Politics
Türkiye taking all measures after Israel-Iran tensions: FM Fidan
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Türkiye has been taking the necessary measures in the aftermath of Israel’s attack on Iran and the latter’s possible response, as he called on Tel Aviv to abandon its strategy to destabilize the region.
Fidan’s statement came after a critical 4-hour meeting with Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and the head of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), Ibrahim Kalın.
In his statement, Fidan said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been closely monitoring Israel-Iran developments from the very beginning and is being kept informed.
“In line with his instructions, Türkiye’s relevant institutions are taking all necessary measures based on possible scenarios concerning our country,” Fidan said.
He continued by saying that Israel must immediately abandon its strategy of destabilizing the region, which has caused a humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, dragged Lebanon into instability, led to the occupation of Syria, and now targets Iran.
“We must not let growing tensions in our region to distract attention from genocide taking place in Gaza,” he said.
The meeting is focused on discussing the developments triggered by Israel’s airstrikes and their potential repercussions.
Fidan also held separate phone calls with his Iraqi and Jordanian counterparts regarding the developments.
He spoke with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi amid rising regional tensions, following Israel’s large-scale assault targeting Iran overnight.
The officials exchanged views on the potential consequences of the escalation and stressed the importance of coordinated regional diplomacy to de-escalate the situation, according to sources.
Israel launched the large-scale attack on Iran earlier in the day, targeting the country’s nuclear and military facilities. Several senior Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists were also killed in the strikes. The wave of strikes is said to have continued.
Iran vowed “severe punishment,” and called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday. Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said the two ministers discussed the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. Fidan told Lavrov that the conflict was worrying and the only way to end the conflict, as well as the nuclear dispute that pitted Iran against world powers, was diplomacy.
Israel and Iran traded fire for a third straight day on Sunday, with rising casualties and expanding targets marking an escalation in the conflict between the longtime adversaries.
Fidan was engaged in phone diplomacy since Israel launched the first attacks on Iran on Friday, talking to his counterparts in the region. Türkiye is a staunch critic of Israel’s genocidal policies targeting Palestinians and long accused Tel Aviv of attempts to expand its conflict to a wider region.
Under Türkiye’s leadership, the region is moving toward a century of broader Turkic world influence, Kürşad Zorlu, deputy chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and head of relations with Turkic states, said Thursday, outlining an ambitious new phase in Ankara’s foreign policy.
Addressing the Turkic World Consultation Meeting, which convened civil society leaders from across Turkic nations, Zorlu described the growing institutional, economic and cultural integration among Turkic states as a “diplomatic success.”
He emphasized that Türkiye sees this emerging unity not merely as a geopolitical strategy, but as a moral and historical responsibility rooted in shared ancestry, language and cultural memory stretching from Central Asia to the Balkans.
“The Turkic world is not a geographical border but an atlas of hearts,” Zorlu said.
Zorlu credited the 2021 Istanbul summit with turning what was once a vague ideal into a functional international entity: the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). “This is not an ordinary organization,” he said. “It has moved from a speculative concept to a recognized international institution with nearly 34 areas of cooperation.”
Among these fields are energy, trade, defense, technology, innovation, transportation, cultural diplomacy and academic exchanges – all identified as priority areas in this new phase of regional engagement.
Zorlu lauded the contributions of national leaders in institutionalizing the OTS, especially Erdoğan, whose vision he said continues to guide Türkiye’s proactive stance in the Turkic world.
Regional power center
Zorlu drew attention to the growing economic potential of the Turkic world and its strategic location at the heart of global production and trade routes.
“Today, the Turkic states have surpassed a combined production volume of $2 trillion, positioning themselves among the world’s 10 most influential economic regions,” he stated.
He emphasized the critical importance of the region’s geographical positioning, surrounded by major economic powers: China to the east, the Middle East and India to the south – with a combined production exceeding $6 trillion –and the European Union and Russia to the west and north, respectively.
“Approximately $50 trillion in production capacity encircles the Turkic world, underscoring its central role in global economic dynamics,” Zorlu remarked.
Zorlu emphasized the Middle Corridor as a vital transit route, stretching from the Zangezur Corridor through the Caspian Sea to China’s western borders and onward to Europe. He said the corridor now commands a potential $600 billion trade capacity, embedding the Turkic world deep into the global trade matrix.
He argued that the Turkic region’s integration is not solely political or economic, but increasingly cultural and social. “Education programs, academic partnerships, and cultural exchanges are no longer optional; they are essential pillars of Turkic integration,” he said.
Zorlu placed special emphasis on civil society, calling NGOs and grassroots movements “the most vibrant colors on the atlas of hearts.” He announced Türkiye’s intention to launch a regional civil society network under Erdoğan’s auspices to increase people-to-people ties.
“We must create a civil society cooperation network that will announce itself first to the Turkic world, then to the world at large,” he said.
He also stressed the strategic importance of shared cultural and educational efforts: “Turkic integration must rest on not only political and economic foundations, but also on social and cultural ones.”
Zorlu called for developing the institutional capacity of Turkic NGOs, ensuring they work in coordinated platforms to foster lasting integration. “We are no longer a community reacting to someone else’s script. We are writing our own,” he said.
Defense, Technology
Highlighting Türkiye’s recent strides in national defense – including the rollout of the Kaan national combat aircraft, soon to be exported to Indonesia –Zorlu said defense cooperation has become a beacon for Turkic unity.
He noted that this excites not only governments but also citizens across the region, calling it a “shared pride” and proof of the Turkic world’s capacity for indigenous innovation.
Zorlu concluded by asserting that the Turkic world vision transcends partisan boundaries. “The Turkic world is a matter above politics,” he said. “It is a historical responsibility, and under President Erdoğan’s leadership, we are marching steadily toward the ‘Century of the Turkic World.’”
He added: “We are strong together. We grow together. And we will triumph together.”
Formally established in 2021, the Organization of Turkic States includes Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan as full members. Hungary and Turkmenistan participate as observers. The OTS has increasingly sought to institutionalize cooperation in various fields, framing itself as a cultural, economic and strategic alliance rooted in shared identity and geopolitical interests.
Zorlu’s remarks reflect a wider regional ambition to not only deepen intra-Turkic ties but also to position this bloc as a critical actor in Eurasia’s evolving power architecture.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan convened a high-level security meeting in Ankara on Saturday in response to escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, following mutual strikes, according to the Communications Directorate.
The conflict sparked by Israel’s attacks was thoroughly discussed from all angles.
The session addressed the impact of Israeli attacks on regional and global security, along with Türkiye’s possible contingency measures.
“The security meeting addressed Israel’s expanding aggression, diplomatic efforts to end the conflicts, the attacks’ global and regional security impacts, necessary measures, and Türkiye’s preparations for potential developments,” the Communications Directorate said.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, head of the intelligence organization İbrahim Kalın and other top officials attended the meeting.
Israel has taken its strategy of drowning the region, especially Gaza, in blood, tears and instability to a very dangerous stage,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Friday, condemning the attack on Iran.
“Israel’s attacks on our neighbor Iran are a clear provocation that disregards international law,” he underlined, adding that these attacks, which come at a time when negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program are intensifying and international pressure is increasing against inhumane actions targeting Gaza, demonstrate Israel’s “rule-breaking mentality.”
“The Netanyahu administration is trying to drag our region and the entire world into disaster with its reckless, aggressive and lawless actions,” the president continued, indicating that the international community must put an end to Israeli banditry that targets global and regional stability.
“The attacks of Netanyahu and his massacre network, which are setting our entire region on fire, must be prevented.”
Saying that Ankara does not want to see more blood, destruction and conflict in the Middle East, Erdoğan said: “As Türkiye, we condemn the heinous attacks against our neighbor Iran.”
The Netanyahu government’s attack is unjustified and threatens to disrupt regional stability, Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz also said.
Yılmaz underlined that international organizations and countries must take a stronger stance against such acts threatening the region.
Similarly, the Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes “in the strongest terms” as “the attacks constitute a clear violation of international law and serve as a provocative act that furthers Israel’s policy of strategic destabilization of the region.”
The timing of the strikes, amid intensified negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, shows that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has no interest in diplomatic solutions and is willing to jeopardize regional stability and global peace to pursue its own interests, it added.
Israel must immediately cease its aggressive actions, which risk triggering broader conflicts, the ministry warned.
It reiterated Türkiye’s hope to not see additional bloodshed and destruction in the Middle East. The ministry also called on the international community to take immediate action to prevent the spread of war.
Israel launched a flurry of strikes on Iran late Thursday, targeting nuclear facilities, missile factories and military commanders. Iran launched about 100 drones toward Israeli territory in retaliation.
Israel’s overnight attack on Iran can have “no legitimacy or justification,” ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) spokesperson Ömer Çelik said on the same day, describing the act as “a barbaric aggression.”
With this attack, Israel has added “to its savage and barbaric attacks that set the entire region on fire,” he said, condemning the “unlawful” assault in the strongest terms.
The entire world must heed Erdoğan’s warnings about the consequences of the genocidal actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, he implored.
Amid rising international pressure against Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, Israel has once again launched a new attack to divert attention from its genocide, Çelik said.
“Israeli aggression is a threat to the entire world,” Çelik added, calling on the international community to take joint concrete measures against it.
Opposition parties similarly reacted to the heightened tensions. Republican People’s Party Izmir deputy Yüksel Taşkın said, “The Israeli administration is in a frenzy that could trigger a regional war,” while Good Party (IP) Chair Müsavat Dervişoğlu called on all countries “to determine and display a stance that goes beyond condemnation” and to take steps to prevent attacks instead of making statements that will encourage Israel.
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli on Saturday strongly condemned Israel’s recent airstrikes on Iran, warning that the deepening crisis spiral triggered by Israel’s aggressive policies is ultimately aimed at undermining Türkiye’s regional role and national security.
“The so-called Rising Lion operation, launched under the guise of targeting Iran’s nuclear program, was nothing more than a coordinated act of terrorism,” Bahçeli said in a written statement, adding that the attack “once again exposed Israel’s bloody and destructive agenda.”
Bahçeli stressed that Israel’s destabilizing actions — from its war on Gaza to its provocative attacks on Syria, Lebanon and now Iran — are designed to plunge the region into chaos, distracting from its own crimes and isolating Türkiye. “Türkiye is the final target in this escalating spiral of violence,” he warned.
He accused Israel of using every opportunity to obstruct Türkiye’s efforts toward regional peace and security, particularly its vision of a “Terror-Free Türkiye.” He added, “Israel is seeking to block our country’s strategic outlook and exploit regional instability for its own imperial interests.”
The MHP leader also pointed to the timing of the attack, which came just days before a scheduled new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program. “The strike sabotaged diplomacy, while also targeting civilian infrastructure, military leaders, and prominent scientists — a clear sign of broader intent,” he said.
Bahçeli criticized international institutions for their silence and failure to respond to what he called Israel’s violations of international law. “Masquerading as a democracy, the Zionist regime is committing systematic war crimes, particularly in Gaza, where the most tragic genocide of modern history is being carried out,” he said.
He concluded by calling on the global community to move beyond “sterile condemnations” and take concrete, multilateral steps to uphold justice, peace, and the dignity of nations targeted by occupation and war.
Israel launched a large-scale assault on Iran earlier Friday, striking nuclear and military facilities and killing several senior Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists. The attacks reportedly continued in waves.
In response, Iran vowed “severe punishment” and called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.
Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş on Friday reiterated calls for a new, civilian and democratic constitution, urging all political parties, NGOs and segments of society to bring their proposals to the table for discussion.
Speaking during an official visit to Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, for the 14th General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TÜRKPA), Kurtulmuş highlighted that now is the “right time” to draft a new foundational text for Türkiye.
Responding to questions from journalists on the sidelines of the assembly, Kurtulmuş emphasized that if Türkiye is to undertake the process of drafting a new constitution, the legitimate platform for this debate is the Parliament itself.
“The constitution is a consensus document made on behalf of the nation. It cannot be the constitution of Party A or Party B. Parties can only present constitutional proposals,” he said.
He called for the process to be fully participatory: “Not just political parties, but NGOs and all segments of society with ideas on this issue should come forward. Proposals should be laid out, discussed, and deliberated in Parliament.”
Kurtulmuş underlined the significance of the current legislative term, stating, “The 28th term of the Grand National Assembly carries a historic responsibility in this regard.”
He acknowledged criticisms that the Constitution has already been amended numerous times, but insisted that its core – rooted in the military coup of 1980 – remains intact.
“There is a need for a new constitution that is civilian, democratic, participatory and encompassing of all segments of society,” he said. “This is not a luxury or a theoretical exercise; it is a crucial democratic threshold that Türkiye must overcome.”
He stressed that this threshold must be crossed through democratic maturity: “Everyone must refine and present their views, and this process must begin in Parliament.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government has been pushing to overhaul Türkiye’s Constitution for over a decade now, which was enforced in 1982 following a military coup that led to the detention of hundreds of thousands of people along with mass trials, torture and executions, which still represents a dark period in Turkish political history.
Dialogue, not deadlock
Recalling his first speech after being elected speaker, Kurtulmuş reiterated that, “Half of politics is struggle, and the other half is negotiation.” Political competition is natural, he added, but when necessary, parties must be able to sit together, shake hands and forge common ground.
“The public is watching. They can distinguish between constructive players and those who aim to sabotage the process,” he noted. “That’s why my advice to all parties is this: make your preparations. This includes NGOs and all who have ideas on the matter. Let the discussion begin.”
Asked whether the process could move forward without the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which has expressed skepticism toward constitutional talks involving the ruling bloc, Kurtulmuş stressed that no political party has the luxury of opting out of the process.
“I’ve said this from the beginning: The ideal outcome is a new constitution passed by over 400 votes in Parliament,” he said. “That way, the text becomes the new social contract, the new consensus document of the nation.”
He acknowledged, however, that 100% agreement is unlikely in any political process. “There will always be dissenters, but the key is to maintain democratic maturity throughout the process. This is not just my responsibility as speaker; it is a shared responsibility of all political actors in Türkiye.”
Reforming internal procedures
Kurtulmuş also touched upon a possible revision of Parliament’s internal regulations, indicating that reforms are indeed necessary. He argued that the current system should be optimized for more efficient legislative work, especially in committees, while also ensuring balanced debate in the general assembly.
“The Grand National Assembly of Türkiye is one of the most hard-working parliaments in the world,” he said. “Despite criticisms to the contrary, our Parliament remains a vibrant arena of democratic activity.”
He noted that Parliament must provide more humane working conditions and create more structured deliberative spaces, particularly in committees. “We need a system where legislative proposals, once refined in committees, are discussed efficiently and respectfully in the General Assembly.”
Without necessarily changing the bylaws, Kurtulmuş said a consensus-driven approach among deputy speakers is needed to ensure fairness and consistency in managing parliamentary procedures.
“Let’s say one vice speaker gives 20 MPs one-minute speaking slots, while another allows 70 MPs in the same timeframe. That’s not sustainable,” he added. “We’ll prepare a joint statement on procedural harmony and declare it in Parliament.”
In response to a question about chairing Parliament for two uninterrupted weeks – a rare occurrence in the institution’s history – Kurtulmuş said the experience was both intense and enlightening.
“There were difficult debates, but MPs handled them with great maturity,” he said. “In fact, in one instance, about 13 articles were passed in just 45 minutes because the parties reached a consensus. When needed, it’s clear that political actors can come together and negotiate effectively.”
He expressed gratitude to all MPs for their cooperation and contributions to the legislative process during that time. “It was a valuable learning experience for me as Speaker and showed what can be achieved when Parliament works in harmony.”
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