Politics
Türkiye welcomes Iraq’s new Cabinet, eyes stronger bilateral ties
Türkiye welcomed the appointment of Iraq’s new Cabinet following a parliamentary confidence vote Thursday, expressing hope that the new government would accelerate bilateral cooperation in energy, infrastructure and security while strengthening political stability and the representation of the country’s Turkmen community.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry congratulated the Iraqi government led by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi after the Council of Representatives approved new Cabinet appointments in an Oct. 15 vote.
The ministry said the development could provide fresh momentum for cooperation in several strategic areas, particularly the Development Road Project, a major regional transport and infrastructure initiative.
Ankara also identified energy, water management, infrastructure and security as key areas where it expects bilateral cooperation to advance under the new administration.
The statement particularly welcomed the appointment of Kirkuk Governor and Iraqi Turkmen Front Chairman Mohammed Samaan Agha as minister of state.
Türkiye described the appointment as a positive step toward promoting political stability, social cohesion and fair representation for Iraq’s Turkmen population.
Ankara reaffirmed its commitment to further deepening cooperation with Baghdad across all sectors, emphasizing its determination to strengthen bilateral relations under the new government.
The presidency of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) announced on Sunday that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres replied to a letter written by TRNC President Tufan Erhürman and branded moves by Greek Cypriots as “discouraging.”
Erhürman sent a letter to Guterres in August, complaining that the Greek Cypriot administration sought to ban cultural and sports events such as music festivals and a football camp by Spanish club Barcelona on the Turkish side of the divided island.
A statement by the presidency said that Guterres lamented the fact that these may prevent building confidence between two sides on the island.
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.
In his letter, Guterres drew attention to the need to continue cooperation and confidence building between the two sides, noting that they were necessary to launch the process for a lasting solution. Underlining the importance of implementing confidence-building measures as a priority, Guterres said he had instructed his personal envoy to continue working with both sides on the implementation of these initiatives, according to a statement by the TRNC presidency. He also said he had requested that all relevant actors be reminded that actions undermining efforts to build trust, including the cancellation of events, ran counter to joint efforts. At the end of his letter, the U.N. secretary-general reaffirmed his commitment to supporting efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus issue.
A similar message was conveyed in a response dated Oct. 6, 2026, to a letter Erhürman had sent to the European Commission on Aug. 28, 2026, on the same issue. The commission stressed the importance of building trust between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots and fostering a positive atmosphere. Quoting the 2004 European Union Council decision on ending the isolation of Turkish Cypriots, it highlighted the goals of building bridges between Turkish Cypriots and the EU, promoting dialogue and fostering closer ties. The European Commission also said that civil society and private organizations contributing to the socioeconomic development of Turkish Cypriots, particularly young people, were in line with the goal of establishing closer relations between Turkish Cypriots and the EU.
Gendarmerie forces in the southern Turkish province of Adana launched anti-corruption raids early Monday in the district of Çukurova. Mayor Emrah Kozay and former Mayor Soner Çetin, four deputy mayors and the manager of a municipal subsidiary were among 44 suspects detained in the operation. Çetin currently serves as deputy secretary-general of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), while Kozay won the 2024 municipal election in the district as the candidate of the same party.
Security forces raided several locations to apprehend the suspects and searched the municipal building. Seven suspects remain at large.
Media outlets reported that the detentions stem from an investigation into allegations of irregularities in public tenders organized by the municipality in previous years, as well as procurement for public services. The suspects are accused of taking bribes from contractors in exchange for approving funds allocated for payments for services rendered. Authorities say some municipal staff were also “ghost employees” who received salaries without performing any work for the municipality. Top municipal bureaucrats are accused of running a criminal organization and committing bribery, fraud and tender-rigging.
Authorities stated that the investigation originated from tip-offs about alleged irregularities in tenders and procurement between 2024 and 2026. Expert reports on the tenders and procurement provided evidence of alleged wrongdoing.
A crackdown on municipalities where mayors are suspected of corruption began a few years ago in Istanbul and soon spread across the country. Most of those arrested or detained on corruption charges are affiliated with the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). Perhaps the most notable among them is Ekrem Imamoğlu, mayor of Türkiye’s most populous city, Istanbul. Imamoğlu was arrested last year.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be quite occupied this week with a busy schedule, including meetings with his Justice and Development Party (AK Party), an address at Parliament, and a rare visit by Canadian premier Mark Carney.
Erdoğan will convene the AK Party’s Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK) on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he will address lawmakers at the party’s parliamentary group meeting at Parliament, for the first time in 119 days after a long summer recess. On Thursday, he will receive Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The MKYK meeting is expected to focus on current developments, particularly the investment fund crisis and the Terror-Free Türkiye initiative. Discussions with senior party officials are also expected to cover major domestic issues alongside the political agenda.
His speech at the AK Party parliamentary group meeting is expected to deliver key messages on domestic and foreign policy developments, as well as touch on the Terror-Free Türkiye initiative and other current political issues.
Another key item on Erdoğan’s weekly agenda will be his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, scheduled for Thursday. The meeting is considered important for bilateral relations. Carney’s visit also stands out as the first bilateral visit to Türkiye by a Canadian prime minister.
Istanbul police captured three fugitive members of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), including one who had been on the run for a decade, authorities announced Sunday.
Police identified the suspects as Mehmet Yılmaz, Abdullah Ilık and Serdar Uluocak. Yılmaz was wanted for membership in a terrorist group and was a user of ByLock, an encrypted messaging app developed and exclusively used by FETÖ members. He worked as an editor, reporter and editor-in-chief at publications controlled by FETÖ, including the now-defunct newspaper Zaman. Yılmaz was captured in a “gaybubet evi” (house of absence), a term used for safe houses operated by FETÖ.
Ilık was a high-level member of FETÖ and was in charge of secret prep schools operated by the group. He had been on the run for the past three years after a court sentenced him to more than six years in prison. Uluocak was a police officer linked to FETÖ.
FETÖ has faced increased scrutiny following the coup attempt that killed 251 people and injured nearly 2,200 others. Tens of thousands of people were detained, arrested or dismissed from public sector jobs following the attempt under a state of emergency.
The terrorist group faces operations almost daily as investigators continue to unravel its extensive network of infiltrators. However, an unknown number of FETÖ members, mostly high-ranking figures, fled Türkiye when the coup attempt was thwarted.
In addition to Iraq’s Turkmen community, Mohammed Samaan Agha’s appointment as a state minister in Iraq was also welcomed in Türkiye.
The minister, who also happens to be the leader of the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) and serves as governor of Kirkuk, promised to work “for the benefit of Iraq and Türkiye” in remarks to Turkish journalists on Sunday in Baghdad.
He met Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday as the latter was in Baghdad to attend a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Fidan congratulated him on his appointment as minister and told journalists that Türkiye had long monitored the challenges facing Iraq’s Turkmen community. He said addressing those challenges required progress on Iraq’s broader political and social problems.
”They are loyal citizens of Iraq. They are also highly conscious of preserving their own identity, which is precisely what we want,” Fidan said.
He stressed that the Turkmen community had consistently played a constructive role in Iraqi society and politics. “Türkiye and Iraq are brotherly countries, extensions of one another geographically, culturally and historically,” Fidan said. He called for a more institutionalized framework for bilateral cooperation that would serve both countries’ interests.
Agha was elected governor of Iraq’s Kirkuk province in April by the Kirkuk Provincial Council, becoming the first governor of Turkmen origin in more than a century. Turkmens are a Turkic-speaking minority whose total population is estimated at around 3 million. Agha visited Türkiye on an official trip following his election.
The new minister told reporters that, as a minister of Turkmen origin, he would work on issues in the interests of the people of both countries.
Commenting on his meeting with Fidan, Agha highlighted the historical, geographical, religious and cultural ties between the two countries.
Noting that Türkiye and Iraq shared many common issues, Saman Agha said: “We discussed all issues of mutual concern to the two countries, particularly security, trade, oil exports, energy, water and the fight against terrorism. In the coming period, as a Turkmen minister, we will do our best to carry out work in these areas that will benefit both countries and their peoples. We have initiated this process. God willing, we will make very good progress.”
Stating that regional tensions were negatively affecting the Iraqi economy, he said developments around the Strait of Hormuz and tensions between Iran, Israel and the United States had seriously harmed Iraq’s oil exports.
Emphasizing that Türkiye was an important neighbor and economic partner for Iraq, Agha said the Development Road Project should be accelerated.
“The faster the Development Road Project is carried out and implemented, the more beneficial it will be for Iraq. Türkiye will also benefit from it, but Iraq’s gains will be greater because this project will connect the East with the Western world,” he said.
Unveiled in May 2023, the Development Road Project is a $20 billion regional infrastructure initiative designed to facilitate the transport of goods from the Gulf to Europe via the Grand Faw Port in Basra, southern Iraq. The port would be linked to Türkiye and subsequently to Europe through an extensive network of railways and highways.
In April 2024, Türkiye, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on joint cooperation on the project.
Noting that the issue of water was becoming increasingly important as winter approached, Agha said water and security had also been discussed during talks between Türkiye and Iraq.
Recalling that Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had also recently raised security concerns, the minister stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the two countries in these areas.
“I believe that relations between Iraq and Türkiye will become much stronger in the coming period,” he said.
Commenting on the Iraqi Turkmen Front’s political goals and the representation of Turkmens in the new government, Agha said they attached importance to maintaining good relations with the country’s different social groups.
“First and foremost, we trust in God. Then, we trust in the votes of our people and the support they have given us and the Iraqi Turkmen Front. At a very critical and difficult time for Iraq, we have established very good relations with our Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish brothers. We maintain sound and sincere relations with everyone,” the Turkmen minister said.
Recalling the agreement on rotating the governorship of Kirkuk among Turkmens, Kurds and Arabs, Agha said it was also significant that Turkmens had subsequently secured representation at the ministerial level in the government.
Emphasizing that all social groups in Iraq should be represented in the country’s administration, he said: “I think everyone in Iraq has now come to the conclusion that, alongside Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis, Turkmens and Christians must also be represented. This would allow all segments of Iraqi society to feel that they are represented in the government Cabinet.”
Türkiye and Cambodia signed a military framework agreement Friday aimed at strengthening defense cooperation, as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the Southeast Asian nation as an increasingly important partner during talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Istanbul.
The agreement was signed during a ceremony preceding a joint news conference by Erdoğan and Manet at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Office, following bilateral and delegation-level talks earlier in the day.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan signed the agreement on behalf of Türkiye, while Cambodian Deputy Defense Minister Prak Sovanna represented Cambodia.
The deal seeks to deepen military and defense cooperation between the two countries amid efforts to expand bilateral relations.
Speaking at the joint news conference, Erdoğan highlighted the growing momentum in relations with Cambodia and Ankara’s commitment to strengthening its engagement with Southeast Asia.
“I consider Cambodia, with which our relations have developed rapidly in recent years, an important partner in Southeast Asia,” Erdoğan said.
The president also welcomed Cambodia’s participation as a founding member of the Gaza Board of Peace, describing the move as highly encouraging.
Erdoğan further highlighted humanitarian cooperation between the two countries, saying Turkish assistance had reached more than 3,000 people through coordination with Cambodian authorities.
“We have delivered assistance to more than 3,000 people in cooperation with Cambodian authorities. We will continue our humanitarian aid efforts,” he said.
Earlier Friday, Erdoğan welcomed Manet, who arrived in Türkiye at the president’s invitation, with an official ceremony at the Presidential Dolmabahçe Office.
The two leaders introduced their respective delegations before holding a one-on-one meeting, followed by talks between their delegations.
Foreign Minister Fidan, Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran and Presidential Chief Adviser on Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç also attended the discussions.
The visit reflects efforts by Ankara and Phnom Penh to broaden their partnership, with military cooperation emerging as a key area of engagement alongside diplomatic and humanitarian ties.
Türkiye is expected to expand cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in trade, economic relations, the defense industry and energy after recently becoming a “dialogue partner” of the regional bloc.
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