanding 10% of the money in return for completed work and outstanding payments.
“He told me that they would ask for 10% of the money. The people above have requested this in return for the payment I sought,” Güney told the court.
Güney said that after this meeting, he went to see Sukas and asked him, “What do you want?” Sukas allegedly replied, “I can’t tell you an amount. You take a look yourself and pay according to your own situation.” Güney said he went to Sukas’ office twice to collect his accumulated receivable of TL 100 million ($2.06 million). He said he personally handed Sukas 35,000 euros ($40,410) during his first visit and $15,000 during his second visit, and was able to collect his checks only after making these payments.
Mete Mağden, meanwhile, testified that he regularly paid a 10% commission to Emrah Bağdatlı, who held no official position at IBB. Bağdatlı is among the fugitive suspects in the case and was once an employee of the municipality’s Istanbul Digital Media Inc. subsidiary. Mağden said that after progress payments were made, he would withdraw the money in cash and hand it over through the accounting department to Bağdatlı’s couriers.
“Every time Emrah Bağdatlı received money from me, he would talk about the existence of a system and say that this money was going into the system. He would tell me, ‘This money doesn’t go into my pocket. There is a system. Everyone working at IBB contributes to this system,’” Mağden said.
The “system” Mağden referred to often came up in the testimonies of witnesses and plaintiffs in the case, in reference to an alleged scheme to funnel bribe cash to a campaign to fund Imamoğlu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP), as well as a campaign for İmamoğlu’s presidential candidacy that was declared after the mayor’s arrest in 2025.
In response to questions from the prosecutor at the hearing, Mağden admitted that the tenders were merely a formality and that the company that would win a tender had been predetermined. He said letterhead and company stamps belonging to his firm had been handed over to an employee of IBB’s Communications Department.
“Under the regulations, other companies had to participate in the tender. Güldem Şık (a suspect in the case) had our documents and letterhead. She prepared all the tender documents herself and sent them to us only for signatures. They pressured me by implying that if I did not agree to submit a dummy bid, they would not pay the TL 5 million ($102,759) they still owed me,” he said.
Mağden also detailed the flow of invoices involved in General Directorate of Culture Inc. tenders, saying that most of the tenders his company won were subsequently directed to other companies designated by IBB’s Communications Department. He said they were instructed to establish a second shell company under the name “Pangram” to avoid problems during audits by the Court of Accounts.
“They wanted us to establish a second company that appeared to have a different owner so that the Court of Accounts would not raise an issue because 45 Tasarım had won the tender. We established the company on the instructions of Murat Ongun that ‘Pangram should handle the events that Ekrem İmamoğlu will attend,’” Mağden said.
Mağden also said his company was contracted to organize events in Izmir and Antalya as part of Imamoğlu’s tours seeking support for his presidential candidacy. He said he spent TL 4 million ($82,207) of his own money on the work, which had no official connection to IBB. Although he was told that he would be paid, Mağden said they could not find anyone to whom they could issue an invoice and that the investigation began without him receiving a single penny.
The corruption investigation into Imamoğlu was completed with a 3,809-page indictment filed on Nov. 11, 2025.
Prosecutors allege that Imamoğlu, identified in the indictment as the leader of a criminal organization, committed offenses including establishing an organization to commit crimes, bribery, money laundering, fraud causing losses to public institutions and organizations, unlawfully recording, obtaining and disseminating personal data, concealing criminal evidence, obstructing communications, damaging public property, accepting bribes, publicly disseminating misleading information, extortion by a public official, laundering assets derived from crime, bid-rigging, intentionally polluting the environment and violations of Türkiye’s tax procedure, forestry and mining laws.
Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence ranging from 828 years and two months to 2,352 years for Imamoğlu over 142 alleged acts.
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