Politics
Türkiye proposes to host Erdoğan-Trump-Zelenskyy-Putin meeting
Türkiye on Friday proposed to host a meeting between the American, Russian and Ukrainian leaders in an effort to push toward a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
NATO member Türkiye, which has striven to maintain relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, has become a key mediator amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for a deal to end the over three-year war.
“We sincerely think that it is possible to cap the first and second direct Istanbul talks with a meeting between Mr. (Donald) Trump, Mr. (Vladimir) Putin and Mr. (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy, under the direction of Mr. (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan),” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said at a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, in Kyiv.
“We can either close our eyes to the continuation of this war, or reach a durable peace before the end of the year,” Fidan said. “Expectations for a cease-fire and peace have increased.”
“Progress can certainly be made as long as we remain at the negotiating table,” added Fidan, who was to meet with Zelenskyy in Kyiv later in the day.
“We proved that (Russia-Ukraine) talks (in Istanbul) can yield concrete results,” said Fidan, expressing Ankara’s desire to maintain the momentum achieved in Istanbul. Russia proposed to hold the second round of direct negotiations in Istanbul on June 2.
Earlier this week, Fidan held talks with Putin and other senior officials in Moscow.
Russian delegation en route
The Kremlin pushed back against the idea of a face-to-face meeting involving Putin and Zelenskyy.
“President Putin has repeatedly stated that he is fundamentally in favor of high-level contacts,” spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, adding: “But first, results must be achieved through direct negotiations between the two countries.”
The Kremlin also said it was sending its delegation to Istanbul and that it will be “ready” for a second round of talks with Kyiv on Monday, though Kyiv has yet to confirm if it will attend.
Ukraine first wants Russia to share its vision of a road map to peace, a so-called “memorandum” that Moscow said it will only hand over to the Ukrainian delegation in person at the next talks.
Ukraine has for more than two months been calling for Russia to agree to a full, unconditional and immediate 30-day cease-fire, an idea first proposed by Trump.
Putin has repeatedly rejected those calls, despite pressure from Washington and Europe, while the Russian army has intensified its advances in eastern Ukraine.
He has said that a cease-fire is possible as a result of negotiations, but that talks should focus on the “root causes” of the war.
Moscow typically uses that language to refer to a mix of sweeping demands that have at times included limiting Ukraine’s military, banning it from joining NATO, massive territorial concessions and the toppling of Zelenskyy.
Kyiv expects unconditional response
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Kyiv is willing to continue peace talks with Russia in Istanbul, but stressed that Moscow must submit its memorandum with cease-fire proposals in advance, as previously agreed.
“We want to end the war this year and are ready to discuss a cease-fire – whether for 30, 50 or 100 days,” Sybiha said at the press conference with Fidan.
He stressed Kyiv wants Moscow’s memorandum for the next meeting to be productive.
Sybiha emphasized that Ukraine accepted a U.S.-led initiative for a cease-fire and now expects a clear and unconditional response from Moscow.
“The ball is in Russia’s court. They must say ‘yes’ to a cease-fire if they are serious about just, comprehensive and sustainable peace,” he said.
The Ukrainian top diplomat noted that Russia had also promised the document to the American side and must fulfill this commitment for the June 2 Istanbul meeting to be “substantive and objective.”
He also reaffirmed on X that Ukraine is ready to enter a durable cease-fire and pursue diplomacy, urging Russia to accept an unconditional halt to hostilities.
“Ukraine is ready to cease-fire for a durable period of time in order to stop the killing and make diplomacy effective. Russia must agree to a full and unconditional cease-fire as well,” Sybiha said, thanking Türkiye for its role in facilitating peace efforts.
He emphasized that without Russia’s genuine commitment to peace, international pressure must increase. “As long as Moscow continues to reject cease-fire and meaningful peace efforts, the international pressure on it must continue to mount,” he added.
U.S. threat to step back
Kyiv and the West have rejected those calls and cast Russia’s assault as nothing but an imperial-style land grab.
Russia’s invasion in February 2022 triggered the biggest European conflict since World War II.
Tens of thousands have been killed, swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine destroyed, and millions forced to flee their homes.
Trump has been growing increasingly frustrated at both Zelensky and Putin for not having struck a deal yet.
At a U.N. Security Council meeting Thursday, a U.S. diplomat reaffirmed that Washington could pull back from peace efforts.
“If Russia makes the wrong decision to continue this catastrophic war, the United States will have to consider stepping back from our negotiation efforts to end this conflict,” John Kelley told the meeting, which included Russian and Ukrainian envoys.
Despite the sides having held their first peace talks in more than three years, there has been little sign of movement toward a possible compromise agreement.
At negotiations in Istanbul on May 16, Ukraine said Russia threatened to accelerate its ground offensive into new regions and made a host of hardline demands, including that Kyiv cede territory still under its control.
Kyiv wants to first agree to halt the fighting to allow for discussions on a long-term settlement.
Along with its European allies, Ukraine has also been ramping up pressure on Trump to hit Moscow with fresh sanctions, a step he has so far not taken.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that if Russia gives “confirmation that it is not ready to make peace,” Washington must then confirm its “commitment” to impose sanctions on Moscow, stressing it was a “credibility test for the Americans.”
“I spoke 48 hours ago to President Trump, who showed his impatience. The question now is, what do we do? We (Europeans) are ready,” Macron said during a visit to Singapore.
On the battlefield, both sides launched dozens of drones at each other in the latest overnight barrage, and Russia has this week claimed to have captured a string of Ukrainian settlements.
Cemil Tugay, mayor of Türkiye’s third-largest city, Izmir, joined the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Wednesday in a landmark move for the party, which has failed to win the city for years.
The AK Party portrayed the move as ushering in a new era for the Aegean city, which has been beset by chronic problems for years, with a video showing flowers blossoming over mountains of garbage as it announced Tugay’s switch.
Expectations are high following the switch, given the successful track record of AK Party-run municipalities in public services. Locals hope the new era will turn around the fortunes of a city grappling with pollution in the Gulf of Izmir, uncollected garbage, infrastructure shortcomings and transportation problems.
Tugay pledged that “good things are in store” for Izmir after joining the party. The mayor had been serving as an independent after resigning from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which has dominated municipal elections in Izmir for the past two decades.
Izmir has been under the spotlight since the 2024 local elections, particularly over strikes by workers and civil servants at district municipalities, from Karabağlar, Konak and Karşıyaka to Buca and Bayraklı. Delays in salary payments since the 2024 vote led to strikes whose impact was most visible in uncollected garbage piling up on the streets and threatening public health.
The garbage problem is the first emergency, and the municipality is expected to shut down a landfill in the Çiğli district and build new solid waste disposal facilities.
Second, severe sanctions are expected against businesses and individuals polluting the Gulf of Izmir, which has suffered mass fish deaths. A wastewater treatment plant that has been left to deteriorate will undergo a major renovation. This is expected to help the city tackle the nightmarish stench that engulfs Izmir, particularly in the summer.
Another issue requiring attention is urban transformation, including the demolition and renewal of decaying housing projects. Amid a corruption scandal involving the construction of new housing projects, Tugay’s predecessor, Tunç Soyer, was arrested last year, while some housing projects have remained incomplete for the past five years. Under the new administration, urban transformation projects are expected to be accelerated, particularly for low-income families.
The municipality is also expected to launch a drive to renew roads across Izmir, many of which have become riddled with potholes due to inadequate maintenance.
In terms of transportation, new projects are underway, including the construction of a new bypass and increased investment in railway systems.
Bilal Saygılı, chairperson of the AK Party’s Izmir branch, said they would work in coordination with Tugay to resolve the city’s problems. Yaşar Kırkpınar, an AK Party lawmaker from Izmir, described Tugay’s switch as a turning point for Izmir’s future and public services.
Ceyda Bölünmez Çankırı, another AK Party lawmaker from Izmir, said the city had longed for “real municipal services for years” and that they would work hard to deliver them to residents under Tugay’s leadership.
Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides are set to meet on Oct. 13 in the United Nations-controlled buffer zone on the divided island of Cyprus, according to reports Wednesday.
The meeting between the leaders of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek Cypriot administration is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. local time and is expected to focus on efforts surrounding the Cyprus issue and confidence-building measures.
The two leaders last met on Sept. 17 at the office of the U.N. Good Offices Mission in the buffer zone. Their closed-door talks, which began at 11 a.m., lasted approximately two hours.
Following the meeting, the U.N. said Erhürman and Christodoulides had exchanged views on confidence-building measures, methodology and substantive aspects of the Cyprus issue.
Erhürman said after the talks that the two sides had yet to reach an agreement on confidence-building measures.
“On the remaining substantive issues, the two sides are only at the stage of listening to each other’s thoughts and views. That is the clear picture,” he said, noting that the meeting was “better” than their previous talks but that the sides remained at the stage of listening to each other’s positions on substantive issues.
He also stressed that concrete progress on the island would be necessary before another meeting could be held in an expanded format.
Erhürman and Christodoulides later traveled to New York for the U.N. General Assembly following their Sept. 17 meeting. The two leaders did not hold a bilateral meeting during their time in New York, although talks were held between their respective delegations.
Cyprus has remained divided for more than five decades between the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement. The TRNC was established in 1983 and is recognized only by Türkiye, while the Greek Cypriot administration represents the island internationally and joined the European Union in 2004.
Turkish officials and leaders in Turkish Cyprus have increasingly advocated a two-state solution to the dispute, arguing that decades of United Nations-led negotiations for a federal settlement have failed to produce results.
The upcoming Oct. 13 meeting comes as efforts continue to find common ground between the two sides and determine the next steps in the long-running Cyprus issue.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that Türkiye remains ready to support efforts to establish direct contacts between Russia and Ukraine, stressing the importance of diplomacy aimed at finding a solution to the war.
Erdoğan and Putin discussed bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues during a phone call, Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications said in a statement.
During the call, Erdoğan emphasized the importance of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.
He said Türkiye was always ready to contribute to initiatives aimed at establishing direct contacts between Moscow and Kyiv and underlined the importance of solution-oriented diplomatic efforts, according to the statement.
The two leaders also discussed Türkiye-Russia relations and other regional and international developments, the directorate said, without providing further details.
Erdoğan also congratulated Putin on his birthday and on his party’s performance in Russia’s Duma elections.
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has alleged that vehicles, equipment and other assets worth more than TL 250 million (approximately $5.1 million) were reported to have been removed or gone missing from its provincial and district offices during the formation of the New Party (YP).
The alleged losses followed a court ruling declaring the CHP’s leadership election legally invalid, triggering a period of internal turmoil and disputes over party property.
According to findings cited by CHP officials, the vehicles and equipment were allegedly taken from party offices across Türkiye’s 81 provinces, Sabah newspaper reported.
Individual criminal complaints have been filed with prosecutors under the coordination of CHP Deputy Chair Tahsin Tarhan, seeking investigations into the missing assets.
The allegations also involve seven district headquarters previously rented by the CHP. Rental agreements were reportedly changed following arrangements with property owners, allowing the buildings to be transferred to the New Party without the CHP leadership’s knowledge.
The affected districts reportedly include Akyurt and Altındağ in Ankara.
A court ruling in a case concerning alleged irregularities at the CHP’s November 2023 convention declared the congress null and void and reinstated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the previous party administration.
In late July, following escalating tensions within the party, Özel and 90 lawmakers resigned from the CHP and established the New Party.
Meanwhile, several missing CHP vehicles were reportedly located in industrial repair facilities and scrapyards. Party officials alleged that many returned vehicles had been deliberately damaged, potentially requiring millions of liras in repairs.
The whereabouts of office furniture, computers, sound systems and air conditioning units remain unknown.
CHP officials further alleged that equipment belonging to the party had been transferred to newly established New Party offices.
Turkish defense companies showcased advanced underwater systems, sonar technologies and unmanned maritime platforms in the western province of Izmir as part of the Türkiye-hosted Nusret-2026 Invitation Exercise.
The exhibition at the Port of Alsancak brought together 16 defense companies presenting technologies for underwater operations and mine countermeasures to Turkish and foreign military representatives participating in the exercise.
The Nusret-2026 Invitation Exercise is being held from Oct. 6-16 in the Gulf of Izmir and off the coast of Karadeniz Ereğli. Alongside Turkish forces, the exercise includes units from NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) and the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM Black Sea).
Havelsan presented a remotely operated underwater vehicle developed with the company’s own resources that can operate at depths of up to 300 meters (985 feet).
Zekiye Bilinç Serintuna, Havelsan’s underwater systems group leader, said the platform is equipped with sensors and systems enabling navigation and precise positioning. It can be used for military and civilian missions, including search and rescue, mine countermeasures, pipeline monitoring and ship hull inspections.
Meteksan Defense also showcased underwater acoustic technologies, including sonar systems developed for ships and submarines.
The company introduced two new products at Nusret-2026: the Submarine and Underwater Vehicle Detection System (SUVDES) and the National Synthetic Aperture Sonar System (MİLSAS).
SUVDES is designed for tasks including harbor security, protection of critical facilities and the detection of unmanned maritime vehicles.
State-owned defense manufacturer MKE, meanwhile, displayed several systems developed for naval warfare.
They included the Denizhan national naval gun, the Pirana kamikaze unmanned surface vehicle and the Malaman smart bottom mine, alongside infantry rifles used by naval forces.
A total of 20 ships, five aircraft and various unmanned systems are taking part in the exercise, which focuses on mine countermeasures and maritime operations.
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi will be in Athens on Thursday. Ministry sources said Wednesday that the purpose of the visit was “cooperation in fighting against transboundary crime, terrorist groups and next-generation criminal gangs.”
He is scheduled to meet Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum Thanos Plevris and Minister for Citizen Protection Michalis Chrisochoidis. Çiftçi’s talks will focus on joint steps in the above-mentioned areas.
The Turkish and Greek officials will discuss extradition of members of criminal gangs and how to enhance cooperation in this area, ministry sources also said.
Çiftçi stepped up Türkiye’s contacts with neighboring countries in the joint fight against transboundary crimes and recently paid visits to Bulgaria and Georgia to this end.
The minister last visited Athens in April for a trilateral meeting with Plevris and Bulgarian Interior Minister Emil Dechev on security-related issues affecting the three neighboring countries.
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