Politics
Türkiye says ready to help de-escalate Iran-Israel conflict
Türkiye is ready to play a facilitating role to end the Iran-Israel conflict as soon as possible and to return to nuclear negotiations, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications said Monday.
Erdoğan and Pezeshkian discussed the conflict between Iran and Israel, as well as regional and global issues in their second phone call since the outbreak of the conflict, according to the directorate.
The Turkish leader, who stepped up diplomatic calls on the conflict over the weekend, has slammed Israel’s “banditry” and said Israel was seeking to drag the world into “disaster” after a wave of deadly strikes on Iran.
Erdoğan also emphasized the importance Ankara places on preserving peace and stability in the region. Türkiye has previously hosted peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
In a separate phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Erdoğan reiterated that Israel “threatens regional security.”
“The spiral of violence that began with Israel’s attacks on Iran has put the security of the entire region at risk and the lawless attitude of the (Israeli premier Benjamin) Netanyahu government poses a clear threat to the international system and that the region cannot tolerate a new war,” Erdoğan told Putin.
The two leaders condemned Israel’s “act of force” against Iran and called for an “immediate” end to the conflict, saying room must be made for diplomacy as soon as possible.
Erdoğan also repeated his view that the only solution to the crisis was a return to nuclear talks.
“The leaders spoke in favor of an immediate cessation of hostilities and the settlement of contentious issues, including those related to the Iranian nuclear program, exclusively by political and diplomatic means,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
The statement said the two sides agreed to remain in close cooperation.
Regional tension has escalated since Friday after Israel launched coordinated airstrikes on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.
Israeli authorities said that at least 24 people were killed and hundreds injured in Iranian missile attacks since Friday.
Iran, for its part, said that at least 224 people were killed and over 1,000 others wounded in the Israeli assault.
Now in its fourth day, the conflict has drawn international calls for restraint and de-escalation.
Russia is ready to act as a mediator in the conflict and Moscow’s previous proposal to store Iranian uranium in Russia remains on the table, the Kremlin said separately on Monday.
Tehran says it has the right to peaceful nuclear power, but its swiftly advancing uranium enrichment program has raised fears in the wider West and across the Gulf that it wants to develop a nuclear weapon.
Russia said it remained ready to mediate if needed but noted the “root causes” of the conflict needed to be eliminated.
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism Sunday that peace would come soon and cited the possibility that Putin could help.
Earlier Sunday, Trump claimed that Iran and Israel will have peace “soon,” in a post on his Truth Social platform, where he also revealed “many calls and meetings” were taking place to resolve the crisis, without elaborating.
Speaking with Trump also on Sunday, Erdoğan urged the U.S. president to take “urgent action” to prevent the Iran-Israel conflict from enflaming the entire region.
He also lauded Trump’s statement on a likely solution to the crisis and reiterated Ankara’s willingness to facilitate a solution to the nuclear dispute that led to the conflict.
Türkiye adheres to its stance that Israel is a primary threat to the region, especially in light of its expansionist policies.
Ankara advocates that Israel was emboldened by the inaction of the international community and spread its conflict with the Palestinians to a wider region. This stance was evident in Erdoğan’s talks over the weekend, as well.
In conversations with Kuwaiti and Iraqi leaders, the Turkish president said Israel’s attacks on Iran jeopardize regional security in a region that cannot endure another war, adding that the Netanyahu government poses a threat to global stability and security.
The cycle of violence caused by Israel threatens the region, Erdoğan told world leaders, emphasizing that negotiations are the only solution to the nuclear dispute between Iran and the U.S.
Erdoğan has also stressed that Israel’s attacks on Iran must never be allowed to overshadow the genocide in Gaza, where Israeli forces have killed more than 55,000 people, mostly women and children, since October 2023 and created risks of famine.
A recent report approved by European Parliament dominated the speech of Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the government ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) as he addressed fellow party members at a parliamentary group meeting in Ankara on Tuesday.
Bahçeli slammed EU for attempting to control Türkiye and “steer it.” He accused European Parliament report of being an instrument to cover up Europe’s own shortcomings. “No one can dare to shape our country,” he said.
The report voted last week was full of accusations towards Türkiye in almost every field, to the chagrin of Ankara which enjoys good relations with EU countries despite facing obstacle after obstacle in its decades-long bid to join the 27-member bloc. A highlight of the report was call for sanctions against Justice Minister Akın Gürlek. Although such reports which are published annually and not binding are nothing new for Türkiye, Ankara views it as an attempt by certain countries to block Türkiye’s cooperation with EU, especially in changing security architecture. This issue was also cited by Bahçeli, as he implied that Europe needed Türkiye more than Türkiye needed it, in light of changing dynamics, especially for defense of the continent and worsening ties between EU and the United States.
Bahçeli said Europe cannot “brought Türkiye into line through threats.”
“Everyone should watch their step, know their limits, and remember their place,” he said.
He noted that Europe had long spoken about “strategic autonomy,” yet had still failed to free its defense, political, and economic structures from Washington’s shadow. Referring to statements by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Bahçeli said Europe was now seriously concerned about how it would fill its security gap as the United States signaled a reduction in its military contributions to Europe.
Bahçeli criticized Europe for attempting to lecture Türkiye on democracy, law, security, and foreign policy while continually promoting accusations disguised as reports, threats veiled as sanctions, and outdated anti-Turkish narratives.
“Europe has noticed the cracks in the walls of its own house, yet it has not abandoned its desire to nail reports onto Türkiye’s door,” he stated. “With what face can such a Europe lecture Türkiye? With what mind can it presume to set standards for the Turkish state? With what audacity can it speak against the values of our nation and the institutions of our state?” he added.
The MHP leader recounted how Europe harbored terrorists for years and allowed pro-PKK groups to rally despite the latter’s designation as a terrorist group.
He asked whether those struggling with migration pressures in their own continent had any right to lecture Türkiye on humanity after it had opened its doors to millions of refugees. He also questioned whether countries dependent on U.S. decisions for their own security had any standing to criticize Türkiye’s “Blue Homeland” doctrine and its maritime jurisdiction claims in the Eastern Mediterranean, referring to a chapter in the report.
The report has also called upon for an European ban on “Grey Wolves” or Ülkü Ocakları (Idealists’ Clubs) as is known in Türkiye, an association associated with MHP. Bahçeli argued that references to the Clubs represented an old hostility in a new form. He recalled efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives to include a provision in the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act requiring an investigation into whether Ülkü Ocakları was a terrorist organization. He noted that Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had condemned that initiative at the time as a biased effort driven by anti-Turkish lobbying groups.
“The goal was the same then as it is today. The capitals from which these statements emerge may change, but the intention has not.” He accused critics of attempting to criminalize Turkish nationalism and detach Turkish youth from their national and spiritual values. Describing Ülkü Ocakları as the home of Turkish youth loyal to the state, devoted to the flag and homeland, and firmly opposed to terrorism, he said the organization was being unfairly targeted in European public opinion.
“On one side stands a Europe that is forced to recognize Türkiye’s weight within NATO, its rise in the defense industry, its role in migration management, its place in energy routes, and its geopolitical importance stretching from the Black Sea to the Caucasus and from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Middle East. On the other side stands a Europe that targets the Turkish judiciary, slanders our beloved Ülkü Ocakları, belittles our Blue Homeland cause, and ignores the sovereign equality of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the existence of the Turkish Cypriot people. Whoever attempts to object to Türkiye’s sphere of sovereignty will face us. We will teach those who challenge the Turkish nation, blow by blow, who we are,” he said.
Mustafa Şen, deputy chair of ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), told journalists on Tuesday that their party still leads in the polls after more than two decades in power. Şen said the opposition “dreamed on” about the polls, referring to claims by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) which pushes for an early election, confident of defeating AK Party. CHP’s early election rhetoric is now confined to supporters of Özgür Özel, the chairman ousted from the post by a court verdict last month. Özel is as confident as his successor Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to win the next election scheduled for 2028, five years after Kılıçdaroğlu lost to AK Party’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan despite the support of a six-party opposition bloc.
Şen said that AK Party ranked second in the polls for about seven months, before it rose to the first place in October 2024. “We conducted a poll last week and we will have another this week. Based on these, we still have 37% or 38%. The polls are not surprising since our party at one point had a 50% lead in polls. We are now working to improve the results,” he said. Şen stated “the second party” in the polls had a 26%-27% rate.
On CHP’s call for early elections, Şen said AK Party always favored elections in time but the date may be slightly rescheduled to an earlier date, but only “weeks or months before the scheduled date,” he said. Şen also ruled out the speculation that Erdoğan would not be nominated again. “Our candidate is our president,” he underlined. On a question whether Erdoğan would be eligible to run again as it may require a parliamentary approval for an earlier election for his eligibility, Şen said they would accomplish the majority to that extent. People’s Alliance comprised AK Party and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) are about forty short of majority for approval but Şen ruled out that there would be problems in achieving majority. “The politics is art of achieving this,” he said, without elaborating. CHP has earlier hinted voting in favor of an earlier election for eligibility of Erdoğan though they advocated a far earlier vote.
Özgür Özel, who was removed from office as the leader of Republican People’s Party (CHP) with a court verdict last month over allegations of vote-buying, called reinstated leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to hold an intra-party election.
Özel, now parliamentary group chair of the party, made his second speech at the parliamentary group meeting since his removal while Kılıçdaroğlu decided to skip the address traditionally done by party leaders. Instead, he attended Tuesday’s administrative committee meetings of the party where new administration under Kılıçdaroğlu would reportedly discuss expulsion of pro-Özel names from the party.
“I invite Mr. Kemal to make a historic decision and end the deadlock in our party, our country,” Özel said in his speech in Ankara. His supporters already mobilized delegates for a petition calling for an extraordinary convention in the party. They believe Özel can win a new vote while Kılıçdaroğlu so far dragged his feet although he pledged that a convention would be held eventually.
Kılıçdaroğlu often repeats that he is seeking to cleanse CHP of “corruption” in reference to vote-buying allegations that reportedly brought Özel to power in the party in November 2023 and corruption allegations engulfing CHP-run municipalities.
Özel said that the party should get rid of “shame of not holding an election.” He noted that it was CHP which introduced elections to Republic of Türkiye. CHP, Türkiye’s oldest party, was established by Republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and until first multi-party elections in 1950, de facto governed the country. Since then, the party failed to win any general election alone.
“One way or another, we will take back this party,” Özel said. The former leader hinted at establishing a new party with his supporters but abstained to take concrete action so far.
A total of 209 suspects from several terrorist groups were detained on Tuesday in a string of operations by police and gendarmerie forces in the capital Ankara.
Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Ankara announced that counterterrorism police launched raids to capture 148 suspects linked to Daesh and far-left terrorist groups including DSIH, TKP/ML, TKIP, People’s Revolutionary Liberation Party-Front (DHKP/C), MLKP, THKP/C and DKP/BÖG while counterterrorism units of the gendarmerie forces carried out operations to capture 93 suspects from TKP/ML, Daesh, DHKP/C and MLKP. The Office said 209 suspects out of 241 wanted suspects were apprehended in operations.
Separately, Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul announced 24 DHKP/C suspects were captured in operations in the city and seven other provinces. 13 other suspects remain at large.
Daesh and DHKP/C are among major terror threats for Türkiye. Daesh was behind a string of attacks across Türkiye that killed dozens in the past while DHKP/C, although involved in less deadly attacks, is still a security concern especially in big cities.
The terrorist group pursues a far-left ideology and has been actively carrying out attacks and assassinations in the country since the 1980s, but its campaign of violence hit a snag when faced with Türkiye’s barrage of counterterrorism operations.
The DHKP-C’s most high-profile attacks include a suicide bombing that targeted the U.S. Embassy in the capital Ankara in 2013 and the killing of a prosecutor in an Istanbul courthouse in 2015.
Türkiye was one of the first countries to declare Daesh a terrorist group in 2013 and carried out a steady stream of operations to thwart the group, rounding up hundreds of suspects over the past few years. Operations prevented plots by Daesh to attack places of worship in Türkiye. Terrorists from Daesh and other groups, such as the PKK and its Syrian wing, the YPG, rely on a network of members and supporters in Türkiye. Turkish authorities have ordered the freezing of millions of lira worth of assets since 2013 to crack down on terrorism financiers in line with United Nations sanctions.
Spiralling debts and mismanagement engulf municipalities run by main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) since the 2024 elections.
CHP’s populist discourse granted the party first genuine wins in decades in the municipal elections but municipalities failed to follow up this with public services. Under the administration of now ousted chair Özgür Özel, CHP sought to break the curse of two decades of defeat to ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) by pledging a more prosperous Türkiye to the electorate disillusioned with rising cost of living. But economic pledges are nowhere to be seen in the municipal services. Instead, financial woes are piling up.
Most CHP-run municipalities fail to pay the municipal employees properly, leading to strikes. Municipal workers complain that irregular payments and in some cases, absence of payments, force them to withdraw loans.
Çiğli, a district of CHP stronghold Izmir, is among the worst faring municipalities in terms of financial and human resources management. The municipality fired 147 workers after the 2024 elections without paying compensation and for at least five months, did not pay salaries of most workers. Protests by workers have been common in the past two years while suicide of a worker, a father of three who was fired without compensation made the headlines.
Other districts of Izmir are no different. In Karşıyaka, workers complaining lack of payment went on strike for days. In Buca, workers tried to storm the city hall to protest unpaid wages. A strike by garbage collectors employed by the municipality had triggered a pollution crisis in the district last year. Konak municipality was also rocked with strikes by workers over unpaid wages.
CHP has managed to win the 2024 vote in Istanbul’s Üsküdar district, an AK Party stronghold and took over the municipality debt-free. However, in two years, a debt crisis took hold in the municipality, forcing it to skip even pensions of retired workers. Newly retired personnel complain they were not paid severance pay for months. Unable to pay salaries, the municipality decided to sell four properties it owned. Similarly, the Eyüpsultan municipality of Istanbul where AK Party lost to CHP in 2024, suffer from financial woes and last year, the municipality told workers that it can only pay a fraction of their wages due to economic problems.
The court on Tuesday ordered the arrest of 35 suspects, including Adalar Mayor Ali Ercan Akpolat of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), as part of an investigation into allegations that permits were issued in exchange for bribes in protected areas of Istanbul’s Adalar district.
The investigation, led by the Istanbul Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, focuses on claims that municipal officials granted licenses for unauthorized constructions in areas designated as natural and archaeological protected sites.
According to judicial authorities, 39 suspects were referred to court following questioning by prosecutors. The court ordered the detention of 35 individuals, including Akpolat, while four others were released under judicial supervision measures.
Prosecutors allege that municipal officials, including senior administrators and employees, were involved in a scheme in which permits were issued in return for bribes. Evidence collected during the investigation reportedly indicated that negotiations over payments took place between municipal officials and business owners and that cash was delivered either directly to officials or to individuals linked to them.
Authorities said investigators identified 47 suspects allegedly connected to 40 separate incidents uncovered during the probe.
The investigation culminated in coordinated raids carried out on June 19 across Istanbul and three other provinces. Police searched 90 addresses and detained 42 suspects, including the mayor.
During one of the searches, authorities seized $258,000 in cash and 13 gold bracelets from the residence of a contractor identified by the initials M.Ö., a former member of the Adalar Municipal Council.
Following police questioning and medical examinations, the suspects were transferred to the Istanbul Anadolu Courthouse. Three individuals were released after giving statements to prosecutors, while the remaining suspects were referred to court.
The investigation remains ongoing.
-
Politics3 days agoTurkish officials stress link between climate, security at Erciyes Summit
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoThe number of detentions in the kidnapping of Erhan Karaal increased to 12
-
Economy3 days agoUK aims to double trade with Türkiye in coming years: Minister
-
Daily Agenda3 days agoAK Party Deputy Chairman Hüseyin Yayman: “The path to Türkiye’s century will pass through culture and art”
-
Politics3 days agoErdoğan, Singapore PM Wong discuss boosting ties, regional issues
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoMinister Akın Gürlek announced: It has been revealed that Aysel, who was wanted for 3 months in Malatya, was killed…
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoForeign ministers of Türkiye, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia welcomed the US-Iran memorandum
-
Daily Agenda2 days agoMinister Çiftçi: We will build the Türkiye Century by touching the hearts of every citizen