Politics
Türkiye says Greek Cypriots’ military alliances don’t stand a chance
The Ministry of National Defense on Thursday reiterated President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s criticism of developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and said any military alliance targeting the rights and interests of Türkiye and Turkish Cypriots had no chance of success against Türkiye.
Tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean escalated in recent years, in light of brewing conflicts in the Middle East and the lingering divide in Cyprus. Türkiye advocates for the sovereignty of Turkish Cypriots, whose Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) strives for international recognition while Greek Cypriots seek to boost their self-styled legitimacy through international alliances. The race for hydrocarbon resources around the island led to a build-up of tensions, with Türkiye and the TRNC seeking to defend their maritime rights as Greek Cypriots cooperate with other countries for offshore exploration.
In response to questions about the Status of Forces Agreement between France and the Greek Cypriot administration, the ministry said they were following “any provocation to destabilize the Eastern Mediterranean and escalating tensions.”
“The agreement between France, which has no guarantor status on Cyprus, and the Greek Cypriot administration aims to unilaterally change the sensitive balance in the island and ignores the will and sovereign equal rights of Turkish Cypriots. It is against the 1960 Cyprus treaties and international laws,” the ministry said, referring to the treaties that led to the creation of a state in Cyprus and designated Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom as guarantor states over the status of the island. “The illegitimate steps whose consequences are not thoroughly thought out can have dangerous consequences for the south of the island,” the ministry added.
“As the guarantor country, we will continue safeguarding the rights and interests of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and maintain its security. The Turkish Armed Forces have the determination to give the strongest response against hostile stands threatening the security of Turkish Cypriots,” the statement also said.
On Wednesday, Erdoğan named Israel as a destabilizing force in the region and said, along with its accomplices, that it aimed to “start a fire” in the Mediterranean.
Greek Cypriots have boosted their engagement with many countries, bolstering military cooperation in particular, with countries ranging from Israel to France and India. In the past two decades, it has signed agreements and protocols with the U.S., the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Czechia, Armenia, France, India, Jordan, Egypt and Greece for military alliances, transfer of military technology and use of air and maritime bases. In 2016, it signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Israel. The agreement’s content was not fully disclosed, but it is reported that the agreement allows Israel to use military bases and facilities in southern Cyprus, according to media reports. The Greek Cypriot administration also signed defense cooperation agreements with Israel in 2017 and 2024. The Greek Cypriot administration also signed a deal with France allowing deployment of French troops on the island. The deployment requires the approval of Türkiye, Greece and the United Kingdom, guarantor states of the divided island. The president said “some small circles whose ambitions are bigger than their size” have jumped on the Israeli bandwagon and served as “contractors of Zionism.”
“They are chasing dreams in the Eastern Mediterranean. Let me be clear: Do not engage in adventures, do not ride on the tails of the Zionist network of murderers. Our response to attempts at rights and sovereignty of Türkiye and Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean will be clear and very strong,” he said.
Tensions with Greece
The Defense Ministry also responded to claims that Turkish warplanes “harassed” Greek planes carrying Greek Defense Minister near the island of Cyprus. The ministry denied the claims and noted that it was Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration who were “occasionally violating TRNC airspace.”
“On June 7, four planes violated TRNC airspace, and our two F-16 jets deployed in the TRNC took off as a measure against the violation. They remained in TRNC airspace and did not violate Greek Cypriot airspace. It is unacceptable to accept statements and attempts seeking to stir up tensions in the region,” the ministry said.
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia on the sidelines of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit of Heads of State and Government. According to Foreign Ministry sources, Fidan urged Greece to avoid steps that could harm regional stability or be directed against Türkiye.
The minister also said the draft maritime jurisdiction legislation currently on the agenda of the Turkish Parliament is a matter of domestic legislation, stressing that Türkiye respects international law and good neighborly relations. Dubbed the “Blue Homeland” law, the bill aims to reaffirm Türkiye’s maritime rights in the Aegean Sea, a hotly contested body of water between Türkiye and Greece and among major sources of contention as Athens and Ankara pursue rapprochement in ties stained with a history of hostilities.
The draft bill apparently angered Greece. Media reports say Athens is reportedly considering declaring new “marine parks” in the Aegean Sea while expanding the limits of its territorial waters south of Crete. The Greek government did not confirm reports, but Gerapetritis was recently quoted as saying that they would “absolutely utilize legal tools of response if Ankara takes this matter to new extremes.”
Fidan said Türkiye expects the same level of respect from all its neighbors and described as regrettable statements made by certain circles based on incomplete information regarding the draft law. He warned that such remarks could negatively affect bilateral relations and called for a more responsible approach.
Türkiye marked on Monday 12 years since Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Türkiye’s first president elected directly by popular vote, a period that has seen the country overhaul its system of government and expand its diplomatic and defense footprint.
Erdoğan was elected Türkiye’s 12th president on Aug. 10, 2014, following a 2007 constitutional amendment that allowed the president to be chosen directly by voters for the first time in the country’s history.
He won 51.79% of the vote, receiving more than 21 million of about 40.5 million valid ballots.
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran on Monday described the 2014 election as a major turning point in Turkish democratic history, saying the direct election of the president strengthened the role of the popular will in governing the country.
Duran said Erdoğan’s election marked the beginning of a new period in which Türkiye increasingly determined its own priorities and shaped its future through the will of its people.
He said that process continues under Erdoğan’s “Century of Türkiye” vision.
“Türkiye is resolutely advancing toward a more effective, more independent and stronger position in its region and the world,” Duran said.
Shift to presidential system
Erdoğan’s presidency has coincided with a fundamental transformation of Türkiye’s system of government.
On April 16, 2017, voters approved constitutional amendments replacing the country’s parliamentary system with an executive presidential system. The referendum passed with 51.41% voting in favor and 48.59% against.
Türkiye held its first presidential and parliamentary elections under the new system on June 24, 2018.
Erdoğan, backed by the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and its Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) ally, won the presidential election. He was later sworn in as the first president under the new system, and the first Cabinet under the presidential system was unveiled in July 2018.
Türkiye returned to the polls for presidential and parliamentary elections in May 2023.
Erdoğan finished first in the initial presidential vote on May 14 with 49.52%, followed by then-main opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu with 44.88%. Neither candidate secured the majority required to win outright.
Erdoğan defeated Kılıçdaroğlu in the May 28 runoff, winning 52.16% of the vote against his rival’s 47.84%, securing another term as president.
Growing diplomatic role
Foreign policy has become a major component of Erdoğan’s presidency, with Türkiye seeking a more active role in regional and international crises.
Ankara has pursued diplomatic initiatives surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel’s attacks on Gaza, while also engaging in regional diplomacy amid tensions involving Iran. Türkiye was also a major supporter of Azerbaijan during its conflict with Armenia over Karabakh.
Most recently, Erdoğan hosted NATO leaders in Ankara for the alliance’s 36th summit on July 7-8.
The gathering at the Presidential Complex brought together leaders from NATO’s 32 member countries, with Erdoğan holding a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines as Ankara sought to underline Türkiye’s role in the alliance and regional security.
Erdoğan also signed a trilateral defense agreement in Mecca on Aug. 7 with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is aimed at strengthening defense cooperation, burden-sharing and collective security among the three countries, according to Turkish officials.
Defense industry expansion
Türkiye has also expanded its domestic defense industry during Erdoğan’s presidency, increasing production of drones, missiles, naval platforms and other domestically developed systems.
The country has emerged as an increasingly prominent defense exporter and now ranks among the world’s top 15 countries in terms of defense production capacity.
Duran pointed to advances in the defense industry, domestic technology, energy, the “Blue Homeland” maritime strategy and space technologies as examples of Türkiye’s transformation over the period.
The government has also focused on reconstruction following the devastating earthquakes that struck southeastern Türkiye on Feb. 6, 2023.
More than 455,000 independent housing and commercial units have been completed in the earthquake-hit region as authorities continue rebuilding areas affected by the disaster.
‘Terror-free Türkiye’ initiative
Domestic security has meanwhile taken center stage with the government’s “Terror-free Türkiye” initiative, which authorities say is aimed at ending decades of terrorism and strengthening national unity.
A parliamentary commission established as part of the process began work under the name National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission.
On Aug. 8, Parliament’s Justice Committee approved proposed legislation on strengthening national solidarity and social integration as part of the initiative.
Duran said the process reflected the government’s broader emphasis on national unity, security and political stability.
“The strong will demonstrated by our nation is inspiring not only development initiatives but also the goal of a terror-free Türkiye, which strengthens our national unity and solidarity and prioritizes peace and security,” he said.
Twelve years after the landmark 2014 vote, Erdoğan remains at the center of Türkiye’s political system as his government pursues what it describes as a more independent foreign policy, expanded defense capabilities and the “Century of Türkiye” agenda.
On a scorching day with temperatures floating around 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit), lawmakers in Parliament will convene one last time before a summer recess that will end in October. On their agenda is a topic as hot as the Ankara weather: a terror-free Türkiye. Deputies are expected to give overwhelming support to a draft bill that involves the disarmament of the PKK terrorist group and reduced sentencing for nonviolent members of the group.
The passing of the law is a highly critical stage in the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, which has so far advanced through apparently unilateral moves by the PKK after it announced its dissolution last year.
The Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integrity was approved on Saturday by Parliament’s Justice Committee after a quarrel in which lawmakers supporting and opposing the bill engaged in harsh verbal arguments.
On Monday, Parliament’s General Assembly will convene to discuss the draft law, roughly five days before the anniversary of the PKK’s first attack in Türkiye in 1984. Since then, the terrorist group has been involved in the killing of tens of thousands of people across the country, as well as troops conducting counterterrorism operations abroad. Türkiye changed its policy toward the PKK over the following decades, though it firmly opposed its existence due to the group’s separatist ambitions.
As the terrorist group started diminishing in power and influence, Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the government-allied Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), informally launched the “terror-free Türkiye” initiative on Oct. 1, 2024, the day Parliament opened its new term. This unexpected foray by a nationalist politician primarily known for advocating the execution of the PKK’s jailed ringleader Abdullah Öcalan evolved into a state initiative over time. Bahçeli’s call for Öcalan to urge his group to lay down arms met a response in the PKK’s 2025 announcement to that effect. The MHP leader, who has limited his attendance at public events due to frail health, is expected to attend the General Assembly to see what his call has culminated in.
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 over 15 years.
PKK members involved in killings, as well as those prosecuted and sentenced for crimes bearing sentences like life imprisonment before June 1, 2005, will be exempt from deferrals. This includes most senior cadres of the PKK currently in hiding in northern Iraq, as well as Abdullah Öcalan, who was earlier sentenced to life imprisonment and is currently held in an island prison near Istanbul.
Those benefiting from deferrals will have certain political and civil rights suspended for two to three years. PKK members seeking to benefit from deferrals will be allowed to apply at Turkish diplomatic missions in their current countries of residence.
Türkiye will also set up two boards to monitor the process: a monitoring board chaired by the vice president and a parliamentary board comprised of 17 members. Authorities will log every weapon, piece of ammunition, explosive and piece of equipment declared by PKK members into a registry to monitor the dissolution process.
During Saturday’s session, the Justice Committee approved the bill, which bore the signatures of 367 lawmakers, with votes in favor cast by the AK Party, the MHP, the PKK-aligned Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Lawmakers from the New Party (YP) were divided over the bill, with one lawmaker voting “yes” while two other party members on the committee abstained. However, YP lawmaker Sezgin Tanrıkulu, who observed the committee’s session, announced that they would vote in favor once the bill reached the General Assembly.
The Good Party (IP) did not participate in the vote, although its members clashed with proponents of the bill during Saturday’s session. Addressing the committee, Mehmet Ökmen, director general of legislation at the Ministry of Justice, said the monitoring board would not issue any judicial decisions and would only be tasked with making suggestions regarding the process. Stating that under the Turkish legal system there is no deprivation of rights during the investigation and prosecution phases, Ökmen noted that exceptions exist under certain special laws, citing the Legal Profession Law as an example. Explaining that under this law, deprivation of rights exists while prosecution, meaning the court process, is ongoing, Ökmen noted that there are also deprivations of rights under other statutes in Turkish law.
Following the approval of the bill, Cüneyt Yüksel, chair of the Justice Committee, said they had completed work of historical significance.
“Together, we have crossed a crucial threshold toward leaving behind a heavy burden that our nation has carried for more than 40 years. I believe the determination displayed here will hold an exceptional place in Türkiye’s political and social history,” he said.
Abdülhamit Gül, deputy parliamentary group chair for the AK Party, echoed his remarks. “Today, we have carried out the first stage of an important key, an important lock opening Türkiye’s doors. We are talking about a legislative proposal submitted with 367 signatures. According to our Constitution, the signatures of 200 members of Parliament are sufficient even to submit a constitutional amendment proposal. Today, a legislative proposal has come before our Parliament with a strength greater than that of a constitutional proposal,” he said.
Türkiye on Friday firmly rejected claims that its new joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan conflicts with NATO commitments or creates a rival alliance, calling such assertions a deliberate attempt to manipulate public perception.
The Presidential Communications Directorate issued the statement in response to claims circulating on social media that the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan contradicts NATO’s Article 5 and establishes a parallel alliance structure.
The directorate described the claims as “completely false,” saying their origin and intent were evident and accusing those behind them of seeking to shape public perception through misinformation.
It stressed that the agreement does not contradict any of Türkiye’s existing international alliance commitments, including its obligations as a NATO member.
Instead, Ankara views the pact as a complementary cooperation mechanism designed to strengthen regional security, the directorate said.
“Türkiye’s development of regional partnerships is not an alternative to its NATO membership,” the statement said.
The directorate also rejected portrayals of the agreement as an aggressive military bloc, saying it is a defense-oriented arrangement aimed at strengthening deterrence.
It said the pact does not target any third country or alliance and is instead intended to deepen defense industry cooperation, military training and technology sharing while contributing to regional stability.
The directorate urged the public to disregard what it described as baseless claims and manipulative social media posts surrounding the agreement.
Turkish sources quoted by local media outlets confirmed on Friday that a defense pact was signed with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan departed for Saudi Arabia in the morning in a visit announced only hours ago.
The agreement between the three Muslim states brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia and nuclear power Pakistan as well as Türkiye, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a rapidly growing defense industry. It would increase cooperation and deterrence at a time of increased regional uncertainty and threats from the war in Iran.
“The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all,” the Pakistani Foreign Ministry and Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate said in identical statements.
“It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defense cooperation among the three States,” the statements said, adding that the agreement was called the “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement.”
Earlier, Turkish media reports said it is likely to allow joint military exercises and training, technology transfers and the sharing of intelligence.
Saudi Arabia, whose critical infrastructure and oil facilities have come under attack as part of the war in Iran, has been looking to diversify its defense partnerships. In September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense pact that also defines any attack on either nation as an attack on both. The agreement also comes amid rising tensions between Türkiye and Israel over Gaza and other regional conflicts, including the war in Iran and Lebanon.
A Turkish government official described the agreement as “purely defensive in nature,” saying the sides have pledged mutual support only for defense. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly, insisted that the deal is “not against any specific actor” and was open for other regional countries to join. The agreement does not abrogate or replace any bilateral or multilateral agreements between these states or with other states and organizations, the official added.
In Islamabad, defense analyst Abdullah Khan described the agreement as a natural evolution and formalization of decades of strategic ties among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye, saying a changing regional security environment and the evolving nature of warfare had increased the need for closer cooperation. Khan said the pact was “purely defensive” and not directed against any country, with collective deterrence intended to raise the cost of aggression and prevent conflict.
The analyst said three countries bring complementary strengths to the arrangement: Pakistan’s military experience and expertise in managing escalation, Saudi Arabia’s economic strength and regional influence, and Türkiye’s advanced defense technology and industrial capabilities. Sharif arrived on Thursday for a three-day visit accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Erdoğan traveled to Saudi Arabia on Friday. In addition to discussing ways to help defuse tensions between the United States and Iran, the three leaders were expected to explore expanding trade, economic ties and broader security cooperation, officials said. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said that while Sharif’s visit took place against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Gulf, it extends beyond the immediate crisis and is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and boosting coordination on regional and international issues. Pakistani officials said the pact meant that any attack against one of the parties to the agreement was an attack on all, which would prompt joint defensive action.
The three countries have been the subject of months of speculation about a possible strategic alliance.
Pakistan has sought to mediate efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war, while Türkiye has played a diplomatic role in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Gaza. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had already announced a joint defense pact in 2025, a move that drew attention because Pakistan is the Muslim world’s only nuclear-equipped state.
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has referred Ilkay Çiçek, the mayor of the western town of Menderes in the province of Izmir, to its disciplinary board, seeking his expulsion from the party. The party’s secretary-general, Rıfat Turuntay Nalbantoğlu, said in a social media post that Çiçek was facing disciplinary action because “his conduct and attitude did not comply with the party’s principles.” Çiçek was detained on Tuesday as part of an investigation into alleged corruption at the municipality, but it was his WhatsApp correspondence with a girlfriend that made him even more notorious.
The WhatsApp correspondence shows Çiçek telling his girlfriend that he was “walking cash” after she asked why he kept sending her photos of banknotes. “I got paid for whatever I do,” he says in one message. Çiçek then goes on to say that he was receiving “bribes left and right” and would not be caught because it was all done through “those two idiots,” he told his girlfriend, referring to two alleged associates who controlled the flow of bribes to the municipality.
Other messages between Çiçek and his girlfriend include one in which he writes that he is “too h…” and would “f… even my driver and staff.” Çiçek initially claimed the messages were AI-generated when portions of the correspondence first surfaced a few months ago. He later changed his account and instead complained about the “leak” of his “private conversations.”
Along with corruption allegations, the CHP was mired in scandals involving the same mayors involved in illicit affairs, like Çiçek, a married man. Özkan Yalım, the CHP’s mayor in the western province of Uşak, was caught in a hotel room with a mistress in Ankara when police officers stormed the location to nab the mayor in an operation against widespread corruption at the municipality a few months ago. Yalım was also expelled from the CHP after the anti-corruption operation and his other extramarital affairs, including recruiting and putting his mistresses on the payroll at the municipality, were exposed.
The new defense pact between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan does not target any country and is open to other regional nations seeking peace and stability, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday, positioning the agreement as a broader framework for regional security cooperation.
Erdoğan made the remarks after Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Joint Defense Agreement in Mecca, where he met Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The president traveled to Mecca at the invitation of Mohammed bin Salman for talks with the two leaders.
Erdoğan emphasized that the agreement, built around the principle of collective deterrence, should not be interpreted as an alliance directed against another state.
He said the pact remains open to the participation of “all brotherly countries” committed to promoting peace, prosperity and stability in the region.
The agreement also reaffirms the right to self-defense enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, Erdoğan said.
Under the pact, the three countries aim to deepen security and defense cooperation, develop joint defense industry projects and strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
Erdoğan said Türkiye would continue pursuing its vision of regional ownership while advocating the resolution of conflicts and crises through dialogue and diplomacy based on respect for international law.
He expressed hope that the talks in Mecca and the newly signed agreement would benefit the wider region.
The three countries have been the subject of months of speculation about a possible strategic alliance.
Pakistan has sought to mediate efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war, while Türkiye has played a diplomatic role in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Gaza. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan had already announced a joint defense pact in 2025, a move that drew attention because Pakistan is the Muslim world’s only nuclear-equipped state
-
Politics3 days agoSister accused of aiding FETÖ assassin nabbed in Türkiye
-
Economy24 hours agoTürkiye sets 2026 daily truck departures record at gate with Iraq
-
Economy3 days agoWhy Ukraine is targeting Wildberries – and why it matters
-
Politics23 hours agoSomalia welcomes Saudi-Türkiye-Pakistan defense pact
-
Politics3 days agoTürkiye captures 104 Daesh suspects in nationwide operations
-
Economy3 days agoTrump mounts new bid to oust Fed Governor Lisa Cook
-
Economy3 days agoWeather, war send global food prices to over 3-year high in July
-
Politics3 days ago‘So what?’: Turkish politician downplays widespread bribery allegations